News - Friday, August 15, 2025

The numbers might have been heavy, but the delivery was light.

Dr. Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vice president of research for the National Association of Realtors, brought a steady stream of statistics – and quips – to Greater Chattanooga Realtors’ annual Economic Outlook Breakfast Aug. 8 at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.

After delivering a data-rich presentation on housing market trends at the Greater Chattanooga Realtors’ Economic Outlook Breakfast, Dr. Jessica Lautz opened the floor for audience questions. She addressed topics ranging from mortgage rate forecasts to insurance costs and strategies for first-time buyers navigating a competitive market.

As conversations around well-being gain momentum, August’s National Wellness Month is a perfect time to consider how our homes influence our health. More homeowners and buyers are prioritizing features that promote relaxation, sustainability and overall wellness.

Chattanooga Realtor Whitney Harvey was recently named one of the National Association of Realtors’ 2025 30 Under 30 honorees, an exclusive group of young professionals recognized for their achievements, leadership and community service. Here, Harvey discusses her path into real estate, her unique niche and the philosophy that drives her business.

When Melissa Poole unlocks the door to her new shop each morning, she’s stepping into more than a business. She’s stepping into a space filled with stories – some belonging to the furniture, lamps and vintage treasures on display, and some belonging to the people who bring them through her door.

This free, three-day event will feature internationally sanctioned competitions along the Tennessee River. Highlights will include the U.S. debut of Red Bull Creepers, a deep-water solo rock climbing event under the Market Street Bridge; a USA Diving-sanctioned high diving competition; and ChattaWake, Chattanooga’s first sanctioned wake surf event and a qualifier for the World Series of Wake Surfing. Organized in partnership with Outdoor Chattanooga, the event will also feature highlining over the river, trampoline diving and freestyle “death diving” events. Founded by professional cliff diver Travis Sims, the festival promotes environmental responsibility through cleanups and water quality data collection. Since its origins as a sustainability tour, the initiative has removed more than 40,000 pounds of debris from waterways worldwide, including 15,000 from Tennessee. Beyond the sports, Ross’s Landing will become an outdoor playground with BMX river launches, a skate rink, slacklines and live electronic music each night. Information

The Humane Educational Society has completed its first week of surgeries at its newly opened low-cost spay and neuter clinic, marking a major milestone for the Chattanooga-based shelter.

The Community Spay and Neuter Clinic is open to all pet owners, regardless of county or jurisdiction, and costs up to 75% less than private veterinary practices in Tennessee. In addition to sterilization procedures, the clinic provides vaccinations, microchipping, heartworm testing for dogs and feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus testing for cats.

Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett has appointed Tim Davis as the new deputy chief of corrections for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, bringing more than 25 years of law enforcement and corrections leadership experience to the role.

Welcome to Flick Picks, your twice-monthly movie fix.

In each installment, we’ll spotlight three films: a fresh theatrical release, a buzz-worthy streaming pick and a classic worth revisiting. We’ll wrap it up with a snack suggestion – the perfect pairing for your home viewing.

Thirty-two cadets have officially joined the Chattanooga Fire Department after completing six months of intensive training at the department’s Fire Academy.

The program included Emergency Medical Technician certification, instruction in fire department operations, fire attack, suppression and search-and-rescue techniques. Cadets also mastered specialized skills such as hazardous materials response, vehicle extrication, rope rescues, ventilation and survival tactics designed to protect themselves or fellow firefighters in life-threatening situations.

You may have heard of the “4% rule” when it comes to retirement. The idea is simple: After you retire, you withdraw 4% of your investment portfolio each year. In theory, this helps ensure your savings last for your lifetime. 

While this rule can be a helpful starting point, it’s not a one-size-fits-all – and it’s definitely not a substitute for a plan tailored to your specific needs, wants and wishes.

Since nothing Taylor Swift ever does is small, her two-hour conversation with boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce on their "New Heights" podcast is a watershed moment for a media format that has already outlived the device it was named for.

NASHVILLE (AP) — For a 3 1/2-year-old, Elmo sure has sung a lot on "Sesame Street" with some of the best musicians in the world.

