ATF chief warns that agency cuts could result in dire consequences

Kania Brunson had an infectious smile. The beautiful young woman dreamed of becoming an orthodontist or veterinarian and enjoyed cosmetology. Kania Brunson also had a secret. According to the Milwaukee Prosecutor’s Office, 20-year-old Kania was in a relationship with Sultan Shareef, a married man, since she was a teen. Kania and 54-year-old Sultan Sultan dated for years, and Kania fell in love.

A former local mafia boss died Wednesday after he was shot in his car in the middle of a busy highway near the French city of Grenoble, local authorities and sources close to the case told French news agency AFP. Jean-Pierre Maldera, 71, died of his wounds after the shootout Wednesday morning, the civil defense and the regional prosecutor's office said. Maldera was one of the so-called godfathers of the Franco-Italian mafia that terrorized the southeastern city in the 1980s, along with his brother Robert, a source close to the case told AFP. Robert Maldera, nicknamed "Il pazzo" ("The...

We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. A fresh inflation report is set to be released this week, just days before the Federal Reserve's next policy meeting on March 18 and 19. With rising inflation still a key concern and interest rate decisions hanging in the balance, investors and savers alike are watching closely for any signs of what's to come. The uncertainty surrounding the Fed's next move adds to the already complex economic landscape, leaving many wondering how to best position their money in the...

I recently dove into some updates about the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program, and let me tell you, there’s a lot going on. First of all, don’t worry – Section 8 isn’t affected by any temporary federal funding freezes, so if you're relying on this program, you're still covered. The Trump administration never had a valid reason to cancel it, and it’s still going strong.

Five people are dead and 11 others are hurt after an overnight crash in Austin. The crash happened around 11 p.m. Thursday, in the southbound lanes of the 13100 block of I-35, between Howard Lane and Parmer Lane. Austin police said 17 vehicles were involved, including a semi-truck. Initial reports from officials said several people were pinned to their vehicles. Five people were found dead on the scene, including one adult, a child and an infant. Eleven others were taken to a local hospital. Two adults were taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, officials said. Authorities are investigating what caused the crash. Austin is about 200 miles south of Dallas.

Tech billionaire and advisor to President Donald Trump, Elon Musk said that he “Will check with the President” on a $5,000 Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) dividend for every American taxpayer.

The man previously convicted of killing 15-year-old honor student Hadiya Pendleton in 2013 will remain in custody as he awaits a new trial, a judge ruled Tuesday. Micheail Ward's conviction was thrown out by the Illinois Appellate Court in March 2023, after a three-judge panel ruled his videotaped confession was inadmissible, because Ward repeatedly told detectives he didn't want to talk to them. In Ward's videotaped confession, he told police he fired shots at Hadiya and her friends because he believed they were rival gang members and was seeking revenge, but claimed he only opened fire because co-defendant Kenneth...

Jacksonville sheriff’s officers have made 146 arrests since a new homeless law took effect in Florida to prohibit sleeping in public spaces. The Sheriff’s Office reported the number during a meeting Wednesday with City Council members including Ron Salem, chair of the council’s Finance Committee. The agency said it has given out 631 warnings since the new law began.

Regional offices assisting U.S. citizens with Social Security benefits are being closed by the Trump administration. The Department of Government Efficiency has terminated leases for five of Georgia’s 34 Social Security offices.

President Trump is delivering remarks at the Justice Department Friday to lay out his vision for the department, with a focus on crime and immigration. It's a notable appearance, given that no president has appeared at the Justice Department in a decade. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president's speech will be on "ending the weaponization of justice against Americans for their political leanings." "I think we have unbelievable people, and all I'm going to do is set out my vision. It's going to be their vision, really, but it's my ideas," the president told reporters at...

As Northern Kentuckians are reporting more and more sightings of coyotes in their neighborhoods, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources says that coyotes are now seen in every county of the state — and that increased sightings are normal in winter and spring.

Disclosure: State of Alabama-based writer. This article is a work from cited sources for informational purposes and is used with permission. No affiliate links are included. Steve Bannon, former adviser to President Donald Trump, has cautioned the Trump administration against implementing cuts to Medicaid, emphasizing that a significant portion of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) base relies on this program. In a recent episode of his "War Room" podcast, Bannon stated, "Get into Medicaid. Medicaid, you got to be here because a lot of MAGAs on Medicaid. I’m telling you, if you don’t think so, you are dead wrong. Medicaid is going to be a complicated one. Just can't take a meat axe to it, although I would love to."

Sharing my petty (but effective) HOA revenge story. For years, I lived in a neighborhood where parking in front of your own house was banned. I followed the rule grudgingly… until I got slapped with a $50 fine for a car I didn’t even own. The kicker? The car belonged to a random visitor parked briefly in front of my house.

