A shooter opened fire during morning Mass at a Catholic school in South Minneapolis Wednesday morning, killing two children and injuring 18 other worshippers.
The latest: The children killed in the shooting were identified by their families on Thursday as Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10.
The FBI arrested a Middle Tennessee woman Thursday on charges that she threatened to kill U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
Driving the news: Penelope Convertino, a 22-year-old from Murfreesboro, was charged with making a threat to murder a federal official, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Convertino entered a not guilty plea after her arrest, according to court records. The records also indicate she was released pending trial.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed without evidence that antidepressants could have contributed to the mass shooting in Minnesota on Wednesday after an attacker opened fire on a church.
Why it matters: The unsubstantiated antidepressant medication claim is another example of Kennedy floating ideas that contradict established science.
The Department of Health and Human Services attempted to oust CDC director Susan Monarez, but she's not going down without a fight.
Why it matters: Under Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the HHS has made a number of controversialmovesdenounced by the medical and science communities — particularly on vaccines where Kennedy has put up new barriers — causing friction between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and HHS.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could emerge in an even stronger position due to the fallout from the resignations and turmoil atop the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The big picture: The upheaval from the ousting of CDC Director Susan Monarez will make it difficult to win Senate confirmation for any administration nominee who's willing to sign off on Kennedy's controversial vaccine policy changes.
The Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission is warning Google not to filter or suppress emails sent by Republicans over Gmail, according to a letter sent from the FTC chair to Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc.
Why it matters: The FTC isn't announcing a new investigation into Google, but FTC chair Andrew Ferguson is putting CEO Sundar Pichai on notice that he is taking allegations from Republicans about suppressing emails seriously.
Democratic congressional leaders are landing on the reversal of Medicaid cuts in the One Big, Beautiful Bill as one of their primary demands for helping to avert a government shutdown.
Why it matters: While Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House, they will need at least the votes of some Senate Democrats to pass a government funding bill.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is laying the groundwork for resisting the Trump administration's threats to take over Chicago's law enforcement.
Why it matters: Trump has said he'll use his Washington, D.C., blueprint in Chicago next, as Pritzker continues to dispute the president's portrayal of crime in the city.
The meeting President Trump convened on Wednesday to discuss a post-war plan for Gaza involved two high-profile invited guests, Jared Kushner and Tony Blair, and an unexpected third one: Israeli official Ron Dermer.
Why it matters: Dermer told the assembled senior officials that Israel doesn't want to occupy Gaza long-term, but needs an acceptable alternative to Hamas to govern the enclave. Kushner and Blair got Trump's blessing to keep developing such a plan, but right now they don't have an answer as to who would take over.
The bond market served as a check on the Trump administration in April, when its sharp reaction forced a change in tariff policies. But bond investors seem asleep at the wheel after President Trump's firing of Fed governor Lisa Cook.
Why it matters: The muted reaction could be a sign that bond investors are pricing in an environment where Trump policies don't stick.
Bad actors have tricked roughly a dozen colleges and universities into issuing active shooter alerts as students return to campuses for a new school year.
Why it matters: Identifying the actors involved in swatting sprees has become increasingly difficult for law enforcement as the attacks frequently originate online, overseas or by using AI software — and it's only going to get worse, multiple public safety officials told Axios.
Former Major League Baseball first baseman Mark Teixeira on Thursday launched a bid for the open congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas).
Why it matters: Teixeira, a Republican, is the latest in a series of high-profile candidates who have found sudden opportunities to nab a safe seat in Congress.
Senate Democrats' campaign arm is releasing a budget-tracking website aimed at pinning concerns about rising costs on President Trump and Senate Republicans.
Why it matters: Energy, food and health care prices are expected to rise next year on the heels of Trump's tariffs and massive tax cut bill, according to experts. Democrats want the president's party to pay at the ballot box in 2026.
The family of Emmett Till has re-created his 1955 train ride from Chicago to Mississippi as part of efforts to mark the 70th anniversary of his brutal lynching, which helped spark the Civil Rights Movement.
President Trump fired Robert Primus, a member of the railroad regulatory board set to consider Union Pacific's proposed $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern.
Why it matters: The Democrat was the only Surface Transportation Board member to oppose Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern's merger in 2023.
Texas Democratic Senate candidate Colin Allred this week will propose a sweeping anti-corruption framework that includes banning lawmakers from trading stocks and overturning the 2010 Supreme Court decision that allowed unlimited political spending from private entities.
Why it matters: The populist policy proposals will serve as a centerpiece of his campaign against Republicans in one of the nation's most high-profile Senate races next year.
France, Germany, and the U.K. sent a letter Thursday morning to members of the UN Security Council announcing they are triggering the "snapback" mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran, which had been suspended under the 2015 nuclear deal.
Why it matters: In the letter, the three European powers emphasized that during the next 30 days — before the sanctions take effect — they are open to negotiations with Iran on a nuclear agreement that could halt the process.
As armed National Guard troops patrol the nation's capital, a majority of Americans now see handling crime as a relative strength for President Trump, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
Why it matters: Americans aren't generally happy about the president's handling of immigration and the economy, but 53% said they approved of his approach on crime, the poll found.
Nvidia, the biggest company in the world by market cap, reported world-beating results Wednesday evening. But export controls to China dampened its data center revenue, and that's making investors nervous.
Why it matters: Nvidia is caught in the middle of a Trump trade war that could impact its earnings growth and the trajectory of the entire stock market.
Support for labor unions among Republicans declined this year, finds a Gallup survey out Thursday morning.
Why it matters: The party traditionally opposed organized labor, but in recent years had been moving in a different direction — with the Trump campaign actively courting the union vote last year.
Trump administration tariffs on India would halve "if it stops buying Russian oil and helping to feed the war machine" in Ukraine, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Wednesday.
Why it matters: India's tariffs doubled to 50% on Wednesday, but the key U.S. trading partner is showing no signs of backing down, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging citizens to buy Indian-made and his senior officials meeting with Russia's leader Vladimir Putin last week.
President Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon to attack a Utah court ruling that ordered new congressional maps pursuant to an anti-gerrymandering lawsuit.
What they're saying: Trump claimed Monday's order by state judge Dianna Gibson is "absolutely" unconstitutional.
Centers for Disease Control director Susan Monarez has abruptly left the post just weeks after being sworn in, the Department of Health and Human Services announced on Wednesday — a claim that was immediately disputed by her lawyers.
Why it matters: The dispute has left the leadership of the CDC in limbo as a wave of high-level departures gutted the top ranks of the agency that's responsible for protecting the nation's public health.
A CDC official who resigned following the announcement that agency director Susan Monarez had been ousted shared a post Wednesday on why he's stepping down that accused HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of ignoring experts.
Why it matters: Demetre Daskalakis, who was director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said on X that recent policy changes threatened lives and there had been an "intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines."