But it wasn't until Thursday that the friendly red monster made his Grand Ole Opry debut, a country music rite of passage. The squeaky voiced singer's roots in the genre actually run pretty deep.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's capital sued to block President Donald Trump's takeover of its police department in court on Friday, hours after his administration escalated its intervention into the city's law enforcement by naming a federal official as the new emergency head of the department.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana sued the online gaming platform Roblox on Thursday, alleging the wildly popular site has perpetuated an environment where sexual predators "thrive, unite, hunt and victimize kids."

The lawsuit, filed in state court by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, alleges that Roblox has failed to implement effective safety measures to protect child users from adult predators.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump attempts to reshape college admissions, he's promising a new era of fairness, with an emphasis on merit and test scores and a blind eye toward diversity.

Yet the Republican president's critics — and some allies — are questioning his silence on admissions policies that give applicants a boost because of their wealth or family ties. While he has pressed colleges to eliminate any possible consideration of a student's race, he has made no mention of legacy admissions, an edge given to the children of alumni, or similar preferences for the relatives of donors.

When Terrence Dwyer received a knock on his door and a flyer for a solar panel system small enough to fit on his deck, he was quickly sold. Solar systems that plug into regular wall outlets have been popular in Europe for years and are gaining traction in the U.S. for their affordability and simple installation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — One major question will be front and center for Federal Reserve policymakers as they prepare for an annual conference in Jackson, Wyoming next week and a crucial policy meeting in September: Which is a bigger problem for the economy right now, stubborn inflation or slower hiring?

NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers spent at a healthy pace in July, particularly at the nation's auto dealerships, even as President Donald Trump's tariffs start to take a toll on jobs and lead to some price increases.

But the figures also underscore anxiety among Americans: all the uncertainty around the expansive duties appears to be pushing them to step up their purchases of furniture and other items ahead of the expected price increases, analysts said.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday for a high-stakes summit that could determine not only the trajectory of the war in Ukraine but also the fate of European security.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration, stepping up its crackdown on policing in the nation's capital, on Thursday named the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration to be Washington's "emergency police commissioner" with all the powers of the police chief — a significant move that increases national control over the city as part of the federal government's law-enforcement takeover.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ms. Jay didn't wait for the authorities to come before packing her tent and carrying what belongings she could across Pennsylvania Avenue on her way to whatever comes next.

She'd been living her "Girl Scout life," she said, saving money and looking for work while homeless. When she got word that the law was on its way, she found herself living the scouting motto: Be prepared.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday named the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Terry Cole, as Washington's "emergency police commissioner" as she carries out President Donald Trump's unprecedented decision to take over the Washington police department.

Don't splurge just yet. Rumors spread online Friday that the U.S. government will soon be issuing stimulus checks to taxpayers in certain income brackets.

But Congress has not passed legislation to authorize such payments, and, according to the IRS, no new stimulus checks will be distributed in the coming weeks.

Texas and Penn State, the top two teams in The Associated Press preseason Top 25, each had three players selected for the preseason AP All-America team announced Monday.

No. 1 Texas had one player from each level of its defense on the first team: edge rusher Colin Simmons, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and safety Michael Taaffe. No. 2 Penn State's picks were running back Nicholas Singleton, offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane and defensive lineman Zane Durant.

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Joey Aguilar got the nod to start at quarterback for No. 24 Tennessee in the Volunteers' season opener against Syracuse, the program revealed Sunday night after months of transfer-portal drama at the position.

NEW YORK (AP) — Alonso Martínez scored late in the second half to rally New York City FC to a 2-1 victory over Nashville SC on Sunday.

Martínez scored the winner for NYCFC (12-8-5) in the 77th minute with his team-high 13th goal of the season. Maxi Moralez notched his career-high ninth assist and Agustín Ojeda collected his second after subbing in for Hannes Wolf in the 64th minute.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Georgia teenager Mason Howell capped a productive summer before his senior year of high school by winning the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club on Sunday just two months after competing in his first U.S. Open.

