Latest U.S. news, national developments, politics, communities, and major stories from across the country.

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U.S. Hiring Slows Sharply as Economy Adds Just 29,000 Jobs in September
The September jobs report points to a labor market losing momentum: payrolls rose by only 29,000, unemployment edged up to 4.2% and earlier job gains were revised lower. The data show a cooling economy, not yet a broad employment collapse.
October 2, 2026 at 1:47 PM EDT

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Tennessee Prepares to Execute Christa Pike, the First Woman in More Than 200 Years
Christa Pike is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection Wednesday after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee rejected clemency and the state Supreme Court denied a stay. If the execution proceeds, it will be Tennessee’s first execution of a woman since at least 1820.
September 29, 2026 at 3:21 PM EDT

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DOJ Announces Charges and Guilty Pleas Against 12 in Election-Crime Cases Across U.S.
The Justice Department says 12 people face charges or have pleaded guilty in cases involving illegal voting, false citizenship claims, fraudulent registration and alleged disposal of about 300 mail-in ballots. The announcement is the department’s third election-crime release in 10 days.
September 28, 2026 at 8:06 PM EDT

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NASA’s Crew-13 Astronauts Enter Final Quarantine Ahead of October Space Station Launch
The four members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission have arrived in Florida and will remain in quarantine as teams prepare for a targeted October 1 launch to the International Space Station.
September 27, 2026 at 11:51 AM EDT

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Texas Clinic Owner Convicted in $26 Million TRICARE Fraud Scheme
A federal jury convicted Kevin D. Curry of using mental health clinics to submit fraudulent TRICARE claims, pay kickbacks and launder proceeds. Prosecutors said the clinics billed more than $26 million and received about $17 million before the case reached trial.
September 26, 2026 at 1:33 PM EDT

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Former Army Soldier Sentenced to 70 Months in Telecom Hacking and Extortion Case
Cameron John Wagenius, a former Army soldier, was sentenced after admitting to a hacking scheme that targeted telecommunications companies and exposed sensitive phone-record data, including information linked to a U.S. government official.
September 25, 2026 at 8:13 PM EDT

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Trump and Xi Extend Trade Truce, But Only Until January
The United States and China have postponed a renewed trade confrontation by extending their existing truce for two months after a White House summit. The pause lowers immediate tariff risk but leaves major disputes over technology, critical minerals and market access unresolved.
September 24, 2026 at 8:46 PM EDT

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Hackers Claim They Breached FBI Systems and Stole Data on Employees and Applicants
The ShinyHunters group says it obtained personal information on FBI personnel and applicants, including addresses and family details. Journalists reviewed a sample of alleged records, but the FBI has not publicly confirmed the breach or its scope.
September 22, 2026 at 6:44 PM EDT

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Trump’s Iran Threat Raises the Stakes of a War He Still Says Could End at the Negotiating Table
President Trump is warning Iran that it faces destruction or prolonged economic isolation unless it reaches a deal, while Tehran threatens to widen the conflict. The next phase may depend less on the rhetoric itself than on whether Gulf allies back renewed U.S. attacks and whether shipping through the Strait of Hormuz returns to normal.
September 21, 2026 at 6:58 PM EDT

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SUV Found at Bottom of North Carolina Waterfall With Person Trapped Inside
Rescuers freed one person from an SUV discovered beneath Bridal Veil Falls near Highlands. Investigators have not said how the vehicle left the roadway, and the patient's condition has not been released.
September 20, 2026 at 8:43 PM EDT

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A Humpback Whale Has Traveled 60 Miles Inland Into California’s Sacramento River Delta
A known adult humpback whale has moved from San Francisco Bay into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta near Rio Vista, prompting marine-mammal experts to monitor the animal and urge the public to keep away.
September 19, 2026 at 7:31 PM EDT

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Trump Says CNN, MS NOW and Politico Are Banned From the White House. The Details Are Still Unclear.
President Donald Trump said Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico were barred from the White House over coverage he called “fake news,” while threatening to target more outlets. But reporters from the organizations were still present later that day, and the administration had not explained how the ban would work.
September 18, 2026 at 9:18 PM EDT

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U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to Lowest Level Since July, but Labor Market’s Strength Has Limits
New unemployment claims dropped to 196,000 last week, signaling that layoffs remain scarce. But Labor Day timing may have exaggerated the decline, and the broader picture is one of stable employment paired with cautious hiring.
September 17, 2026 at 7:49 PM EDT

