U.S. prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for Vance Boelter in a plea deal. Boelter is charged with killing Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and shooting a state senator and his wife.
Key Facts
Vance Boelter is accused of killing Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, and her husband.
Boelter also allegedly shot state Senator John Hoffman and his wife.
The attacks happened on June 14, 2025, when Boelter posed as a police officer using a fake squad car.
Boelter was caught near his home in rural Green Isle after a large search effort.
Federal prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty in a plea agreement.
Boelter faces federal and state charges including murder and attempted murder.
A change-of-plea hearing was scheduled in federal court in Minneapolis.
The decision was authorized by the U.S. Attorney General.
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Two women who previously dated Graham Platner, a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Maine, spoke out about how people responded to their accusations against him. Their stories were reported by the Free Press, a news outlet owned by Paramount.
Key Facts
Graham Platner is running for the U.S. Senate in Maine as a Democrat.
Two women who dated him have made accusations.
These women spoke with the Free Press about the reactions to their claims.
The Free Press is part of Paramount’s news group.
Audrey Fahlberg from the Free Press discussed this topic on a show called "The Takeout."
CBS News provides video coverage of the story.
The women criticized how others responded after they shared their accusations.
The article highlights ongoing discussions about the candidate’s personal behavior.
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As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, discussions about the role of religion and the beliefs of the country's founders are gaining attention again. Journalist Judy Woodruff reports on these renewed questions as part of her series called America at a Crossroads.
Key Facts
The U.S. will celebrate its 250th anniversary next month.
Old questions about religion in America are coming back into focus.
There is renewed interest in what the founders believed about faith.
Judy Woodruff is covering this topic in a series named America at a Crossroads.
The anniversary is prompting reflection on America’s history and values.
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Graham Plater won the Democratic primary for the Maine Senate seat despite controversies. He will run against Republican Senator Susan Collins in the upcoming election, which could affect which party controls the Senate.
Key Facts
Graham Plater won the Maine Senate Democratic primary on Tuesday night.
Plater faced several controversies during the campaign.
He criticized Senator Susan Collins, calling her "spineless and corrupt" in his victory speech.
Susan Collins is the current Republican Senator from Maine.
The upcoming election will decide which party controls the U.S. Senate.
CBS News political director Fin Gómez provided analysis on the race.
The race is considered important for the balance of power in Congress.
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The American Diabetes Association (ADA) apologized for removing five diabetes scientists from its annual meeting after they handed out an editorial criticizing the Trump administration's impact on biomedical research. The scientists were removed because they did not have permission to distribute the editorial, but the ADA later said it regretted how the situation was handled.
Key Facts
Five leading diabetes scientists were removed from the ADA meeting in New Orleans for distributing an editorial critical of President Trump’s administration.
The editorial was published in the ADA’s own journal, Diabetes Care.
Scientists were escorted out by police, who took their conference badges and threatened arrest if they returned.
The ADA initially said the removal was due to code of conduct violations and lack of approval to distribute materials.
ADA CEO Charles Henderson later apologized personally to the scientists for the incident.
The ADA said it must keep a nonpartisan environment at its events to comply with federal nonprofit regulations.
Several ADA leaders resigned after backlash from the scientific and diabetes communities.
Over 40 ADA officials criticized the removal decision and called for changes in the association’s leadership.
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President Donald Trump is continuing to support Bill Pulte as the temporary head of U.S. intelligence, despite Pulte having little experience in intelligence work. This has increased the chances that a law allowing the U.S. to collect intelligence overseas could expire, since lawmakers want a permanent director before renewing the law.
Key Facts
President Trump has not named a permanent director of national intelligence.
Bill Pulte is currently serving as the temporary director.
Pulte has limited experience related to intelligence.
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) allows intelligence gathering abroad.
Democrats say they will not support renewing Section 702 while Pulte is in the intelligence role.
Both Republicans and Democrats want a permanent intelligence chief appointed soon.
The lapse of Section 702 could affect U.S. intelligence operations overseas.
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Bill Gates said he made a serious mistake by meeting Jeffrey Epstein but denied any wrongdoing during a meeting with the U.S. House Oversight Committee. He said he never saw any sign of Epstein’s criminal activities and only met Epstein to discuss charity work.
Key Facts
Bill Gates admitted it was a “grave error” to meet Jeffrey Epstein.
Gates denied any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct.
The meetings began in 2011, three years after Epstein’s guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Gates said he met Epstein to raise money for global health projects but ended contact in 2014 after seeing no results.
Gates testified voluntarily before the House Oversight Committee behind closed doors.
Documents show meetings, emails, and photos linking Gates and Epstein.
Gates has not been accused of any crimes related to Epstein and said he never visited Epstein’s known properties.
