Mrvan eyes areas of common ground in closely divided Congress – Chicago Tribune

Shaquille O’Neal expressed his desire for comedian Nikki Glaser to roast him next during a recent interview at his Shaq’s Fun House party in New Orleans. Reflecting on the 2024 Netflix special “The Roast of Tom Brady,” O’Neal confidently stated that he can handle any jokes thrown his way, unlike Brady who seemed taken aback by some of the jokes made about him during the event. Full Article

A federal judge declined to immediately block the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing Labor Department systems, citing lack of evidence of legal injury from labor unions who sued to block access. DOGE, led by Elon Musk, has been investigated for accessing sensitive Treasury and Labor Department records, prompting concerns about violating laws protecting government data and civil servants. Despite allegations of wrongdoing, the Justice Department defended DOGE's access, arguing against a sweeping order...

Hamas fighters in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, prepare a stage for the release of three Israeli hostages, Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami, with Palestinian and Hamas flags, cameras, and music. Israeli forces allegedly raided homes of Palestinian prisoners' families. The hostages, taken during Hamas attacks in 2023, will be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners, while Palestinian children are allowed to evacuate Gaza for urgent medical treatment at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Full...

A Roswell, Georgia police officer was shot and killed while responding to a report of a suspicious person at a shopping center. The officer was struck multiple times by a gunman behind the shopping center and succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The suspect was apprehended by police, and Governor Brian Kemp expressed condolences for the officer's family and the law enforcement community. Full Article

A federal judge halted the Trump administration's attempt to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, pausing the administrative leave of 2,200 employees and withdrawal of overseas workers. The judge cited "irreparable harm" to employees and ordered a temporary reinstatement of 500 workers, scheduling expedited arguments to determine legality. The lawsuit, filed by federal worker unions, argued that the dismantlement of U.S.A.I.D. was unconstitutional and illegal, generating chaos and panic within the agency and...

Former Massachusetts state senator Dean Tran, 48, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for wire fraud and filing false tax returns after fraudulently receiving pandemic unemployment benefits while employed as a consultant. Tran concealed income and rent earnings from the IRS, resulting in a $25,000 payment to the Department of Unemployment Assistance and a $23,000 payment to the IRS, along with a $7,500 fine. Tran, the first Vietnamese American elected to state office in...