• California Billionaire Tax Slated to Qualify
  • US Tells States to Deal With Unemployment Fraud
  • Officials Identify 8 Victims of B-52 Crash
  • Obamas Open Presidential Museum in Chicago
  • Meloni Slams Trump's Claims
Today in History: June 17, O.J. Simpson charged with murder following highway chase

Today is Wednesday, June 17, the 168th day of 2026. There are 197 days left in the year. On June 17, 1994, after leading police on a slow-speed chase on Southern California freeways, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with murder in the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

Author Amy Griffin sues woman who alleged she stole her stories

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Author Amy Griffin sued a former classmate for defamation on Monday, saying the woman’s statements in a New York Times story and a subsequent lawsuit alleging Griffin appropriated her stories of sexual abuse for her bestselling 2025 memoir “The Tell” are false in “every element.”

Luke's 'Empire' lightsaber, 'Wizard of Oz' witch hat going up for auction

LOS ANGELES (AP) – A lightsaber with Luke Skywalker’s severed hand from “The Empire Strikes Back” that is expected to sell for seven figures headlines an upcoming auction of valuables from movies, music and other corners of pop culture.

Qantas plans a 22-hour London-Sydney nonstop flight

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Qantas Airways plans to launch the world’s longest direct flight next year, a service of up to 22 hours nonstop between London and Sydney.

Federal Reserve keeps rate unchanged, but nearly half would support hike this year

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Federal Reserve kept its key rate unchanged Wednesday yet almost half the central bank’s policymakers said they could support a rate hike later this year, an unexpectedly aggressive outcome that would disappoint President Trump and suggests heightened concerns about persistent inflation.

Japan's exports jump 17% in May, but it logs a deficit as imports surge

TOKYO (AP) – Japan recorded a trade deficit in May, the first in four months, as imports of electrical machinery surged, helping to offset a jump in exports, the Finance Ministry reported Wednesday.

Meloni slams Trump's claim she 'begged' for a photo, as Italy cancels US trip

ROME (AP) – The Italian government closed ranks on Friday to slam U.S. President Donald Trump over his claim that Premier Giorgia Meloni had “begged” for a photo with him during the recent G7 summit, a pushback that suggested America’s longtime European ally had had enough of Trump’s boasting and criticism.

Ukrainian firefighters respond after Russian strikes on Kharkiv and Odesa regions

Ukrainian firefighters respond after Russian strikes on Kharkiv and Odesa regions

What Americans think about Trump's handling of Iran

WASHINGTON (AP) – Most Americans continue to disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling Iran, while his overall presidential approval holds steady, according to a new AP-NORC poll that was conducted as he suggested a deal with Iran had been reached.

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Meloni slams Trump's claim she 'begged' for a photo, as Italy cancels US trip
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Obamas open presidential museum in Chicago
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News Minute Video - World Update in 60 Seconds
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Trump unveils new Air Force One, says ships are 'pouring out' Strait of Hormuz