LOS ANGELES (AP) — California Democrats are weighing new political maps that could slash five Republican-held House seats in the liberal-leaning state while bolstering Democratic incumbents in other battleground districts. The tentative proposal comes in response to plans by Texas Republicans to redraw House districts and strengthen the GOP hold on the chamber in 2026.…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to apply to enter the United States. It’s a move that may make the process unaffordable for many. In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers have left Washington for the annual August recess, but a few weeks of relative quiet at the U.S. Capitol can’t mask the partisan tensions that are brewing on government funding and President Donald Trump’s nominees. It could make for a momentous September. On government funding, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge says Sean “Diddy” Combs can’t go home from jail to await sentencing on his prostitution-related conviction. The judge issued a decision Monday to deny the rap and style mogul’s latest bid for bail. Combs has been behind bars since his arrest in September. He faced federal charges of coercing…… MORE
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Witnesses and health officials say dozens of Palestinians have been killed or wounded as desperate crowds headed toward food distribution points or airdrops in Gaza. Israel’s blockade and military offensive have made it nearly impossible to safely deliver aid. That’s contributing to the territory’s slide toward famine nearly 22…… MORE
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered the house arrest for former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial for an alleged coup plot after losing the 2022 election. Prosecutors accuse Bolsonaro of heading a criminal organization that plotted to overturn the election, including plans to kill President Lula and a Supreme Court…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists have solved the mystery of what killed over 5 billion sea stars — also known as starfish — off the Pacific coast of North America. Starting in 2013, a wasting disease caused a mass die-off from Mexico to Alaska, devastating more than 20 species. The sunflower sea star was worst hit,…… MORE
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The owners of the cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge are suing the company that built the vessel. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Pennsylvania last week alleges negligence in the design of a critical switchboard on the ship. Grace Ocean Private, the owners of the…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — Several thousand workers at three Midwest manufacturing plants where Boeing develops military aircraft and weapons are on strike early. The strike started early Monday at Boeing facilities in St. Louis; St. Charles, Missouri; and Mascoutah, Illinois, after about 3,200 local members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers voted…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — China has taken a firm stance against U.S. demands that it stop buying oil from Russia and Iran or face a possible 100% tariff. This comes as both countries signal goodwill in negotiating a trade deal after two days of talks in Sweden. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledges China’s position on…… MORE
