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Aretha Franklin Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of the “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin. Personal Birth date: March 25, 1942 Death date: August 16, 2018 Birth place: Memphis, Tennessee Birth name: Aretha Louise Franklin Father: Rev. C. L. (Clarence LaVaughn) Franklin, minister and gospel singer Mother: Barbara (Siggers) Franklin, gospel singer

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Judge in trial of former Uvalde school police officer denies defense motion for mistrial

By Shimon Prokupecz, Matthew J. Friedman, Rachel Clarke, CNN Corpus Christi, Texas (CNN) — The judge overseeing the trial of a former Uvalde school district police officer rejected a defense motion to declare a mistrial on Wednesday afternoon. Judge Sid Harle ruled the prosecution had not intentionally withheld material mentioned by a witness during the

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5 things to know for Jan. 7: Greenland, California wildfires anniversary, Venezuela, Flu season, Brown University shooting

By Alexandra Banner, CNN The Justice Department says it has released less than 1% of its Jeffrey Epstein-related files and is still reviewing more than 2 million documents. Sorting through the files is painstaking, with each one carefully checked to shield victims’ identities, as required by law. Here’s what else you need to know to

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Brown University shooting suspect planned attack for a long time, offering no motive in video confession, officials say

By Danya Gainor, CNN (CNN) — The suspect in last month’s mass shooting at Brown University and subsequent killing of an MIT professor admitted to the attacks in a series of short videos authorities recovered from an electronic device, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said Tuesday. The office released transcripts of

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Julian Bond Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research (CNN) — Here is a look at the life of civil rights activist Julian Bond. Personal Birth date: January 14, 1940 Death date: August 15, 2015 Birth place: Nashville, Tennessee Birth name: Horace Julian Bond Father: Horace Mann Bond, educator Mother: Julia (Washington) Bond, librarian Marriages: Pamela Sue Horowitz (March 17, 1990-August

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NYPD stand guard on a blocked road outside the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn on January 5.

What it’s like inside the infamous jail where Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro is being held

By Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN (CNN) — A federal jail with a documented history of power outages, staffing shortages and detainee complaints just got two more high-profile detainees. Former president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were moved into the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn on Saturday following their US military

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5 things to know for Jan. 6: Capitol riot anniversary, Nicolás Maduro, Immigration, Swiss bar fire, Dual citizenship

By Alexandra Banner, CNN One person is in custody for allegedly causing property damage at Vice President JD Vance’s Ohio home, including breaking windows. The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Monday and comes amid heightened concern over political violence in the US. Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed

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2,000 federal agents are being deployed to Minneapolis in an escalated immigration push. Here’s what we know

By Danya Gainor, Priscilla Alvarez, CNN (CNN) — Around 2,000 federal agents are being deployed to Minneapolis as part of the Trump administration’s latest effort to crack down on immigration, two law enforcement officials told CNN, while the city and its officials are reeling from a welfare fraud scandal that’s reaching a fever pitch this

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DHS alleges Hilton canceled agent hotel reservations as immigration crackdown escalates in Minneapolis

By Danya Gainor, Rebekah Riess, CNN (CNN) — The Department of Homeland Security accused global hotel chain Hilton of launching a “coordinated campaign” to refuse service to agents by canceling their room reservations in Minneapolis as the agency readies for escalated immigration enforcement there. Screenshots DHS posted on X on Monday afternoon appear to show

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Trump administration plans aggressive immigration crackdown with 2,000 agents in Minnesota amid welfare fraud scandal

By Priscilla Alvarez, Zoe Sottile, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration is deploying around 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis as part of an immigration crackdown on the heels of a welfare fraud scandal in Minnesota, according to two law enforcement officials. Senior Trump officials have fixated on Minnesota and its Somali community after accusations of

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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ends reelection bid amid welfare fraud scandal

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz dropped his reelection bid for a third term Monday as a welfare-fraud scandal in his state has intensified and become a political flashpoint seized upon by President Donald Trump.

“I can’tgive a political campaign my all,” Walz told reporters at the state capitol in St. Paul. “Every minute that I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who want to prey on our differences.”

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Minnesota investigators say child care centers accused of fraud are operating normally as governor drops reelection bid

By Zoe Sottile, Andy Rose, CNN (CNN) — It was the viral video seen ‘round the world. The 43-minute video, posted to YouTube the day after Christmas by a 23-year-old conservative content creator, claimed with little evidence Somali-run child care centers in Minnesota were fraudulently taking funding meant to provide child care for low-income families.

