By FATIMA HUSSEIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department announced Tuesday it was barring five Europeans it accused of leading efforts to pressure U.S. tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints.

Related Articles

Trump administration moves to overhaul how H-1B visas are granted, ending lottery system

Voters sue to suspend Missouri’s new congressional map until a referendum

Oklahoma college instructor is fired after giving failing grade to essay on gender

Supreme Court keeps Trump’s National Guard deployment blocked in the Chicago area, for now

Voluminous new Epstein document release includes multiple Trump mentions, but little revelatory news

Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not name those he said fell foul of a new visa policy announced in May to restrict the entry of foreigners deemed responsible for censorship of protected speech in the United States. He identified them only as “radical” activists and “weaponized” nongovernmental organizations.

“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” Rubio posted on X. “The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”

The five Europeans were later identified by Sarah Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy, in a series of posts on social media. They include a former European Union commissioner and the leaders of organizations that address digital hate.

Rubio’s statement said they advanced foreign government censorship campaigns against Americans and U.S. companies, which he said created “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences” for the U.S.

The action to bar them from the U.S. is part of a Trump administration campaign against foreign influence over online speech, using immigration law rather than platform regulations or sanctions.

The five named by Rogers are: Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate; Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of HateAid, a German organization; former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, who was responsible for digital affairs; and Clare Melford, who runs the Global Disinformation Index.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, those targeted will generally be barred from entering the United States, and some may face removal proceedings if already in the country. Officials said the administration could expand the list if similar foreign actions continue.

Most Europeans are covered by the Visa Waiver Program, which means they don’t necessarily need visas to come into the country. They do, however, need to complete an online application prior to arrival under a system run by the Department of Homeland Security, so it is possible that at least some of these five people have been flagged to DHS, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details not publicly released.

Other visa restriction policies were announced this year, along with bans targeting foreign visitors from certain African and Middle Eastern countries and the Palestinian Authority. Visitors from some countries could be required to post a financial bond when applying for a visa.

Associated Press Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.

A Minneapolis man who went on a shooting spree that claimed three lives in the fall of 2024 and ended with him being shot by St. Paul police has been found guilty of murder by a Hennepin County jury.

Earl Bennett (Courtesy of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)

Earl Bennett, 41, was convicted Monday of three counts of second-degree intentional murder stemming from an Oct. 27, 2024, shooting at a homeless encampment.

Authorities said Bennett was wearing a balaclava-type mask when he stepped into a tent where the three victims were and asked for Christopher Martell Washington, 38. He then shot Washington in the neck and thigh and shot Louis Mitchell Lemons Jr., 32, in his neck and back of his head. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. He also shot Samantha Jo Moss, 35, in the head, shoulder and hand. She later died of her injuries at the hospital.

The next day, at about 5:15 p.m.,  police responded to reports that a resident at a Minneapolis sober living house had shot another resident in the neck. Two people said Bennett was the shooter.

Less than three hours later, at 7:45 p.m., St. Paul police officers responding to a shots-fired call encountered a man, later identified as Bennett, walking and holding a handgun, which police say he wouldn’t drop.

Bennett held the gun to his own head and pointed it at officers, according to an assault charge filed against him in Ramsey County. St. Paul officers shot Bennett multiple times.

The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office determined that the four officers who shot and wounded Lowe were justified in their actions.

The gun that Bennett held had been reported stolen from a truck in Apple Valley two days earlier. The owner said it had been loaded with 17 rounds, and three loaded magazines each containing 17 rounds were also stolen.

In addition to the three murder charges at the homeless encampment, Bennet was also charged with attempted murder in connection with the shooting at the Minneapolis sober house. A hearing for that case is slated for Jan. 13.

“Our thoughts are with the families of the victims as they process today’s verdict,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a Monday statement. “This was a callous act of extreme violence that took three people from their community and from their loved ones. Mr. Bennett will be held accountable for his actions.”

Bennett’s sentencing is set for Jan.16.

Related Articles

St. Paul man who shot at mother, shutting down Metro State, sentenced to prison

St. Paul sues over $900,000 financial literacy contract with ‘BlackFem’ vendor

Feds seek $5.2M restitution from founder of Feeding Our Future

Woodbury couple defrauded visa-seekers to live lavish lifestyle, lawsuit says

St. Paul man gets 15-year prison term for raping Wisconsin woman he met on dating app

By DAVID A. LIEB

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The question of whether Missouri’s new congressional districts are in effect for the 2026 elections will be up to a court to decide.

Related Articles

Oklahoma college instructor is fired after giving failing grade to essay on gender

Supreme Court keeps Trump’s National Guard deployment blocked in the Chicago area, for now

Voluminous new Epstein document release includes multiple Trump mentions, but little revelatory news

Student loan borrowers in default may see wages garnished in 2026

Federal judge says Trump administration must restore disaster money to Democratic states

A lawsuit filed Tuesday on behalf of voters contends the redrawn map backed by President Donald Trump should have been automatically suspended earlier this month when opponents submitted more than 300,000 petition signatures seeking to force a statewide vote.

But Republican Attorney General Catherine Hanaway says the new districts took effect — and will remain in place as candidates run for office — unless Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins verifies the signatures are sufficient and certifies that the petition meets constitutional muster.

