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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A federal appeals court has approved Illinois’ ban on carrying firearms on public transit, reversing a lower court decision that found the prohibition violated the Second Amendment. The 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals delivered its opinion on Tuesday. Judge Joshua Kolar wrote in the majority opinion for a three-judge panel that … Read more
Four Idaho police officers who fatally shot an autistic, nonverbal teenage boy who was holding a knife on the other side of a chain-link fence in April were justified in their actions and will not face criminal charges, the state attorney general said Wednesday. Victor Perez, 17, was in a coma for a week before … Read more
BOSTON — A federal judge in Boston on Wednesday ordered the reversal of cuts of more than $2.6 billion in federal funding for Harvard University, delivering a significant victory to the Ivy League school in its battle with the Trump administration. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled the cuts amounted to illegal retaliation for Harvard’s … Read more
MADISON, Wis. — A judge sentenced four former Milwaukee hotel workers accused of killing a man in a suffocating dogpile to a mix of probation and time served Wednesday, sparing them any more time behind bars. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Swanson handed down the sentences in D’Vontaye Mitchell’s June 2024 death during a series … Read more
WASHINGTON — The House rejected a resolution to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., and remove her from a committee that oversees immigration and national security as she faces federal charges stemming from a visit to an immigration detention facility. The House voted 215-207 to table the measure, a sign that some were uncomfortable moving forward … Read more
Marine biologists on Florida’s Space Coast have released June Cleaver, a 230-pound loggerhead turtle, back into the ocean MELBOURNE, Fla. — She may not wear a pearl necklace like her namesake from the TV show, “Leave it Beaver,” but June Cleaver, the 230-pound loggerhead turtle, nevertheless was happy as a clam to be going home. … Read more
WASHINGTON — An unusual alliance emerged in the House on Wednesday as lawmakers who agree on little else rallied support for a bill that would prohibit members of Congress and their families from owning and trading individual stocks. The group included darlings of the far right, the left, moderates and many in between. They gathered … Read more
OMAHA, Neb. — The Transportation Department is going to train 163 track inspectors to dramatically increase the number of people who know how to spot critical problems with railroad bridges, but the railroads themselves will still be responsible for inspecting their own bridges and the results will still be kept confidential. Currently, there are only … Read more
WASHINGTON — The top ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee says a classified meeting planned with a key U.S. spy agency was called off after it was criticized by Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist. The cancellation of Sen. Mark Warner’s visit with career intelligence staffers at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency represents an escalation … Read more
CHICAGO — Chicago community leaders forged ahead Wednesday with preparations for the expected influx of National Guard troops and immigration agents to the city, advising residents about their rights and organizing protests with fresh urgency. Details about the operation are scant, but President Donald Trump has amped up the rhetoric about crime in the nation’s … Read more