Tennessee’s Dolly Parton dies at 80 after a life of music and giving
Parton, worth an estimated $650 million, gave away millions through her Imagination Library and disaster relief funds, and asked to be buried in a cotton field.
National
Active court order still blocking Trump effort to restrict vote-by-mail
A separate Massachusetts case still blocks USPS from acting on Trump's order, even after the Supreme Court lifted a related injunction Monday.
U.S. Supreme Court lifts pause on Trump mail-ballot order
Jackson's dissent warns of chaos just 73 days before the midterms, as 23 Democratic-led states lose their bid to block the ballot overhaul.
US Senate map trending toward Democrats, though GOP retains slim advantage
Ohio is one of six toss-up states as analysts say low Trump approval and stronger Democratic enthusiasm could offset a map Republicans should easily hold.
Trump administration plans $100,000 visa fee for high-skill foreign workers
The proposed fee for domestic hires follows a federal judge's June ruling striking down a similar $100,000 charge for workers hired abroad.
More National
Trump, McMahon promote school voucher program as students return to class
Nearly 30 congressional Democrats have introduced bills to repeal the tax credit program, though the effort faces long odds in the GOP-led Congress.
Fentanyl seizures plummeted as Trump administration shifted focus to immigration
One HSI office cut its drug team from seven agents to three as immigration work consumed 99% of staff hours, a DHS watchdog found.
US Supreme Court allows $400M Trump ballroom project to proceed
The order is temporary, giving justices more time to weigh a nonprofit's claim that Trump illegally demolished the East Wing without congressional approval.
Abortion could return to Supreme Court, this time with a focus on women’s health
Idaho's attorney general is appealing the ruling, while legal experts say the case could reach the Supreme Court and test Dobbs over mental health exceptions.
Despite record low in veteran homelessness, half the states saw increases
Oregon saw the biggest jump at 16% and Mississippi rose 88%, while California cut its homeless veteran population by 624 to lead national declines.
Trump administration advances plan to rescind protections for nearly 45 million wild acres
Forest Service and OSU research contradict USDA's wildfire-prevention rationale, and Earthjustice says it plans to sue to block the repeal.
How tariffs are showing up in your grocery bill
President Trump’s tariffs have raised the prices for imported food items, passing on higher costs directly to consumers.
US gas prices hover over $4 as Trump’s war in Iran continues
President Donald Trump promised in June and July that gasoline prices would soon drop significantly.
Trump’s ballroom ‘illegal’ without congressional approval, high court told
The administration says the ballroom's nuclear-grade concrete makes it nearly impossible to remove, while 30 Democrats and 17 GOP attorneys general split over who should decide.
DNC approves 2028 presidential nominating cycle starting in South Carolina, Nevada
Iowa Democrats blasted their exclusion from the calendar as broken promises, while New Hampshire kept its early slot and two new Southern states joined the lineup.
Dozens of cities and counties sue fire truck makers over soaring costs, delivery delays
Three manufacturers control up to 80% of the market as prices nearly doubled since 2020, and the companies moved this week to dismiss two of the lawsuits.
Documents show how feds spied on protesters, left-wing organizations and unions during Metro Surge
Court filings reveal undercover agents, facial recognition and license plate tracking targeted unions and groups never charged in the 15-defendant conspiracy case.
Flock Safety tightens safeguards as states, cities question surveillance network
The ACLU says the changes, prompted by 50-plus canceled contracts and officers caught tracking exes, still fall short of real privacy protections.
No more ‘hypothetical situations’: States move to fortify elections against Trump
Democratic attorneys general are prepping court fights over possible ICE or FBI presence at polls, while at least 25 election deniers now hold local vote-certifying power.
U.S. Department of Justice files new charges against Southern Poverty Law Center
The revised indictment adds ex-official Heidi Beirich as a defendant days after a judge rejected SPLC's claim of vindictive prosecution, with trial set for October.