Lawmakers had mixed reactions to Gates’s testimony, with some calling it intense and others describing him as cooperative.
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The United States refused entry to Somali World Cup referee Omar Artan, citing concerns about security vetting. Omar Artan has since returned to Somalia.
Key Facts
Omar Artan is a Somali referee for the World Cup.
The U.S. government denied him entry into the country.
The reason given was concerns related to security vetting, which means checking background for safety reasons.
Omar Artan returned to Somalia after being denied entry.
CBS News reported this situation with input from their immigration correspondent.
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The Florida Supreme Court decided to keep the new congressional district map in place for the 2024 midterm elections. The court rejected efforts to immediately block the map while a lower court reviews legal challenges claiming the map favors the Republican Party.
Key Facts
The Florida Supreme Court ruled 6-1 to let the new district map remain for upcoming elections.
The case was brought by voting rights groups alleging the map violates Florida’s anti-gerrymandering law.
The court said a lower court must first examine the case’s details before the Supreme Court acts.
Justice Jorge Labarga disagreed and wanted the court to review the map sooner due to tight election deadlines.
Governor Ron DeSantis’ team created the new map aimed to help Republicans win more seats.
The map redraw was partly in response to a Supreme Court decision limiting protections for minority voting districts.
The underlying legal challenge will continue, but the current map will be used for the elections.
Justice Adam Tanenbaum said elections will proceed smoothly under the current laws and officials.
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The U.S. military carried out new strikes on multiple targets in Iran following President Trump’s promise to hit Iran "hard." These actions are described by the U.S. as self-defense in response to Iranian aggression and come amid ongoing tensions and recent attacks between the two countries.
Key Facts
The U.S. Central Command announced strikes on several Iranian targets early Thursday local time.
President Trump vowed to take strong action against Iran to push for a deal on U.S. terms.
The strikes are called self-defensive responses to Iran’s repeated hostile actions.
Iranian media reported explosions and activated air defenses in several cities.
These attacks come after a previous round of nearly 20 U.S. strikes in retaliation for Iran shooting down a U.S. Apache helicopter.
Iran retaliated by launching drones at U.S. allies in the region.
A fragile two-month-old ceasefire has prevented major conflict but not stopped smaller exchanges of fire.
The situation remains tense and could escalate the conflict between the U.S. and Iran.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson said that President Donald Trump’s comment, “I love the inflation,” was misunderstood and taken out of context. Johnson explained that Trump’s remark was not about the rising energy prices linked to the war in Iran.
Key Facts
House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke to CNN about President Trump’s comment on inflation.
Johnson said the comment was “totally out of context.”
President Trump made the comment during a reporter’s question.
There are concerns about rising energy costs connected to the Iran war.
Johnson is a Republican leader from Louisiana.
The discussion happened at the U.S. Capitol.
The comment has caused public confusion about President Trump’s position on inflation.
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Senator Josh Hawley and former NFL player Tim Tebow worked together to support a new law aimed at fighting child exploitation. President Donald Trump signed this law, which includes nearly $70 billion to fund immigration enforcement agencies like ICE and Border Patrol.
Key Facts
Senator Josh Hawley and Tim Tebow joined efforts to oppose child exploitation.
Their push led to a provision included in a larger immigration enforcement law.
The law provides nearly $70 billion in funding.
It fully funds U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol.
President Donald Trump signed the law on Wednesday.
The law is part of the immigration enforcement reconciliation package.
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The Florida Supreme Court ruled 6-1 to allow Republicans to use a new congressional district map for the November elections. This decision supports the Republican Party's efforts to gain up to four more House seats and weakens Democratic challenges to the map.
Key Facts
The Florida Supreme Court made the decision by a vote of 6 to 1.
The ruling allows the use of a new congressional district map in the upcoming November elections.
Republicans created the new map through redistricting, which redraws voting boundaries.
The party hopes to gain up to four additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Democrats tried to block the new map but were unsuccessful in court.
The court’s decision affects how Florida’s congressional districts will be shaped for this election cycle.
The ruling is seen as a setback for Democratic legal challenges to the new map.
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A federal judge has barred Alabama from executing an inmate using nitrogen gas, ruling it unconstitutional as cruel and unusual punishment. This decision is being appealed and highlights the ongoing changes in how the U.S. carries out the death penalty, with states using different methods like lethal injection, firing squads, and lethal gas.
Key Facts
A federal judge blocked Alabama from executing Jeffery Lee using nitrogen gas.
The judge ruled that nitrogen gas execution violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
Alabama plans to appeal the ruling, and the case may reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
Lethal injection is the main execution method in 28 states and the federal government but has faced problems with drug availability and administration.
Some states, like Idaho, switched to firing squads after issues with lethal injections.
