U.S. monitoring Chinese activity in South China Sea around disputed shoal

Washington — U.S. intelligence agencies are closely monitoring activity at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea amid growing concerns that China may be laying the groundwork for a more permanent presence at one of the region’s most volatile maritime flash points, a move that could further inflame tensions with the Philippines and test

U.S. charges 3 for alleged smuggling conspiracy involving unaccompanied minors

The Justice Department announced on Thursday it has charged three people in Ohio for conspiring to smuggle unaccompanied minors across the U.S. border. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the indictment against Maritza Azucena Cahuec Coc, Carlos Cahuec Coc and one other defendant is emblematic of a broader problem, in which fraudsters are often serving

House Democrat: Vance part of White House Epstein ‘cover up’

On Thursday, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Democrats’ ranking member on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, pledged to investigate Vice President Vance’s role in the Trump administration’s “cover-up” of actions tied to now-deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. His comments follow a report from The New York Times that alleged Vance headed the White…