July 1 is the annual feast day for Episcopal saint Pauli Murray, the first Black woman to be ordained by the denomination: an affirmation of her many contributions not only to the church, but to social justice in the United States.

Saints exemplify “what it means to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and make a difference in the world...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Nearly half of educator preparation programs are failing to adequately train future teachers in how to teach reading, according to a new report, even as states across the country have passed laws to overhaul reading instruction.

And in Pennsylvania, even more teacher preparation programs may be falling short, according to the ...Read more

BLACKDUCK, Minn. — This small northern Minnesota city surrounded by pines has had a Police Department since 1910, when there was a jail in City Hall and a constable walked the streets telling kids to get home at dark.

That long tradition of local policing faded years ago in Blackduck and it’s about to end altogether.

With just one squad ...Read more

When her son was a teenager, Connecticut mom Amy Wadsworth said, he was the type of kid parents rarely worry about.

He played sports, cared about his health and stayed away from drugs. In 2018, when he left West Hartford to start his freshman year at American University in Washington, D.C., she expected his biggest challenge would be adjusting ...Read more

Jules Netherland traveled from her home in the Bronx to the New York state Capitol in Albany several times in the past few years, hoping to persuade the legislature to pass a medical aid in dying bill, allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives with a lethal prescription.

She spoke at rallies. With other members of the advocacy ...Read more

Viktor Orban secured reelection as leader of Hungary’s Fidesz party on Saturday despite growing internal dissatisfaction following a historic electoral defeat.

The vote showed the former prime minister’s continued dominance within his party, even as support among the general populace has dwindled as Fidesz moves into opposition following ...Read more

A theft suspect was killed and two San Francisco Police officers were injured after they were run over by a motorist in the city's Nob Hill neighborhood.

The officers responded at 7:36 a.m. Friday to a reported theft at a Trader Joe's grocery store on California and Hyde streets, according to a statement by the Police Department. They attempted...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Last January, Spencer Pratt's house in Pacific Palisades was razed by the raging flames of the Palisades Fire. Now, there has been what he called a "very suspicious fire" in a building in the neighborhood's tony Highlands where he maintained an office for his crystals company.

Pratt, a former reality TV star who ran a high-...Read more

LOS ANGELES — What began as an act of solidarity ultimately took a bitter turn for a National Park Service biologist.

After helping display a pink, white and blue transgender flag at El Capitan in May 2025, Shannon Joslin, who uses “they/them” pronouns, found themselves at the center of controversy, claiming they were wrongfully ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — State Sen. Erin Maye Quade couldn’t sleep after last June 14. She started mistaking the sound of her dishwasher for an intruder or passing headlights for someone at her front door.

Her name was on Vance Boelter’s list, same as former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman.

The killer had a long list of ...Read more

Chinese authorities said they arrested a Northern California scholar earlier this month, accusing him of espionage and endangering national security.

U Min Zin was taken into custody on June 3 at Kunming Changshui International Airport in Yunnan Province, southwestern China, according to a New York Times report. Details about the arrest are ...Read more

BOSTON — Massachusetts is not participating in the Great American State Fair, a 16‑day festival on the National Mall marking the country’s 250th anniversary that Gov. Maura Healey has ridiculed.

Healey’s office confirmed to The Boston Herald that, like other Democratic Party-controlled states, it has declined to send a delegation to ...Read more

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Legislature has gone from budgeting $229 million to the Florida Forever program two years ago to putting no new money into it next year, something that has rarely happened in the 25-year history of the state’s premier land conservation initiative.

Instead of buying land for the public to enjoy, the ...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Four people were taken to the hospital Saturday after a helicopter collided with a plane while taking off from North Perry Airport, officials say.

The Robinson R44 helicopter crashed about 11:20 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The helicopter was preparing to lift off when it “rolled over,” ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — A new launch pad could be constructed at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — if the military has its way.

The Department of the Air Force, which oversees the facility, is gathering information for an Environmental Assessment for a proposed Space Launch Complex 51 that would be about 2 miles from Port Canaveral.

The goal of...Read more

NEW YORK — A Queens pilot about to take off in his seaplane from the East River near the Throgs Neck Bridge had to abandon ship when a large wave smashed into the plane, which began sinking, officials said.

It was the second time in six years restaurateur Joe Oppedisano, 67, and passenger Jose Urena needed to be rescued from a smashed ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles has one of the deadest downtowns in the world, according to a new survey.

Out of 75 of the top cities around the world, L.A. ranked among the lowest for vibrancy in Gensler’s 2026 City Pulse report released this week.

Around 65% of those surveyed found DTLA vibrant compared to more than 80% vibrancy scores for New...Read more

DENVER — A proposed settlement that would cut 37% off of the electric rate increase sought by Xcel Energy would still be the highest-ever jump in yearly revenue for a utility in Colorado history, according to the state Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate.

The agency represents the public, particularly residential and small-businesses ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump tapped an experienced white-collar lawyer who helped defend him in a hush money case to be U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, the federal prosecutor whose office handles many high-profile Wall Street cases.

James McDonald would replace Jay Clayton, whom Trump nominated as U.S. director of ...Read more