Howell, who turned 18 in June, raced out to a big lead over Dickson, Tennessee, teenager Jackson Herrington on the opening 18 holes and went on to win the 36-hole final 7 and 6 to surpass Tiger Woods and become the third youngest U.S. Amateur champion ever. Only Byeong Hun An, who won at age 17 in 2009, and Danny Lee, who won a month after his 18th birthday in 2008, were younger.

DENVER (AP) — The conservative network Newsmax will pay $67 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of defaming a voting equipment company by spreading lies about President Donald Trump's 2020 election loss, according to documents filed Monday.

The settlement comes after Fox News Channel paid $787.5 million to settle a similar lawsuit in 2023 and Newsmax paid what court papers describe as $40 million to settle a libel lawsuit from a different voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic, which also was a target of pro-Trump conspiracy theories on the network.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland's first-in-the-nation tax on digital advertising violated the Constitution, a federal appeals court says, because blocking Big Tech from telling customers about the tax violates the companies' right to free speech.

Supporters say Maryland needed to overhaul its tax methods in response to significant changes in how businesses advertise. The tax focuses on large companies that make money advertising on the internet such as Meta, Google and Amazon, who say they're being unfairly targeted.

MIAMI (AP) — A federal judge will hear arguments Monday over whether detainees at a temporary immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades have been denied their legal rights.

In the second of two lawsuits challenging practices at the facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz," civil rights attorneys are seeking a preliminary injunction to ensure that detainees at the facility have confidential access to their lawyers, which they say hasn't happened. Florida officials dispute that claim.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A year after being lauded for its plan to replace thousands of aging, gas-powered mail trucks with a mostly electric fleet, the U.S. Postal Service is facing congressional attempts to strip billions in federal EV funding.

In June, the Senate parliamentarian blocked a Republican proposal in a major tax-and-spending bill to sell off the agency's new electric vehicles and infrastructure and revoke remaining federal money. But efforts to halt the fleet's shift to clean energy continue in the name of cost savings.

WASHINGTON (AP) — American lawmakers are using a trip to South Korea and Japan to explore how the United States can tap those allies' shipbuilding expertise and capacity to help boost its own capabilities, which are dwarfed by those of China.

Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., who are scheduled to land in Seoul on Sunday before traveling to Japan, plan to meet top shipbuilders from the world's second- and third-largest shipbuilding countries. The senators want to examine the possibilities of forming joint ventures to construct and repair noncombatant vessels for the U.S. Navy in the Indo-Pacific and bring investments to American shipyards.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As Russia held its Victory Day parade this year, hackers backing the Kremlin hijacked an orbiting satellite that provides television service to Ukraine.

Instead of normal programing, Ukrainian viewers saw parade footage beamed in from Moscow: waves of tanks, soldiers and weaponry. The message was meant to intimidate, and it was also an illustration that 21st century war is waged not just on land, sea and air but also in cyberspace and the reaches of outer space.

The Texas measles outbreak that sickened 762 people since late January is over, state health officials said Monday.

Health officials have not confirmed a new case in the counties where the outbreak was spreading in more than 42 days, passing the threshold public health officials use to declare measles outbreaks over. The last outbreak-related case in Texas was on July 1, according to state data.

NEW YORK (AP) — After a shaky four years on Wall Street, Soho House is ready to go private again.

The luxury members club operator has struck a deal with an investor group led by hotel giant MCR, which will buy its outstanding shares for $9 each in cash. Soho House's Executive Chairman Ron Burkle and other big shareholders will roll over their stakes and retain control of the business, per a Monday announcement from the company.

GENEVA (AP) — Swiss watchmaker Swatch apologized Monday for an ad campaign that upset consumers in China and elsewhere and said it had "immediately removed all related materials worldwide."

In an image for the Swatch Essentials collection, an Asian male model is shown pulling the edges of his eyelids upward and backward with his fingers — a gesture seen as derogatory and racist, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported.

WASHINGTON (AP) — When the Food and Drug Administration needs outside guidance, it normally turns to a trusted source: a large roster of expert advisers who are carefully vetted for their independence, credentials and judgment.

