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Tag: u.s. department

  • 4 killed, 6 injured: Florida attorney general investigating deadly incident in Cuba

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    Cuba’s government has accused a group of armed Cubans living in the U.S. of attempting to infiltrate the island and unleash terrorism, following a deadly shootout near Cayos Falcones.The Cuban Embassy in the United States announced that its personnel engaged a speedboat registered in Florida when the boat entered Cuban territorial waters located a little more than 100 miles southeast of Marathon and east of Havana.Speedboat registered in FloridaThe Cuban Ministry of the Interior announced on social media Wednesday afternoon that on Wednesday morning, a speedboat with a Florida registration number of FL7726SH entered Cuban territorial waters.The speedboat approached one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, in Cayos Falcones, Corralillo municipality, Villa Clara province.According to Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior, when border guard troops approached the boat, the crew opened fire, prompting the soldiers to return fire, resulting in four deaths and six injuries.The Cuban government claims to have seized assault rifles, handguns, explosive devices, and Molotov cocktails from the boat.Public records indicate that the boat’s owner resides in Miami Lakes.Men identifying themselves as FBI agents were seen approaching the home and speaking with residents through a Ring camera, as reported by a sister station in Miami. “In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban State in safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region,” the Cuban Ministry of the Interior said in a statement. “Investigations by the competent authorities continue in order to fully clarify the events.”Florida leaders and representatives respondRick Scott took to X and said a full investigation into this deeply concerning situation was needed. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier stated on X that he’s directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to work with the federal, state and law enforcement partners to begin an investigation. “The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” Uthmeier said.

    Cuba’s government has accused a group of armed Cubans living in the U.S. of attempting to infiltrate the island and unleash terrorism, following a deadly shootout near Cayos Falcones.

    The Cuban Embassy in the United States announced that its personnel engaged a speedboat registered in Florida when the boat entered Cuban territorial waters located a little more than 100 miles southeast of Marathon and east of Havana.

    Speedboat registered in Florida

    The Cuban Ministry of the Interior announced on social media Wednesday afternoon that on Wednesday morning, a speedboat with a Florida registration number of FL7726SH entered Cuban territorial waters.

    The speedboat approached one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, in Cayos Falcones, Corralillo municipality, Villa Clara province.

    According to Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior, when border guard troops approached the boat, the crew opened fire, prompting the soldiers to return fire, resulting in four deaths and six injuries.

    The Cuban government claims to have seized assault rifles, handguns, explosive devices, and Molotov cocktails from the boat.

    Public records indicate that the boat’s owner resides in Miami Lakes.

    Men identifying themselves as FBI agents were seen approaching the home and speaking with residents through a Ring camera, as reported by a sister station in Miami.

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    “In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban State in safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region,” the Cuban Ministry of the Interior said in a statement. “Investigations by the competent authorities continue in order to fully clarify the events.”

    Florida leaders and representatives respond

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    Rick Scott took to X and said a full investigation into this deeply concerning situation was needed.

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier stated on X that he’s directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to work with the federal, state and law enforcement partners to begin an investigation.

    “The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” Uthmeier said.

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

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  • Homeland Security suspends TSA PreCheck and Global Entry

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    Homeland Security suspends TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs