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FBI and Coast Guard Probe Cyberattacks on Oil Tankers Bound for U.S.
U.S. authorities boarded two foreign-flagged tankers after indications that their networks had been compromised by foreign cyber actors. No operational disruption, physical danger or environmental damage has been reported, but investigators have not identified the attacker or explained how deeply the ships’ systems were penetrated.
September 16, 2026 at 9:00 PM EDT

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Average New-Vehicle Price Moves Above $50,000 Again. The Affordability Problem Is Bigger Than the Sticker.
The average U.S. new-vehicle transaction price reached $50,089 in August, according to Cox Automotive and Kelley Blue Book. Prices are not surging at the same pace as earlier in the decade, but elevated borrowing and ownership costs continue to make new cars difficult to afford for many households.
September 15, 2026 at 10:27 PM EDT

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U.S. Oil Reserve Hits Lowest Level Since 1982. What That Means for Gas Prices
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen to 285.4 million barrels, its lowest level since November 1982. That may reduce Washington’s emergency cushion, but it does not by itself guarantee higher prices at the pump.
September 14, 2026 at 8:09 PM EDT

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Federal Judge Rules DHS Plan to Cut FEMA Workforce in Half Was Unlawful
A federal judge ruled that Homeland Security officials unlawfully directed FEMA toward a 50% staffing reduction and interfered with the agency’s authority over its own personnel. The decision does not immediately restore all affected workers, leaving the remedy to be determined in further proceedings.
September 13, 2026 at 12:34 PM EDT

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Federal Judge Blocks ‘Loyalty Question’ Used in More Than 70,000 U.S. Government Job Postings
A Massachusetts judge has stopped the Trump administration from asking federal job applicants how they would advance the president’s policies, finding the unions challenging the practice likely to prevail on First Amendment and administrative-law claims. The preliminary ruling blocks future use of the question but leaves unresolved how previously submitted answers may be treated.
September 12, 2026 at 4:29 PM EDT

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Federal Court Rejects Emergency Order Keeping Michigan Coal Plant Open. Here’s What It Could Mean for U.S. Energy Policy
The D.C. Circuit’s ruling limits the Energy Department’s use of emergency authority to delay power-plant retirements, but it does not resolve the broader fight over grid reliability, rising demand and who should pay to preserve aging generation.
September 11, 2026 at 1:17 PM EDT

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Up to 1 Million ACA Enrollees Could Get $500 Payments Before Election Day — But Key Details Are Unclear
The Trump administration is reportedly preparing $500 payments for as many as 1 million Affordable Care Act enrollees in 30 states before the November 3 midterm election. The plan has been reported but not yet publicly detailed in official federal guidance, leaving questions about eligibility, authority and timing.
September 10, 2026 at 9:29 AM EDT

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Trump Promises $5,000 Payment to Adult Citizens if Republicans Keep Control of Congress
President Donald Trump said at a Republican convention in Dallas on September 9 that he would issue a $5,000 “dividend” to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans retain control of both the House and Senate in the November midterm elections. The proposal has no announced legislative framework, eligibility rules or funding mechanism, and any payment from the federal Treasury would require congressional authorization.
September 10, 2026 at 9:26 AM EDT

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Americans Are More Worried About Jobs and Money. The Data Show Why
The U.S. economy is still adding jobs and household income is rising, but surveys show Americans have become much more pessimistic about what comes next. The result is an economy that looks stable in the rearview mirror and less secure through the windshield.
September 9, 2026 at 10:46 AM EDT

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Mail-Voting Rules Face Court Fight as 2026 Ballots Begin Moving
The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to revive new restrictions on federal mail ballots even as states begin mailing ballots for the November 3 midterms. Lower-court orders currently block enforcement, leaving election officials to operate under a rapidly shifting legal timetable.
September 7, 2026 at 5:16 PM EDT

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America’s Borrowing Costs Are Flashing a Warning. Here’s Where Households Feel It
The 10-year Treasury yield has approached 4.8% and the average 30-year mortgage rate has climbed to 6.71%. The signal is not that every loan payment will jump tomorrow—but that financing is likely to stay expensive for buyers, borrowers and the federal government.
September 6, 2026 at 9:08 PM EDT

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America’s AI Data Center Boom Is Running Into Growing Resistance Across the U.S.
A rapid buildout of AI data centers is colliding with concerns over electricity, water, pollution, land use and local control. From New York to Ohio, communities and elected officials are turning to moratoriums, permitting fights and new political campaigns to slow or reshape the expansion.
September 5, 2026 at 9:30 PM EDT

