Hurricane Melissa caused nearly $9 billion in damage in Jamaica, making it the costliest storm ever to hit the island nation, according to newly released figures.

The preliminary estimate was released Wednesday as part of an assessment by the World Bank, in coordination with the Inter-American Development Bank. The storm’s $8.8 billion in ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Wednesday night signed into law legislation demanding that the Justice Department release all documents related to its investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

With little fanfare, the president announced the action in a lengthy social media post that attacked Democrats who have been linked to the late...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With the U.S. Border Patrol continuing its sweep through Charlotte, work at some construction sites seem to be coming to a halt.

“There’s not a lot of workers outside,” said Kevin Rodriguez, who works for a local roofing company. “A lot of people didn’t show up. Maybe some of them are legal here and maybe some of ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Lawyers representing victims of the Palisades fire are seeking to depose Los Angeles firefighters to shed light on allegations that a California State Parks official restricted how the Los Angeles Fire Department handled an earlier blaze that reignited into the deadly firestorm that destroyed thousands of homes.

The Fire ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has tapped another Office of Management and Budget official to head a consumer protection agency the administration is trying to wind down, but the administration indicated Wednesday that OMB Director Russ Vought will remain in charge.

Trump nominated Stuart Levenbach, an OMB associate director, to become ...Read more

NEW YORK — NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch has accepted an offer from Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to remain New York City’s top cop under his administration — a move that comes despite sharp differences in their outlooks on public safety.

In a Wednesday email to NYPD officers announcing she will stay on, Tisch hinted at those political ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Confronting increasing costs and decreasing state and federal funding, the University of California regents on Wednesday approved a tuition hike lauded by UC leaders but fiercely opposed by students.

The board voted to renew a controversial "tuition stability" program adopted five years ago that UC officials say provides long-...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Two Florida Atlantic University faculty members returned to work Tuesday after a university investigation concluded that comments they made about Charlie Kirk were protected speech.

Karen Leader, an associate professor of art history, and Rebel Cole, an eminent scholar in the College of Business, have resumed their ...Read more

​WASHINGTON — The Senate Agriculture Committee indicated Wednesday that Michael Selig, the new nominee to be the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, would advance quickly as the panel eyes granting the CFTC authority over the cryptocurrency market.

The panel scheduled a vote on Selig for Thursday. He would replace CFTC ...Read more

BOISE, Idaho — A conservative Christian lobbying group said it’s working with Idaho state lawmakers to rename a state highway after Charlie Kirk.

The 31-year-old conservative activist was fatally shot in September while speaking at a university event in Utah. The Idaho Family Policy Center aims to designate the Treasure Valley’s Idaho 16 ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County’s district attorney has opened an investigation into claims of fraud within the largest sex abuse settlement in U.S. history.

District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Wednesday his office has started a wide-ranging probe into claims that plaintiffs made up stories of abuse in order to sue the county, which ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s state budget is in a precarious position heading into the next fiscal year — due in part to an AI boom — according to a forecast released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.

Lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom face an $18 billion deficit to fill before the new fiscal year begins ...Read more

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The House is fast-tracking a medical malpractice bill ahead of the 2026 legislative session that’s identical to one Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed earlier this year.

On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would allow more people in Florida to recover money for the loss of their family members due to ...Read more

The San Antonio man accused of fatally shooting his neighbor Jonathan Joss, the actor best known for his voice work on animated series "King of the Hill," faces a murder charge.

A grand jury in Bexar County, Texas, on Monday indicted 57-year-old Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez on a single felony count of first-degree murder, according to legal records ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Current and former members of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration were among the dozens of Sacramento insiders who received FBI letters in recent days notifying them that their phone calls, texts or other electronic communications had been intercepted as part of the federal corruption case tied to Dana Williamson and two...Read more

WASHINGTON — Congress’ schedule for next year is set after the Senate rolled out its 2026 calendar Wednesday, a day after the House unveiled its own version.

The Senate calendar, made public by Majority Leader John Thune’s office, contains a few notable differences from the schedule set by the House for the midterm election year.

The ...Read more

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and first lady MK Pritzker met with Pope Leo XIV in Rome on Wednesday, where they discussed the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the two formally invited the pope to visit Chicago, the governor’s office said.

“It was an honor for MK and me to meet with @Pontifex — a son of Illinois — to ...Read more

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey is rejecting the argument that her opposition to two gas pipelines coming to Massachusetts is a contributing factor to soaring energy costs.

Following an event at the State House Wednesday, the Herald asked Healey about her placing the blame on President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian products for increases in...Read more