    MARSHALL AIRPORT, WHERE OUR KATE AMARA IS REPORTING THE LATEST DETAILS. ACCORDING TO FEDERAL OFFICIALS, 61,000 TSA OFFICERS, 56,000 COAST GUARD EMPLOYEES, AND THOUSANDS MORE FEMA, SECRET SERVICE AND CSO WORKERS ARE CURRENTLY ON THE JOB AND ON THE CLOCK WITHOUT GETTING PAID FOR IT. THERE’S NO ONE HERE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE PRECHECK IS 1 TO 3 MINUTES, SO I THINK IT’S OKAY. AT BWI MONDAY AFTERNOON, ALL THREE SECURITY CHECKPOINTS WERE OPEN AND LINE FREE. BUSINESS AS USUAL. ACCORDING TO TICKETED PASSENGERS WE TALKED TO. LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENED. WE’RE HOPING FOR THE BEST. MANY AWARE THAT THEY WERE FLYING DURING A PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND THAT TSA OFFICERS AT U.S. AIRPORTS WERE WORKING WITHOUT GETTING PAID. I HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER THAT WORKED WORKED FOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. HE KEPT COMPLAINING LIKE, WHAT? THESE DAYS? WHY ARE WE GOING THROUGH THIS? WE WORK SO HARD. WE’VE BEEN IN THIS SYSTEM FOR SO LONG, SO WHY DO WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS? BALTIMORE’S TSA OFFICERS AMONG 61,000 NATIONWIDE REQUIRED TO WORK WITHOUT PAY DURING THE SHUTDOWN. THE ACTING ADMINISTRATOR TOLD MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AT A HEARING LAST WEEK. AND SHE SAID MANY ARE STILL PLAYING CATCH UP FINANCIALLY FROM THE LAST SHUTDOWN LAST FALL. THAT LASTED 43 DAYS. WE HEARD REPORTS OF OFFICERS SLEEPING IN THEIR CARS AT AIRPORTS TO SAVE MONEY ON GAS, SELLING THEIR BLOOD AND PLASMA, AND TAKING ON SECOND JOBS TO MAKE ENDS MEET. LAWMAKERS ALSO HEARD FROM THE HEADS OF FEMA, CISA, THE SECRET SERVICE AND THE COAST GUARD. THE UNCERTAINTY OF MISSING PAYCHECKS NEGATIVELY IMPACTS READINESS AND CREATES A SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL HARDSHIP FOR SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. LABOR LEADERS ALSO WORRIED ABOUT THE STEEP PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CONSEQUENCES FOR MEMBERS DURING THE SECOND SHUTDOWN. IN THE SPAN OF FIVE MONTHS. FOR ME, EVENTUALLY IT’S GOING TO COME DOWN TO DO. I PUT GAS IN THE CAR TO GO TO WORK FOR FREE, OR DO I PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE WITH THAT MONEY FOR MY KIDS? LAWMAKERS LEFT WASHINGTON LAST WEEK FOR A PLANNED RECESS THIS WEEK, WITH NO PLANS TO RETURN. COMPOUNDING CONCERNS FOR MANY ON THE GROUND HERE AND ELSEWHERE ABOUT JUST HOW LONG THIS PARTIAL

    Homeland Security suspends TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs

    Updated: 11:59 PM EST Feb 21, 2026

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    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is suspending the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs as a partial government shutdown continues.The programs are designed to help speed registered travelers through security lines. Suspending them could cause headaches for fliers.Video above: TSA officers working without pay amid partial government shutdownHomeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement that “shutdowns have serious real world consequences.” She also said that “TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts.”The partial government shutdown began Feb. 14 after Democrats and the White House were unable to reach a deal on legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats have been demanding changes to immigration operations that are core to President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign.

    WASHINGTON —

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is suspending the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs as a partial government shutdown continues.

    The programs are designed to help speed registered travelers through security lines. Suspending them could cause headaches for fliers.

    Video above: TSA officers working without pay amid partial government shutdown

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement that “shutdowns have serious real world consequences.” She also said that “TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts.”

    The partial government shutdown began Feb. 14 after Democrats and the White House were unable to reach a deal on legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats have been demanding changes to immigration operations that are core to President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign.

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  • Judge skeptical on ICE agents wearing masks in case that could have national implications

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    A top Trump administration lawyer pressed a federal judge Wednesday to block a newly enacted California law that bans most law enforcement officers in the state from wearing masks, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

    Tiberius Davis, representing the U.S. Department of Justice, argued at a hearing in Los Angeles that the first-of-its-kind ban on police face coverings could unleash chaos across the country, and potentially land many ICE agents on the wrong side of the law it were allowed to take effect.

    “Why couldn’t California say every immigration officer needs to wear pink, so it’s super obvious who they are?” Davis told U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder. “The idea that all 50 states can regulate the conduct and uniforms of officers … flips the Constitution on its head.”

    The judge appeared skeptical.

    “Why can’t they perform their duties without a mask? They did that until 2025, did they not?” Snyder said. “How in the world do those who don’t mask manage to operate?”

    The administration first sued to block the new rules in November, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the No Secret Police Act and its companion provision, the No Vigilantes Act, into law. Together, The laws bar law enforcement officers from wearing masks and compel them to display identification “while conducting law enforcement operations in the Golden State.” Both offenses would be misdemeanors.

    Federal officials have vowed to defy the new rules, saying they are unconstitutional and put agents in danger. They have also decried an exception in the law for California state peace officers, arguing the carve out is discriminatory. The California Highway Patrol is among those exempted, while city and county agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, must comply.

    “These were clearly and purposefully targeted at the federal government,” Davis told the court Wednesday. “Federal officers face prosecution if they do not comply with California law, but California officers do not.”

    The hearing comes at a moment of acute public anger at the agency following the fatal shooting of American protester Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis — rage that has latched on to masks as a symbol of perceived lawlessness and impunity.

    “It’s obvious why these laws are in the public interest,” California Department of Justice lawyer Cameron Bell told the court Wednesday. “The state has had to bear the cost of the federal government’s actions. These are very real consequences.”

    She pointed to declarations from U.S. citizens who believed they were being abducted by criminals when confronted by masked immigration agents, including incidents where local police were called to respond.

