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

BOSTON — Longtime Massachusetts congressman and perhaps the most notable gay U.S. politician of his time, Barney Frank, has entered hospice care, according to a report by Politico, and the state’s Democratic Party is reacting to the news of the liberal icon’s failing health.

“As Congressman, Barney Frank left an indelible mark on public...Read more

SEATTLE — Four Tacoma high school students, a security guard and a suspect were injured in a stabbing during a Thursday afternoon “altercation” at Foss High School, police said.

The four students were seriously injured and taken to nearby hospitals, according to Tacoma police spokesperson Officer Shelbie Boyd.

The suspect was taken to a ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he was sticking with a naval blockade of Iranian ports even as oil prices hit a wartime high 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 ...Read more

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Senate approved an $88 billion budget plan this week, seeking investments in education and Selfridge Air National Guard Base, while also making a withdrawal from the state's rainy day fund.

The Democrat-led Senate voted, along party lines, 19-18 in favor of two budget bills on Thursday. The Republican-controlled ...Read more

It's a sight to behold — the 1-ton sea lion peeking his head out of the water in San Francisco Bay and triggering a panic as other sea lions hustle to get out of the way.

There's a lot of barking, and suddenly the big fella hops onto the wood platform, sending the other pinnipeds jostling for a new spot in the sun or diving back into the ...Read more

The U.S. Air Force agreed to buy an undisclosed number of interceptor drones from a company backed by President Donald Trump’s sons, according to the firm, deepening the military’s ties to defense contractors linked to the first family as the U.S. war with Iran enters its third month.

The West Palm Beach, Florida-based company, Powerus, ...Read more

BOISE, Idaho — A Canyon County woman with young kids was the victim in a recent alleged attempted murder case. But she didn’t have access to the Idaho Crime Victims Compensation Program, a state resource that can pay for help like counseling, because of her legal status, Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue said.

Instead, the Canyon County ...Read more

A new congressional map drawn by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to create four more Republican-leaning seats, and three of them will be whiter.

Staff for the governor repeatedly said they did not consider race when drawing the map, which legislators approved Wednesday. Officials said they did, however, consider partisan data.

The new ...Read more

CHICAGO — The man accused of fatally shooting a Chicago Police officer and critically wounding his partner concealed a gun through at least one search before he allegedly fired on the officers while inside Endeavor Swedish Hospital over the weekend, prosecutors said Thursday.

Cook County Judge D’Anthony Thedford ordered 26-year-old Alphanso...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — There was a swanky dinner in the basement of a Center City sushi restaurant, a parade with Mummers, a secret party with DJ Jazzy Jeff, and hundreds of cheering union members lined up at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philly’s stadium complex.

And it was all, basically, for one person.

Ken Martin, the chair of the ...Read more

NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pied-à-terre tax could fall short of the $500 million she’s aiming for — by more than $100 million — New York City Comptroller Mark Levine found in a report released Thursday.

The report said the tax, which would place a surcharge on second homes valued at $5 million or more, could yield between $340 ...Read more

Caroline Kennedy was seen at King Charles and Queen Camilla’s charity event Wednesday in New York City, in a rare sighting following her daughter Tatiana Schlossberg’s death in late 2025.

Multiple sources told People they saw the former U.S. Ambassador, 68, at the King’s Trust Global Gala, which the royals hosted at Christie’s New York,...Read more

Addressing ongoing conflict between himself and the University of Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear warned Thursday that he has seen university presidents’ tenures end “in a very difficult way.”

During a Team Kentucky address on the state of the Commonwealth Thursday, Beshear referenced the fall of the University of Louisville’s 2016 ...Read more

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Like clockwork, the Missouri House again has endorsed a plan to adopt daylight saving time year-round.

Debating an issue for at least the 10th year in a row, the House approved legislation Tuesday that would end the practice of Missourians having to change their clocks twice a year by making daylight saving time ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota officials are seeing a massive spike in new reports of fraud in social services programs, overwhelming the ability of investigators to handle all the cases.

That’s led state authorities to farm out more cases to federal investigators, and delayed their ability to identify and shut down credible allegations of ...Read more

The federal government is deferring more Medicaid funding to Minnesota days after the FBI raided autism and child care sites across the Twin Cities amid ongoing probes into social services fraud.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said on X that his agency told Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday that it�...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two more tornadoes, including one that traveled more than 36 miles, touched down earlier this week as storms raced across the Kansas City region, the National Weather Service said in survey results released Wednesday.

That brings the total number of confirmed tornadoes from the severe weather that moved through the region ...Read more