Like Americans today, the people living in the United States in 1826 were preparing to celebrate a milestone for their country. July Fourth of that year marked the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

As what was known as the “Jubilee” of American independence approached, Americans realized that the founding ...Read more

In recent months, some prominent conservatives and erstwhile allies of President Donald Trump – former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and journalist Megyn Kelly, for example – have voiced their displeasure with him on several issues. They range from Trump’s handling of the Iran war and the economy to the release of information ...Read more

I teach writing and rhetoric, but my college students and I often overlook a surprisingly complicated question: What is writing?

And can artificial intelligence really do it?

Many people think of “writing” as putting words on a page. However, even from very early on, writers have seen their craft as something more. From ...Read more

Talk of a “super El Niño” developing in 2026 is gaining momentum, with concerns rising that this climate pattern could bring extreme rainfall, heat, drought and destructive flooding around the world.

The signals appear to be in place: The tropical Pacific is warming along the equator, and computer models point toward extreme ...Read more

U.S. efforts to end the war with Iran were dealt a setback after a commercial vessel was apparently seized by unauthorized personnel near the United Arab Emirates, increasing uncertainty over control of the critical Strait of Hormuz.

The ship, whose identity wasn’t immediately clear, was taken 38 nautical miles off the UAE coast and is now ...Read more

(Bloomberg) — Keir Starmer’s efforts to hold back a potential leadership challenge showed new cracks, as allies of leading Labour Party rivals signaled they were ready to challenge him for the prime minister’s job.

Starmer’s former No. 2, Angela Rayner, indicated on Thursday that she was preparing for a bid to lead the governing Labour...Read more

President Donald Trump is wielding power in unprecedented ways to bring states to heel, marking a dark new chapter in the relationship between the federal government and the states.

Since taking office last year, Trump has punished Democratic-led states that anger him by withholding federal funding and slow-walking assistance. His ...Read more

ABOARD THE MOLLY B, on the Salish Sea — They are big. They are beautiful. And they are back.

The return of the humpback whale to greater numbers than observed in decades is part of a larger revival of marine mammals in the Salish Sea. It is an astonishing sight of life rebounding, with exception of the endangered southern residents orcas.

On...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The last known act of Ana Knezevich’s life was to finalize the sale of a house in Oakland Park.

Within hours of signing the deal, the 40-year-old Fort Lauderdale woman disappeared from her apartment in Madrid, murdered by her husband, David, according to federal officials. Now, a civil complaint filed May 1 by her ...Read more

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Cori Roberts was living in a rented basement four years ago when she was diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer.

Recently divorced, the former stay-at-home mother had started working again in her mid-40s, taking a human resources job that paid $41,000 a year. Then, despite having insurance, she was hit with more than $8...Read more

MENAHGA, Minn. — The culture in this north central Minnesota city is defined by faith, farming and Finnish heritage.

A statue of St. Urho, the fictional patron saint of Finland, stands 12 feet tall in the middle of Menahga. Pews in the Lutheran churches, which outnumber bars and restaurants in this community of 1,400, fill each Sunday with ...Read more

HORNBROOK, Calif. — The expeditionary force, a squad of officers from the Los Angeles Police Department, deployed to this rugged little mountain town near the Oregon border with a singular mission.

Stationing themselves along the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks, the officers eyeballed passengers on California-bound trains, looking for hints...Read more

WASHINGTON — As she prepares to return home after four terms in the House and one in the Senate, Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis is optimistic her home state of Wyoming is in a strong position to take advantage of growing interest in nuclear energy.

Lummis represented the state with the nation’s largest uranium deposits during her time in ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida is launching its own college-level U.S. history course for high school students, trying to teach “the full scope” of America’s story, but some experts say the proposed lesson plans present sanitized views of topics such as slavery, and some college counselors say high-achieving pupils should stay away.

The new ...Read more

A man accused of repeatedly ramming his car into Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn pleaded guilty to damaging religious property in federal court on Wednesday, officials said.

Dan Sohail, 36, faces a maximum of three years in prison after admitting to the bizarre Jan. 28 Crown Heights attack, but is expected to receive less than ...Read more

President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for the first state visit to China by a U.S. leader in nine years, as the world’s two largest economies look to stabilize ties with a summit playing out against the backdrop of the Iran war.

Air Force One touched down at the Beijing Capital International Airport slightly before 8 p.m. on Wednesday, ...Read more

The United Arab Emirates denied that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had visited the Gulf country, shortly after Israel said he made a “secret visit” to the UAE.

“The UAE reaffirms that its relations with Israel are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not ...Read more

LONDON — The United Kingdom’s governing Labour Party was headed for a divisive battle over the country’s top political office, as a leading Cabinet member prepared to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Allies of Wes Streeting, who hails from the right wing of the party, said on Wednesday that the health secretary was likely to quit ...Read more