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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A bill that would make oil and gas companies pay for rising insurance costs due to climate-related disasters was introduced this week in the California Legislature.

SB 982, the Affordable Insurance Recovery Act, would authorize California's attorney general to file civil litigation against fossil fuel companies to recover losses from climate-...Read more

Kristin Cabot, the scandalized HR executive embroiled in the Coldplay kiss cam controversy, has been tapped to talk about crisis management at a pricey conference in Washington, D.C.

The former Astronomer chief people officer is confirmed as a keynote speaker for PRWeek’s Crisis Comms Conference taking place on April 16 at the Ronald Reagan ...Read more

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is keeping Florida from recouping $608 million in taxpayer funds to pay for the Alligator Alcatraz detention center and other immigration-enforcement activities, the state’s emergency management director said Thursday.

Director Kevin Guthrie told reporters that the Federal Emergency Management ...Read more