ROME — Fresh off the glow of his summit with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, Mayor Brandon Johnson signaled Friday that Chicago could be due for another street or landmark christened after a pontiff.

In a sit-down interview with the Tribune, Johnson said the first American pope deserves to be formally recognized in his hometown, though he said ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A reported sighting of a mountain lion has shut down a few local roads in Santa Monica as authorities look for the dangerous cat and warn residents to stay indoors.

The Santa Monica Police Department responded to the sighting near a residential area near 14th and Montana streets, according to a Police Department social media ...Read more

Louisiana’s Republican legislature gave final approval to a new congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s two Black-majority districts and would likely lead to a one-seat GOP pickup in the November election if upheld in court.

The modified map the state House passed 66-36 Thursday, and the Senate cleared 28-10 Friday dismantles ...Read more

DENVER — A new law signed Friday by Gov. Jared Polis will restrict artificial intelligence-powered chatbots, regulating the technology amid concern about its role in several suicides by young people.

The measure, which passed as House Bill 1263, focuses on safeguarding chatbots’ interactions with children and teenagers. It faced controversy...Read more

NEW YORK — A massive fire in the tunnels at Manhattan’s Penn Station caused extensive suspensions and delays on Amtrak, NJ Transit, and the Long Island Railroad Friday, creating a nightmare for travelers and commuters heading into the weekend.

The fire — which took place in the station near the opening of the North River Tunnel connecting...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The highest court in Nevada has ordered a lower court to grant a preliminary injunction against a decades-old abortion law that requires parents to be notified if their child seeks an abortion.

The Nevada Supreme Court issued the ruling Thursday in a 22-page opinion. The law has been on the books since 1985 but was not enforced ...Read more

The former mayor of Arcadia pleaded guilty Friday to acting as an illegal agent of China.

Eileen Wang, 56, was charged last month and agreed to plead guilty to accusations that she was directed by the Chinese government to promote propaganda in the United States between 2020 and 2022, according to court filings.

Wang was elected to the City ...Read more

WASHINGTON — A Washington federal judge blocked the Kennedy Center board from closing the decades-old performing arts venue and ordered President Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the building.

The board of trustees for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts may not, for now, continue with its plans to shutter the center ...Read more

As public health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo work to rein in a growing outbreak of a rare Ebola virus, other countries are establishing protocols for keeping their own populations safe.

As of May 27, 2026, Congo has reported more than 1,000 suspected and confirmed cases, and more than 250 deaths, according to the U.S. ...Read more

BALTIMORE — As the final victim’s family and utility company BGE settled claims with the Dali’s owners Friday over the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, a larger courtroom battle is about to begin: whether the companies behind the ship can avoid billions in liability for one of Maryland’s worst infrastructure disasters.

The agreements ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Last year, U.S. Postal Service employees suffered 70 dog attacks in Los Angeles, the highest city in the nation for the third time in as many years.

Overall, postal workers across the country experienced more than 5,200 dog attack incidents last year, according to a U.S. Postal Service news release. This is the third year in a ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday he’s making a “final determination” on a preliminary deal to extend a ceasefire with Iran although mixed messages from both sides over when an agreement might be struck continued to confuse the outlook for a breakthrough.

“I will be meeting now, in the Situation Room, to make a final ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Former Attorney General Pam Bondi rebuffed questions about President Donald Trump’s involvement in the Justice Department’s handling of files from its investigation of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Democratic lawmakers said.

“She refused to answer any questions about President Trump,” Representative Robert ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The ICE agent charged with shooting a Venezuelan immigrant in north Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge and lying about the circumstances has been arrested in Texas after Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents tracked him there.

Christian Castro, 52, was taken into custody Friday by Texas Rangers and agents with ...Read more

DENVER — Tina Peters will walk out of a Colorado prison Monday, ending roughly 20 months of incarceration as her legal team renews its effort to overturn the seven criminal convictions that sent her there.

Her exit from the La Vista Correctional Facility in Pueblo comes roughly 30 months earlier than originally scheduled, after Gov. Jared ...Read more