Politics

Gov. Kay Ivey commuted 75-year-old Charles Lee “Sonny” Burton’s death sentence to life without parole two days before his scheduled execution, saying Burton did not shoot the victim and had left the store; next legal steps are undetermined at this time.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey commuted Charles "Sonny" Burton's death sentence to life without parole; Burton was not the shooter and another man fired the fatal shot.

President Trump described the 10-day conflict with Iran as "short term" and a "little excursion" and said it will end soon; he did not provide a timeline.

Sen. Cory Booker plans to introduce a Senate bill to raise the standard deduction to $75,000 for married couples and $37,500 for individuals, and the proposal would also raise child tax credits and add a one‑time baby bonus.

U.S. Central Command announced the death of a seventh American service member who was wounded in an attack on troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1; Iranian state media reported Mojtaba Khamenei has been chosen as Iran's next supreme leader.

A plaque honoring officers who responded to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack was quietly installed on the Senate side of the Capitol after a three-year delay; officers who sued say the placement is a stopgap and their lawsuit continues.

ICE arrested reporter Estefany Rodriguez in Nashville; government filings say agents used an administrative warrant and that her tourist visa expired in 2021. She is being held in a Louisiana detention center and has a hearing set for March 21.

Colleen Hanabusa, a former U.S. representative and former president of the Hawaii State Senate, died at 74 after a private battle with cancer, her family said; Hawaii Gov. Josh Green ordered flags lowered to half-staff.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed HB111, raising the maximum penalty for water code violations to $3,400 per day (effective May 20), and approved HB63, which puts about $522 million in loans for 113 local and tribal water projects into law (effective March 5).

Bernard LaFayette, a civil rights organizer whose work in Selma helped pave the way for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, died at 85 of a heart attack, his son said.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking Gov. Ron DeSantis' December executive order that labeled the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) a "terrorist organization," saying the action threatened constitutional protections; the next legal steps are undetermined at this time.

Thousands of Americans are reported stranded in parts of the Middle East after an air campaign and subsequent Iranian retaliation, and lawmakers and diplomats have criticized the administration's preparedness and communication.

Pentagon officials said the U.S. military killed an Iranian leader they say was involved in a 2024 plot to assassinate President Donald Trump, and that Operation Epic Fury remains underway.

The State Board of Education unanimously adopted new A–F accountability rules returning letter grades to Indiana schools after nearly a decade, and initial grades are scheduled for distribution later this year. The system adds measures beyond test scores, such as attendance, career exploration and workforce credentials, and it places more weight on proficiency than on academic growth.

The Senate rejected a War Powers resolution 47-53 that would have limited President Trump's authority to conduct military action against Iran, with only one Republican voting in favor; the House is scheduled to hold its own War Powers vote on Thursday.

City leaders and Chicago Fire FC broke ground on a privately funded $750 million soccer stadium in the South Loop; the venue is planned to seat more than 22,000 and is expected to open ahead of the 2028 MLS season.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker asked the State Department to provide clearer plans to evacuate U.S. citizens from the Middle East; the department says about 9,000 Americans have returned and roughly 1,500 are still requesting assistance.

Republican lawmakers gave conflicting explanations for the U.S. strikes on Iran, and both the House and Senate are scheduled to hold War Powers Act votes this week.

SNAP participation in Iowa fell about 6%, from 272,000 in August 2025 to 255,000 in January, after federal eligibility changes last year tightened rules and added work requirements.

President Trump said he is willing to speak with Iran's new leadership after the reported death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; a White House official said U.S.-Israeli strikes are continuing under 'Operation Epic Fury'.

President Donald Trump presented three Medals of Honor at a White House ceremony to Army Master Sgt. Roderick W. Edmonds, Army Command Sgt. Major Terry P. Richardson, and Army Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis; Edmonds and Ollis received the medals posthumously.

President Trump said the U.S. military operation in Iran could last a month or longer and described the campaign, called Operation Epic Fury, as being ahead of its earlier four-to-five week timeline.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died Feb. 17 at age 84, is lying in state at the South Carolina Capitol as part of multi-city memorial events.

The White House said First Lady Melania Trump will preside over a U.N. Security Council meeting in New York on Monday focused on education's role in advancing tolerance and world peace; the meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET amid ongoing U.S. military strikes involving Iran.

Rep. James Comer said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick may be asked to testify about Jeffrey Epstein as the committee continues document reviews; former President Bill Clinton is preparing for a deposition.

Ernie Banks, the first African American player for the Chicago Cubs, lived in Chatham and commuted north on the CTA because segregation limited where he could live. He later served on the Chicago Transit Authority board and died in 2015.

The administration has begun post-admission reviews and has in some cases detained or questioned refugees who were already admitted; a federal judge has temporarily halted arrests and ordered the release of detainees in Minnesota while a lawsuit challenging the policy continues.

Mayor Mike Johnston signed an executive order barring agencies like ICE from city-owned or city-controlled buildings, and Denver City Council will vote Monday on a related proposal affecting federal immigration agents.

Eric Slover, an Army helicopter pilot wounded during a Jan. 3 operation to capture Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, received the Medal of Honor during President Trump's State of the Union address.

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani visited a Morningside Heights early childhood program and urged families with children turning three or four in 2026 to apply for 3-K and Pre-K by the Feb. 27 deadline; the city says every family that applies by then will receive an offer. Since applications opened Jan. 14, more than 75,000 families have applied and the city is expanding capacity, including a planned 2,000 2-K seats this fall and a new request for providers.