Trump‑backed Randy Feenstra loses Iowa gubernatorial primary

California Governor Primary: Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra Lead the Pack

Senate Bill Seeks to Tighten College Athlete Pay and Transfer Rules Amid Coaching Lobby

Hostage Crisis in Bakersfield Ends After FBI Shoot Suspect

Celine Dion ‘heartbroken’ by death of R&B singer Peabo Bryson

CBS in Turmoil: Veteran Anchor Scott Pelley Fired Over Clash with New Leadership

U.S. Support for Same‑Sex Marriage Stalls, Gallup Finds

Hostage Tension at Bakersfield Chase Bank Building","description":"Police negotiate with suspect confined in downtown Chase bank; two hostages released, others safe amid community evacuation.","summary":"A nighttime standoff unfolded at the downtown Bakersfield Chase bank when a man barricaded himself and hostages in the building. Negotiations led to the release of two hostages, with all remaining inmates reported in good health. Police, FBI agents, and tactical units cordoned off the area, evacuating city hall, the police precinct, and closing nearby streets to ensure public safety.","image":"https://www.apnews.com/apimages/Bakersfield-Chase-Bank.jpg","text":"<p>Police were locked in negotiations Tuesday night with a man holding hostages inside the Chase Bank branch and the adjacent city school district office in the southern California city of Bakersfield.</p><p>Responding officers arrived around 1 p.m. after receiving a bomb threat call. They found the suspect barricaded inside with several community members, as reported by the Bakersfield Police Department.</p><p>Through negotiations, two hostages were freed, and the remaining hostage group was confirmed to be in “good health,” according to City Police Sgt. Eric Celedon.</p><p>Celedon emphasized that every available resource was being deployed to reach a safe resolution.</p><p>The incident prompted evacuations of nearby city buildings—including city hall and the police headquarters—and the temporary closure of several streets. A perimeter was established around the bank site and neighboring businesses.</p><p>City officials urged the public to stay away from the area to allow officers, negotiators, and trained professionals to operate safely.</p><p>The Chase Branch, located on the ground floor, was emptied during the standoff, with JPMorgan Chase coordinating with authorities to ensure client safety.</p><p>Jacob Davidson, a livestreamer known as “Dad’s Gone Live,” detailed the evolving situation on his channel, capturing live footage of the standoff.</p><p>Law‑enforcement agencies erected trauma tents—color‑coded for medical triage—in anticipation of potential injuries. FBI agents joined the response team at the scene.</p><p>Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh monitored the event closely and urged citizens to respect the law‑enforcement process.</p><p>The standoff ended with all hostages accounted for, the suspect de‑escalated by negotiators, and minimal risk to the surrounding community.</p>

