DETROIT — Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has extended the Air Quality Alert for all of the state through Friday due to "Very Unhealthy to Hazardous" air quality conditions caused by smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota.

The state's Air Quality Alert remains in effect through midnight, meteorologists with...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A major Southern California water agency has struck a deal with federal officials to boost water levels in Lake Mead, part of a broader effort to keep the country’s largest reservoir from reaching critically low levels — at least for a while longer.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s board of ...Read more

The U.S. and Iran intensified their attacks beyond military targets during a sixth straight day of hostilities, increasing fears of a return to full war with no agreement reached over the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. hit southern Iran overnight, striking six road bridges, according to Iranian state media. There were separate reports of attacks on...Read more

NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani vowed to fight a new policy from the Trump administration that would give immigration officers the authority to deny green cards for immigrants who’ve used public benefits like Medicaid and housing assistance.

The policy could place hundreds of thousands of immigrants under increased scrutiny and could deter ...Read more

LONDON — Andy Burnham said he’ll be a pro-business prime minister, in his first speech since formally winning an uncontested race to lead the governing Labour Party.

“Make no mistake, everybody, I will be a pro-business leader of the Labour Party, as I was a pro-business mayor of Greater Manchester,” he said, pointing to small local ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A stretch of Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood remained closed Friday as crews repair a trunk line that ruptured early Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing down the famed Sunset Strip.

Closures are in place on Sunset Boulevard from Horn Avenue, where the 110-year-old pipe burst leaving a massive sink hole, to...Read more

The Trump administration has decided that destroying the habitat of endangered species is not harmful.

Think about that.

Habitat loss is the No. 1 reason species become endangered. Red-cockaded woodpeckers need mature long-leaf pine forests to reproduce. Endangered western monarch butterflies depend on pesticide-free milkweed ...Read more

Concerns surrounding young people’s screen time are widespread.

Australia became the first country to ban social media for users under 16 in December 2025, and Denmark, France and the U.K. have since announced similar restrictions to begin this year.

In the U.S., as of mid-2026, more than 30 states have passed laws banning ...Read more

During roasting-hot summer days, more and more people make their way to swimming pools, lakes, rivers and other spots where they can access water to stay cool.

But while water activities provide a refreshing escape from the heat, they can also be a source of danger. In the U.S., drowning is a leading cause of accidental death for ...Read more

If you’re a U.S. citizen and thinking about traveling to Haiti, the Trump administration would rather you not go. But should you decide to make the trip anyway, it has a new and unusually grim request:

“Leave DNA samples with your medical provider and dental records with your family in case it is necessary for your family to access them to ...Read more

Erica Schwartz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, expressed support for vaccines — including mRNA-based COVID shots — in a Senate hearing on Wednesday, though she didn’t dispel concerns the agency has lost any independence from the White House.

“I have been vaccinating people ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center on Friday continued to track a system approaching Florida with potential to become the season’s next tropical depression or storm.

In its 8 a.m. tropical outlook, the NHC said that an area of low pressure is expected to form during the weekend over the northeastern Gulf.

“Some gradual ...Read more

About 100,000 babies were born through in vitro fertilization in 2024, according to the most recent U.S. data. But IVF commonly involves trying to create multiple embryos, because success is never guaranteed. If unused, those embryos can be frozen, discarded, donated to research or donated to another fertility patient.

In the eyes of ...Read more

A little-noticed presidential national security directive is now the legal engine behind a wave of terrorism prosecutions against left-wing protesters.

That domestic campaign now has an international dimension, one that American officials had been planning for months, culminating on July 16, 2026, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio�...Read more

The U.S. and Iran intensified their attacks beyond military targets during a sixth straight day of hostilities, increasing fears of a return to full war with no agreement reached over the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. hit southern Iran overnight, striking six road bridges, according to Iranian state media. There were separate reports of attacks on...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Foreign college students and campuses across California are scrambling after the federal government finalized a rule Friday limiting international student visas to four years — a change that takes effect this fall and clouds the futures of those who typically need to stay longer, including doctoral and medical students.

The ...Read more

Kelly Haggett figures that a mandatory surcharge added to Washington state’s payroll tax cost her about $500 last year. But she doesn’t really mind.

“On a scale of 1 to 10 of my annoyance with taxes in general, this one is about a 2,” she said. “I see the benefits.”

The small surcharge on wages provides the funding for Washington ...Read more