    “I later learned that my mother and sister witnessed the incident and reported to the Los Angeles Police Department that I was kidnapped,” Angeleno Andrea Velez said in one such declaration. “Because of my mother’s call, LAPD showed up to the raid.”

    The administration argues the anti-mask law would put ICE agents and other federal immigration enforcement officers at risk of doxing and chill the “zealous enforcement of the law.”

    “The laws would recklessly endanger the lives of federal agents and their family members and compromise the operational effectiveness of federal law enforcement activities,” the government said in court filings.

    A U.S. Border Patrol agent on duty Aug. 14 outside the Japanese American National Museum, where Gov. Gavin Newsom was holding a news conference in downtown Los Angeles.

    (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

    Davis also told the court that ICE‘s current tactics were necessary in part because of laws across California and in much of the U.S. that limit police cooperation with ICE and bar immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, such as schools and courts.

    California contends its provisions are “modest” and aligned with past practice, and that the government’s evidence showing immigration enforcement would be harmed is thin.

    Bell challenged Department of Homeland Security statistics purporting to show an 8,000% increase in death threats against ICE agents and a 1,000% increase in assaults, saying the government has recently changed what qualifies as a “threat” and that agency claims have faced “significant credibility issues” in federal court.

    “Blowing a whistle to alert the community, that’s hardly something that increases threats,” Bell said.

    On the identification rule, Snyder appeared to agree.

    “One might argue that there’s serious harm to the government if agents’ anonymity is preserved,” she said.

    The fate of the mask law may hinge on the peace officer exemption.

    “Would your discrimination argument go away if the state changed legislation to apply to all officers?” Snyder asked.

    “I believe so,” Davis said.

    The ban was slated to come into force on Jan. 1, but is on hold while the case makes its way through the courts. If allowed to take effect, California would become the first state in the nation to block ICE agents and other federal law enforcement officers from concealing their identities while on duty.

    A ruling is expected as soon as this week.

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    Sonja Sharp

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  • US drops the number of vaccines it recommends for every child

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    The U.S. took the unprecedented step Monday of dropping the number of vaccines it recommends for every child—leaving other immunizations, such as flu shots, open to families to choose but without clear guidance.Officials said the overhaul to the federal vaccine schedule won’t result in any families losing access or insurance coverage for vaccines, but medical experts slammed the move, saying it could lead to reduced uptake of important vaccinations and increase disease.The change came after President Donald Trump in December asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to review how peer nations approach vaccine recommendations and consider revising its guidance to align with theirs.HHS said its comparison to 20 peer nations found that the U.S. was an “outlier” in both the number of vaccinations and the number of doses it recommended to all children. Officials with the agency framed the change as a way to increase public trust by recommending only the most important vaccinations for children to receive.“This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement Monday.Medical experts disagreed, saying the change without public discussion or a transparent review of the data would put children at risk.“Abandoning recommendations for vaccines that prevent influenza, hepatitis and rotavirus, and changing the recommendation for HPV without a public process to weigh the risks and benefits, will lead to more hospitalizations and preventable deaths among American children,” said Michael Osterholm of the Vaccine Integrity Project, based at the University of Minnesota.

    WASHINGTON —

    The U.S. took the unprecedented step Monday of dropping the number of vaccines it recommends for every child—leaving other immunizations, such as flu shots, open to families to choose but without clear guidance.

    Officials said the overhaul to the federal vaccine schedule won’t result in any families losing access or insurance coverage for vaccines, but medical experts slammed the move, saying it could lead to reduced uptake of important vaccinations and increase disease.

    The change came after President Donald Trump in December asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to review how peer nations approach vaccine recommendations and consider revising its guidance to align with theirs.

    HHS said its comparison to 20 peer nations found that the U.S. was an “outlier” in both the number of vaccinations and the number of doses it recommended to all children. Officials with the agency framed the change as a way to increase public trust by recommending only the most important vaccinations for children to receive.

    “This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement Monday.

    Medical experts disagreed, saying the change without public discussion or a transparent review of the data would put children at risk.

    “Abandoning recommendations for vaccines that prevent influenza, hepatitis and rotavirus, and changing the recommendation for HPV without a public process to weigh the risks and benefits, will lead to more hospitalizations and preventable deaths among American children,” said Michael Osterholm of the Vaccine Integrity Project, based at the University of Minnesota.

