WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is expected to address Congress for the first State of the Union address of his second term sometime in February.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters on Wednesday: “I think the date—and this is off the top of my head—is, like, February 24th that we’re looking at, okay? It’ll be soon....Read more

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will leave the mundane matters of running Venezuela to its remaining leaders, a senior official said, as White House officials begin to espouse more hawkish goals for American hegemony in the Western Hemisphere.

In the immediate hours and days following a bold U.S. military and law enforcement operation ...Read more

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey’s Office has filed a legal complaint against former Western Massachusetts Deputy Director LaMar Cook in an effort to reclaim the over $31,000 mistakenly paid to him in a contract buyout after he was fired following his October arrest on drug and gun charges.

In a complaint filed Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem addressed the fatal Minneapolis shooting by a federal immigration agent while making a public appearance in Texas on Wednesday.

In the hours after the shooting that left a 37-year-old woman dead, Noem characterized the incident as an officer’s act of self-defense against “domestic ...Read more

The United States is preparing to take control of tens of millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil as part of a sweeping three-phase strategy aimed at stabilizing the country, jump-starting its economy and steering toward a political transition, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday.

Under the plan described by Rubio, the first phase ...Read more

Amid the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela that resulted in the capture of strongman Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration has been sending Venezuelan immigrants to Mexico since at least December.

The Miami Herald has spoken with Venezuelans immigrants — including a single mother with two young children and a man...Read more

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced a special session in April to redraw Florida’s congressional map ahead of the midterm elections, a priority for the president.

The announcement sets the stage for a political battle with DeSantis and Senate President Ben Albritton against House Speaker Daniel Perez — and, if a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Months after the devastating Palisades fire, the head of the Los Angeles Fire Commission inquired about the Fire Department’s long-awaited after-action report.

Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva said that a “working draft” had been sent to Mayor Karen Bass’ office, Genethia Hudley Hayes told the Los Angeles Times on ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — During legislative sessions in Frankfort, no bill or idea is ever 100% dead.

But, according to a Republican legislative leader who has spoken with White House representatives, the prospect of gerrymandering Kentucky’s congressional map to draw out its only Democrat in Washington is not going anywhere.

President Donald ...Read more

The United States is preparing to take control of tens of millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil as part of a sweeping, three-phase strategy aimed at stabilizing the country, jump-starting its economy and steering a political transition, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday.

Under the plan described by Rubio, the first phase focuses on ...Read more

NEW YORK — Julie Menin was elected the City Council’s new speaker on Wednesday, making her the chamber’s first Jewish leader — a historic moment she pledged to use to bridge political and cultural “divides” in the five boroughs.

Menin’s speakership selection was solidified in a unanimous 51-0 vote by the Council’s members at ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Wednesday that a woman was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a confrontation between federal agents and protesters in south Minneapolis.

In a fiery news conference at City Hall, Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, called on ICE to “get the f--- out.�...Read more

NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday slammed the Trump administration’s pause on federal child care and family assistance grants as a “cruel decision that plays politics with children’s futures,” throwing his support behind a threat by Gov. Kathy Hochul to sue over the frozen funds.

The U.S. Health Department announced Tuesday...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — At a City Hall news conference, Minneapolis officials said a 37-year-old woman was fatally shot during an encounter with federal immigration agents. Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the shooting, rejected claims that it was self-defense and said the city moved quickly to get the woman medical care, support her family and clear ICE ...Read more

NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed a new head of the city Human Rights Commission, picking Christine Clarke, previously a litigator at Legal Services NYC, to serve in the role.

Clarke will replace Annabel Palma. Palma was originally tapped to lead the commission by ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio and was reappointed by Mayor Eric Adams in ...Read more

The federal government has drastically scaled back the number of recommended childhood immunizations, sidelining six routine vaccines that have safeguarded millions from serious diseases, long-term disability, and death.

Just three of the six immunizations the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it will no longer routinely recommend...Read more

LOS ANGELES — In the year after fire swept through Altadena, man and nature have camouflaged the destruction, to some extent.

The burned husks of thousands of homes have been flattened. Weeks of record rainfall have left empty lots a shimmering green. Parts of Altadena now resemble a rural town, with scattered houses separated by vast swaths ...Read more

U.S. job openings fell in November to a more than one-year low and hiring slowed, indicating most employers remain reluctant to make big changes to headcount.

The number of available positions decreased to 7.15 million in November from a downwardly revised 7.45 million in the prior month, Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed Wednesday. The ...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he would order the Florida Legislature to convene for a special session to redraw the state’s congressional districts before the 2026 election.

His move formally places Florida in line with the national Republican effort, demanded last year by President Donald Trump, to have states ...Read more

The Trump administration has warned Venezuela’s most feared power broker that he could be next unless he falls in line.

The Reuters news service has reported that U.S. officials have put Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello on notice that cooperation with Washington is now a condition for survival as Venezuela navigates a volatile post-Maduro ...Read more