National News

New Orleans, LA (AP) Even as Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the Mississippi River's levees held up when those in other parts of the city did not. But as Tropical Storm Barry threatened New Orleans with torrential rains that will test the city's flood defenses this weekend, the height of the city's river levees was the U.S.…

WASHINGTON D.C. (AP) — Some are watching old video of his previous testimony. Others are closely re-reading his 448-page report. And almost all are worrying about how they'll make the most of the short time they'll have for questioning. Robert Mueller, the Democrats know, will be tough to crack. The stern, reticent former FBI director…

RICHMOND, VA (AP) — Deep-pocketed interest groups and activists on both sides of the long-running fight over gun laws are gearing up for a major clash in Virginia, now a key election battleground in the issue after Republicans on Tuesday adjourned a special legislative session called by the governor to consider gun-control measures in the wake…

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — In a musty basement hall of an unassuming building nestled among modern high-rises in the heart of Tel Aviv, a few hundred spectators are kindly requested to turn off their cellphones. What makes the typical scene surreal is that they are asked to do so in Yiddish — the playful,…

NEW YORK, NY (AP) — Eleven years after letting Jeffrey Epstein off lightly with a once-secret plea deal, the U.S. government is taking another run at putting the wealthy sex offender behind bars with new sex-trafficking charges that law enforcement officials say involve allegations dating to the early 2000s. Epstein, arrested over the weekend, is…