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  • Democratic-led states sue Trump administration to keep SNAP food assistance funds flowing

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    A coalition of 25 Democratic-run states sued the Trump administration Tuesday to prevent billions of dollars of cuts to federal food assistance that are set to kick in this weekend.Democratic attorneys general and governors from 25 states and Washington, D.C., claimed in the lawsuit that the Trump administration was threatening “illegal” cuts to SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps.The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program for 42 million Americans, “cannot simply suspend all benefits indefinitely, while refusing to spend funds from available appropriations for SNAP benefits for eligible households,” the lawsuit claims.The Trump administration has argued it does not have the power to use that pot of existing money — known as its contingency fund — to cover the SNAP program beyond Saturday, because of the federal government shutdown.”The contingency fund is not available to support FY 2026 regular benefits, because the appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists,” officials in the Department of Agriculture wrote in a memo last week.The risk of tens of millions of Americans losing food aid has triggered intense anxiety across Washington, as the government shutdown nears the one-month mark.Top lawmakers from both parties acknowledge it would be the most significant impact of the shutdown to date, with House Speaker Mike Johnson privately warning his GOP members on a call Tuesday that the pain was about to spike for everyday Americans.Senate Democrats have now voted 13 times to block a GOP funding bill because it does not include their separate demands on extending health care subsidies. But GOP leaders have refused to negotiate on the subsidies until the government reopens, leaving both parties in a bitter stalemate with no clear way out.Democrats have been unflinching in their stance, despite the looming Saturday deadline for the food aid. They argue that President Donald Trump has sought to “weaponize” the food assistance program, intentionally choosing not to fund the aid to pressure Democrats to yield.Fight over food aidShortly after the lawsuit was filed Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told CNN that there isn’t enough contingency funding to cover SNAP benefits for November, which she said would cost about $9.2 billion.”As of today, that $9.2 billion, we don’t even have close to that in contingency funding,” Rollins said. “We’ve got to get this government open.”She added that “all it takes is a yes on a continuing resolution to keep the government going, and to send that (SNAP) money out to the states.”A so-called clean continuing resolution would extend government funding at current levels. But congressional Democrats have opposed that because Republicans haven’t agreed to negotiate on the expiring health care subsidies.The White House referred CNN to the Office of Management and Budget for comment on the lawsuit. An OMB spokesperson said in a statement that “Democrats chose to shut down the government knowing full well that SNAP would soon run out of funds. It doesn’t have to be this way, and it’s sad they are using the families who rely on it as pawns.”Democratic attorney general: ‘This is wrong’The Democratic-run states filed the lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court. Court records indicate the case was randomly assigned to District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee who was confirmed in a bipartisan and unanimous Senate vote in 2014.Congress approved $6 billion for a “SNAP-specific contingency fund” in the spending bill that averted a shutdown in March, the lawsuit notes. The lawsuit also points out that, as recently as September, the USDA website identified these funds as part of its plan to keep the food stamp payments flowing in case of a government shutdown.North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, accused the Trump administration of using SNAP benefits “to play shutdown politics” at a news conference Tuesday announcing his support for the lawsuit.”The truth is the department has the money,” Jackson said, adding, “They are looking to ratchet up the pain in an already painful moment. This is wrong, and it’s against the law.”

    A coalition of 25 Democratic-run states sued the Trump administration Tuesday to prevent billions of dollars of cuts to federal food assistance that are set to kick in this weekend.

    Democratic attorneys general and governors from 25 states and Washington, D.C., claimed in the lawsuit that the Trump administration was threatening “illegal” cuts to SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program for 42 million Americans, “cannot simply suspend all benefits indefinitely, while refusing to spend funds from available appropriations for SNAP benefits for eligible households,” the lawsuit claims.

    The Trump administration has argued it does not have the power to use that pot of existing money — known as its contingency fund — to cover the SNAP program beyond Saturday, because of the federal government shutdown.

    “The contingency fund is not available to support FY 2026 regular benefits, because the appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists,” officials in the Department of Agriculture wrote in a memo last week.

    The risk of tens of millions of Americans losing food aid has triggered intense anxiety across Washington, as the government shutdown nears the one-month mark.

    Top lawmakers from both parties acknowledge it would be the most significant impact of the shutdown to date, with House Speaker Mike Johnson privately warning his GOP members on a call Tuesday that the pain was about to spike for everyday Americans.

    Senate Democrats have now voted 13 times to block a GOP funding bill because it does not include their separate demands on extending health care subsidies. But GOP leaders have refused to negotiate on the subsidies until the government reopens, leaving both parties in a bitter stalemate with no clear way out.

    Democrats have been unflinching in their stance, despite the looming Saturday deadline for the food aid. They argue that President Donald Trump has sought to “weaponize” the food assistance program, intentionally choosing not to fund the aid to pressure Democrats to yield.

    Fight over food aid

    Shortly after the lawsuit was filed Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told CNN that there isn’t enough contingency funding to cover SNAP benefits for November, which she said would cost about $9.2 billion.

    “As of today, that $9.2 billion, we don’t even have close to that in contingency funding,” Rollins said. “We’ve got to get this government open.”

    She added that “all it takes is a yes on a continuing resolution to keep the government going, and to send that (SNAP) money out to the states.”

