UNITED STATES

Michelle Obama claimed her role as the first Black woman to be first lady was "confining," especially in her fashion choices.While discussing her new book "The Look" on her podcast Wednesday, Obama reflected on her White House wardrobe and how it's changed since her husband, former President Barack Obama, left office.Obama said that while the role of first lady "tends to confine," she faced additional pressure on her as being part of the first Black family to live in the White House.MICHELLE OBAMA TAKES SWIPE AT TRUMP’S DEMOLITION OF WHITE HOUSE EAST WING"Eight-year stint as first lady tends to confine,

A Texas family is mourning the sudden loss of a husband and father who, according to state officials, accidentally shot and killed himself during a weekend hunting trip. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) game wardens responded just after midnight Saturday to a hunting accident in Northeast Texas that claimed the life of Jose Ramirez, 45, of Grapevine, the agency said.Ramirez, a father of three, was identified in a GoFundMe campaign created by one of his daughters. "My father, Jose Ramirez, passed away unexpectedly, and our family is heartbroken. My dad meant the world to me," the GoFundMe reads.YOUNG HUNTERS IN COLORADO

A federal appeals court has blocked a lower-court ruling that sought to limit how immigration agents can use force during Chicago-area enforcement operations, calling the judge’s order "overbroad" and "too prescriptive."The Seventh Circuit panel cautioned against "overreading" its stay, noting that a fast-track appeal could result in a "more tailored and appropriate" order.Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued a preliminary injunction after media organizations and demonstrators accused federal officers of using excessive force during an immigration operation that has resulted in more than 3,000 arrests since September across Chicago and nearby communities.Justice Department lawyers argued that the

The wealthy oceanfront town of Carmel, California, has banned pickleball in its public park after residents complained that the constant sound of paddles striking balls was too noisy.The Carmel City Council voted earlier this month to permanently prohibit the sport at Forest Hill Park, the only public pickleball location within city limits, marking the first such ban in the state, according to sfgate.com.Residents reported that the "popping" sound had been echoing through the neighborhood as players participated in the game that has grown in popularity, particularly among seniors and retirees, the outlet reported.The council put a temporary ban in place last

The House of Representatives unanimously voted against a provision that allows Republican senators whose phone records were seized by former Special Counsel Jack Smith to sue the federal government.The provision was included in the recently passed bill to end the 43-day government shutdown, which President Donald Trump signed into law last week.Despite supporters saying the provision is necessary to give senators recourse when the executive branch oversteps its constitutional bounds and reaches into congressional communications, the last-minute inclusion of the measure outraged both Republicans and Democrats, underscoring the ever-present tensions between the House and Senate.The repeal passed 426 to 0,

Unhappy with the economy. Pain with prices. Unsure about Trump administration policies. It adds up to high disapproval among the president’s loyal constituencies.Here are six takeaways from the latest Fox News national survey.-- Some 76% of voters view the economy negatively. That’s worse than the 67% who felt that way in July, and the 70% who said the same at the end of former President Biden’s term.-- Large numbers, overall and among Republicans, say their costs for groceries, utilities, healthcare, and housing have gone up this year.-- Voters blame the president. About twice as many say President Donald Trump, rather

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed that a resident of Grays Harbor County is the first person in the U.S. known to be infected with the H5N5 strain of avian influenza. The case also marks the country's first human bird flu diagnosis since February.The patient, described by officials as "an older adult with underlying health conditions," remains hospitalized after showing influenza-like symptoms in early November. BIRD FLU CASES ON THE RISE, AS ILLNESS CONFIRMED AT GEORGIA COMMERCIAL POULTRY FARMThe DOH stated that the individual "had a mixed backyard flock of domestic poultry at home that had exposure to wild

Chinese authorities formally arrested 18 leaders of a major underground church, clearing the way for their prosecution and potential prison sentences of up to three years. According to Reuters, which reported the arrests Wednesday citing a Christian NGO advocate, nearly 30 pastors and staff members belonging to Zion Church were detained by police in mid-October in the biggest crackdown on Chinese Christians in seven years.ChinaAid, a Christian non-profit human rights organization, said in a statement that the leaders were arrested on "politically motivated charges.""These pastors and co-workers are being treated as criminals simply because they faithfully shepherded a large, legally unregistered

A large-scale Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine rocked the western city of Ternopil Tuesday night, killing more than two dozen people, including three children.Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said Wednesday that at least 25 people were killed and 73 injured in the strike that hit two nine-story residential buildings.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 470 drones and 48 missiles in the overnight assault. Emergency services were working to rescue people under the rubble and put out fires caused by the strikes. Photos from the scene showed blown-out windows, the charred, blackened exterior of a residential building