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Labor Day 2026 Could Be the Most Expensive Road-Trip Weekend on Record
Gasoline prices are headed into record territory for the Labor Day holiday, while heavy traffic, higher hotel rates and elevated airfare add to the cost of a final summer getaway.
September 5, 2026 at 8:52 PM EDT

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Chinese Rare-Earth Suppliers Quietly Withhold Some U.S.-Bound Shipments
Several Chinese rare-earth suppliers have declined to ship materials to U.S. buyers, according to people familiar with the trade, adding a new layer of uncertainty to an already restricted supply chain weeks before a planned Trump-Xi meeting.
September 4, 2026 at 10:00 PM EDT

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Tropical Depression Edouard Dumps Nearly 2 Feet of Rain on Texas, Prompting Rescues and Widespread Flooding
Former Tropical Storm Edouard weakened after making landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border, but its slow-moving remnants brought nearly 2 feet of rain to parts of East Texas. Dozens of people were rescued, roads and homes flooded, schools closed and tens of thousands of customers lost power as officials warned that dangerous conditions could persist through Thursday.
September 3, 2026 at 6:41 PM EDT

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California Hikers Used AI to Plan Mount Shasta Climb. They Were Rescued After Getting Lost
Three novice climbers from Roseville reached Mount Shasta’s summit hours after the recommended turnaround time, then became lost and stranded during their descent. Authorities said the group relied heavily on Google’s Gemini AI for route, food and water advice.
September 3, 2026 at 6:13 PM EDT

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Scam Losses Hit Record High as Americans Report Nearly $16 Billion Stolen in 2025
Americans reported losing about $16 billion to fraud in 2025, a roughly 25% increase from the previous year, according to new Federal Trade Commission data. Imposter scams and social-media schemes drove much of the damage, while the FBI separately reported nearly $21 billion in losses from cyber-enabled crimes.
September 2, 2026 at 11:00 PM EDT

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U.S. Gas Prices Enter Labor Day Weekend Near $4 a Gallon as August Sets a Costly Milestone
The national average for regular gasoline reached about $4.10 a gallon on September 1, according to AAA, while the Energy Information Administration reported a weekly average of $4.207 for all grades. August was on track to become the most expensive August on record, with global oil-supply disruptions and tight inventories keeping pressure on drivers and freight operators.
September 1, 2026 at 7:30 PM EDT

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Dolly Parton tributes spread from Nashville to cities across America after her death at 80
Fans, musicians, public officials and institutions honored Dolly Parton in the days after her Aug. 25 death in Nashville. Memorials appeared at her Nashville star, Dollywood continued operating as a place of celebration, the Grand Ole Opry staged a sold-out tribute and the White House ordered flags lowered nationwide through Sept. 1.
August 30, 2026 at 8:52 PM EDT

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Fed signals interest rates could rise again if inflation doesn’t improve
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has opened the door to another interest-rate increase as inflation remains stubbornly above the Fed's 2% target, raising questions about what could happen next to borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans and credit cards.
August 29, 2026 at 7:11 PM EDT

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Thousands in northwest Indiana remain without power nearly two weeks after storm
More than 20,000 customers in northwest Indiana remained without electricity Sunday, nearly two weeks after a powerful Aug. 11 derecho damaged the region’s power system. NIPSCO said most customers in Gary and Portage could be restored by Tuesday, while state and local officials pressed the utility to speed up repairs.
August 23, 2026 at 10:14 PM EDT

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Trump administration’s 75-country immigrant visa ban was illegal, judge rules
A federal judge in New York vacated the State Department’s policy suspending immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, finding that it exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s authority and violated federal immigration law.
August 22, 2026 at 9:08 PM EDT

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Record cyclosporiasis outbreak puts U.S. food-safety system under strain
A record-setting outbreak of cyclosporiasis has sickened more than 15,700 people in the United States, while public-health experts warn that staffing cuts, reduced surveillance and disrupted international coordination are complicating efforts to trace the parasite’s spread.
August 20, 2026 at 10:38 PM EDT

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California adopts strict wildfire landscaping rules for homes in high-risk areas
California has approved new “Zone 0” wildfire regulations requiring homeowners in designated fire-risk areas to reduce vegetation and combustible materials immediately around their homes. The rules are designed to limit the chance that windblown embers will ignite structures.
August 19, 2026 at 11:24 PM EDT