There’s a single, subtle change in the Federal Reserve’s latest comments on inflation. In May, the Federal Open Market Committee said there had been a “lack of further progress” toward its 2% inflation target. On Wednesday, June 12, hours after the latest inflation report became public, the committee changed the phrase to note “modest further…

A jury convicted five Minnesotans of stealing more than $40 million in COVID-19 pandemic funds under the guise that they were feeding kids in need. Seven defendants stood trial. However, two were acquitted on Friday, June 7. “The defendants took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud the state of Minnesota and to steal tens…

After a five-year investigation, four individuals face charges in connection with an absentee ballot scandal during the 2019 Democratic primary races in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The suspects include a Democratic Party official, a City Council member and two campaign workers. The arrests are as follows: All four suspects are accused of tampering with ballots and unlawful…

North Dakota’s voters approved a ballot measure that sets an age limit for who can represent the state in Congress. The constitutional amendment says a candidate cannot run if they would turn 81 during their term. The measure is likely to be challenged in court and may not be constitutional. In its 1995 decision U.S.…

A federal appeals court ordered eight of 17 books removed from a Texas library be returned to the shelves within 24 hours on Thursday, June 6. The court said books cannot be restricted based on whether someone dislikes the content, even if it does include “butts and farts.” The ruling comes after parents in Llano…

Anti-Israel protesters hung antisemitic banners and vandalized the Brooklyn Museum’s Jewish director and board members’ homes the morning of Wednesday, June 12. The attack is the latest in a string of vandalism incidents tied to war protests. Protesters also vandalized a Palestinian Mission to the United Nations. The group left leaflets on nearby streets that…

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., wants to prohibit Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito from writing majority opinions following the release of a secret recording. Blumenthal, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Chief Justice John Roberts should use his administrative powers to prevent Alito from writing any majority opinions and block him from presiding…

The European Union is taking steps to support its domestic automakers who are struggling with competition from China’s low-cost electric vehicles (EVs). In an effort to help the continent’s car companies compete, the EU has announced tariff increases of up to 38% on imported Chinese EVs. “The influx of subsidized Chinese imports at artificially low…

Three Russian warships and a nuclear-powered submarine performed drills in the Atlantic Ocean en route to Cuba on Tuesday, June 11. The drills are part of what is believed to be a Moscow military flex amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Admiral Gorshkov frigate and Kazan nuclear-powered submarine simulated…

Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into northern Israel Wednesday, June 12, in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon that killed a top commander. The Israeli strike in Lebanon killed Hezbollah commander Taleb Sami Abdallah on Tuesday. The strike marks another deadly encounter between the organization and Israel. Hezbollah increased its attacks into…