A Cuban dissident and artist arrived in Miami in an unusual prisoner release by the island’s authorities, as Cuba faces an economic pressure campaign by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a prominent anti-government activist, boarded a flight from Cuba to Miami, according to a Facebook post on Saturday. �...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — It sounds familiar: An incident over a flag has residents of a Minnesota city riled up.

But it’s not the flag you’re probably thinking.

In Marine on St. Croix, a typically tranquil burg of just 700 north of Stillwater, the fuss is about the Prisoners of War/Missing in Action flag. And a council member who took it from the ...Read more

Mexico’s growing fleet of Chinese-made heavy trucks is becoming a new obstacle in its quest for relief from U.S. tariffs, as Washington presses for assurances that its southern neighbor isn’t becoming a backdoor for Chinese manufacturers to enter North America.

The value of Mexican imports of Chinese trucks ballooned more than sevenfold in ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Hiring a hit man is not a crime of violence, even in cases where the killer fulfills his contract and his employer is convicted in the conspiracy, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this week.

In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel vacated two felony convictions that stemmed from a pair of contract killings negotiated ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center on Saturday said a system churning off Florida’s west coast has an increased chance to build into the season’s next tropical depression or storm.

In its 8 p.m. tropical outlook, the NHC said that satellite images and surface observations indicate a broad surface low has formed over the eastern...Read more

Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok signed a constitutional amendment ending his presidency, capping Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s rapid effort to dismantle key pillars of the Viktor Orban era.

The measure, approved this week by parliament, fulfills one of Magyar’s central campaign pledges to remove senior officials appointed under Orban. He ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — State and federal authorities have expanded evacuation orders in Minnesota as an unprecedented band of wildfires threaten to scorch properties and homes.

The 15 fires in the Superior National Forest, which includes three in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, have now burned through more than 77,000 acres according to the...Read more

A South Carolina lawmaker wants to permanently ban immigrants from dozens of predominantly Black and brown countries from entering the United States, but at least one Caribbean nation is pushing back.

In a letter to Republican Rep. Nancy Mace that was copied to several high-ranking members of the House of Representatives, Antigua and Barbuda’...Read more

DENVER — Colorado’s largest active wildfire surpassed 100,000 acres as crews managed to contain more than half of the fire line as of Saturday morning.

The Aspen Acres fire grew by less than a square mile overnight and firefighters increased containment to 61%, fire officials said in a morning update.

Fire crews have slowed growth and ...Read more

The U.S. launched fresh strikes on Iran Saturday, a day after two American service members were killed in Jordan by Iranian missile and drone attacks.

U.S. Central Command said in a social media post the strikes were aimed at degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and “swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ...Read more

Walmart Inc. said it has removed four bagged iceberg lettuce salad products manufactured by Taylor Farms as recalls tied to a cyclosporiasis outbreak expand.

The retailer said Saturday there have been no confirmed illnesses associated with the items, which are sold under its Marketside store brand at select locations.

A Walmart spokeswoman ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — A weather-weary Philadelphia moved from one extreme to another Saturday as the smoke-filled skies began to clear, only to be replaced by the threat of high winds, heavy rain, flooding, and the possibility of tornadoes.

The severe weather forecast came one week after storms uprooted trees, flooded basements, and caused ...Read more

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida wildlife officials repeatedly searched personal driving records as they secretly investigated at least a dozen outspoken environmental activists who opposed the state’s efforts to revive bear hunting and enshrine hunting and fishing rights in the state constitution, records obtained by The Orlando Sentinel show.

...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A California airman died Thursday after the heavy machinery he was operating rolled down an embankment at a military base, officials said.

Airman 1st Class Cedric Eneluna was a member of the 30th Civil Engineer Squadron Pavements and Equipment Flight at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. He was part of the “...Read more

Two American service members were killed, four were injured and one is missing after an Iranian attack in Jordan, the U.S. military announced, following several days of intensifying strikes from both sides.

U.S. Central Command said the troops were defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on Friday. Four others were ...Read more

NEW YORK — After days of smoky skies and heavy heat, New York on Saturday was hit with “pea-sized hail” and flash flooding that saw numerous drivers swamped and trapped across the boroughs as severe weather hit the city.

New York City Emergency Management urged New Yorkers to stay inside as strong thunderstorms, possibly with quarter-inch...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said it made “significant progress” repairing the more than 100-year-old ruptured pipe that sent millions of gallons onto the streets of West Hollywood.

As of Saturday, crews replaced a 25-foot section of the damaged pipe with a new 3-foot steel pipe. According to the LADWP, ...Read more

Walmart Inc. said it has removed four bagged iceberg lettuce salad products manufactured by Taylor Farms as recalls tied to a cyclosporiasis outbreak expand.

The retailer said Saturday there have been no confirmed illnesses associated with the items, which are sold under its Marketside store brand at select locations.

A Walmart spokeswoman ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Tadeh Ghazalian, owner of Dialog Cafe, a family business of 20 years, is struggling in the wake of the water main break on Sunset Bouelvard.

His entire store is completely closed, facing structural damage, food and product loss and a complete wipeout of their inventory.

"The biggest thing is that there is so much water, there's...Read more

NEW YORK — After days of smoky skies and heavy heat, New Yorkers on Saturday were once again bracing for severe weather, which is expected to include intense thunderstorms, isolated tornadoes, and hail.

“Thunderstorms are expected to bring damaging winds strong enough to down trees and power lines, along with heavy rainfall that could cause...Read more