EAST LANSING, Mich. — Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield and his wife, Stephanie Chatfield, pleaded not guilty Thursday to criminal charges brought by the Attorney General's office with one of the defense lawyers vowing to fight allegations the Chatfields embezzled from a nonprofit organization.

The Chatfields appeared over Zoom and ...Read more

President Joe Biden will expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in Yolo County, a move that aims to safeguard nearly 134,000 acres including a ridgeline known as Molok Luyuk, which holds significance for local Native tribes.

Formerly known as Walker Ridge, the earthen backbone rising east of Clear Lake boasts unique geology and ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A judge could toss out Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho’s lawsuit against the city regarding homeless camps Friday.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Jill Talley is scheduled to hold a hearing at 9 a.m. Friday and could issue a tentative ruling Thursday. During the hearing, she could dismiss Ho’s complaint ...Read more

BERKELEY, Calif. — Three people were injured Wednesday evening in a Sproul Plaza confrontation between opposing groups of protesters and counter-protesters at an encampment set up to protest the war in Gaza, University of California officials said.

No arrests were reported. It was the first violence at the encampment since it was established ...Read more

A majority bloc within Haiti’s new presidential council is doing an about-face on its selection of the country’s next prime minister, saying it will return to the original political agreement to choose the leader of the transitional government from a pool of applicants.

In a press statement issued late Wednesday, the newly emerged political...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Amid criticism of Florida’s six-week abortion ban, state health regulators issued emergency rules Thursday clarifying what medical conditions qualify for exceptions under the new law.

The rules say that if a woman’s water breaks prematurely, inducing delivery is not defined as an abortion, nor is the treatment of an ...Read more

President Joe Biden, in an unscheduled speech at the White House Thursday, tried to walk a fine line between advocating for the free speech rights of pro-Palestinian protesters at college campuses while condemning the occupation of buildings and threats and intimidation reported toward Jewish students.

Biden in his address to the nation said it...Read more

ATHENS, Ga. — On a brief break from studying for his final in evolutionary biology, sophomore A.J. Rizzo sat on a bench under a big oak tree on the University of Georgia’s campus this week and admitted, with some guilt, what he doesn’t know.

He is willing to acknowledge that he is a pretty good student. He got into UGA, right? He’s a ...Read more

ATLANTA — Over nearly two centuries, almost all the sitting Georgia Supreme Court justices who have sought another term have won their elections. Former U.S. Rep. John Barrow might have the best chance in generations to upend that tradition.

The ex-Democratic lawmaker is treating the nonpartisan race much like a political campaign, ...Read more

DENVER — Student protests against the Israel-Hamas war spread to college campuses throughout Colorado this week as a solidarity encampment at Denver’s Auraria Higher Education Campus entered its seventh day.

Demonstrations at the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Denver, Colorado State University, University of Northern Colorado...Read more

NUEVA YORK — A judge considered holding Donald Trump in contempt yet again on Thursday for more potential gag order violations as his hush money trial resumed in Manhattan.

Before jurors took their seats for the day, state Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan heard arguments from prosecutors and the former president’s attorneys concerning ...Read more

NEW YORK — One of the protesters busted in the police raid at Columbia University this week also faces charges for an earlier incident in which a protester carrying an Israeli flag was attacked outside the school, police said Thursday.

James Carlson, 40, was charged Wednesday with criminal mischief, arson, and possession of stolen property. ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden urged Asian countries to be more welcoming of immigrants, arguing to Asian American donors Wednesday evening that doing so would boost regional economies — but he also awkwardly referred to several key allies as “xenophobic.”

“You know, one of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you ...Read more

NUEVA YORK — A judge considered holding Donald Trump in contempt yet again on Thursday for more potential gag order violations as his hush money trial resumed in Manhattan.

Before jurors took their seats for the day, state Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan heard arguments from prosecutors and the former president’s attorneys concerning ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA —Philadelphia has for decades allowed some city departments to grant contracts to nonprofits without going through the usual competitive bidding process.

But following intense scrutiny of overspending in the city's Office of Homeless Services through its contracts with charities, the practice is now under threat — government ...Read more

Hamas is studying a proposal for a temporary cease-fire with Israel in a “positive spirit,” as international pressure mounts on the two sides to reach a deal and end a conflict that has shaken the Middle East.

The Iran-backed militant group plans to send a delegation to Egypt “as soon as possible” to continue negotiations, according to ...Read more