NEW YORK — The daredevil couple who got global attention for climbing to the top of the Empire State Building’s spire during an elaborate marriage proposal managed to upload their engagement pictures — which were posted online as they sat in a holding cell Thursday morning.

“@angela_nikolau and @beerkus are currently unavailable, and we...Read more

The Muslim civil rights organization Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, is suing Florida after the state designated the group as a terrorist organization.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced that his administration was putting CAIR and several other organizations on the list.

He did so under the authority of a law his office...Read more

BOSTON — Stop overfishing for striped bass!

That’s the message from Massachusetts Environmental Police, who are cracking down on people illegally fishing for striped bass as officers make several arrests so far this season.

“With their population in a decline, enhanced management strategies have been put in place to aid in rebuilding the...Read more

CHICAGO — An extreme heat warning is in effect for the Chicagoland area until midnight Thursday, weather officials said.

National Weather Service included several cities and towns in Illinois saying the heat index was expected to reach at least 105 degrees Thursday in portions of central, central east, north central and northeast Illinois, as...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After six years of teleworking, California’s state employees have become fluent in software such as Google Docs and Microsoft Teams to work with their colleagues and get their jobs done.

But on Wednesday, the first day of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office order, state workers were still working from their laptops �...Read more

The number of fatalities increased to 20 in Kyiv following overnight Russian missile and drone attacks on the Ukrainian capital that were among the most intense of the year so far.

“As of now, 20 deaths are known,” Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said Thursday in a post on Telegram.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A mother is suing a Kentucky detention center for negligence after she claims jail staff failed to do required medical checks on her son, resulting in him being left in a permanent vegetative state, according to the lawsuit.

Ethel Miller, the mother of Jonathan Conkright, filed a lawsuit in Rowan County Circuit Court against ...Read more

Five wildfires burning in Colorado together had scorched nearly 125,000 acres — 194 square miles — as of Thursday morning, nearly the size of Colorado Springs.

Colorado’s largest wildfire, the Aspen Acres fire, grew to 47,953 acres by Wednesday evening, up from 28,362 acres the night before. The wildfire’s burn area is roughly 75 square...Read more

As the 250th anniversary of American independence approaches, many people in the U.S. are deeply concerned about the country’s future.

A recent poll by Elon University found that 69% of respondents “believe the signers of the Declaration of Independence would feel more disappointment than pride about modern American democracy.” ...Read more

In Watson v. RNC, decided June 29, 2026, liberal and conservative Supreme Court justices joined a noteworthy cross-ideological majority to uphold state grace periods for mail-in ballots. The decision, which went against President Donald Trump’s policy preferences, preserved the status quo, allowing states to accept and count mail-in ballots...Read more

Chemical giant Monsanto has argued for years that if the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approves a pesticide label without requiring a cancer warning, states cannot hold its manufacturer liable in court for failing to warn consumers about cancer risks. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed, in a ruling issued on June 25, 2026, though some ...Read more

Florence Corcoran, an employee of South Central Bell Telephone Company, was eight months into a high-risk pregnancy when her obstetrician recommended she spend the final month on bed rest in the hospital, for close monitoring. Despite the recommendation, her health insurer determined that it would only cover partial-day at-home nursing care.<...Read more

Trade the tricorn hats, bonnets and homespun shirts for flip flops, sneakers and soccer jerseys, and the intrepid revolutionaries of 1776 would have looked a lot like the people of 2026. But their sense of embodiment and experience of health was markedly different from Americans today.

It goes deeper than not having aspirin, ...Read more

The Trump administration’s Religious Liberty Commission released its report on June 26, 2026, on the state of religious freedom in the United States, declaring it to be under attack.

The commission was established in May 2025 to identify and report on “emerging threats to religious liberty, uphold Federal laws that protect all ...Read more

Few substances are as deeply woven into everyday life as alcohol. It is a fixture at holiday celebrations, work-related social gatherings, sporting events, airports, and brunch or dinner tables. A raised glass for a toast, the ubiquitous wedding open bar or drinks shared during a Fourth of July celebration all demonstrate how deeply alcohol ...Read more

Russia unleashed one of the most intense missile and drone attacks on Kyiv so far this year, killing at least 17 people and injuring dozens, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukraine’s Air Defense said ballistic and cruise missiles were used in the overnight assault on Kyiv as well as jet-powered drones, while strikes were also reported in ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — John Morris was eager to mark the 250th anniversary of America with his annual fireworks show at Alamitos Bay.

Then, he discovered the California Coastal Commission would only approve a show using lighted drones, not real fireworks. He couldn’t believe it.

“Of course it’s going to be about fireworks,” Morris told the ...Read more