SAN DIEGO — The two hours before Monday’s deadly attack at the San Diego Islamic Center were marked by a series of frantic calls by the mother of one of the attackers as short-staffed police struggled to assess the seriousness of the threat and scramble officers to find the gunmen.

The mother of 17-year-old Cain Lee Clark first called ...Read more

MEXICO CITY — In recent days, the U.S. Navy stationed an aircraft carrier off the coast of Cuba, the White House expanded sanctions on Havana's leaders and federal prosecutors charged former Cuban President Raúl Castro with murder.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters, said what to many is becoming obvious: that the ...Read more

MIAMI — Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime personal assistant testified Thursday that she was sexually assaulted by former Miami Beach mayor and 2018 Florida gubernatorial candidate Philip Levine, the Miami Herald has confirmed.

Sarah Kellen, a key member of Epstein’s inner circle, told the House Oversight Committee she was assaulted by Levine, ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Pakistan’s army chief, the favored interlocutor between Washington and Tehran, arrived in the Iranian capital amid signals of progress in talks to end the war.

Field Marshal Asim Munir landed late Friday in Tehran, where he was welcomed by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, according to the military’s press wing. He�...Read more

NEW YORK — Repairs and additional inspections sparked by a sinkhole discovered on a LaGuardia Airport runway will cause delays that will hamper travel on Memorial Day weekend, officials said Friday.

LaGuardia Airport said it expects runway 4/22 — one of the airport’s two main runways — to be out of service until early Saturday morning ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe will soon have the power to shape the state’s election season, a major decision that could determine the fate of abortion rights, direct democracy and the state’s tax structure.

Kehoe, a Republican, is expected to announce which statewide ballot measures will appear in the August or November ...Read more

Federal health officials have directed enhanced Ebola-related screening of certain international travelers through a Washington-area airport, but Baltimore’s primary air hub says it is not part of the effort and does not expect to be involved.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week that it has issued an order ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Pakistan said its army chief, the favored interlocutor between Washington and Tehran, is headed to the Iranian capital, signaling progress has been made in talks to end the war.

Field Marshal Asim Munir is making an official visit to Tehran for discussions including U.S.-Iran talks and peace in the region, a Pakistani security ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Some congressional Democrats say Donald Trump fumbled a chance to convince Chinese President Xi Jinping to intervene in the president’s costly standoff with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.

Foreign policy experts have fingered Beijing as one of the global capitals still allied with Iran, meaning the powerful Xi might have been ...Read more

LANSING, Mich. — State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky and 29 other sitting members of the state Legislature are calling for the resignation of Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi Washington, citing a history of problems at the state prisons under her leadership.

The letter Thursday from the lawmakers notes that in the past month alone, ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — They watched with alarm as a developer known for building boxy duplexes in South Los Angeles started buying lots on their block in west Altadena.

One in March, one in April, one in May. One in September.

For Michael and Crystal Nerone, who were weighing the pros and cons of rebuilding their house destroyed in the Eaton fire, ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Top Trump administration officials were in Minneapolis on Thursday to announce new criminal charges against people who they say stole from Medicaid-funded social programs.

It’s the latest development in the federal government’s sweeping investigation into social services fraud in Minnesota.

Here are four things to know:

...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A South Florida representative’s broad domestic violence bill that unanimously passed the Florida Legislature was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday.

HB 277, introduced by Rep. Debra Tendrich, D-Lake Worth Beach, will take effect July 1. The representative’s own experience as a domestic violence ...Read more

NATO welcomed an abrupt announcement by President Donald Trump to send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland even as the alliance’s top envoys braced for cuts in U.S. military resources.

As allies process the latest White House policy shift, Secretary General Mark Rutte said focus remained on boosting spending to be able to defend European ...Read more

Philadelphia is poised to launch the nation’s first city-sponsored retirement plan for workers whose employers don’t offer them.

Voters on Tuesday sanctioned the city council’s PhillySaves program by adopting a change to the city charter. The move will require employers without retirement benefits to enroll their workers in the new plan. ...Read more

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed an abrupt announcement by President Donald Trump to send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland even as the alliance’s top envoys braced for cuts in U.S. military resources.

As allies process the latest White House policy shift, Rutte said focus remained on boosting spending to be able to defend ...Read more

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was “slight progress” in mediated negotiations with Iran, as the prospect of a deal to turn a fragile ceasefire into a lasting peace agreement remains uncertain.

“I don’t want to exaggerate it, but there’s been a little bit of movement, and that’s good,” Rubio said at a meeting of ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — It's OK to pack medical marijuana when heading to the airport in California, but whether those products will still be with you when you land remains somewhat of an open question, experts say.

At the end of April, the Transportation Security Administration quietly updated its "What Can I Bring?" web page to reiterate that medical...Read more

SAN DIEGO — In the moments that gunmen opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the actions of three men staved off an even more extensive tragedy.

Authorities say that, before they were killed, they slowed the shooters, sent out a warning and alerted police, allowing dozens of schoolchildren inside the mosque to scramble for safety. ...Read more