    A so-called clean continuing resolution would extend government funding at current levels. But congressional Democrats have opposed that because Republicans haven’t agreed to negotiate on the expiring health care subsidies.

    The White House referred CNN to the Office of Management and Budget for comment on the lawsuit. An OMB spokesperson said in a statement that “Democrats chose to shut down the government knowing full well that SNAP would soon run out of funds. It doesn’t have to be this way, and it’s sad they are using the families who rely on it as pawns.”

    Democratic attorney general: ‘This is wrong’

    The Democratic-run states filed the lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court. Court records indicate the case was randomly assigned to District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee who was confirmed in a bipartisan and unanimous Senate vote in 2014.

    Congress approved $6 billion for a “SNAP-specific contingency fund” in the spending bill that averted a shutdown in March, the lawsuit notes. The lawsuit also points out that, as recently as September, the USDA website identified these funds as part of its plan to keep the food stamp payments flowing in case of a government shutdown.

    North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, accused the Trump administration of using SNAP benefits “to play shutdown politics” at a news conference Tuesday announcing his support for the lawsuit.

    “The truth is the department has the money,” Jackson said, adding, “They are looking to ratchet up the pain in an already painful moment. This is wrong, and it’s against the law.”

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  • Drought impacts Halloween pumpkins and Christmas trees in Alabama and leaf peeping in other states

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    Parts of Alabama are experiencing extreme drought conditions right now. The Forestry Commission has put the entire state under a fire danger advisory. The lack of rain is impacting many crops, which could affect our fall and winter holidays — including pumpkins and Christmas trees.And Alabama isn’t alone, as some states and regions from New England to the Rocky Mountains, which count on tourism dollars from leaf-peeping season, seeing, in some cases, leaves change colors earlier, muted colors, and fewer leaves to peep.According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 40% of the country was considered to be in a drought in early October, the Associated Press reports.That’s more than twice the average, Brad Rippey, a U.S. Department of Agriculture meteorologist, told the AP.Rippey, an author of the drought monitor — which is a partnership between the federal government and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln — told the AP that drought has hit the Northeast and Western U.S. especially hard. Related video below: Colorful foliage started early this year because of drought conditionsAt The Great Pumpkin Patch in Hayden, Alabama, they grow some of their pumpkins; many of the small pie pumpkins come from their own fields. But because of a lack of rain, most are from farms in other states.For a day at the pumpkin patch, this dry, warm weather is perfect, but it’s not so great for the pumpkin growing season.Pumpkin Patch owner Julie Swann said, “We have not had rain, probably for us it’s been since August. And then prior to that, it was probably the good rains that we had, you know, April, maybe some of June.”The Great Pumpkin Patch is parched, and the drought does have an impact on the gourds they grow there.”It doesn’t necessarily affect the size simply because pumpkins take so long to produce. But it does the quantity, it affects that, you don’t have as many, you know, to produce as far as vines won’t produce as much without the rain,” Swann said. So the owners have to reach out to farmers in Tennessee and Michigan and buy their pumpkins to sell in Hayden, which is around 30 miles from Birmingham. And Halloween may not be the only holiday impacted by the drought. Paul Beavers at Beavers Christmas Tree Farm in Trafford, Alabama, said the lack of rain is particularly hard on his youngest, smallest trees.“If it continues all the way through winter, it might kill some of my smaller trees. Hopefully, it’ll stop sometime in the next month or two,” Beavers said.A lack of rain means the trees will just stop growing, so the drought could impact the size of your Christmas tree. But the trees tagged for sale are five years old or more, so problems might not be realized till Christmas of 2030.“We’re still going to have over 3000 trees ready to sell this year,” Beavers said. When the owners of the pumpkin patch have to buy more pumpkins from out-of-state farms, their costs increase, but they say this year, they are not raising prices for customers.They’ll have to re-evaluate that next fall. ___The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    HAYDEN, Ala. —

    Parts of Alabama are experiencing extreme drought conditions right now. The Forestry Commission has put the entire state under a fire danger advisory. The lack of rain is impacting many crops, which could affect our fall and winter holidays — including pumpkins and Christmas trees.

    And Alabama isn’t alone, as some states and regions from New England to the Rocky Mountains, which count on tourism dollars from leaf-peeping season, seeing, in some cases, leaves change colors earlier, muted colors, and fewer leaves to peep.

    According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 40% of the country was considered to be in a drought in early October, the Associated Press reports.

    That’s more than twice the average, Brad Rippey, a U.S. Department of Agriculture meteorologist, told the AP.

    Rippey, an author of the drought monitor — which is a partnership between the federal government and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln — told the AP that drought has hit the Northeast and Western U.S. especially hard.

    Related video below: Colorful foliage started early this year because of drought conditions

    At The Great Pumpkin Patch in Hayden, Alabama, they grow some of their pumpkins; many of the small pie pumpkins come from their own fields. But because of a lack of rain, most are from farms in other states.

