SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday signed into law a measure that would allow doctors to help terminally ill people end their lives after the controversial bill barely cleared the Senate during the fall legislative session, where one skeptic said it could bring “a culture of death” to Illinois.

Illinois now joins at least 10 ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A federal grand jury in Oakland indicted nine people on a slew of drug and conspiracy charges related to a series of burglaries at a marijuana grow facility in 2023 that led to the death of an undercover police officer, according to court documents unsealed Thursday.

Federal prosecutors allege that over the course of about four ...Read more

DENVER — Colorado Parks and Wildlife re-released a wolf into Grand County this week after it had traveled into New Mexico, according to a news release.

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish captured gray wolf 2403 and returned the animal to Colorado.

Colorado wildlife officials decided to release the wolf in Grand County yesterday ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to inspect nearly 100 drinking water reservoirs and storage tanks over concerns about improper maintenance, the agency announced Thursday.

The EPA identified violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act, such as unprotected openings ...Read more

BALTIMORE – A federal judge blocked Immigration and Customs Enforcement from detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia again during a scheduled check-in Friday at Baltimore’s George H. Fallon Federal Building, allowing him to return home to his family in Prince George’s County.

The ruling followed a decision Thursday that the Trump administration ...Read more

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved parliament, setting the stage for an early election after a key political party backing his minority government threatened to withdraw its support.

Anutin said in a Facebook post late on Thursday that he would “return power to the people.” Hours later, King Maha Vajiralongkorn endorsed the ...Read more

Venezuela faces a fresh financial shock after the U.S. seized a sanctioned oil tanker off its coast, a move that could choke off one of the few remaining revenue streams for a nation again on the brink of hyperinflation.

The socialist-run country’s economy has been strained since Donald Trump tightened oil-trading restrictions earlier this ...Read more

MEXICO CITY — Edivaldo Hernández Villar crawled on his knees toward the Basilica of Guadalupe, wincing and whispering prayers.

It was the final stretch of a punishing four-day pilgrimage to Mexico's most venerated shrine, where Catholics believe the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared nearly 500 years ago.

Hernández, his wife and their teen...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — At the start of the pandemic, when live entertainment was shut down across California, Gregg Perloff — chief executive of Another Planet Entertainment— told his team to use the downtime to find a new project that excited them.

They quickly set about identifying a versatile venue somewhere in San Francisco, and began ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — On a normal Sunday, the aisles of Mexican grocery store Bymore Supermercado in St. Paul are crowded. Families shop together with parents calling out dinner ideas and kids tossing snacks into the cart.

“In our culture, it’s like family bonding time. Mom goes with all the kids,” said bookkeeper Vanessa Machuca.

But last ...Read more

CHICAGO — Roughly 2,400 miles from where her nephew faced an hourslong standoff with ICE agents in Elgin last Saturday, Genesis Adriana Gutierrez Morales’ voice shook in Maracaibo, Venezuela, with sadness and rage at the words from authorities she said tarnished her nephew’s name.

“I don’t have the words to describe the frustration ...Read more

Earlier this year, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged that the search for autism's cause — a question that has kept researchers busy for the better part of six decades — would be over in just five months.

"By September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic, and we'll be able to eliminate those ...Read more

California environmental regulators on Thursday struck a landmark deal with Pacific Gas & Electric to extend the life of the state’s last remaining nuclear power plant in exchange for thousands of acres of new land conservation in San Luis Obispo County.

PG&E’s agreement with the California Coastal Commission is a key hurdle for the Diablo ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced charges against five unlicensed contractors following an undercover operation in Altadena’s Eaton fire zone.

“Unlicensed contractors … are essentially trying to take advantage of people at some of their lowest moments and trying to profit off their tragedy,” ...Read more

With the region in the grips of bitter cold, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday declared a state of emergency due to "anticipated impacts on the delivery of propane" for homes and businesses because of a service disruption at a Delaware County distribution facility.

The declaration allows operators of commercial vehicles transporting ...Read more

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday evening that seeks to challenge state laws on artificial intelligence and withhold certain grant funds for states with AI laws the administration dislikes.

The effort could be a significant victory for major technology companies but is almost certain to be challenged in court.

“We ...Read more

CHICAGO — A federal appeals court in Chicago issued a mixed opinion Thursday in a high-profile immigration case, blocking the immediate release of hundreds of people detained during Operation Midway Blitz, but allowing the extension of a consent decree governing so-called warrantless arrests.

The 2-1 split opinion from the 7th U.S. Circuit ...Read more

President Donald Trump is expected to direct his administration to move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that could represent one of the biggest shifts in U.S. policy toward cannabis in decades.

Trump has discussed the idea with marijuana industry executives, Health and Human...Read more