U.S. intelligence leaders told lawmakers Wednesday that the Chinese Communist Party remained the “most consequential threat” to U.S. national security, as President Xi Jinping consolidates power and his government takes steps to fuel divides both within the U.S. and between Washington and its allies. Testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee …

Some people use a diary to pen their innermost thoughts. Charles Schulz had “Peanuts.” “It was a release for his emotions,” said his widow, Jean Schulz. “He drew because he had to do it.” When asked if he were a happy person, Jean paused: “Um …. I think he was.” …

A federal labor judge has ordered Starbucks to reinstate seven fired workers, reopen a shuttered location and stop infringing on workers’ rights after finding that the company violated labor laws “hundreds of times” during a unionization campaign in Buffalo, New York. The decision issued late Wednesday by Administrative Law Judge …

Washington — Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York may have “accepted impermissible gifts” related to her appearance at the prestigious Met Gala in 2021, a congressional oversight body said in a report released Thursday. The Office of Congressional Ethics found in a report prepared last June that there was “substantial …

Washington — The leaders of a new House select committee on China defended Democratic Rep. Judy Chu on Sunday, saying it was abhorrent and unacceptable for a GOP lawmaker to question her loyalty to the United States based on her Chinese heritage. “One of my colleagues, unfortunately, attacked Judy Chu, …

A history of earning low wages may be linked to a higher risk of death in middle age for American workers, according to a new study from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.  Middle-aged workers who consistently earned low wages were 38% more likely to die over the course …

Bumble CEO and founder Whitney Wolfe Herd is in the business of love. She created and launched the dating app Bumble in 2014. Since then, it has seen 100 million users worldwide and helped some people find “their person.” Its success led to Bumble making its Wall Street debut in …

Voters in Virginia’s 4th Congressional District will cast their ballots Tuesday in a special election to fill the open seat previously held by the late Democratic Rep. Donald McEachin, who died in November soon after he had been elected to his fourth term. Democratic nominee Jennifer McClellan is widely favored …

Singer and convicted sex offender R. Kelly has been denied all motions for acquittal and a new federal trial, Chicago Federal Judge Harry Leinenweber ruled on Thursday.  Kelly, 56, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2022 on nine counts that included “sexual exploitation of children” and “transportation of …

A Missouri man accused of keeping a woman hidden in his basement while repeatedly sexually assaulting her was indicted by a grand jury on nine new charges, prosecutors announced. Timothy M. Haslett, of Excelsior Springs, was indicted on one count of rape, four counts of sodomy, two counts of second-degree …