    For a day at the pumpkin patch, this dry, warm weather is perfect, but it’s not so great for the pumpkin growing season.

    Pumpkin Patch owner Julie Swann said, “We have not had rain, probably for us it’s been since August. And then prior to that, it was probably the good rains that we had, you know, April, maybe some of June.”

    The Great Pumpkin Patch is parched, and the drought does have an impact on the gourds they grow there.

    “It doesn’t necessarily affect the size simply because pumpkins take so long to produce. But it does the quantity, it affects that, you don’t have as many, you know, to produce as far as vines won’t produce as much without the rain,” Swann said.

    So the owners have to reach out to farmers in Tennessee and Michigan and buy their pumpkins to sell in Hayden, which is around 30 miles from Birmingham.

    And Halloween may not be the only holiday impacted by the drought. Paul Beavers at Beavers Christmas Tree Farm in Trafford, Alabama, said the lack of rain is particularly hard on his youngest, smallest trees.

    “If it continues all the way through winter, it might kill some of my smaller trees.
    Hopefully, it’ll stop sometime in the next month or two,” Beavers said.

    A lack of rain means the trees will just stop growing, so the drought could impact the size of your Christmas tree. But the trees tagged for sale are five years old or more, so problems might not be realized till Christmas of 2030.

    “We’re still going to have over 3000 trees ready to sell this year,” Beavers said.

    When the owners of the pumpkin patch have to buy more pumpkins from out-of-state farms, their costs increase, but they say this year, they are not raising prices for customers.

    They’ll have to re-evaluate that next fall.

    ___

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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  • Feds sue L.A. County sheriff for ‘unreasonable’ delays in issuing concealed gun permits

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    The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Robert Luna, claiming the department violated county gunowners’ 2nd Amendment rights by delaying thousands of concealed carry permit application decisions for “unreasonable” periods of time.

    In a statement, the Justice Department claimed that the Sheriff’s Department “systematically denied thousands of law-abiding Californians their fundamental Second Amendment right to bear arms outside the home — not through outright refusal, but through a deliberate pattern of unconscionable delay.”

    The complaint, filed in the Central District of California, the federal court in Los Angeles, cites data provided by the Sheriff’s Department about the more than 8,000 concealed carry permit applications and renewal applications it received between Jan. 2, 2024, and March 31 this year.

    During that period, the Justice Department wrote, it took an average of nearly 300 days for the Sheriff’s Department to schedule interviews to approve the applications or “otherwise” advance them.

    As a result, of the nearly 4,000 applications for new concealed carry licenses it received during those 15 months, “LASD issued only two licenses.” Two others were denied, the Justice Department said, while the rest remained pending or were withdrawn.

    The Sheriff’s Department did not immediately provide comment Monday. In March, when the Trump administration announced its 2nd Amendment investigation, the department said it was “committed to processing all Concealed Carry Weapons [CCW] applications in compliance with state and local laws.”

    The department’s statement said it had approved 15,000 applications for concealed carry licenses but that because of “a significant staffing crisis in our CCW Unit” it was “diligenty working through approximately 4,000 active cases.”

    Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi said Monday that the Justice Department was working to safeguard the 2nd Amendment, which “protects the fundamental constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms.”

    “Los Angeles County may not like that right, but the Constitution does not allow them to infringe upon it,” Bondi said. “This Department of Justice will continue to fight for the Second Amendment.”

    The federal agency’s complaint alleged that the practice of delaying the applications in effect forced gun permit applicants “to abandon their constitutional rights through administrative exhaustion.”

    In December 2023, the California Rifle and Pistol Assn. sued the Sheriff’s Department over what it alleged were improper delays and rejections of applications for concealed carry licenses. In January, U.S. District Court Judge Sherilyn P. Garnett ordered the department to reduce delays.

    In the new complaint, the Justice Department called on the court to issue a permanent injunction.

    Gun rights groups heralded the move by the Trump administration.

    “This is a landmark lawsuit in that it’s the first time the Department of Justice has ever filed a case in support of gun owners,” Adam Kraut, executive director of the Second Amendment Foundation, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to see the federal government step up and defend the Second Amendment rights of citizens and hope this pattern continues around the country.”

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    Connor Sheets

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  • Trump can’t deny funds to L.A. and 30 other ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions, judge rules

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    The Trump administration cannot deny funding to Los Angeles and 30 other cities and counties because of “sanctuary” policies that limit their cooperation with federal immigration agencies, a judge ruled late Friday.

    The judge issued a preliminary injunction that expands restrictions the court handed down in April that blocked funding cuts to 16 cities and counties, including San Francisco and Santa Clara, after federal officials classified them as “sanctuary jurisdictions.”

