WASHINGTON – A rare lapse in a law that allows the U.S. to gather intelligence abroad has grown more likely after the House failed to temporarily extend the program. The vote Thursday reflected a protest of President Donald Trump’s refusal to name a permanent head of the nation’s intelligence agencies. He’s doubled down on his temporary pick, even though federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte has little experience for the job. Senate Republicans have urged him to change course, and Democrats are withholding their votes for the spy tool’s renewal in protest. The House vote collapsed along bipartisan lines. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA, expires Friday.
WASHINGTON – The opening of a Canadian-U.S. bridge across the Detroit River that President Donald Trump previously threatened to block has been delayed due to unresolved issues. The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said Thursday ahead of a scheduled Friday ribbon-cutting ceremony “Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues.” The bridge authority hasn’t elaborated. The Gordie Howe International Bridge is jointly owned by Canada and Michigan and was expected to open to traffic later this month. The Republican U.S. president in February demanded Canada turn over at least half the ownership of the bridge to the U.S. federal government.
MINNEAPOLIS – The man charged in the political assassinations of the top Democrat in the Minnesota House and her husband, as well as the attempted murders of a state senator and his wife, is due to appear in federal court to change his not-guilty plea, after federal prosecutors said they would not seek the death penalty against him. Vance Boelter is charged with killing former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and attempting to kill state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman. The victims were shot by a man who came to their doors in the early hours of June 14, 2025, disguised as a police officer and driving a fake squad car.
MILAN – Foreign workers building a sprawling $350 million American Consulate in Milan say they were paid less than $2 an hour after being promised fair wages. That is according to Associated Press interviews with five former employees and a review of their employment letters and pay stubs. Italian prosecutors are investigating Montgomery, Alabama-based Caddell Construction, a major builder of U.S. diplomatic missions abroad. Prosecutors say two of its managers in Italy were arrested this month on suspicion of labor exploitation. The probe involves some 70 workers, mostly from India. The company and the U.S. State Department say they are investigating the allegations.
– The Associated Press
