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Trump's G-20 at his Miami golf resort will be an invite-only event

Current News / News & Features /

When Donald Trump welcomes the Group of 20 to his private golf resort in Miami next year, he’ll decide who’s on the guest list.

That much is clear after the U.S. president said in a social media post Wednesday that he won’t invite South Africa, the holder of this year’s G-20 presidency and the object of the U.S. president’s ire for ...Read more

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images North America/TNS

Putin says no final peace plan draft yet but open to talks

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U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposals for ending the war in Ukraine could be the basis for future agreements, but no final version exists yet, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said, while signaling an openness to talks.

“In general, we agree that this can form the basis for future agreements,” Putin said Thursday during a news conference ...Read more

Tiziana Fabi/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Why Pope Leo XIV's Lebanon visit matters amid Israeli bombardment

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When Pope Leo XIV visits the Middle East this week, he comes to a conflict-weary region struggling to find peace even as the specter of war stalks it once again.

In his first international trip since assuming the papacy in May, the Chicago-born pope will travel Thursday to Turkey, where he will celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council ...Read more

Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times/TNS

Washington Democrats vow changes to sales tax bill amid public schools' concerns

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SEATTLE — Amid questions from school districts about the budget impacts of Washington state’s new retail sales tax, Democratic lawmakers say they expect to make changes to the law in next year’s legislative session.

The expanded retail sales tax, which went into effect on Oct. 1, is expected to raise about $1.1 billion through 2027 via ...Read more

Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

These professors say they're part of a growing movement banning laptops from the classroom

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PHILADELPHIA — Biology professor Jody Hey was lecturing on human evolution one recent day at Temple University.

His students vigorously took notes by hand in paper notebooks.

There wasn’t a laptop in sight. Nor an iPhone. No student’s face was hidden by a screen.

Hey said he stopped allowing them about a year and a half ago after seeing...Read more

Antonio Perez/The Chicago Tribune/Antonio Perez

'Such a travesty.” Advocates for Haiti blast Trump administration's move to end TPS

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The Trump administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status, TPS, for up to a half million Haitians prompted an immediate wave of criticism from nonprofit organizations working in Haiti, community activists and some Democratic lawmakers.

In its announcement on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, the Department of Homeland ...Read more

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/TNS

New EPA rule gives oil, gas firms more time to fix equipment leaking methane

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The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday finalized a rule granting oil and gas operators more than a year in additional time to comply with mandates set by former President Joe Biden to replace leaky equipment and routinely monitor for escaped methane.

The Trump administration said this rule will affect hundreds of oil and gas sources ...Read more

U.S. Navy/U.S. Navy/TNS

US forces will use Dominican Republic base in cartel campaign

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The Trump administration will use a Dominican Republic air base and airport in its campaign against drug cartels, strengthening cooperation in the Caribbean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday alongside the nation’s president.

Aircraft will be refueled and logistical tasks will take place at the San Isidro base and Las Americas ...Read more

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America/TNS

Gunman critically wounds two National Guard members in DC ambush

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WASHINGTON — Two National Guard members on patrol just blocks from the White House were shot and critically wounded on Wednesday afternoon, prompting a rapid law enforcement and military response across a busy stretch of downtown Washington.

A gunman was taken into custody after another Guardsman returned fire and moved in to stop him, ...Read more

Elizabeth Flores/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

St. Paul City Council calls for investigation of officers' use of force during ICE operation

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The St. Paul City Council on Wednesday called for the city’s Police Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission to conduct a “thorough investigation” of St. Paul officers’ use-of-force during Tuesday’s federal immigration enforcement operation in St. Paul.

All seven city council members, Mayor Melvin Carter and Mayor-elect Kaohly Her,...Read more

Washington releases detailed list of projects funded by Climate Commitment Act

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SEATTLE — In just two years, Washington’s keystone policy to cut planet-warming greenhouse gases has raised more than $3 billion, but the question of where that money goes has been the epicenter of intense debate.

The money comes from polluters. The 2021 Climate Commitment Act requires the worst across the state to buy allowances in ...Read more

Tom Gralish/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Trump loses bid to revive 'frivolous' suit against Hillary Clinton

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President Donald Trump failed to sway a U.S. appeals court to revive a civil lawsuit accusing Hillary Clinton and others of conspiring to tarnish his 2016 campaign with bogus claims of collusion with Russia.

A three-judge panel of 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday unanimously affirmed the dismissal of the case and upheld almost $1...Read more

News briefs

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Judges allow Republican-drawn North Carolina congressional map to take effect for 2026

RALEIGH, N.C. — A panel of federal judges on Wednesday rejected an effort to prevent North Carolina’s new Republican-favoring congressional map from taking effect before the midterm elections.

The challengers had claimed the map illegally retaliated ...Read more

Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times/TNS

National ruling issued on immigration court policy that began in Washington state

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A burning question hangs over a national court ruling declaring the Trump administration's restrictive bond policy for detained immigrants is unlawful: Will immigration judges abide by it?

In all other times, I would have said 'Of course they're going to abide by it,'" said Matt Adams, legal director for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, ...Read more

Nick Wagner/The Seattle Times/TNS

Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson names 60-person transition team

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Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson announced her full transition team Wednesday, naming 60 local experts, organizers and advocates as she prepares to take over from outgoing Mayor Bruce Harrell in January.

The new list includes representatives from the labor movement, the business world, service organizations, community groups and civic ...Read more

Mikko Stig/Lehtikuva/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Greta Thunberg banned from Venice after climate protesters dye Grand Canal green

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Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been fined and temporarily banned from Venice, Italy, after protesters dyed the Grand Canal green over the weekend.

Thunberg, 22, was with Extinction Rebellion, an environmental group behind many high-profile protests, when they poured dye into the waters that outline the historic city, according to The ...Read more

Jill Lang/Dreamstime/TNS

Judges allow Republican-drawn North Carolina congressional map to take effect for 2026

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RALEIGH, N.C. — A panel of federal judges on Wednesday rejected an effort to prevent North Carolina’s new Republican-favoring congressional map from taking effect before the midterm elections.

The challengers had claimed the map illegally retaliated against voters in the northeastern part of the state for electing a Democrat in 2024.

The ...Read more

Hartford Courant/Hartford Courant/TNS

Ex-CT state rep. pleads guilty in extortion case. He could be witness in trial of second ex-official

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Former state legislator Christopher Ziogas pleaded guilty to extortion and bank fraud charges Wednesday, admitting his involvement in a scheme to derail a government audit of his fiancé’s optometry practice by delivering nearly $100,000 to former state budget officer Konstantinos Diamantis

The unscheduled guilty plea by Ziogas Wednesday in ...Read more

Lawsuit: Special education aide 'body slammed' 10-year-old Nevada boy with autism

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LAS VEGAS — A lawsuit against Clark County School District alleges that a special education teacher’s assistant body slammed and rubbed dirt into the scalp of an elementary school boy with autism in April.

The complaint was filed in District Court on Monday on behalf of Yazmina Ruiz and her son by her lawyer Andre Lagomarsino. The complaint...Read more

Amanda McCoy/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS

Texas parents can use $10K school vouchers at private pre-Ks in 2026, state says

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Parents of qualifying children in Texas will be able to receive the state’s standard school voucher of about $10,000 to attend private preschools, a major win for families and child care providers.

The Texas Comptroller’s office released final rules this week on the framework for the $1 billion private school voucher program, dubbed the ...Read more