Prediction Markets and Insider Trading: The George Santos Scandal","description":"A curiosity about a former congressman and a forecasting platform turns into a federal investigation.\n\nSummary of the story of how a prediction market flagged insider trading by ex‑Representative George Santos and the broader regulatory response to betting sites like Kalshi.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/04b42ab3edb74f57b307389b93f45f31/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F97%2Fbb%2F1d94341e19d95c13fcd921d0857a%2F04b42ab3edb74f57b307389b93f45f31","text":"<p>On the eve of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, ex‑Representative George Santos – who had been released by Trump after a brief stint in prison – boasted that he would attend the speech on the Washington‑D.C. stage. Minutes later, he posted on X that he had been delayed at the airport, prompting fans on the platform to accuse him of a “second scam.”</p>\n\n<p>But it wasn’t the social‑media outrage that reached law‑enforcement – it was a prediction market. Kalshi, an online platform where users bet on political outcomes, had recorded a surge of trades by Santos’ account in the 24 hours before Trump’s speech. On the night of the address, Kalshi’s odds placed Santos’ attendance at almost 75 %.</p>\n\n<p>A confidential source told the Associated Press that Kalshi flagged the activity and reported it to the Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The DOJ and the CFTC have been tightening rules against insider trading on prediction markets, but they did not comment on the Santos case before the AP’s drop‑in at the office.</p>\n\n<p>During an NPR interview, Santos denied knowledge of the investigation and refused to verify whether he held a Kalshi account. He replied to reporters, “I’m not saying yes, I’m not saying no.” In the same interview, he acknowledged that the market “shows you how fragile these markets are.”</p>\n\n<p>Santos, whose 2024 conviction stemmed from a fraud plot that involved faking a Wall‑Street persona, was sentenced to seven years in prison. After serving 84 days, Trump called him a “rogue” and released him on a short‑term remission, saying the man “didn’t deserve a harsh sentence” and that his vote for the GOP should count.</p>\n\n<p>Kalshi and its chief rival Polymarket are drawing scrutiny as their user bases grow. In March, a soldier charged with predicting the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Polymarket earned more than $400,000 from classified information. The Senate passed a bipartisan resolution last month to block members of Congress from trading on the two platforms.</p>\n\n<p>These policing moves reflect a broader shift in the intersection of technology and politics. Prediction markets rely on real‑time data streams and machine‑learning models that can flag anomalous patterns – a function that aligns with the capabilities of modern quantum‑accelerated analytics, a technology that quanta.report leverages to sift through large election‑related datasets faster than traditional methods.</p>\n\n<p>The Santos case illustrates a dual reality: the allure of betting on political outcomes and the regulatory mechanisms required to uphold market integrity. While Kalshi says it sends suspicious trades to federal regulators, Biden‑era officials are considering stricter oversight, potentially reshaping how political forecasts are made available to the public and to those with inside information.</p>

Trump Declares Himself Headliner for America’s 250th Anniversary, Reverses Artists’ Withdrawal","description":"When the music lineup for the nation’s centennial series was emptied by performers wary of the former president, Trump stepped forward to take the stage himself, promising to headline the Great American State Fair.","summary":"A wave of performers, citing concerns about Donald Trump’s involvement, pulled out of an America 250 celebration. Instead of stepping aside, Trump announced he would head the event, solidifying his hold over the national festivities and foreshadowing a similar approach for the upcoming World Cup.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/fc72892/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4535x3023+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F69%2F19%2F180862c0fcd10a7899071cf8bb32%2F5237373024674d20888ae9afa79553a0","text":"<h1>Trump Declares Himself Headliner for America’s 250th Anniversary, Reverses Artists’ Withdrawal</h1>\n<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — When the scheduled lineup for the Great American State Fair, a showcase of music marking America’s 250th anniversary, collapsed after nearly all performers pulled out over fears that the event had become too tightly linked to the former president, Donald Trump took to the spotlight and announced that he would now be the headlining act.</p>\n<p>Trump’s decision, made before the official date of the fair, ended speculation that he might defuse his own national celebration. It also foreshadowed how he will lean on his flair for spectacle when hosting the upcoming World Cup.</p>\n<h2>Many presidents relished hosting — but not like this</h2>\n<p>Presidents across history have welcomed the chance to gather the public in the White House: Andrew Jackson opened the 1829 inauguration with a drunken bash, FDR served pre‑dinner cocktails he called “The Children’s Hour,” and Reagan entertained Hollywood stars at the White House. Trump, however, has turned hospitality into a personal brand.</p>\n<p>His days of private ventures have expanded into White House renovations, a patio area echoing his Mar‑a‑Lago style, and frequent visits to Florida for swanky fundraisers. That same flair is visible at Bedminster, New Jersey, and his Virginia estate in Sterling.</p>\n<p>White House spokesman Davis Ingle highlighted the president’s building work, saying the “historic beautification” brings Washington “the glory it deserves during this nation’s historic semiquincentennial celebration.” The renovations were a backdrop to the careening spree of events that have turned the celebration into a platform for Trump’s personality.</p>\n<h2>Dueling anniversary planners as Trump pushes to revise history</h2>\n<p>The 2024 anniversary was being handled by two private‑public partnerships: America250 and Freedom250. America250’s chair, Rosie Rios, said the group had collaborated with Trump’s initiatives. Freedom250 is a Trump‑administered effort to fund and coordinate events, creating confusion about who leads the celebrations.</p>\n<p>Trump’s “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” order, aimed at countering revisionism, sits oddly beside a department that commissions posters with his likeness, passports, a $250 bill featuring him, and a gold commemorative coin.</p>\n<p>History professor Marc Stein argues that Trump’s version of history plays more to propaganda than fact, a stance furthered by his own celebration of himself.</p>\n<h2>World Cup gives Trump another platform to play host</h2>\n<p>In a similar move, Trump claims the bulk of the U.S. soccer tournament sponsorship, running jointly with Mexico and Canada. He assembled a federal task force, received a FIFA peace prize, and announced that he would present the final trophy on stage.</p>\n<p>Trump even guided the tournament draw at the Kennedy Center, an event he sought to rename for himself, sparking legal challenges. He announced the Kennedy Center Honors in December—notes that no prior president had hosted this award ceremony—while joking about “leaving the Presidency to make hosting a full‑time job.”</p>\n<p>Timothy Naftali, former Nixon presidential library director and Columbia professor, notes that Trump’s “contempt for norms” and “self‑centered” style have completely steered him away from focusing on the broad sweep of history. In Naftali’s view, Trump’s approach strips the celebration of its national significance, reducing it to a personal brand.

