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Elizabeth Robertson/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

About 40 anti-ICE activists are arrested at protest inside Target in South Philly

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PHILADELPHIA — About 40 people were arrested after an activist group Thursday evening conducted a demonstration inside a Target store in South Philadelphia to demand that the company take a public stand against ICE enforcement actions at the chain’s stores.

More than 100 demonstrators affiliated with No ICE Philly chanted “ICE out of ...Read more

Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune/TNS

Minneapolis City Council votes to spend $1 million to help people pay rent amid immigration surge

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MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council voted Thursday, Feb. 5, to allocate $1 million to help residents pay rent as part of an effort to help immigrants who have lost income amid the federal immigration crackdown.

The “one-time rental assistance for residents in need” will be available to low-income people facing eviction, but there�...Read more

Pima County Sheriff's Department/TNS

LA County 'imposter' demanded the Guthries pay bitcoin ransom for mother's return, authorities allege

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A Los Angeles County man was arrested after he sent “imposter” ransom messages to the family of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, whose mother remains missing from her Arizona home in a suspected abduction, federal officials said Thursday.

“To those imposters who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation, we will ...Read more

Ryan Macasero/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Jury deadlocked in Stanford felony vandalism trial

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — Facing a possible mistrial, jurors in the felony vandalism case against five Stanford activists appeared deadlocked Thursday on a conspiracy charge, bringing prosecutors and defense attorneys back to court in one of the most serious prosecutions of pro-Palestinian supporters in the country.

Attorneys were first notified of ...Read more

Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images North America/TNS

FBI arrests 'impostor' over ransom demand in Nancy Guthrie disappearance

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The FBI has arrested a California man for allegedly sending a fake ransom demand amid the ongoing search for Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother, Nancy.

Derrick Callella, 42, was arrested in Hawthorne, California, on Thursday and charged with two federal crimes — one count of transmitting a demand for ransom related to a kidnapped person and ...Read more

Renee Jones Schneider/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

State, feds to announce joint investigation into Alex Pretti's fatal shooting

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MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and FBI are set to announce a joint investigation into the killing of Alex Pretti, according to two people with direct knowledge of the agreement.

The deal marks a critical compromise from the Trump administration as state and federal leaders continue to rebuild working relationships...Read more

News briefs

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Senate GOP blocks push for legal action over Epstein law

WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leadership blocked a Democrat-backed measure Thursday that would direct the chamber to take legal action over the Justice Department’s much-criticized handling of the Jeffrey Epstein documents.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, on the floor, ...Read more

Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images North America/TNS

Elon Musk can be questioned under oath in DOGE case, judge rules

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WASHINGTON — Elon Musk can be forced to testify in a lawsuit brought by government workers and contractors who accused him of unlawfully directing the dissolution of the U.S. Agency for International Development while he was a senior White House adviser, a judge ruled.

“Extraordinary circumstances justify” making Musk and two former USAID...Read more

Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump touts drug cost savings as he launches TrumpRx website

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump launched a new website to help Americans directly buy select medicines at a discount, seeking to counter cost-of-living concerns that pose a threat to his party in November’s congressional elections.

“Starting tonight, dozens of the most commonly used prescription drugs will be available at dramatic ...Read more

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump calls for new nuclear arms treaty with Russia as new START expires

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WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump called for the creation of a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia, as the existing New START agreement between the two nations expires and fuels concern about the possibility of a new arms race.

“Rather than extend ‘NEW START’ (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from ...Read more

Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman/TNS

Idaho Supreme Court rejects challenge to education tax credit law

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BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Supreme Court rejected a challenge to Idaho’s $50 million tax credit program that directs public money toward private schools and homeschooling expenses.

In an opinion released Thursday, the court denied a request from a coalition of education groups and advocates asking justices to prohibit the tax credit program, ...Read more

TNS

Orlando police officer accidentally fires rifle during middle school lockdown

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ORLANDO, Fla. — A police officer accidentally fired a rifle during a Wednesday lockdown at Lake Nona Middle School, according to the Orlando Police Department.

OPD and other partner agencies responded to the school around 5 p.m., two hours after dismissal, following a 911 call that there was possibly an armed person on campus. Officers ...Read more

Monkey Business Images/Dreamstime/TNS

3 dead, several injured after car crashes into 99 Ranch Market in LA's Westwood neighborhood

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LOS ANGELES — Three people were killed and several others injured when a silver Mercedes sedan crashed into the 99 Ranch Market in Westwood on Thursday.

The driver, identified only as an older woman, first hit a bicyclist, then continued for about a block before crashing into the grocery store, trapping multiple people beneath her car, ...Read more

Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun/TNS

Virginia Senate committee advances cannabis legislation with new legal penalties

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RICHMOND, Va. — A Senate committee advanced legislation to create a marijuana retail market this week. But along the way, the committee voted to adopt changes that some advocates say will unfairly penalize marginalized communities and undermine marijuana decriminalization efforts.

Amendments to the legislation create a felony penalty for ...Read more

Al Diaz/Miami Herald/TNS

Families of students killed in Parkland shooting blast Broward Sheriff's Office for delay tactics

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Fred Guttenberg blames the Broward Sheriff’s Office for the murder of his 14-year-old daughter Jaime.

He and other parents of the students who died in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High gathered Thursday, ahead of the eighth anniversary of the tragedy, and blasted BSO for their lack of accountability in the Feb. 14, 2018, ...Read more

Joe Raedle/Getty Images North America/TNS

Florida residents file petition asking court to stop DeSantis' redistricting effort

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Lawyers for residents in Broward and Miami-Dade counties have filed a petition challenging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ call for a special session where lawmakers would redraw congressional boundaries mid-decade instead of every 10 years.

After months of trying to convince the Legislature to take up redistricting on its ...Read more

77 patients evacuated as fire rips through Pennsylvania hospital

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Dozens of patients and staff were evacuated from a Pennsylvania hospital on Wednesday night as a fire tore through the facility, sending flames shooting from the roof.

The blaze at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Dickson City was called in around 9:40 p.m. and drew a massive emergency response.

Officials said the fire began in an older medical ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Commission recommends reprimand for Alaska Superior Court judge on paid leave for nearly a year

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct has recommended a Nome judge be reprimanded for behavior including using offensive accents to impersonate people from other ethnic groups, and keeping a courtroom of attorneys waiting for an hour while he watched a sports game.

The recommendation came after a brief hearing last ...Read more

Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office/TNS

Mamdani takes first step in launching promised 2-K child care program, though key questions remain

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NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday took the first step toward getting New York City’s planned universal child care for 2-year-olds off the ground, asking providers if they’re interested in offering the new program.

In a lively City Hall news conference featuring nearby preschool students and TikTok influencer Julian Shapiro-...Read more