The court battle carries consequences for Trump’s plan to reshape congressional districts in Republican-led states, which could give the GOP a shot at winning additional seats in the midterm elections and retaining control of the closely divided U.S. House. Missouri’s new map is intended to help Republicans pick up a Democrat-held district in Kansas City by splitting off portions and stretching the rest into rural areas that are predominantly Republican.

Nationwide, the unusual mid-decade redistricting battle has so far resulted in a total of nine more seats that Republicans believe they can win in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio — and a total of six more seats that Democrats expect to win in California and Utah, putting Republicans up by three. But the redrawn districts are being litigated in some states, and if the maps hold for 2026, there is no guarantee that the parties will win the seats.

Missouri’s constitution allows voters who are opposed to a new law to gather petition signatures to put the measure to a statewide vote. If they submit about 110,000 valid signatures — meeting minimum thresholds in at least two-thirds of the state’s congressional districts — the law is placed on hold until a referendum can be held at the next November election.

Historically, the state has treated laws as suspended when referendum petitions get submitted. But Hanaway contends a law can be suspended only after the secretary of state determines there is a sufficient number of valid signatures — a process that could conclude long after Missouri’s candidate filing period, which runs from Feb. 24 through March 31.

Local election officials have until July 28 to finish verifying signatures, and Hoskins could make a final decision after that. Missouri’s primary elections are Aug. 4.

“This is a transparent ploy to force the use of HB1’s new congressional map by delaying certification of the referendum’s signatures … until it is too late to change the congressional map for the 2026 midterms,” says the lawsuit, which was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of two Kansas City-area voters who signed the referendum petition.

The lawsuit comes just one day after the Missouri attorney general released a statement reasserting that the new congressional map “remains in effect” while the petition signatures are reviewed.

To suspend laws immediately upon submitting a petition would “allow anyone to freeze duly-enacted state laws by dropping off boxes of unverified signatures,” Hanaway’s office said in a statement.

The latest lawsuit is at least the ninth related to Missouri’s new congressional map. Some of the lawsuits contend that mid-decade redistricting violates the state’s constitution and that Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe had no legal grounds to call lawmakers into a special session to pass the new map.

By TRÂN NGUYỄN

California officials and weather forecasters urged holiday travelers to avoid the roads on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ahead of a series of powerful winter storms that threatened to slam California with relentless rains, heavy winds and mountain snow through Friday.

Related Articles

Gas explosion at a Pennsylvania nursing home traps people inside, authorities say

Supreme Court keeps Trump’s National Guard deployment blocked in the Chicago area, for now

Voluminous new Epstein document release includes multiple Trump mentions, but little revelatory news

Student loan borrowers in default may see wages garnished in 2026

Camp Mystic’s reopening plans in Texas has drawn outrage, but some families want to return

Millions of people are expected to travel across the state. They will likely meet hazardous, if not impossible, traveling conditions as several atmospheric rivers were forecast to make their way through the state, the National Weather Service warned.

“If you’re planning to be on the roads for the Christmas holidays, please reconsider your plans,” said Ariel Cohen, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Los Angeles.

Forecasters said Southern California could see its wettest Christmas in years and warned about flash flooding, mudslides and debris flows in areas burned by last January’s wildfires. County officials said Tuesday they were knocking on the doors of some 380 particularly vulnerable households to order them to leave.

Most areas saw scattered showers Tuesday morning, and the system was expected to pick up in the evening and intensify into Christmas Eve. Some regions will see rain and winds taper off Wednesday before another storm moves in.

Much of the Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area were under a flood watch and a high wind warning through Friday. Forecasters warned of heavy snow and gusty winds for parts of the Sierra Nevada starting Tuesday that will create “near white-out conditions” and make it “nearly impossible” to travel through the mountain passes.

There’s also a risk of severe thunderstorms and a small chance of tornadoes along the northern coast.

Heavy rain and flash flooding that started Saturday in Northern California already led to water rescues and at least one death, local officials said.

Southern California typically gets half an inch to 1 inch of rain this time of year, but this week many areas could see between 4 and 8 inches, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said. It could be even more in the mountains.

Potential widespread flooding, rockslides and mudslides are highly likely, especially in areas burned by last January’s deadly Palisades fire, he added. Officials expect multiple road closures and airport delays during the storms. Downed trees and powerlines are also possible. Parts of Los Angeles were under evacuation warnings starting Tuesday.

The county had put up K-rails, a type of barrier, around the burn scar to help catch sliding debris during rainstorms. Residents could also pick up free sandbags to protect their homes, said Kathryn Barger, a Los Angeles County supervisor representing Altadena.

“When experts are projecting this type of rain in this short period of time, it’s serious,” Barger said.

Many people in burn scar areas decided not to leave after receiving the evacuation notification, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said Tuesday. He urged them to reconsider.

“The threat posed by this storm is real and imminent,” he said.

Local and state officials are gearing up to respond to emergencies through the week. The state has deployed resources and first responders to a number of counties along the coast and in Southern California ahead of the storms. The California National Guard is also on standby to assist.

Drivers make their way in the rain on East Palm Canyon Drive, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Palm Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)

An atmospheric river is a long, narrow band of water vapor that forms over an ocean and flows through the sky, transporting moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes.

Earlier this month, stubborn atmospheric rivers drenched Washington state with nearly 5 trillion gallons of rain in a week, threatening record flood levels, meteorologists said. That rainfall was supercharged by warm weather and air, plus unusual weather conditions tracing back as far as a tropical cyclone in Indonesia.

Associated Press writer Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report.