CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A lawsuit by dozens of conservative United Methodist churches in western North Carolina wishing to break away from their governing body was thrown out of court Tuesday by an N.C. judge.

Superior Court Judge Richard Doughton of Iredell County tossed the complaint filed by 36 congregations after agreeing with a motion by the ...Read more

After two days of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged even closer ties with Russia’s most powerful backer and hailed Beijing’s proposals for ending his war in Ukraine.

“Many of the provisions of the peace plan proposed by China are in line with Russian approaches and could be used as the ...Read more

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri House approved an anti-vaccination measure Tuesday that could tie the hands of health professionals to address future pandemics.

The proposal, sponsored by Republican Rep. Bill Hardwick of Waynesville, would bar governments from being able to mandate a COVID-19 vaccine or future potential medical ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Representatives from neighborhood groups around Philadelphia said they felt federal officials are not listening to their concerns about efforts to open a place in the city where people could inject drugs under medical supervision.

Civic group leaders met Tuesday with U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero as the U.S. Justice ...Read more

MIAMI — Two deadly shootings, motives unclear. Hundreds of arrests. Dozens of guns confiscated. Emergency city commission meetings.

It’s spring break in Miami Beach and once again city leaders and the police force are struggling for ways to control crowds and the kind of publicity that no tourist-driven community wants.

“We can’t allow...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The start of a massive three-day strike led by the lowest paid public school workers and supported by teachers shut down Los Angeles campuses Tuesday amid a fierce morning storm, sent parents scrambling for child care and meals and brought thousands of picketers to campuses and a boisterous afternoon rally downtown.

The strike ...Read more

A bipartisan coalition of 25 advocacy groups, think thanks and individuals is warning of a “crisis for staff” if Republicans roll back discretionary spending that had boosted pay for House staffers.

Republicans are seeking to return spending to fiscal 2022 levels, which would gut pay increases that some say were long overdue.

During his ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Office of the Inspector General will investigate LAPD Chief Michel Moore and the department’s constitutional policing director over the disclosure of photos of thousands of officers, including those who work undercover.

At Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Police Commission, Moore said he had issued “deep apologies” ...Read more

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Abigail Zwerner told NBC News this week that the image of her 6-year-old student aiming a gun at her during class has been forever etched in her mind.

“I will just never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me,” Zwerner told reporter Savannah Guthrie on a “Today” show ...Read more

After two days of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged even closer ties with Russia’s most powerful backer and hailed Beijing’s proposals for ending his war in Ukraine.

“Many of the provisions of the peace plan proposed by China are in line with Russian approaches and could be used as the ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — House Republicans spent the last day of their annual issues conference discussing their top legislative priority, an energy package dubbed HR 1, that will test the new majority’s ability to unite around major legislation when it hits the floor next week.

If they pass the bill with their slim four-seat majority, it could ...Read more

MIAMI — As President Joe Biden heads to Canada on Thursday for a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, where the crisis in Haiti will be a leading topic, there is one thing that everyone can agree on:

Since the U.S. and Canada began targeting Haiti’s political and business elite with travel visa bans and economic sanctions in early ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A massive three-day strike calling for better wages and working conditions for some of Los Angeles public schools’ lowest-paid employees — bus drivers, custodians, special education assistants, cafeteria workers and others — began with a rainy start Tuesday, though picketers tried to keep the energy high despite the dreary ...Read more

NEW YORK — Donald Trump supporters flocked to the lower Manhattan courthouses Tuesday — the day he predicted his arrest — with possible criminal charges against the former president expected to land as soon as Wednesday in the Stormy Daniels hush money probe.

Cheri Saxon, 45, said she had traveled from Chicago to protest the potential ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — The DeSantis administration next month could effectively bar all public school teachers from providing classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity, a move that would expand Florida’s controversial 2022 law and go even further than the legislation Republican lawmakers are pushing in Tallahassee this spring. ...Read more