Mecklenburg DA Spencer Merriweather says N.C.’s assault-by-strangulation statute failed survivors in two recent trials and is urging the General Assembly to clarify the law and boost penalties.

Washington County mailed ballots April 29 for the May 19 primary. Most voters should receive them by May 5 and can track delivery with BallotTrax.

Mayor Daniel Lurie tapped Steven Betz, a longtime SFPD attorney and current assistant public safety chief, to lead a cross‑agency push on hiring and anti‑drug operations. The move ties enforcement and services under one coordinator.

The State Department plans a limited-run America250 passport that places President Trump’s portrait and a gold signature on an interior page ahead of July celebrations. Details about distribution and run size remain unclear.

Rep. Jared Huffman has launched an inquiry after the USDA touted a Southern California water district as a potential buyer for PG&E’s Potter Valley dams. The move pits local restoration plans against a sudden federal push to preserve the infrastructure.

A New York appeals court blocked the administration’s push to detain many migrants without bond, upending a policy change adopted by DHS and the BIA last year.

A viral clip of Keith Ervin telling a student "God, you're hot" prompted a school board censure and a symbolic no‑confidence vote by county commissioners. The measures stop short of removal, and Ervin is up for re‑election in August.

Bill Ford publicly endorsed Mike Duggan’s independent run for Michigan governor, praising him as a problem solver and warning the state is deeply divided.

John Seymour, a onetime Anaheim mayor and the last Republican to represent California in the U.S. Senate, died April 18 at 88. He later led housing nonprofits in Southern California.

Anne Arundel says it’s roughly 692 Republican election judges short for the June 23 primary. Officials warn they’ll begin filling GOP vacancies with other-party applicants if sign-ups don’t rise.

House Bill 828 would require Ohio employers to disclose when they use AI in hiring, mandate human review of outputs and give applicants a non‑AI alternative.

The CFTC filed suit on April 28 to block Wisconsin’s state lawsuits accusing Kalshi and other platforms of running illegal sports wagers through 'event contracts.'

LAUSD has launched a study and regional meetings to decide whether seven aging high‑school fields should be replaced with artificial turf or restored as natural grass.