Five states have authorized firing squads, and others allow alternative methods if primary methods are ruled unconstitutional.
The U.S. Justice Department under President Donald Trump has approved firing squads to speed up executions.
Execution methods in the U.S. include lethal injection, electrocution, nitrogen gas, firing squads, and lethal gas, with different states using different options.
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A man named Robert Dillon sued Florida police after they arrested him based on a facial recognition system error that wrongly matched him to a suspect in a child luring case. Dillon, who lives far from the crime scene, was held and prosecuted until the charges were dropped after evidence showed he was not involved.
Key Facts
Robert Dillon was arrested in Florida after facial recognition technology showed a 93% match to a suspect.
The arrest was related to an attempted child luring case at a Jacksonville Beach McDonald’s.
Dillon lives over 300 miles away and had no evidence placing him at the crime scene.
Police used a low-quality image from a computer screen of surveillance footage for the facial recognition match.
The facial recognition system involved was managed by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Dillon was held overnight, forced to post bond, and prosecuted for more than two months before charges were dropped.
The lawsuit claims police ignored evidence proving Dillon’s innocence and hid that evidence.
Dillon’s legal team includes the ACLU, and the case calls for changes in how police use facial recognition technology.
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California is suing the Trump administration to stop the building of a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Santa Clara County. The state says the federal government did not follow the correct rules for administration and environmental protection.
Key Facts
California filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Wednesday.
The lawsuit seeks to block the construction of an ICE detention center in Santa Clara County.
The state claims the federal government skipped proper administrative procedures.
California argues there was a failure to follow environmental rules.
The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
The lawsuit asks a judge to stop the Department of Homeland Security from building the facility.
The ICE facility is planned to detain immigrants.
The state is challenging the federal government’s process for approving the project.
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A study by economist Caitlin Myers found that the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 contributed to about one-third to one-half of the decline in the U.S. birth rate. The research suggests that smartphones changed social behaviors, reducing in-person interactions and influencing factors like access to contraception and pornography, which affected fertility rates.
Key Facts
The U.S. birth rate has been falling for decades, driven by many factors including economics and social changes.
The iPhone's release in 2007 was linked to a 33% to 52% share of the birth rate decline, according to new research.
The study compared birth rates in areas with strong AT&T coverage (the iPhone’s exclusive carrier at launch) to areas with less coverage.
Smartphones may replace face-to-face social interaction and increase access to contraception information and pornography.
The decline is partly due to other factors like financial concerns, delayed parenthood, and changing cultural attitudes.
The Trump administration has proposed financial incentives to encourage having more children, but past efforts in the U.S. and other countries had little effect.
Experts believe solving the birth rate decline will require more than economic policies or reducing phone use.
The trend is part of a global slowdown in population growth seen in many countries.
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Solar power in the United States reached a new high by providing more electricity than coal for the first time in May. This happened even though President Donald Trump supports using coal more than clean energy sources.
Key Facts
Solar power supplied 12.8% of U.S. electricity in May.
Coal supplied 12.2% of electricity, marking one of its lowest shares ever.
Solar is now the top source of new power generation in the U.S.
The data comes from Ember, a global energy research group.
Additional information was reported by the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie.
The shift shows growth in renewable energy despite federal policies favoring coal.
This milestone reflects continuing changes in U.S. energy sources.
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New data from several states show that many people are losing their health insurance coverage under ObamaCare because Congress did not extend increased financial help. This has led to a lot of people canceling their plans or not paying their monthly premiums in 2026.
Key Facts
States including Arkansas, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and New York reported drops in ObamaCare enrollment.
The coverage losses are worse than first expected.
The losses are linked to Congress not renewing enhanced subsidies that made insurance more affordable.
Many people canceled their plans or stopped paying premiums after signing up for 2026 coverage.
The data was analyzed by Georgetown University.
Federal officials have not yet released complete enrollment data.
The issue affects the monthly enrollment numbers through April 2026.
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Shasta County in Northern California passed Measure B, a new rule that ends most mail-in voting and requires in-person voting on one day, photo ID, and counting votes by hand. The measure faces criticism for likely breaking state law and making voting harder, with California authorities watching the situation closely.
Key Facts
Measure B in Shasta County requires all elections to happen in person on a single day.
Most mail-in voting will be stopped, and absentee ballots will be limited.
Voters must show photo ID and votes will be counted by hand under this measure.
About 85% of Shasta County voters currently use mail-in ballots.
The measure may violate California law, according to civil rights groups like the ACLU and League of Women Voters.
The California attorney general’s office is monitoring the measure and may take legal action to protect voters’ rights.
Shasta County has a history of election distrust fueled by false claims of fraud after the 2020 presidential election.
The county stopped using Dominion Voting Systems machines amid unfounded fraud allegations.
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