WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told Axios he will not lift a naval blockade of Iran’s ports until he secures a deal with Tehran to address the country’s nuclear program, extending a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz that has caused a global energy crisis.

“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking ...Read more

Supreme Court justices pressed the federal government Wednesday about whether the president’s racist remarks about immigrants should factor into legal challenges to the Trump administration’s terminations of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians, in a case that will have significant consequences for South Florida, the heart of ...Read more

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Residents and visitors caught feeding bald eagles or other wild animals — even feral rabbits — may now be subject to hundreds of dollars’ worth of fines.

In a 9-3 vote Tuesday, the Anchorage Assembly approved a new law banning the human feeding of birds of prey and other wildlife. The municipality can now fine those ...Read more

MIAMI — The three-day wildfire roaring through Everglades National Park is not losing steam as fire crews have yet to contain the blaze, which has scorched more than 8,600 acres. While authorities say the fire poses no threat to residents, a coming wind-direction change will blow its smoke over South Florida homes and businesses overnight.

As...Read more

A judge scheduled a June trial for a 16-year-old boy charged as an adult with raping and murdering his 18-year-old stepsister onboard a cruise ship in November.

A grand jury indicted the teen, identified in court records by his initials, T.H., on April 10 on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual battery. He’s accused of ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new ordinance allowing a religious blade inside Sacramento City Hall went into effect Tuesday, and members of the Sikh community who carry the article of faith packed the council chambers for the occasion.

Some members of the Sikh community carry five religious items as a formal recognition of their religion. One of ...Read more

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho’s prison system has nearly completed execution chamber upgrades to carry out the death penalty by firing squad as the state’s lead method and will have a team of riflemen ready to go by the time a state law takes effect this summer.

As part of the transition, the Idaho Department of Correction hopes to limit the ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told Axios he will not lift a naval blockade of Iran’s ports until he secures a deal with Tehran to address the country’s nuclear program, extending a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz that has caused a global energy crisis.

“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking ...Read more

SPRINGFIELD — Hours after a U.S. Supreme Court majority ruled a Louisiana voting map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon announced Wednesday that a state constitutional amendment to enshrine protections for majority-minority districts will not appear on Illinois’ November ballot.

Harmon said in a...Read more

President Donald Trump’s portrait will be added to a special edition U.S. passport that the State Department is rolling out to commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this summer.

An estimated 25,000 to 35,000 of the limited edition documents including Trump’s image on an inside page will be available to ...Read more

President Donald Trump threatened Iran in a predawn social media post Wednesday as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress in a stormy hearing that the monthlong war has been a huge success and has cost taxpayers $25 billion so far.

Posting a fake image of himself carrying a machine gun with the caption “No more Mr. Nice Guy,” Trump ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — D4vd allegedly used a chainsaw to dismember the body of a teenager he was sexually abusing, then amputated two of her fingers to destroy a tattoo linking him to the girl, according to a court document made public Wednesday afternoon by L.A. County prosecutors in the singer's murder case.

David Anthony Burke, 21, is charged with ...Read more

A coalition of Maryland environmental groups is asking a Baltimore County judge to strike down or overhaul a state stormwater permit they say is too weak to curb industrial pollution flowing into the Chesapeake Bay.

Five organizations, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Blue Water Baltimore, argued Tuesday before a circuit court judge ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Former FBI Director James Comey made his initial court appearance Wednesday in response to federal criminal charges for allegedly threatening President Donald Trump’s life in a social media post.

Comey appeared in federal court in Virginia in response to a grand jury indictment obtained by the Justice Department, according to ...Read more

LANSING, Mich. — The Democratic-led Michigan Senate approved bills Wednesday that aimed to rein in technology companies' interactions with children, while some Republicans said the measures didn't go far enough.

The so-called "Kids Over Clicks" legislation would ban social media websites and mobile applications from providing addictive feeds ...Read more

Scott Peterson’s latest attempt to present evidence his legal team claims would prove he didn’t kill his wife and unborn son has been rejected by a Bay Area judge.

In an order handed down Monday, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Hill denied the motion from Peterson’s attorneys with the Los Angeles Innocence Project — ...Read more

Five small dams failed during the widespread flooding in northern Michigan this month and five others with the ability to cause major downstream damage were on the verge of failure, Michigan's dam safety supervisor told a House legislative committee Wednesday.

"The reality is that it's not a question of if another heavy rainfall or flooding ...Read more