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Mitch McConnell stepping down as Senate Republican leader in November
Long before Sen. Mitch McConnell surprised colleagues Wednesday announcing he would step down as the Republican leader this fall, he knew the time had come.

Mr. Speaker
Don Scott makes history as Virginia Legislature opens; Youngkin calls for bipartisan progress
A remade Virginia General Assembly convened its 2024 session Wednesday with a Democratic majority newly in charge of both chambers after a consequential election cycle that followed two years of divided control of the Legislature.

50 Cent out of dollars?
Rapper and actor 50 Cent filed for federal bankruptcy protection Monday, days after a jury ordered him to pay $5 million in an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit.

Toni Morrison honored with new stamp unveiled at Princeton
Nobel laureate Toni Morrison is now forever immortalized on a stamp honoring the prolific writer, editor, scholar and mentor that was unveiled Tuesday morning in a tribute at Princeton University, where she taught for almost two decades.

Santos’ shenanigans
Expelled congressman selling personalized videos for $200
George Santos already has a new gig.

Judge holds Giuliani liable in Georgia election workers’ defamation case and orders him to pay fees
A federal judge on Wednesday held Rudy Giuliani liable in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers who say they were falsely accused of fraud, entering a default judgment against the former New York mayor and ordering him to pay tens of thousands of dollars in lawyers’ fees.

365 Black Awards salute motivators, activists
From inspirational motivators and community activists to a business owner and a former athlete, the 2014 recipients of the McDonald’s 365 Black Awards cover the spectrum of altruism.

FDA finalizes rule expanding availability of abortion pills
The Food and DrugAdministration on Tuesday finalized a rule change that broadens availability of abortion pills to many more pharmacies, companies.

No charges for officer who killed Charlotte man
A prosecutor on Wednesday cleared a Charlotte police officer in the killing of a black man whose death touched off civil unrest, and he presented detailed evidence to rebut assertions that the slain man was unarmed.

Painter, sculptor Thornton Dial dies
McCALLA, Ala. Self-taught artist Thornton Dial, who transformed discarded junk into sculpture and painted in bright colors and bold lines, has died at his home in Alabama. He was 87.

The Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani $700M to hit and pitch — but also because he can sell
Shohei Ohtani’s jaw-dropping $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers has some similarities to other contracts for the world’s biggest sports stars, including soccer icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, along with NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

‘Me and Mrs. Jones’ singer Billy Paul dies at 80
Billy Paul, a jazz and soul singer best known for the No. 1 hit ballad and “Philadelphia Soul” classic “Me and Mrs. Jones,” died Sunday, April 24, 2016.

Student loan forgiveness application website goes live
President Biden on Monday officially kicked off the application process for his student debt cancellation program and announced that 8 million borrowers had already applied for loan relief during the federal government’s soft launch period over the weekend.

Schools are trying to get more students therapy. Not all parents are on board
Derry Oliver was in fifth grade when she first talked to her mom about seeing a therapist.

Fans give millions to Damar Hamlin’s toy drive for kids
Damar Hamlin’s goal was simple: He wanted to raise $2,500 online to buy toys for needy kids.

VP Harris urges grads to tackle problems in unsettled world
Vice President Kamala Harris urged graduates of Tennessee State University on Saturday to apply their leadership skills to help tackle the multitude of challenges posed by an unsettled world.

Delaware State president, athletes decry search of team bus by Georgia deputies
The president of Delaware State University, a historically Black college, accused sheriff’s deputies in Georgia of intimidating and humiliating the university’s women’s lacrosse team when deputies pulled over the athletes’ bus and searched it for drugs.

‘I cannot mourn’
Former colonies conflicted over the queen
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, who died Sept. 8, left Buckingham Palace for the last time Wednesday, borne on a horse-drawn carriage and saluted by cannons and the tolling of Big Ben, in a solemn procession through the flag-draped, crowd-lined streets of London to Westminster Hall. There, Britain’s longest-serving monarch will lie in state for the world to mourn.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision and what it means for Virginia
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion. The June 24 ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, although the timing of those laws taking effect varies.