Delaware in the headlines after a DMV shooting: trooper killed; suspect linked to a Delaware man once married to Jill Biden. More: ongoing state gun-law debates.
Recent weather patterns show a sharp contrast across the US, with record-breaking heat in the Southwest and Arctic cold in the Midwest and East. The West experienced early heatwaves, while polar vortex systems brought snow and freezing temperatures to northern and eastern states, indicating increasing climate variability.
The US Education Department is terminating civil rights settlements with several school districts and a college, removing federal oversight of transgender student protections. This move aligns with the Trump administration's stance on restricting transgender rights and enforcing a sex at birth recognition policy, reversing previous protections under Obama and Biden.
Environmental groups say California's new plastic packaging rules weaken protections and plan to sue, arguing exemptions undermine the law; regulators defend the compromise as a meaningful step toward reducing waste while industry warns of higher costs and practical hurdles.
California has launched Golden State Start, a statewide program delivering 400 free diapers to all newborns discharged from participating hospitals. The initiative, run in partnership with Baby2Baby, is funded with about $20 million over current and next year and aims to ease early parenting costs. Critics question cost, governance, and potential ties to political networks.