WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he was sticking with a naval blockade of Iranian ports amid concerns the vital Strait of Hormuz would not reopen anytime soon.

“Their economy is crashing, the blockade is incredible,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “Their economy is a disaster. So we’ll see how long they hold out.”...Read more

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a presidential permit authorizing the Bridger Pipeline expansion project meant to carry Canadian crude to Wyoming — the latest in years of back-and-forth over oil pipelines linking the countries.

The project is a quasi-revival of the canceled Keystone XL pipeline that would have ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut’s child advocate addressed Gov. Ned Lamont, the Department of Children and Families commission, state policymakers and the public Thursday, saying deficits in care provided by DCF to the state’s children must be “urgently remedied” and that she is “increasingly alarmed” about the quality of services.

...Read more

Novo Nordisk A/S’s obesity shot Wegovy helped people with alcoholism reduce their drinking, in the first controlled study of patients who sought help with their addiction.

Volunteers on Wegovy reported drinking heavily for five days in a 30-day period after six months of treatment, 12 fewer days than before they started. The improvement ...Read more

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday vetoed a sweeping election reform bill passed by the Legislature in March, the result of years of negotiations between factions in the House and Senate.

The bill seeks to make numerous changes to Alaska’s election laws sought by both Democrats and Republicans.

The Alaska Constitution calls on lawmakers ...Read more

Five hours of never-before-heard taped conversations the late Diana, Princess of Wales, recorded in secret in 1991 will form the basis for a new docuseries telling her life story in her own words, the project’s production team announced.

Diana made the clandestine recordings with close friend Dr. James Colthurst to document the disintegration...Read more

CHICAGO — Visitation and funeral services for slain Chicago Police officer John Bartholomew are set for next Thursday, and Friday, May 7-8, at St. Andrews Greek Orthodox Church in Edgewater.

The May 7 visitation begins at 2 p.m. and lasts until 8 p.m., and the funeral is scheduled for the next day at 10 a.m., according to Bartholomew’s ...Read more

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is investigating 36 Illinois school districts to determine whether “sexual orientation and gender ideology” content is present in any Pre-K-12 classrooms, the agency said in a news release Thursday.

In the Chicagoland area, over 15 districts are listed as under investigation in Cook, ...Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A federal judge on Thursday ordered the attorney for Aimee Bock to get back confidential case documents that prosecutors say the convicted ringleader of the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme had her son email to select lawmakers and media members ahead her May sentencing.

Bock, 45, was back in front of U.S. District Judge ...Read more

BOSTON — Massachusetts will award over $70 million in grants to Career Technical Education (CTE) programs across the state, creating up to 2,500 new vocational education seats, Gov. Maura Healey announced Thursday.

“Today, $70 million is going out to 28 schools,” said Healey. “With these funds our great, regional career-focused high ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia school board Thursday night adopted a sweeping $3 billion facilities plan that would close 17 schools and renovate 169 over the next decade, reshaping the system for years to come.

The vote came amid intense opposition and over the objections of hundreds of students, parents, and teachers who begged the board ...Read more

BOSTON — A tattoo artist convicted of assaulting a female client argued that the victim had consented to sexual touching based on where she wanted her tattoo — an argument the Massachusetts Appeals Court doesn’t buy.

A Leominster District Court jury in 2023 convicted Jose Benevides of indecent assault and battery based on a complaint by a...Read more

BOSTON — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signed a bill that would impose a 2% tax on high-ticket real estate transactions worth more than $2 million, and was immediately criticized for looking to “increase the cost of doing business” in the city.

Wu signed a home rule petition Thursday that will now be sent up to Beacon Hill for consideration by...Read more

The Florida Supreme Court will allow further analysis of DNA testing results in the case of James Duckett, a former police officer who came close to being executed in March for a 1987 child murder.

In an opinion issued Thursday, the state’s highest court reversed a trial judge’s denial of Duckett’s request to obtain DNA testing data that ...Read more

SEATTLE — Thousands of May Day protesters are expected to rally and march Friday in cities across Washington state, including Seattle, Vancouver and Yakima, in support of worker rights and to protest the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

More than 1,000 Seattle demonstrators participated in last year’s celebration of ...Read more

Shares in spirits companies rose on Thursday after President Donald Trump announced he is lifting the 10% tariffs on alcohol sales between the United Kingdom and the U.S.

The move came at the behest of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, according to Trump’s post on Truth Social.

“In honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who ...Read more

DENVER — Colorado’s dry winter and abnormally warm spring will translate to high risk for a difficult fire season, state leaders warned Thursday.

“We are facing a very challenging fire year where our resources will be tested, across not only Colorado but across the West,” said Mike Morgan, the director of the Colorado Division of Fire ...Read more