    U.S. District Judge William Orrick of the federal court in San Francisco ruled then that Trump’s executive order cutting funding was probably unconstitutional and violated the separation of powers doctrine.

    Friday’s order added more than a dozen more jurisdictions to the preliminary injunction, including Los Angeles, Alameda County, Berkeley, Baltimore, Boston and Chicago.

    Mayor Karen Bass’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    In a statement, a spokesperson for the White House said the Trump administration expected to ultimately win in its effort on appeal.

    “The government — at all levels — has the duty to protect American citizens from harm,” Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson for the White House, said in a statement. “Sanctuary cities interfere with federal immigration enforcement at the expense and safety and security of American citizens. We look forward to ultimate vindication on the issue.”

    The preliminary injunction is the latest chapter in an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to force “sanctuary cities” to assist and commit local resources to federal immigration enforcement efforts.

    Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice published a list of what it determined to be sanctuary jurisdictions, or local entities that have “policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws.”

    “Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design,” Atty. Gen. Pamela Bondi said in a statement accompanying the published list.

    Several cities and counties across the country have adopted sanctuary city policies, but specifics as to what extent they’re willing — or unwilling — to do for federal immigration officials have varied.

    The policies typically do not impede federal officials from conducting immigration enforcement activities, but largely keep local jurisdictions from committing resources to the efforts.

    The policies also don’t prevent local agencies from enforcing judicial warrants, which are signed by a judge. Cooperation on “detainers” or holds on jailed suspects issued by federal agencies, along with enforcement of civil immigration matters, is typically limited by sanctuary policies.

    Federal officials in the suit have so far referred to “sanctuary” jurisdictions as local governments that don’t honor immigration detainer requests, don’t assist with administrative warrants, don’t share immigration status information, or don’t allow local police to assist in immigration enforcement operations.

    Orrick noted that the executive orders threatened to withhold all federal funding if the cities and counties in question did not adhere to the Trump administration’s requests.

    In the order, the judge referred to the executive order as a “coercive threat” and said it was unconstitutional.

    Orrick, who sits on the bench in the Northern District of California, was appointed by former President Obama.

    The Trump administration has been ratcheting up efforts to force local jurisdictions to assist in immigration enforcement. The administration has filed lawsuits against cities and counties, vastly increased street operations and immigration detentions, and deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles as it increased immigration operations.

    The U.S. Department of Justice in June sued Los Angeles, and local officials, alleging its sanctuary city law is “illegal.”

    The suit alleged that the city was looking to “thwart the will of the American people regarding deportations” by enacting sanctuary city policies.

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    Salvador Hernandez

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  • Federal agents raid home of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao

    Federal agents raid home of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao

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    The federal agents conducted a search of a home owned by Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao early Thursday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

    Abraham Simmons, spokesperson for the department, did not say who the target of the search warrant was and declined to comment further.

    The search of Thao’s home on Maiden Lane also includes officers from the IRS as well as the U.S. Postal Service. Neither agency could be immediately reached for comment.

    Video footage from local news agencies showed agents carrying boxes and bags out of the house.

    The search comes as Thao and Dist. Atty. Pamela Price are facing a recall election this November. The recall campaign is a response to increased crime and budgetary problems that have challenged city leaders.

    Also Thursday, FBI agents searched a house on View Crest Court in the Oakland hills but authorities did not say if the two search warrants were connected.

    Property records show that latter home is connected to Andy Duong, who also owns Cal Waste Solutions, which has been investigated over campaign contributions to Thao and other elected city officials, the Oaklandside reported.

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    Ruben Vives

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  • LAX’s Russian mystery man convicted for hopping flight without passport, ticket

    LAX’s Russian mystery man convicted for hopping flight without passport, ticket

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    A Russian man who slipped past Danish airport security to board a flight to Los Angeles International Airport without a passport, visa or ticket was found guilty of being a stowaway, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.

    After a three-day trial, 46-year-old Sergey Vladimirovich Ochigava was found guilty of one count of being a stowaway on an aircraft.

    He faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 5.

    Authorities say Ochigava slipped aboard a flight to Los Angeles on Nov. 4 after passing through a Copenhagen Airport boarding gate undetected.

    He had been able to get into the airport terminal without a boarding pass a day earlier after tailgating an unsuspecting passenger through a security turnstile, prosecutors said.

    During the more than 12-hour flight aboard Scandinavian Airlines Flight 931, Ochigava constantly shifted seats, spoke to several passengers, asked for two in-flight meals and tried to snack on a cabin crew member’s chocolate bar, according to court documents filed by federal prosecutors.

    Upon arrival at LAX, Customs and Border Protection officers stopped Ochigava at an immigration checkpoint, and were unable to find him on the manifest of that flight or any other incoming international flights, court documents said.

