U.S.
Federal Judge Lifts Stay, Clearing DHS to End Temporary Protected Status for About 5,000 Ethiopians
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled on August 18, 2026 that the termination could take effect while the underlying lawsuit — including a discrimination claim he has allowed to proceed — continues.
Justice Department Asks Sixth Circuit to Reinstate Smuggling Indictment Against Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Federal prosecutors filed an opening brief on August 17, 2026, arguing a Tennessee judge wrongly threw out the case in May as a vindictive prosecution.
Justice Department Unseals Superseding Indictment Charging 17 Iranians in Mabna Institute Hacking Case
Prosecutors in Manhattan added eight defendants to a 2018 case alleging cyber intrusions at 144 U.S. universities, 42 U.S. companies and five government agencies; all 17 are believed to be in Iran and none are in U.S. custody.
Donalds Wins Florida GOP Governor Primary With 47.8%; Jolly Wins Democratic Primary With 61%
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and former U.S. Rep. David Jolly won their parties' nominations on Aug. 18 and will face each other on Nov. 3 to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Texas Judge Rules ATF 'Ghost Gun' Rule Unconstitutional, Blocks It for Defense Distributed and Second Amendment Foundation Members
Judge Reed O'Connor held the 2022 frame-or-receiver rule violates the Second and Fifth Amendments and enjoined its enforcement as to the plaintiffs and SAF members, 17 months after the Supreme Court upheld the same rule on statutory grounds.
Fired Michigan Federal Prosecutor Sues Justice Department and Attorney General Blanche Over April Dismissal
Sunita Doddamani, dismissed April 13 from the U.S. attorney's office in Detroit, says in a new complaint that she was fired for prosecuting anti-abortion clinic blockade cases; the Justice Department says it removed staff it accuses of weaponizing the law.
Lala's Center Passes About 46 Miles South of Hawaii's Big Island; One Dead, 100-Plus Homes Damaged, Peak Outages Near 219,000
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center says Lala's eye stayed offshore, though its northern eyewall brushed South Point; officials report more than 30 inches of rain, homes swept off foundations and outages that may last weeks in rural areas.
11 Charged in New York Indictment Alleging More Than 1,000 Sham Marriages for Green Cards
A two-count federal indictment unsealed August 12 in Manhattan accuses 11 people of arranging fake marriages, mostly for Chinese citizens; all 11 have pleaded not guilty or have yet to enter pleas, and the charges are allegations.
FBI Reports Violent Crime Fell 9.3% and Murder Fell 18.1% in 2025; White House and Criminologists Differ Over the Cause
The FBI's annual report, released August 14, 2026, records the largest one-year drops in both categories since its national estimates began in 1936; the administration credits its policies, while many researchers point to a decline that started in 2022.
Ex-SPLC Intelligence Director Heidi Beirich Charged With Three Conspiracy Counts in Expanded Federal Fraud Case
A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama added Beirich as a defendant in the Justice Department's case alleging the Southern Poverty Law Center secretly routed more than $4 million in donor money to informants inside extremist groups; Beirich and the SPLC deny wrongdoing and call the prosecution political.
CNN Reports Trump Cleared First Round of MAGA Inc. Midterm Spending; Advisers Floated About $30 Million
CNN reported on August 15 that Trump signed off on an initial tranche of super PAC money for House and Senate Republicans, with the final figure still undecided and no such spending yet in Federal Election Commission filings.
Mangione Pleads Guilty to Two Federal Stalking Counts in Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO; Sentencing Set for Dec. 18
He entered the plea without a deal with prosecutors, who say they will ask for life, while his lawyers moved to dismiss the separate state murder case on double jeopardy grounds.