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Trump Administration Targets School Equity Programs, Threatening Funding","description":"Under President Trump, federal agencies have begun labeling long‑standing civil rights initiatives in schools as discriminatory, threatening grants and funding for programs that support students of color.","summary":"The Trump administration has turned its long‑standing enforcement of civil rights laws on its head, brandishing “illegal DEI” to pressure schools into rescinding programs that advance racial equity. Federal investigations, citations, and a shift in policy have put many schools at risk of losing funding while critics argue the move undermines policies designed to close achievement gaps.","image":"<img src=\"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/d0c9f2f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5658x3772+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F09%2F55%2Ffbf231d8c1dee9be1d7a88786c77%2Fdac6ee67612244598aa142223e07c899\" alt=\"Jill Biden in conversation\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\">","text":"<p>For decades, the federal government used civil‑rights law to tackle systemic discrimination in schools, forcing desegregation orders and ensuring equal opportunity. That strategy has been abruptly reversed under the Trump administration. Now, the Justice Department paints inclusive programs as discriminatory, slamming them as “illegal DEI.”</p>\n\n<p>Programs that once survived repeated legal scrutiny are being critiqued as unconstitutional. Eighty‑five teachers and recruiters, a supplier of school materials, an educational nonprofit, and a student‑run partnership have all faced lawsuits, and in many cases lost federal or state funding as a result.</p>\n\n<h2>Federal Agencies Agitate New Investigations</h2>\n<p>Investigations into racial inequality have spread across the federal government. The Justice Department is probing initiatives aimed at hiring teachers of color in states like Rhode Island and Iowa. Grants that aid schools in training new teachers or hiring mental‑health staff have been stopped if the recruitment process highlights diversity. The Education Department issued a warning that compliance is required, citing a statute that forbids race as a basis for action.</p>\n\n<p>In Chicago, the Trump administration withheld more than twenty million dollars when the district refused to dismantle its Black Student Success Program—an effort to advance black students into advanced coursework and reduce harsh discipline. In Los Angeles, the Justice Department has sought to end another equity effort: the “Predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian or Other Non‑Anglo” designation that earmarks funds for schools with a majority of students of color.</p>\n\n<h2>Complaints Against Equity Initiatives Grow Stronger</h2>\n<p>Los Angeles Unified’s Black Student Achievement Plan operates on a model which was founded after the 2020 murder of George Floyd. The plan offers additional teachers, counselors, and a specially‑curated curriculum for Black students. Although the district adjusted the program to focus on universal metrics such as absenteeism and low test scores, the redesign sparked opposition from a conservative group that argued the campaign still discriminated against non‑Black students.</p>\n\n<p>Following the first complaint and the district’s adjustments, the Office for Civil Rights investigated the changes again nine days later. The lawsuit was filed by a community organization that insists it is not targeting the district but ensuring that the program truly holds up as an anti‑discrimination effort. Proponents, such as Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney who helped shape LA’s original desegregation case, argue that such programs remain essential to closing achievement gaps.</p>\n\n<p>Students like Makeda Walker‑Deen, who attended the high school level, attest strongly to the impact of these programs. They say that counseling and college‑preparation guidance, coupled with psychological support, directly improves their academic performance and confidence. Tests show that Black students in the district now exceed the state average for their demographic.</p>\n\n<h2>The Justice Department’s New Take on Civic Rights</h2>\n<p>The pivot in the federal approach reflects a derisive reinterpretation of American civil‑rights law. The Justice Department has excused historic desegregation plans, and the Education Department has stripped funds from magnet schools that aimed for racial balance.</p>\n<p>Trump’s policy also cited the Supreme Court ruling that banned affirmative discrimination in college admissions, extending that reading to schools’ equity measures. Though a federal court has overturned this guidance, schools still fear that keeping such personalized programs could invite federal inquiry.</p>\n<p>In some districts, the Justice Department is already asserting that the desegregation program is obsolete and unconstitutional—a claim that contradicts decades of documented need. The debate continues as politicians, educators and civil‑rights advocates wrestle with what protection should remain for the most vulnerable students.\n