    Ochigava was unable to produce a passport, visa or other travel documents that would allow him entrance into the country, according to the Department of Justice. When questioned, authorities say, he provided false and misleading information about his journey to the United States, including claiming he had left his passport on the plane.

    Russian and Israeli identification cards were found in his possession when police searched his bag, according to court documents.

    Additional details as to the motivation behind Ochigava’s journey were not immediately available.

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    Anthony De Leon

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  • Opinion: California just banned 'crime-free' housing. Here's why other states should too

    Opinion: California just banned 'crime-free' housing. Here's why other states should too

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    Landlords across the country have been empowered to act as a kind of police force in the name of crime prevention for decades. How? Through local “nuisance property” laws and “crime-free housing” programs that require them to evict tenants for vaguely defined “criminal activities.”

    As of Monday, California became the first state in the nation to ban so-called crime-free housing programs. More states should follow suit.

    Such laws target low-income and minority renters for eviction and violate their civil rights. That’s bad enough. But they also fail to reduce crime.

    Cities across the country have been implementing these policies for about 30 years, building on the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, which stepped up evictions in federally subsidized housing. By 2019, about 2,000 American cities had a crime-free housing program, and 37 of the 40 largest U.S. cities had a nuisance property ordinance.

    Even as these policies spread, their efficacy was in doubt. I led a recent analysis of California’s crime-free housing policies that found they had no effect on crime. Other researchers have found that by driving people into desperation and homelessness, nuisance property ordinances may actually increase property crime.

    Crime-free housing policies backfire partly because they treat 911 calls as an indicator of criminal activity. This creates a perverse incentive: For fear of being evicted, tenants don’t call authorities when they need them.

    This particularly harms victims of domestic violence, who may hesitate to seek help from police lest they lose their housing. These policies can also dissuade tenants from seeking medical aid during drug overdoses or mental health crises. Evictions also hamper crime prevention by disrupting community social networks, making it harder for residents to monitor what’s going on in their neighborhoods — a critical element of crime prevention.

    My study of California found that city blocks with apartments certified as crime-free saw 21% more evictions than blocks without such housing. Other researchers have found that nuisance property ordinances increase eviction filing rates by 16%. In the six months after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development instituted a “One Strike and You’re Out” policy on criminal activity in 1996, reported evictions from public housing surged 40%.

    Evictions are deeply harmful in many ways. People who are evicted struggle to find housing again, and tenants removed from public housing are prohibited from receiving housing assistance. That can lead to more homelessness and desperation. Evictions also cause disproportionate housing insecurity for children, more unemployment, additional use of emergency room resources, and accidental drug and alcohol deaths.

    Legal experts have argued persuasively that punishing people with eviction instead of through criminal justice procedures also denies them due process. These policies don’t require an arrest or conviction or even an indication of crime anywhere near the property. They don’t even require a crime.

    People have been evicted under crime-free housing policies over kids playing basketball or jumping on a trampoline and because of complaints about barbecues. Tenants can even face severe consequences for the behavior of their guests. One federal court case concerns an Illinois city trying to evict a family because of a burglary committed by a friend of their teenage son who had slept on their couch.

    The policies tend to be selectively enforced, with low-income, multifamily properties bearing the brunt. This has led the Department of Justice to take action against cities for violations of the Fair Housing Act and other federal laws. In 2022, the San Bernardino County city of Hesperia signed a consent decree with the federal government related to selective application of its crime-free housing program. Lawsuits have been filed on similar grounds against cities in Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Minnesota.

    What is the point of these harmful policies if they aren’t reducing crime? Public officials have suggested their real goal is segregation.

    A Hesperia official acknowledged that the purpose of the city’s crime-free housing program was to remove what he described as “those kind of people” and “improve our demographic.” The mayor of Bedford, Ohio, said the city’s nuisance property ordinance was about taking “pride in middle-class values” and curtailing “urban immigration.” The analysis I led found that cities with crime-free housing programs had larger Black populations and that the affected apartments were on lower-income blocks with larger Black and Latino populations.

    HUD has issued guidance to cities on how these policies may violate the Fair Housing Act by disproportionately evicting women, victims of crime and people with disabilities. But more needs to be done.

    Following California’s lead, other states should limit evictions under these policies without an arrest or conviction or based on the behavior of nonresidents. Cities should also be required to report the number of evictions resulting from crime-free housing policies and nuisance ordinances. Similar federal policies also need reconsideration, including the one-strike policy for public housing and the rules that prevent evicted tenants from obtaining future housing assistance.

    These policies and the evictions they cause are at best an ineffective means of preventing crime. At worst, they’re a harmful form of discrimination that leads to more crime and homelessness. Ending them could make all our communities safer.

    Max Griswold is a policy researcher at the Rand Corp.

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    Max Griswold

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