Category: National Politics

By PETER SMITH, Associated Press A member of the federal Religious Liberty Commission has been ousted after a hearing this week that featured tense exchanges on the definition of antisemitism. The ousted member, Carrie Prejean Boller, had defended prominent commentator Candace Owens, who routinely shares antisemitic conspiracy theories. Prejean Boller, a model turned conservative activist, denied that Owens had ever said anything antisemitic, quoted a Bible verse that attributed the death of Jesus to Jews and pushed back on the idea that some people mask antisemitism in their criticism of...

By ELLIOT SPAGAT SAN DIEGO (AP) — A judge says the federal government must return three families hurt by the first Trump administration’s policy of separating parents from the children at the border, saying their deportations in recent months relied on “lies, deception and coercion.” Related Articles Justice Department will allow lawmakers to see unredacted versions of released Epstein files Feds can’t withhold social service funds from 5 Democratic states amid fraud claims, judge rules Judge strikes down old Arizona...

By DAVID KLEPPER WASHINGTON (AP) — Close the cover on the CIA World Factbook: The spy agency announced Wednesday that after more than 60 years, it is shuttering the popular reference manual. Related Articles Nike faces federal probe over allegations of ‘DEI-related’ discrimination against white workers Epstein files rife with uncensored nudes and victims’ names, despite redaction efforts Plastic surgeons group calls for delaying gender-affirming surgery until age 19 Melania Trump meets with...

By ALEXANDRA OLSON and CLAIRE SAVAGE NEW YORK (AP) — The federal agency for protecting workers’ civil rights revealed Wednesday that it is investigating sportswear giant Nike for allegedly discriminating against white employees through its diversity policies. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disclosed the investigation in a motion filed in Missouri federal court demanding that Nike fully comply with a subpoena for information. The EEOC sought the company’s criteria for selecting employees for layoffs, how it tracks and uses worker race and ethnicity data, and information about...

By MEGAN JANETSKY MEXICO CITY (AP) — Historians and observers accused the Trump administration of trying to rewrite American history to justify its own foreign policy decisions toward Latin America by posting a “historically inaccurate” version of the Mexican-American war. Related Articles Federal immigration officials scout warehouses as they eye more detention space Judge: Deal reached to protect identities of Epstein victims in documents release Federal agents must limit tear gas for now at protests outside Portland...

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, DAVID A. LIEB and MORGAN LEE Federal immigration officials are scouting warehouses and beginning to purchase some of them to transform into detention and processing facilities. Related Articles Trump accused of distorting history of Mexican-American War to justify heavy hand in Latin America Judge: Deal reached to protect identities of Epstein victims in documents release Federal agents must limit tear gas for now at protests outside Portland ICE building, judge says ...

By DAVID KLEPPER WASHINGTON (AP) — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has withheld a complaint made about her conduct from members of Congress for eight months, claiming the delay is needed for a legal review, an attorney for the person making the allegations said Monday. Related Articles FACT FOCUS: Images of NYC mayor with Jeffrey Epstein are AI-generated. Here’s how we know Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS raises conflict of interest concerns Trump says he won’t tear down the Kennedy Center arts...

By MELISSA GOLDIN Multiple AI-generated photos falsely claiming to show New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a child and his mother, filmmaker Mira Nair, with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and his confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, along with other high-profile public figures, were shared widely on social media Monday. The images originated on an X account labeled as parody after a huge tranche of new Epstein files was released by the Justice Department on Friday. They are clearly watermarked as AI and other elements they contain do not add up. Here’s a closer look at the facts. CLAIM:...

President Donald Trump held his first Cabinet meeting of 2026 on Thursday, focusing on the economy, housing, energy, health initiatives and drug prices. But while he painted a rosy picture of his administration’s accomplishments, some of his boasts —- and that of other officials —- were off the mark. Related Articles Jury finds Wisconsin man guilty of forging threat against Trump to get witness deported Trump threatens tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba, a move that puts pressure on Mexico House probe finds...