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Somalis in Minneapolis say they are facing harassment, threats and empty businesses in the wake of fraud allegations video

By Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN (CNN) — At Fardowsa Ali’s restaurant in Minneapolis, she said the usual steady flow of diners seeking Somali sambusas or desserts has been replaced with threatening phone calls. “It’s really sad,” said Ali, who opened Albi Kitchen last summer. “I called police because one guy called here and said he

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A woman holds a banner depicting Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado as people react to the news in Doral

Nicolás Maduro’s capture by US met with celebrations in South Florida and apprehension in Caracas

By Ray Sanchez, CNN (CNN) — After word spread early Saturday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured by US forces in Caracas, jubilant demonstrators sang and danced on streets more than 1,300 miles away in the heart of South Florida’s Venezuelan community. In Venezuela, however, the reaction to Maduro’s ouster was

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One’s a Democrat and the other’s a Republican – and they’re twins. Here’s how they bridge the divide

By Toni Odejimi, CNN (CNN) — When Indiana state lawmakers were under pressure from President Donald Trump and his allies to redistrict and create more GOP-friendly seats in Congress, Nick Roberts, an Indianapolis city-county councilor, was among a legion of Democrats who testified against it at the state capitol. After his testimony last month, messages

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A month before their 5-year anniversary, an Ohio couple was killed in the home where they exchanged vows. Here’s what we know

By Emma Tucker, CNN (CNN) — The immense joy of Spencer and Monique Tepe was unmistakable on their wedding day in a 2021 video shared by the family, which captured them exchanging vows. The then-newlyweds embraced and laughed in their Columbus, Ohio, home as friends and loved ones cheered them. But just one month before

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Key figures in the long-running controversy over alleged fraudulent safety net programs in Minnesota

By Ray Sanchez, Cheri Mossburg, CNN (CNN) — The Trump administration, for the second time in recent weeks, is using allegations of fraud to justify increased federal law enforcement actions in Minnesota, the state with the country’s largest Somali population. The latest surge in federal resources — from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security

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Lone actors and groups driven by ideology are ‘most significant terrorism threat’ to New Year’s celebrations, report says

By Elizabeth Hartfield, CNN (CNN) — Lone actors and smaller groups with a range of ideological motives pose the most significant threat to New Year’s Eve celebrations like the one in Times Square, according to a joint assessment from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The report, which was obtained by CNN, specifically

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Federal payment freeze puts some Minnesota families in danger of losing child care amid investigation into alleged fraud

By Zoe Sottile, Andy Rose, Holmes Lybrand, Lauren Mascarenhas, Chris Boyette, CNN (CNN) — Some Minnesota families are in danger of losing child care after the US Department of Health and Human Services announced a freeze on child care payments to the state Tuesday amid a federal investigation into allegations of fraud, providers say. It’s

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Not sure where donations end up? These groups tell you exactly who you’re helping and how you’re changing lives

By Holly Yan, CNN (CNN) — Ogechi Irondi’s future teetered between two wildly different scenarios: one that would lead to dual degrees after nine years of college, and one that would leave the single mother and her young children homeless. Strangers helped seal her fate. The 31-year-old had suffered unfathomable challenges during her studies at

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered to make concessions in US-mediated peace talks with Russia.

Ahead of peace talks with Trump, Zelensky calls Putin ‘man of war’ after Russian attack on Kyiv region

By Christian Edwards, Svitlana Vlasova, Laura Sharman, Victoria Butenko, CNN (CNN) — Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow’s huge aerial assault on Kyiv and the surrounding region proved Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “man of war,” ahead of the Ukrainian leader’s scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump in Florida. Standing beside Canadian Prime Minister Mark

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How a backroad discovery led to the arrest of Melodee Buzzard’s mother in the child’s ‘calculated’ killing

By Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN (CNN) — As the December sun set over central Utah’s sandstone peaks, a couple ventured down a nondescript dirt road to snap photos against the backdrop of a red rock vista. Instead, they stumbled across a grisly discovery among smattered shrubs and parched soil: the decomposed remains of a little girl.

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5 Things to know for Dec. 24: Epstein files, National Guard, Nursing home explosion, Student loans, Weight loss drugs

By Tricia Escobedo, Andrew Torgan, CNN Three inmates, all accused of violent crimes, are back in custody after escaping from an Atlanta-area jail. It’s still unclear exactly how they got out, but police say their recorded jailhouse phone calls reveal how they plotted their escape. Here’s what else you need to know to get up

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Two people emerged unscathed from the Beechcraft Super King Air 200 after it stopped on the runway at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport near Denver

Airplane lands itself after in-flight emergency, in a first for aviation automation