Disclosure: State of Alabama-based writer. This article is a work from cited sources for informational purposes and is used with permission. No affiliate links are included. On January 10, 2024, Alabama native and entrepreneur Mia Nickson, 21, tragically lost her life after being gunned down at her home around 1:45 a.m. What began as a journey in the beauty industry for Nickson ended in tragedy, with authorities now revealing her killing during a recent press conference.

The Trump administration has indicated it may target the food stamp program, also known as SNAP, for deep budget cuts. It also may strengthen the work requirement for SNAP. Many SNAP recipients are already required to work, especially those who are able bodied and under the age of 54. “If you are age 16 to 54 and able to work, you will probably need to meet the general work requirements to get SNAP benefits,” according to the SNAP website. “The general work requirements include registering for work, participating in SNAP Employment and Training or workfare if assigned by your state SNAP agency, taking a suitable job if offered, and not voluntarily quitting a job or reducing your work hours below 30 a week without a good reason.”

CALIFORNIA – Joann announced, February 12, that it was closing 500 stores nationwide, including 61 in California. According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) sent to the Employment Development Department, 209 Joann employees are also being laid off at a Visalia distribution center effective March 31.

Canadian snowbirds who spend their winters in South Florida are voicing frustration over new immigration rules being drafted by the Trump administration. The new rules would require foreign nationals staying in the U.S. for more than 30 days to register and submit fingerprints with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) . Snowbirds consider leaving Florida For Annie Dupont, a condo owner in Hollywood, Florida, the new requirements feel like a personal slight. "We got a problem with (President Trump) personally, not with America," said Dupont, who is from Montreal. "(It's) like he's thinking he's in a reality show." She and...

The 101st Airborne Division sent an unspecified number of soldiers to the U.S. southern border in January, and a Thursday press release said about 300 more soldiers are being sent.

Homeless people often are immersed in drugs and they aren’t getting the substance abuse treatment they need, an original investigation published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA, shows.

Health officials with the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) and Franklin County Health Department announced a confirmed case of measles identified in an adult Kentucky resident.

Nataly Aguilar still shakes and hyperventilates when she recalls the night that an alcohol-fueled prom after-party, hosted at an off-duty LAPD officer's home in Santa Clarita, ended with the officer pointing a shotgun at her and threatening her life.

Sandy Paws Rescue Inc., a foster-based rescue in Massachusetts, recently introduced a young dog named Coco who is searching for her forever family. This adorable 3-month-old puppy may be small in size, weighing in at approximately 4.5 pounds, but she makes up for it with her endless energy and loving personality. Despite her tiny stature, even smaller than the resident cats in her foster home, Coco approaches life with curiosity and enthusiasm. "She has bounds of energy, loves playing with all types of toys, and then ultimately adores snuggling up on her foster mom's lap to get lots of pets," explains Sandy Paws Rescue.

Cruise lines aren't playing around with their banned items list. We're not talking about a forgotten Swiss Army knife here. Trying to smuggle something you shouldn't? That's a recipe for serious trouble, potentially including legal headaches in foreign ports.

As employees at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sit anxious in anticipation of losing their jobs, they were visibly absent from a conference held in Los Angeles this week by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

A $300 tuition fee popped up a month ago, but she delayed paying it, opting to spend on non-essentials. Now, she urgently needs me to cover it to enroll in summer classes. I suggested a subsidized loan (interest-free, quick disbursement), but she insists I pay today.

As universities around the country race to assess new federal policies geared toward ending programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion, known as DEI, one college administrator is in a potentially tricky position. Lakshmi Chilukuri is the provost of the University of California San Diego's Sixth College. She is also Vice President JD Vance's mother-in-law. Chilukuri helped create a pilot course on race, ethnicity and gender in biology and medicine, served on the university's biological sciences diversity committee, and has written proudly of her school's commitment to diversity. The university features its diversity efforts prominently on its website and...

A Roanoke woman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in a scheme that defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia announced today.

Avoid condos, townhouses, or any property with an HOA—unless you enjoy micromanagement. Our HOA fined us 275 for leaving our trash 、can out overnight and 450 for planting a "non-approved" shrub. They dictated everything: grass height, mailbox color, even our Christmas lights’ timing.

Hamas said on Friday it has accepted a proposal from mediators to release one living American-Israeli hostage and the bodies of four dual-nationals who had died in captivity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office cast doubt on the offer, accusing the U.S. and Israeli-designated terrorist group of trying to manipulate talks underway in Qatar on the next stage of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. They did not immediately specify when the release of soldier Edan Alexander and the four bodies would occur - or what it expected to get in return. Alexander was 19 when he was abducted from his post...

A federal judge denied, on February 18, the request by a coalition of 14 states, including California, for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against tech billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).