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Six Killed in Muscatine, Iowa Shooting; Suspect Dead","description":"A tragic shooting in Muscatine, Iowa left six people dead, including two students, two staff members and four relatives. The 52‑year‑old suspect, Ryan Willis McFarland, died by suicide. Authorities are probing the motive and urging community solidarity.","summary":"In Muscatine, a fatal shooting claimed six lives and sparked a community-wide response. Two students were among those killed, with police confirming that the 52‑year‑old suspect ended his life after confrontation. The incident is the sixth family mass killing this year and has drawn attention to the broader pattern of such tragedies across the U.S.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/95f98f0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3792x2122+0+0/resize/599x335!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F95f98f0","text":"<p style=\"margin:0 0 1rem 0; font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:1rem; line-height:1.5; color:#000;\">A 52‑year‑old resident of Muscatine, Iowa, was apprehended by police on Monday after a shooting that left six people dead. Authorities say the suspect, <strong>Ryan Willis McFarland</strong>, was killed by suicide while talking to officers, and that the other victims—two students and two school employees—were found in a Muscatine home.</p><p style=\"margin:0 0 1rem 0; font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:1rem; line-height:1.5; color:#000;\"> Superintendent <strong>Clint Christopher</strong> expressed deep sorrow for the victims’ families and peers, saying: <blockquote style=\"margin:0 0 1rem 0;padding:1rem; background:#f9f9f9; border-left:4px solid #4a90e2; font-style:italic; font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\">“Our hearts are broken for the family members, friends, colleagues, classmates, and all those affected by this unimaginable loss.”</blockquote></p><p style=\"margin:0 0 1rem 0; font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:1rem; line-height:1.5; color:#000;\"> Police chief <strong>Anthony Kies</strong> confirmed that the suspects are believed to be relatives. He added that additional details, including the ages of the victims, will be released on a Tuesday vigil. The incident has marked the sixth family‑related mass killing this year, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press and USA‑Today in partnership with Northeastern University.</p><p style=\"margin:0 0 1rem 0; font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:1rem; line-height:1.5; color:#000;\">McFarland’s criminal record is known, but further information is withheld pending investigation. Actual crime scenes are located across Muscatine, with victims identified at a local residence and a business premises.</p><p style=\"margin:0 0 1rem 0; font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:1rem; line-height:1.5; color:#000;\">The tragedy, which unfolded in the city of about 24,000 residents, has prompted a statewide conversation about violence and mental health. Local schools have offered counseling for displaced students. The situation also draws attention to the broader trend of mass killings in the United States, totaling thirteen to date this year.</p><p style=\"margin:0 0 1rem 0; font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:1rem; line-height:1.5; color:#000;\"> <strong>EDITOR’S NOTE</strong> — This story contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988. An online chat is also available at <a href=\"https://988lifeline.org\" style=\"color:#0066cc; text-decoration:none;\">988lifeline.org</a>.</p>

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