MINNEAPOLIS — Former state Sen. Justin Eichorn pleaded not guilty Monday to his federal charge of attempted enticement of a minor following his arrest in an underage prostitution sting set up by Bloomington police last month.

“Not guilty, your honor,” Eichorn told U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon Elkins during an arraignment hearing that ...Read more

MIAMI — South Florida’s religious and political leaders on Monday mourned the passing of Pope Francis but also celebrated his ground-breaking spiritual leadership of the Catholic Church and messages of reform and inclusion.

The legacy of a pontiff that would come to be known as “the people’s pope” was defined by a series of firsts, ...Read more

Pope Francis, the first pontiff from Latin America, whose warm, humble, no-nonsense manner galvanized the Roman Catholic Church and drew widespread admiration from outsiders almost from the moment of his surprise election to the throne of St. Peter in 2013, has died.

The church’s 266th leader, Francis died Monday morning, the Vatican ...Read more

DENVER — A federal judge on Monday appeared inclined to continue to prevent the Trump administration from using the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants being held in Colorado.

U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney questioned government lawyers at a morning hearing in Denver about why she shouldn’t continue a temporary ...Read more

DENVER — With just over two weeks to go in the 120-day Colorado legislative session, lawmakers are looking to push forward proposals that would increase protections for undocumented immigrants, study a statewide universal health care system and, possibly, result in the first veto override of Gov. Jared Polis’ tenure.

On Monday, the Senate ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A small army of laborers, heavy-equipment operators, hazmat technicians and truck drivers have cleared more than one-third of the home lots left in charred ruin by January’s firestorms — a frenetic pace that suggests the bulk of the vast government-run cleanup in Los Angeles County could be completed as early as June, ...Read more

Pope Francis died after a cerebral stroke, the Vatican announced Monday.

The 88-year-old pontiff died early Easter Monday following the stroke. The episode put him into a coma and led to irreversible heart failure, Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, the head of the Vatican’s health department, said in a death certificate released Monday.

Francis dealt ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The death of Pope Francis reverberated around California on Monday, with his message of tolerance and advocacy for immigrants and the less fortunate resonating even more strongly in death.

Francis, the first pontiff from Latin America, was a particularly loved figure in the Los Angeles region, where his statements in support of ...Read more

WASHINGTON — A group of House Democrats in El Salvador on Monday are pushing for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly removed from the United States last month to a maximum-security prison.

Reps. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., led the effort. They are joined by Reps. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., and Maxine ...Read more

The Trump administration gave its strongest signal yet Monday on its thinking in regard to Haiti as the country spirals deeper into gang-fueled chaos and its capital stands on the precipice of being fully under gang control.

“America cannot continue shouldering such a significant burden,” said Dorothy Camille Shea, interim chargé d’...Read more

STAMFORD, Conn. — The criminal contempt case against Michelle Troconis — tied to the trial in the death of Connecticut woman Jennifer Farber Dulos — has been continued without a ruling on her attorney’s motion to dismiss the matter.

Troconis, 50, appeared Monday in Stamford Superior Court where her matter was continued to June 18, ...Read more

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hit back at critics Monday over new reports that he shared secret U.S. military attack plans with his wife, brother and lawyer in real time on the Signal app.

The embattled Pentagon chief called the explosive story a smear concocted by “disgruntled employees,” suggesting three ousted top aides might be ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — In the wake of Pope Francis’ death, Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Perez called on followers to remain hopeful.

“The Lord brought him home,” Perez said while standing next to a portrait of Francis in a video posted to X Monday. “We call all our faithful, all of his sheep, to pray for him and to pray for the repose of ...Read more

A selloff in U.S. assets deepened as President Donald Trump stepped up criticism of Jerome Powell on social media, with stocks, the dollar and longer-dated Treasuries sliding amid concerns about the Federal Reserve’s future independence.

Trump’s assurances that tariff talks were progressing did little to stop the rout. The S&P 500 and other...Read more

NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued another round of funding threats against New York state Monday — while once again rollling back a supposed deadline for the end of congestion pricing.

In a letter to Gov. Hochul Monday, Duffy set his third in a row of seemingly toothless deadlines, telling the state to ...Read more

An early Monday morning launch was the first of two on the Space Coast with planned booster landings that could bring sonic booms to Central Florida.

First up was a Falcon 9 on the CRS-32 resupply mission to the International Space Station that launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 4:15 a.m.

The first-stage booster made its ...Read more

Vice President JD Vance on Monday led an American chorus of tributes to the late Pope Francis after being one of the last people to meet with the ailing pontiff before his death.

Vance, an adult convert to Roman Catholicism, said he was gratified to have the chance to become the last world leader to meet with Francis in his final hours.

“My ...Read more

Pope Francis died at age 88 on Monday, April 21, a day after his last public appearance during Easter festivities. He became pope in 2013.

In 2015, the pope made his first trip to Cuba and the United States as part of his 10-day itinerary in which he traveled around both nations in recognition of the two countries renewing ties.

Here is a look...Read more

Defying the courts can bring significant consequences. Past presidents have sent the military when Southern governors refused to integrate schools.

But what if the refuser is the president?

“The president is in charge of the military,” said Michael Meyerson, a constitutional law professor at the University of Baltimore. “He’s the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — California residents are now eligible to buy naloxone — the generic drug for Narcan, a drug used to treat opioid overdoses — for $24 through the state's prescription website CalRx brand, Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said in a release Monday.

"Life-saving medications shouldn't come with a life-altering price tag. CalRx is about...Read more