The Trump administration moved again Wednesday to make it harder to gain U.S. citizenship, announcing a slate of changes to the core civics test that immigrants must pass to be naturalized.

The changes would expand the number of questions immigrants need to be prepared to answer, and increase the number of questions they must answer correctly ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Instead of voting on President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, U.S. House Republicans resorted this week to another arcane rules maneuver — all to prevent what could be politically uncomfortable votes for GOP lawmakers.

But in the process of basically putting the calendar on hold, we saw the first cracks in GOP support for ...Read more

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — For nearly 40 years, Florida has had a ban on the open carry of firearms that was signed into law by a Republican governor and defended by a Republican-controlled Legislature against the efforts of gun rights advocates and, more recently, Gov. Ron DeSantis.

But last Wednesday, a state appeals court struck down the 1987 ban...Read more

Two Russian oil refineries were attacked on Thursday as Ukraine stepped up strikes on its enemy’s energy infrastructure.

Gazprom’s Neftekhim Salavat petrochemical facility in the Bashkortostan region was set on fire after being hit by drones, local governor Radiy Khabirov said. The site is more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center on Thursday continued to track Tropical Storm Gabrielle while also eyeing a tropical wave moving off the coast of Africa that could become the season’s next named storm.

As of the NHC’s 5 a.m. advisory on Gabrielle, the system had 50 mph sustained winds located about 845 miles east of the ...Read more

U.S. President Donald Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled a new technology partnership at a business roundtable Thursday, where they were joined by executives highlighting efforts to deepen ties on artificial intelligence and digital assets.

The agreement will create “billions of dollars in opportunities for American farmers ...Read more

Two Russian oil refineries were attacked on Thursday as Ukraine stepped up strikes on its enemy’s energy infrastructure.

Gazprom’s Neftekhim Salavat petrochemical facility in the Bashkortostan region was set on fire after being hit by drones, local governor Radiy Khabirov said. The site is more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Use of solitary confinement in immigration detention is soaring under the Trump administration, according to a report published Wednesday by Physicians for Human Rights using federal data and records obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed at least 10,588 people in solitary...Read more

Tensions continued to grow in the Caribbean this week as Venezuela and the United States publicly flexed their military muscles, fueling concerns that both nations are edging closer to an armed confrontation.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces had sunk three boats he said were smuggling drugs out of Venezuela, killing...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida residents face flight delays, beach closures, and sonic booms in the middle of the night if SpaceX has its way, with plans to launch its powerful Starship and Super Heavy rocket from the Space Coast as many as 120 times a year.

The most dire predictions in two federal reports on the proposal could mean nearly ...Read more

Rural hospitals are less likely to offer obstetric services after they’ve been acquired by a larger health system, leading to mixed outcomes for mothers and babies, according to new research.

It’s part of an accelerating trend that’s reshaped how Americans get health care: Larger health systems gobble up smaller facilities in a bid for ...Read more

When Judith Miller had routine blood work done in July, she got a phone alert the same day that her lab results were posted online. So, when her doctor messaged her the next day that her overall tests were fine, Miller wrote back to ask about the elevated carbon dioxide and low anion gap listed in the report.

While the 76-year-old Milwaukee ...Read more

For a while, walking the dog felt hazardous.

Earl Vickers was accustomed to taking Molly, his shepherd-boxer-something-else mix, for strolls on the beach or around his neighborhood in Seaside, California. A few years ago, though, he started to experience problems staying upright.

“If another dog came toward us, every single time I’d end up...Read more

Devon Price, a 15-year-old boy with autism, has attended the largest school district in North Carolina for 10 years, but he cannot read or write. His twin sister, Danielle, who is also autistic, was bullied by classmates and became suicidal.

Under federal law, public schools must provide children with disabilities a “free appropriate public ...Read more

NORTH CONWAY, N.H. — The conversations in French having given them away, the group of motorcyclists immediately stood out as foreigners over a Saturday breakfast in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

In the restaurant, the server was pleased, thanking them for coming. Because these days, tariffs and White House rhetoric have left Canadians...Read more

Penobscot County, Maine, is grappling with the largest HIV outbreak in the state’s history. Home to Bangor, a city of roughly 32,000, the county has identified 28 new cases over nearly two years. That’s seven times the typical number for that length of time. Nearly all cases are among people who use drugs and are homeless.

Public health ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The night before he kicked off his run for Congress, Iowa Republican Joe Mitchell sent a copy of his campaign announcement to his friend and mentor, Charlie Kirk.

“He was fully supportive,’’ said Mitchell, 28, a former state representative who launched his bid for an open House seat in northeastern Iowa on Sept. 8, two days...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A parasitic fly whose maggots can infest living livestock, birds, pets and humans, could threaten California soon.

The New World Screwworm has rapidly spread northward from Panama since 2023 and farther into Central America. As of early September, the parasitic fly was present in seven states in southern Mexico, where 720 humans...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will join Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at Independence National Historical Park on Friday in preparation for the July 4, 2026, celebration of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, according to two people familiar with the event.

Burgum will be setting foot in the park just days ...Read more