Current News

/

ArcaMax

Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Zuma Press/TNS

Trump chooses Stanford's Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead NIH

Current News / News & Features /

WASHINGTON — President elect Donald J. Trump announced on Tuesday night that he would nominate Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford professor of health policy and outspoken critic of the nation’s public health system, to lead the National Institutes of Health.

In a statement on social media, Trump said that “Together, Jay and RFK Jr. will ...Read more

Fernanda Galan/Fresno Bee/TNS

Old PETA video of alleged turkey abuse sends Thanksgiving feathers flying

Current News / News & Features /

A nearly 20-year-old video posted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals alleging turkey abuse at one of the nation’s foremost providers of Thanksgiving birds has triggered an online uproar.

The 2006 footage appears to depict employees of Butterball abusing live turkeys at a plant in Ozark, Arkansas, and drew a slew of comments from ...Read more

Los Angeles Times/TNS

L.A. County gears up for Trump with millions in funding for immigrants, transgender residents

Current News / News & Features /

LOS ANGELES — Gearing up for another Trump presidency, Los Angeles County supervisors will funnel millions in funding to beef up support for immigrants and transgender residents, who could be targeted by the incoming administration.

The governing board of the deep-blue county passed a flurry of resistance-themed motions Tuesday in response to...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Australia social media ban nears vote despite lawmaker concerns

Current News / News & Features /

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s plan to ban social media for children under the age of 16 is expected to pass parliament within days after it was signed off in a truncated Senate inquiry, even as lawmakers from across the political divide expressed discomfort at the “rushed” nature of the bills.

The Senate’s Committee on Environment...Read more

Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Newly improved student aid application released following last year's technical issues

Current News / News & Features /

After a trouble-plagued application overhaul, U.S. Department of Education officials have released next year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more than a week before its Dec. 1 target date.

After last year’s rollout disaster, Education Department officials claim to have improved the application process following feedback from ...Read more

CHRIS URSO/Tampa Bay Times/TNS

450K Floridians could lose health insurance under GOP Congress

Current News / News & Features /

Nearly half a million Floridians could lose their health insurance if Republicans in Congress do not extend subsidies that lower insurance premiums through the Affordable Care Act, two new reports warn.

An analysis by the Urban Institute estimates that 453,000 Floridians — including 32,000 children — would become uninsured if tax credits ...Read more

Phillip Faraone/Getty Images North America/TNS

Sean 'Diddy' Combs asked for house arrest at his Miami Beach mansion. Judge told him no -- again

Current News / News & Features /

The fourth time wasn’t the charm.

Sean “Diddy” Combs won’t be home for Thanksgiving after yet another request for bail was denied, at least for the time being, UsWeekly reports.

On Friday, the embattled rapper appeared in court, with his legal team attempting to put up $50 million with his Star Island mansion, which was raided by feds ...Read more

RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump team prepares to announce Greer as US trade representative

Current News / News & Features /

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is readying an announcement of Jamieson Greer as U.S. trade representative, according to people familiar with the matter.

Greer’s selection highlights the central role tariffs will play in Trump’s economic agenda with the incoming president vowing to use trade policy to raise ...Read more

Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Record 3,000 fake Gibson electric guitars seized through L.A., Long Beach ports, feds say

Current News / News & Features /

LOS ANGELES — More than 3,000 fake Gibson electric guitars have been seized through the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex as part of a multiagency law enforcement investigation, making it the largest counterfeit musical instrument seizure on record, authorities announced Tuesday.

Africa Bell, port director for the Los Angeles-Long Beach ...Read more

Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump names Vince Haley to lead White House domestic agenda

Current News / News & Features /

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump is tapping Vince Haley to head the White House Domestic Policy Council, an influential post responsible for coordinating his agenda across major federal agencies.

