Trump note to Epstein that he denies writing is released by Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released a sexually suggestive letter to Jeffrey Epstein purportedly signed by President Donald Trump. Trump has said he did not write the letter or create the drawing of a curvaceous woman that surrounds the letter. He filed a $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal for earlier reporting on his link to the letter. The letter was included as part of a 2003 album compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday. The full House committee released a copy of the entire album Monday night. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that “it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it.”
New Chicago immigration campaign prompts confusion as city braces for federal intervention
CHICAGO (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security is trumpeting the start of a new immigration operation in Chicago that's stirring up fresh confusion and anxiety. The latest effort targets people without legal permission to live in the U.S. who have criminal records but it appeared separate from a promised surge of immigration agents or National Guard deployment President Donald Trump has promised for two weeks. Adding to the confusion was a handful of immigration arrests over the weekend in Chicago, which activated the city’s vocal activist network and worries that it was the start of something bigger.
Supreme Court lifts restrictions on LA immigration stops set after agents swept up US citizens
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is clearing the way for federal agents to conduct sweeping immigration operations in Los Angeles, another victory for President Donald Trump at the high court. The justices Monday lifted a restraining order from a judge who found patrols were conducting indiscriminate arrests in LA. The order barred agents from stopping people solely based on their race, language, job or location. The plaintiffs included U.S. citizens swept up in immigration stops. Justice Brett Kavanaugh says the lower-court judge went too far in restricting how agents can carry out brief stops for questioning. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor says people were thrown to the ground and handcuffed because of their looks and accents.
Rupert Murdoch's family reaches deal on who will control media empire after his death
Rupert Murdoch’s family has reached a deal on control of his media empire after his death. The agreement ensures no change in direction at Fox News, a popular network for President Donald Trump and conservatives. The deal creates a trust giving control of Fox Corp. to Lachlan Murdoch, Rupert’s chosen heir, along with his younger sisters Grace and Chloe. Lachlan’s three older siblings, Prudence MacLeod, Elisabeth Murdoch and James Murdoch, give up any claims to control of Fox and receive stock currently valued at $3.3 billion. The new trust will be in place until 2050, according to terms of the deal.
Attorney says detained Korean Hyundai workers had special skills for short-term jobs
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — An immigration attorney says many South Korean workers detained in a U.S. immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia were brought in for highly specialized work that Americans aren't trained to perform. Atlanta attorney Charles Kuck represents four South Koreans who were among 475 workers rounded up in the raid last week west of Savannah, They included 300 Korean nationals, and Kuck most had come for short-term jobs installing equipment for producing electric vehicle batteries. The detentions have caused confusion, shock and a sense of betrayal among many people in South Korea, a key U.S. ally.
Palestinian gunmen kill 6 people in attack on Jerusalem bus stop
JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinian attackers have opened fire at a bus stop in Jerusalem during the morning rush hour, killing six people and wounding 12. An Israeli soldier and civilians shot and killed the two attackers, and police later arrested a third person. Monday's attack at a major intersection is the deadliest in Israel since October 2024. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited the scene, warned that Israel is “fighting a war on multiple fronts.” The Israeli military is encircling Palestinian villages near Ramallah in response. Hamas hailed the attack as a “natural response” to Israeli actions. The war in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians to date.
Detailed findings from AP investigation into how US tech firms enabled China's digital police state
BEIJING (AP) — An AP investigation reveals that U.S. technology companies to a large degree designed and built China’s surveillance state, playing a far greater role in enabling human rights abuses than previously known. Firms including IBM, Dell, and Cisco sold billions in technology to Chinese police and government agencies, despite repeated warnings that such tools were being used to quash dissent, persecute religious sects and target minorities. Critically, American surveillance technologies allowed a brutal mass detention campaign in the far west region of Xinjiang. Most of the companies told AP they comply with U.S. and Chinese laws and regulations.
Takeaways from AP's investigation into how US tech companies enabled China's digital police state
BEIJING (AP) — An AP investigation reveals that U.S. technology companies to a large degree designed and built China’s surveillance state, playing a far greater role in enabling human rights abuses than previously known. Firms including IBM, Dell, and Cisco sold billions in technology to Chinese police and government agencies, despite repeated warnings that such tools were being used to quash dissent, persecute religious sects and target minorities. Critically, American surveillance technologies allowed a brutal mass detention campaign in the far west region of Xinjiang. Most of the companies told AP they comply with U.S. and Chinese laws and regulations.
Nepal internet crackdown part of global trend toward suppressing online freedom
Nepal’s crackdown on social media companies, which led to protests and police killing at least 19 people Monday, is part of a yearslong decline of internet freedoms around the world as even democracies seek to curtail online speech. The South Asian country’s government said last week it was blocking most social media platforms including Facebook, X and YouTube. That's because the companies failed to comply with regulations that required them to register with the government. The move was widely criticized as a tool for censorship and punishing opponents who voice their protests online. Nepal lifted the restrictions on Tuesday a day after mass protests against the ban.
Freight train slams into a bus outside Mexico City and kills at least 10 people
ATLACOMULCO, Mexico (AP) — Authorities in Mexico say a train has collided with a double-decker bus northwest of Mexico City, killing at least 10 people and injuring 55. The accident took place early Monday in the town of Atlacomulco. The state of Mexico’s civil defense agency said via X that authorities were still working the site of the accident, in an industrial area. No details were immediately given about how it occurred. One video circulated on social platforms showed the bus in heavy traffic slowly moving across the train tracks when the fast-moving train suddenly appeared out of frame, ramming the bus at its midpoint.