But increasingly, the agency isn't calling them.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine's future could hinge on a hastily assembled meeting Monday at the White House as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy brings an extraordinary group of European leaders to show U.S. President Donald Trump a united front against Russia.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republicans on Monday aimed to resume pushing through redrawn U.S. House district maps that would carve out a bigger GOP advantage in the 2026 midterm elections after state Democrats indicated they were ready to end a two-week walkout.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Democrats are making a partisan push to draw new congressional districts and reshape the state's U.S. House representation in their favor, but to pull it off, lawmakers returning to the Capitol on Monday face a tight deadline and must still win voters' approval.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The future of U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon has split the United States and its European allies, raising implications for security in the Middle East and becoming the latest snag to vex relations between the U.S. and key partners like France, Britain and Italy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A day after conservative activist Laura Loomer posted videos on social media of children from Gaza arriving in the U.S. for medical treatment and questioning how they got visas, the State Department said it was halting all visitor visas for people from Gaza pending a review.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has issued an injunction preventing the Trump administration's Federal Trade Commission from investigating Media Matters for America, the liberal media watchdog group that had alleged the spread of hate speech on X since Elon Musk acquired the social media platform.

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld a law strengthening the rights of pregnant workers, vacating a judge's earlier order that had stripped those protections from Texas state employees.

The ruling was a victory for advocates of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a law that passed with bipartisan support in 2022 but quickly became embroiled in controversy over whether it covers workers seeking abortions and fertility treatments.

TORONTO (AP) — The union for 10,000 striking Air Canada flight attendants said on Monday they won't return to work even though the strike, now in its third day, has been declared illegal.

The strike at Canada's largest airline is affecting about 130,000 travelers a day at the peak of the summer travel season, and the two sides remain far apart on pay and other issues.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has agreed to provide to Congress documents from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation, a key House lawmaker said Monday in announcing a move that appears to avert, at least temporarily, a potential separation of powers clash.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump expressed hope that their critical meeting Monday with European leaders at the White House could soon lead to three-party talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring an end to his war on Ukraine.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Nobody is more tired of hearing how Vanderbilt should know its place than coach Clark Lea, and he has joined quarterback Diego Pavia talking about playing for a national championship.

Yes, in football. And yes, this season.

Josh Heupel has a new starting quarterback for his 24th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, with Joey Aguilar coming through the transfer portal to earn the job for the season opener Aug. 30 against Syracuse in Atlanta.

MIAMI (AP) — A federal judge in Miami issued a split decision in a lawsuit over the legal rights of detainees at the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, dismissing part of the suit and also moving the case to a different jurisdiction.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force's top uniformed officer is set to retire early in the most recent shake-up of military leadership during President Donald Trump's second term.

Gen. David Allvin will continue serving as the service's chief of staff until a replacement is confirmed by the Senate, the Air Force announced Monday. He expects to retire around Nov. 1, two years into his four-year term, it said in a statement.

TORONTO (AP) — Air Canada said Tuesday it will gradually restart operations after reaching an agreement with the union for 10,000 flight attendants to end a strike that disrupted the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of travelers.

The union first announced the agreement early Tuesday after Air Canada and the union resumed talks late Monday for the first time since the strike began over the weekend. The strike is affecting about 130,000 travelers a day at the peak of the summer travel season.

LONDON (AP) — Britain abandoned its demand that Apple provide so-called backdoor access to any encrypted user data stored in the cloud, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Monday.

Gabbard indicated London and Washington had resolved their high-stakes dispute over electronic privacy, writing on X that she and President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance spent the "past few months" working with the U.K. government.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Tourism in Las Vegas is slumping this summer, with resorts and convention centers reporting fewer visitors compared to last year, especially from abroad, and some officials are blaming the Trump administration's tariffs and immigration policies for the decline.

BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese technology giant SoftBank Group plans to take a $2 billion stake in computer chip maker Intel as it deepens its involvement in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and other advanced technology in the United States, the companies said Monday.

A partisan move by Texas to redraw its congressional maps before the 2026 elections to try to secure five more Republican seats in the U.S. House has set off a clamor to replicate the effort by Democrats and Republicans in other states.