By Pete Muntean, Dugald McConnell, CNN (CNN) — An airplane has, for the first time, automatically landed itself after an in-flight emergency, according to the system’s manufacturer. Two people emerged unscathed from the Beechcraft Super King Air 200 after it stopped on the runway at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport near Denver, according to video posted

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Melodee Buzzard’s mother arrested in connection with 9-year-old’s killing after her body is found

By Josh Campbell, Michelle Watson, Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN (CNN) — The multi-state hunt for Melodee Buzzard, a missing 9-year-old California girl, came to a close when her remains were discovered in a rural area of southern Utah, authorities announced Tuesday. Members of the sheriff’s office and the FBI arrested Ashlee Buzzard, Melodee’s mother, Tuesday morning

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The Barus & Holley engineering building is seen closed off during the manhunt for the gunman on December 17.

The feds are investigating Brown University’s safety after this month’s shooting. Here’s what’s at issue –– and at stake

By Dakin Andone, CNN (CNN) — With questions swirling about Brown University’s security after this month’s fatal shooting on the Providence, Rhode Island, campus, the Department of Education on Monday announced it would probe whether the school violated federal law. The department said in a news release it would investigate potential violations of the Clery

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5 things to know for Dec. 23: Epstein files, Trump’s new battleships, Bondi beach, Boat strikes, California flooding

By Tricia Escobedo, Andrew Torgan, CNN A “60 Minutes” story that was shelved at the last minute, sparking accusations of political interference, has reached a worldwide audience — thanks to some eagle-eyed Canadian viewers with access to a streaming platform. Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with

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He reached to grab a toddler he said he thought was falling. Then he spent weeks in jail before the case was thrown out

By Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN (CNN) — For Mahendra “Mick” Patel, 2025 will always be the year his life turned upside down. What began as an errand for his elderly mother in March devolved into an attempted kidnapping accusation, forcing the 57-year-old father to abandon his real estate business and leaving his family desperate to find

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Brown places its vice president of public safety on leave as feds open investigation into safety after mass shooting

By Michelle Watson, CNN (CNN) — Brown University announced on Monday it placed its police chief on administrative leave while an after-action review of a shooting earlier this month that left two students dead and nine others wounded takes place. Rodney Chatman, Brown’s vice president for public safety and emergency management, will be on leave

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Jess Michaels holds up her picture as she speaks during a press conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November.

Epstein survivors slam ‘extreme redactions with no explanation’ in DOJ’s release of files

Jeffrey Epstein survivors are slamming the Justice Department’s partial release of the Epstein files that began last Friday, contending that contrary to what is mandated by law, the department’s disclosures so far have been incomplete and improperly redacted — and challenging for the survivors to navigate as they search for information about their own cases.

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5 Things to know for Dec. 22: MAGA civil war, Venezuela tanker, 60 Minutes controversy, Moscow car bombing, 2028 election

By Tricia Escobedo, Andrew Torgan, CNN A detailed tip on Reddit helped lead investigators to the gunman behind the deadly Brown University shooting. Whether the person who posted it will ever receive the $50,000 reward is unclear — partly because of the way the FBI worded the offer. Here’s what else you need to know

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A high school football coach wanted for child pornography offenses has been missing for over a month. Here’s what we know

By Alaa Elassar, CNN (CNN) — For more than a month, a Virginia high school football coach accused of child pornography offenses has remained missing after vanishing from his home without a trace. His sudden flight and consequent disappearance has left behind a stunned community — including his wife, children and the team he once

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US conducts strikes in Syria in response to attack that killed two American soldiers

The US struck multiple targets in Syria on Friday that the US military tied to ISIS as retaliation for the recent attack against American troops there that killed two service members, according to two US officials.

Dubbed “Operation Hawkeye,” a reference to the fact that the two US soldiers killed were from the “Hawkeye State” of Iowa, the strikes hit dozens of targets the military connected to ISIS — including infrastructure and weapons storage sites across Syria, one of the officials said.

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Former classmates describe accused Brown shooter as ‘brilliant’ but arrogant and difficult

By Duarte Mendonca, Allison Gordon, Tim Elfrink, CNN (CNN) — As investigators work to find a motive behind the mass shooting at Brown University and the slaying of an acclaimed MIT professor, former classmates of the accused killer described him as a brilliant but exceptionally difficult student. Claudio Neves Valente, the 48-year-old suspect who police

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Events leading to the killings of Brown University students and MIT professor spanned decades

By Andy Rose, CNN (CNN) — The discovery of the body of Claudio Neves Valente in a New Hampshire storage facility Thursday night capped days of terror following two deadly shootings on two separate major university campuses. But the story, investigators say, began decades earlier. Here is a timeline of the 48-year-old suspected gunman’s movements

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