President Donald Trump on Thursday named Mike Waltz as his new ambassador to the United Nations after multiple reports said he would be ousted as national security adviser over his controversial role in the leaked group chat of American military attack plans on the Signal messaging app.

Instead of appointing a new national security adviser, ...Read more

CHICAGO — A federal judge on Thursday postponed the retrial of of ex-AT&T Illinois boss Paul La Schiazza on bribery counts related to former House Speaker Michael Madigan, allowing the new U.S. Attorney in Chicago to consider next steps in the case and avoiding the possibility that Madigan would be sentenced in the same same courthouse while ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — A 54-year-old man was arrested and charged in San Diego federal court this week on allegations that he attempted to smuggle exotic parakeets across the U.S.-Mexico border by hiding the birds inside his cowboy boots.

The alleged smuggler, a Mexican citizen, was arrested on suspicion of hiding the birds in nylon stockings concealed ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has decided to remove Mike Waltz from his post as national security adviser and will instead nominate him to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is tapping Secretary of State Marco Rubio to replace Mike Waltz as his national security adviser, handing one Floridian two powerful titles just as he demotes another.

Trump described Rubio’s new role as an “interim” one, leaving his options open as he overhauls his National Security Council in the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — When Jim McDonnell took over as Los Angeles police chief late last year, he promised to take stock of the department within 90 days and start overhauling what needed fixing.

Nearly six months later, seemingly little has changed and there are growing questions about when — or even if — McDonnell will shake things up.

...Read more

Virginia Giuffre’s father said he does not believe she died by suicide, adamantly insisting that “someone got to her” some 15 years after she first accused financier Jeffrey Epstein of sexually exploiting her as a teen.

Sky Roberts made the claim during an emotional interview with Piers Morgan on Thursday. He told the the talk show host ...Read more

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Public schools in Missouri would be required to offer extracurricular activities to homeschooled students under legislation advancing in the Capitol.

After years of falling short of passage, the measure appears on track to make it to Gov. Mike Kehoe’s desk this year.

The plan, sponsored by state Sen. Ben Brown, R-...Read more

GOLDEN, Colo. — A Jefferson County judge sentenced one of the three men who threw rocks at passing cars two years ago in a spree of random attacks that killed 20-year-old Alexa Bartell to 45 years in prison Thursday.

District Judge Christopher Zenisek sentenced Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik to 45 years in prison on the conviction of second-...Read more

MIRAMAR, Fla. — A six-day immigration sweep in Florida last week resulted in the arrest of 1,120 people across the state, an operation that state and federal officials described Thursday as the largest of its kind to date and a “warm up” for future immigration enforcement operations.

“We believe this is just the beginning,” Gov. Ron ...Read more

The Florida Legislature delivered a decisive victory to residents who treasure their state parks Thursday, as the House passed an amended version of the bill to ban the construction of golf courses, hotels, pickleball courts and similar amenities on park land.

Thursday’s vote to approve the bill was unanimous, just as it was the day prior in ...Read more

House Republicans passed a measure Thursday that would repeal the government’s decision to place California’s longfin smelt, a finger-sized fish, on the endangered species list.

House members passed the resolution, introduced by Republican California Rep. Doug LaMalfa, in a 216-195 vote that followed party lines. The resolution now goes to ...Read more

A federal judge in Texas ruled that President Donald Trump improperly invoked a 227-year-old wartime law to deport accused Venezuelan gang members to an El Salvador prison, setting up what may become yet another high-stakes battle at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The decision Thursday marks the biggest setback yet for Trump’s effort to unilaterally...Read more

ATLANTA — A jury in South Georgia has awarded $70 million to a Camilla woman who says she lost both her legs above the knee because doctors gave her a medication overdose and botched her care, court filings show.

Lawyers for Jessica Powell said it took jurors in Dougherty County just over 30 minutes to rule in her favor against three Albany ...Read more

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Lesley and Tommy Ridge were nosey kids growing up in Pennsylvania's governor's residence in the 1990s.

The two children of former Gov. Tom Ridge would often peek their heads into the governor's reception room when they got home from school to see which event their father was hosting.

And on one particular day in 1999, who ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has decided to oust White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and his top deputy from their post, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Waltz, a former Republican congressman from Florida, and principal deputy national security adviser Alex Wong were expected to leave Thursday in the...Read more

MIAMI – A Republican lawmaker shocked Florida’s political world when he accused representatives of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration of committing federal crimes by diverting $10 million from a Medicaid settlement to political activities last year.

No one has been charged, and DeSantis administration officials have denied wrongdoing. But ...Read more

MIAMI — The Hope Florida story dominated the legislative session like no other.

But it’s a pretty difficult thread to follow. There are a lot of players and numerous accusations being thrown around.

First, let’s set the stage with the key figures.

Gov. Ron DeSantis: He needs no introduction.

First Lady Casey DeSantis: DeSantis’ wife,...Read more