So far, California is the only other state to take significant steps toward a mid-decade redistricting.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday he's begun arrangements for a face-to-face meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a pathway to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while affirming that the U.S. would back European security guarantees aimed at preventing Moscow from reinvading its neighbor once the current conflict ends.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons defended shoving the Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cameron Ward at the end of practice Monday and accused outsiders of blowing up tempers flaring at a hot training camp practice.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A panel of federal appellate judges ruled Tuesday that New Mexico's seven-day waiting period on gun purchases likely infringes on citizens' Second Amendment rights, putting the law on hold pending a legal challenge.

The ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sends the case back to a lower court. New Mexico's waiting period went into effect in May 2024, and does hold an exception for concealed permit holders.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota on Tuesday joined a wave of states suing TikTok, alleging the social media giant preys on young people with addictive algorithms that trap them into becoming compulsive consumers of its short videos.

"This isn't about free speech. I'm sure they're gonna holler that," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said at a news conference. "It's actually about deception, manipulation, misrepresentation. This is about a company knowing the dangers, and the dangerous effects of its product, but making and taking no steps to mitigate those harms or inform users of the risks."

Walmart has recalled frozen, raw shrimp sold in 13 states because federal health officials say it could have potential radioactive contamination.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked Walmart to pull three lots of Great Value brand frozen shrimp from stores after federal officials detected Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, in shipping containers and a sample of breaded shrimp imported from Indonesia.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Tourism in Las Vegas is slumping this summer, with resorts and convention centers reporting fewer visitors compared to last year, especially from abroad, and some officials are blaming the Trump administration's tariffs and immigration policies for the decline.

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street faded on Tuesday following drops for Nvidia and other stars that have been riding the mania surrounding artificial-intelligence technology.

The S&P 500 fell 0.6% for a third straight loss, though it remains near its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 10 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite slumped 1.5%.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has ordered the revocation of the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials, including some who worked on the intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss it by name.

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's political weaponization czar sent a letter urging New York Attorney General Letitia James to resign from office "as an act of good faith" four days after starting his mortgage fraud investigation of her. Then he showed up outside her house.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered his assurances that U.S. troops would not be sent to help defend Ukraine against Russia after seeming to leave open the possibility the day before.

Trump also said in a morning TV interview that Ukraine's hopes of joining NATO and regaining the Crimean Peninsula from Russia are "impossible."

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is deploying three Aegis guided-missile destroyers to the waters off Venezuela as part of President Donald Trump's effort to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels, according to a U.S. official briefed on the planning.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee cornerback L'Jarius Sneed passed his physical, and the Tennessee Titans removed him from the physically unable to perform list Wednesday in time to start practicing.

The two-time Super Bowl champion was part of the Titans' big offseason spending spree in March 2024, with Tennessee trading for the cornerback. Sneed played in just five games and wound up on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury.

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) — The winged passenger ferry gliding over the surface of Narragansett Bay could be a new method of coastal transportation or a new kind of warship.

Its maker, Regent Craft, is betting on both.

Twelve quietly buzzing propellers line the 65-foot (20-meter) wingspan of Paladin, a sleek ship with an airplane's nose. It looks nothing like the sailboats and fishing trawlers it speeds past through New England's largest estuary.

YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday proposed an economic zone connecting the Indian Ocean to Africa as the country seeks to play a greater role in the African continent while America's presence there decreases and China's influence rapidly grows.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to resign after a member of his administration accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud.

LONDON (AP) — Higher food and airfare prices pushed U.K. inflation above expectations in July, official figures showed Wednesday, which has tempered market expectations that the Bank of England will cut interest rates again this year.

The Office for National Statistics said consumer price inflation was 3.8% in the year to July, up from 3.6% in June. One of the contributors was airfares soaring by 30.2% between June and July, the biggest jump since the collection of monthly data began in 2001.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Donald Trump wants the U.S. government to own a piece of Intel, less than two weeks after demanding the Silicon Valley pioneer dump the CEO that was hired to turn around the slumping chipmaker. If the goal is realized, the investment would deepen the Trump administration's involvement in the computer industry as the president ramps up the pressure for more U.S. companies to manufacture products domestically instead of relying on overseas suppliers.

