Francis Clifford Smith, believed to be America's longest-serving prisoner, dies at 101 after 76 years behind bars

A Connecticut man who spent 76 years in prison for a 1949 murder he always denied committing, and who dodged the electric chair eight separate times, has died at 101, still insisting on his innocence. Francis Clifford Smith died in his sleep on June 25 at 60 West, a secured nursing facility in Connecticut that […]

Trump taps White House counsel Samuel Adkisson for federal bench as staff departures mount

President Trump nominated White House associate counsel Samuel D. Adkisson to a federal judgeship in Tennessee, the latest in a wave of senior staff exits ahead of the midterm elections. Trump announced the appointment on Truth Social on August 17, praising Adkisson's work defending the administration's authority to fire Federal Trade Commission commissioners. Adkisson will […]

Gallego billed campaign donors for sister-in-law and au pair flights to Washington

Sen. Ruben Gallego used campaign funds to fly his sister-in-law and a Brazilian au pair to Washington, the latest in a growing list of personal expenses charged to donors as a federal probe reportedly looms. Previously unreported campaign finance records show the Arizona Democrat's campaign spent $1,227 on airfare for his sister-in-law to travel to […]

Musk pledges $100 million to Republicans after months-long effort to repair Trump rift

Elon Musk boarded Air Force One for President Trump's Beijing summit in May and privately pledged at least $100 million to help Republicans hold Congress, a dramatic reversal after their public falling-out last year. The world's richest man joined Trump on the flight to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, and during the trip told the […]

DeSantis suspends ally on child sex charges, says Florida's death penalty law could apply

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis moved swiftly to suspend his own political appointee, Palm Beach County Clerk Mike Caruso, after the 67-year-old Republican operative was arrested on five felony counts tied to the alleged molestation of a child relative. Caruso, a former seven-year member of the Florida House who backed DeSantis's legislative agenda, now sits in […]

Cory Mills loses Florida GOP primary despite Trump endorsement as scandals drag down incumbent

Rep. Cory Mills lost his Republican primary in Florida's 7th Congressional District to former TV news anchor Ryan Elijah, a defeat driven not by a lack of presidential backing but by ethics investigations and an alleged federal probe that Mills could not outrun. Elijah, 54, a former host of "Good Day Orlando" on Fox affiliate […]

Minnesota's 'outstanding refugee' charged in alleged $4.5 million Medicaid fraud and sex-trafficking ring

A Somali refugee once celebrated by Minnesota's Department of Human Services as an "outstanding refugee" now faces eight felony counts for allegedly helping run a multimillion-dollar Medicaid fraud and sex-trafficking operation, a case that deepens the state's sprawling welfare fraud scandal. Salman Ahmed Elmi, who received the state's Outstanding Refugee Award for Entrepreneurship in 2021, […]

House Ethics Committee opens probe into Rep. Jimmy Gomez over alleged sexual misconduct with staffer

The House Ethics Committee is investigating California Democrat Jimmy Gomez over allegations of "inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer", a probe that follows his own admission of extramarital affairs and raises fresh questions about conduct inside Democratic offices. The committee, which serves as the chamber's internal watchdog, announced the investigation on Monday. Few details […]

Trump biographer Seth Abramson demands Republicans impeach the president over Iran nuclear claims

A left-wing author who built his career writing about Donald Trump is now urging congressional Republicans to remove the president from office, based on unverified claims about nuclear weapons discussions involving Iran. Seth Abramson, who has written three books about Trump, took to social media on Monday to demand that Republicans "impeach and remove this […]

Ninth Circuit revives Trump DOJ subpoena targeting clinic accused of prescribing sex-change drugs to minors

A federal appeals court handed the Trump administration its first appellate victory in the fight to subpoena clinics and doctors accused of providing sex-change drugs and surgeries to children, a ruling the ACLU immediately vowed to challenge on remand. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a 2-1 decision Friday reversing a […]