“I am proud to announce that Vince Haley, who served as Director of Policy and Speechwriting on my Winning Campaign, will lead my ...Read more

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California/TNS/TNS

Man tried to fly from LAX with 71 pounds of meth-caked clothing, including cow onesie, officials say

Current News / News & Features /

LOS ANGELES — A 31-year-old man was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport after trying to check two suitcases filled with clothing caked in methamphetamine — including a cow pajama onesie, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Authorities say Raj Matharu of Northridge checked two bags before his Nov. 6 flight to Sydney. But ...Read more

Chris Christo/Boston Herald/TNS

Karen Read defense team adds New York-based attorney amid 'fishing expedition'

Current News / News & Features /

BOSTON — The newest member of Karen Read’s defense team is a New York City-based attorney who typically represents businesses in environmental and financial fights and has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone has accepted Read’s request for Robert Alessi to be added to her defense team, which ...Read more

Sam Costanza/New York Daily News/TNS

Mayor Adams says Manhattan stabbing spree was 'byproduct' of push to reduce Rikers jail population

Current News / News & Features /

NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams argued Tuesday that last week’s horrific stabbing spree in Manhattan was the “byproduct” of efforts to reduce the inmate population on Rikers Island.

Ramon Rivera, the homeless man accused of killing three strangers during the Nov. 18 attacks, was released early from Rikers in mid-October after getting credit...Read more

Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post/TNS

Colorado investigates reports of falsified data on cleanup of about 350 oil, gas sites

Current News / News & Features /

State oil and gas regulators are investigating reports that environmental consultants falsified results of tests on soil, groundwater and contamination at about 350 locations in Weld County between 2021 and this summer.

The information was submitted on behalf of some of Colorado’s largest oil and gas producers and was intended to determine ...Read more

News briefs

Current News / News & Features /

White House rule would expand coverage of anti-obesity drugs

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday proposed expanding drug coverage under Medicare and Medicaid to include anti-obesity drugs — a move rebuking Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s critique of the popular medications.

The proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human ...Read more

D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS

As Eric Trump fights Miami-Dade's Doral incinerator plan, mayor wants vote delayed

Current News / News & Features /

MIAMI — Eric Trump, the son of the president-elect, has joined the fight against Miami-Dade County building a new incinerator in Doral.

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava reportedly told him that she’s requesting a delay in next week’s planned vote by the County Commission on whether to put the $1.5 billion facility in the city.

President-elect ...Read more

Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Rocker Marilyn Manson drops lawsuit against Evan Rachel Wood, will pay legal fees

Current News / News & Features /

LOS ANGELES — Embattled rock icon Marilyn Manson has dropped his lawsuit against former fiancée Evan Rachel Wood and will pay her $327,000 in attorney fees, her lawyers confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, sued the "Westworld" actor in March 2022 for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress...Read more

Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee/TNS

After tip from California workers, state Justice Department officials say company owes big money to employees, feds

Current News / News & Features /

In 2019, unionized construction workers raised alarms about a company building luxury apartments in Oakland, California, that appeared to be skirting its financial obligations, both to the state and its employees.

That tip would set off a yearslong investigation by the California Department of Justice, which accused the Kentucky-based company, ...Read more

Clarence Tabb Jr./The Detroit News/TNS

Trump's latest tariff threat is straight from his first-term playbook

Current News / News & Features /

WASHINGTON — If President-elect Donald Trump’s first-term playbook is any guide, his latest threat to slap tariffs on major U.S. trading partners is the start of negotiations rather than the end.

In a gambit familiar to adversaries and allies alike, Trump said in a social media post Monday evening he would slap 25% tariffs on imports from ...Read more

Alex Kent/Getty Images North America/TNS

Rudy Giuliani lashes out at NYC judge, says he can't pay his bills after $148 million defamation judgment

Current News / News & Features /

NEW YORK — Rudy Giuliani lashed out at a Manhattan federal court judge Tuesday — claiming he didn’t have enough money to pay his bills amid collection efforts from the Georgia mother and daughter election workers he baselessly accused of ballot fraud.

The outburst came when Judge Lewis Liman expressed skepticism over the former mayor’s ...Read more