NEW YORK (AP) — Target is counting on a company veteran to revive its magic as it struggles to compete with rivals like Walmart.

The Minneapolis-based retailer said Wednesday that Chief Operating Officer Michael Fiddelke, who has been with Target for 20 years, will become CEO Feb. 1.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska announced plans Tuesday for an immigration detention center in the remote southwest corner of the state as President Donald Trump's administration races to expand the infrastructure necessary for increasing deportations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday that the entire border wall along the southern border with Mexico is going to be painted black to make it hotter and deter illegal immigration — and she credited President Trump with the idea.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday that he believes President Donald Trump is prepared to "crush" Russia's economy with a new wave of sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the coming weeks.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The first domino in a growing national redistricting battle is likely to fall Wednesday as the Republican-controlled Texas legislature is expected to pass a new congressional map creating five new winnable seats for the GOP.

The vote follows prodding by President Donald Trump, eager to stave off a midterm defeat that would deprive his party of control of the House of Representatives, and weeks of delays after dozens of Texas Democratic state lawmakers fled the state in protest. Some Democrats returned Monday, only to be assigned round-the-clock police escorts to ensure their attendance at Wednesday's session. Those who refused to be monitored were confined to the House floor, where they protested on a livestream Tuesday night.

The College Football Playoff selection committee announced Wednesday it will place more emphasis on strength of schedule this year when determining which teams make the 12-team field.

The committee said in a statement that the schedule strength metric has been adjusted to apply greater weight to games against strong opponents. An additional metric, record strength, has been added to go beyond a team's schedule strength to assess how a team performed against that schedule.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors in the nation's capital will no longer bring felony charges against people for possessing rifles or shotguns in the District of Columbia, according to a new policy adopted by the leader of the nation's largest U.S. attorney's office.

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge who presided over the sex trafficking case against financier Jeffrey Epstein has rejected the government's request to unseal grand jury transcripts.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is ramping up pressure on the International Criminal Court for pursuing investigations into U.S. and Israeli officials for alleged war crimes.

The State Department on Wednesday announced new sanctions on four ICC officials, including two judges and two prosecutors, saying they had been instrumental in efforts to prosecute Americans and Israelis. As a result of the sanctions, any assets that the targets hold in U.S. jurisdictions are frozen.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Federal Reserve officials said last month that the threat of higher inflation was a greater concern than the potential for job losses, leading the central bank to keep its key rate unchanged.

According to the minutes of the July 29-30 meeting, released Wednesday, members of the Fed's interest-rate setting committee "assessed that the effects of higher tariffs had become more apparent in the prices of some goods but that their overall effects on economic activity and inflation remained to be seen."

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to resign after a member of his administration accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud, the latest example of the Trump administration's efforts to gain control over the central bank.

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — Worker-led protests erupted at Microsoft headquarters this week as the tech company promises an "urgent" review of the Israeli military's use of its technology during the ongoing war in Gaza.

A second day of protests at the Microsoft campus on Wednesday called for the tech giant to immediately cut its business ties with Israel.

NEW YORK (AP) — Target named an insider as its next chief executive officer Wednesday, a decision that comes as the discount retailer tries to reverse a persistent sales malaise and to revive its reputation as the place to go for affordable but stylish products.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Office of National Intelligence will dramatically reduce its workforce and cut its budget by more than $700 million annually, the Trump administration announced Wednesday.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in a statement, "Over the last 20 years, ODNI has become bloated and inefficient, and the intelligence community is rife with abuse of power, unauthorized leaks of classified intelligence, and politicized weaponization of intelligence."

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration's announcement this week that it would rescind the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials was hardly an isolated act.

In ordering the revocation of the clearances, President Donald Trump was turning to a favored retributive tactic that he's wielded — or at least tried to — against high-profile political figures, lawyers and intelligence officials.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday kicked off a heated debate over a new congressional map creating five new potential GOP seats that is expected to pass the chamber later in the day as part of a growing national redistricting battle.