Hundreds of protesters opposing Texas’ tough new anti-“sanctuary cities” law launched a raucous protest from the public gallery in the Texas House on Monday, briefly halting work during the final, largely ceremonial day of the legislative session.   Demonstrators wearing red T-shirts reading “Lucha,” or “Fight,” quietly filled hundreds of gallery seats as proceedings began. After about 40 minutes, they began to cheer, drowning out the lawmakers below. Protesters also blew whistles and chanted: “Here to stay!” and “Hey, hey, ho, ho, SB4 has got to go,” referring to the bill that Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law this month.   Some waved banners reading: “See you in court!” Texas’ new law is reminiscent of a 2010 Arizona “show your papers” measure that allowed police to inquire about a person’s immigration status during routine interactions such as traffic stops. It was eventually struck down in court.   Under SB4, Texas …

White House communications director Mike Dubke has resigned after only three months on the job. Dubke told POLITICO newspaper that he submitted his resignation on May 18, which was accepted by President Donald Trump, but offered to stay on the job through Trump’s recently completed overseas trip. No reason was given for the move. …

Developments over the weekend concerning President Donald Trump include holding his first Memorial Day events, saying he has “total confidence” in his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, regarding the ongoing Russia investigation, speaking out against a hate crime against Muslims in Portland, Oregon, as well as a spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying she remains committed to trans-Atlantic relationships: WATCH: Trump lays wreath at Arlington Cemetery, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Marking Memorial Day, Trump Notes Ongoing Battle on Terror — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday paid tribute to “a new generation of American patriots” who, he said, “are fighting to win the battle against terrorism.” They are “risking their lives to protect our citizens from an enemy that uses the murder of innocents to wage war on humanity itself,” added Trump. WATCH: Trump at Arlington Cemetery ceremony US Observes Memorial Day, Honoring Its War Dead — The U.S. is …

At Café Bar-Ba-Reeba on Chicago’s north side, there is one key ingredient that could make or break Executive Chef Matt Holmes’ menu. “We feature it in our paeallas, which are our signature dish here at Café Bar Ba Reeba, as well as use it in a dessert and some other dishes as well, so its incredibly important to have high quality saffron,” Holmes explained to VOA from his test kitchen above the restaurant, where he was preparing one of those signature dishes. Saffron has long been one of the world’s most expensive spices, at times traded as currency. The saffron “crocus” that produces the spice grows mostly in parts of Europe, Iran and India. It is a staple in cuisine throughout Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, but less so in the United States, where saffron — while a $60 million market  has limited appeal. But Rumi Spice, Holmes’ …

Donald Trump is back in Washington after wrapping up his first international trip as president. The nine day trip was free of any major controversies abroad, but did produce several eyebrow-raising moments. …

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday paid tribute to “a new generation of American patriots” who, he said, “are fighting to win the battle against terrorism.” They are “risking their lives to protect our citizens from an enemy that uses the murder of innocents to wage war on humanity itself,” added Trump. He made the remarks in a Memorial Day speech at the 253-hectare Arlington National Cemetery just after he laid a wreath to honor the more than 300,000 military veterans who are buried there. Trump is expected at any time to announce a decision on a Pentagon request for an increase in the number of U.S. troops for the continuing war in Afghanistan. Barack Obama, in the final months of his presidency, did not make a decision on the Defense Department request, preferring to hand it off to the incoming president who would be commander-in-chief by the time any …

There are more than 100 entrepreneurship courses at Stanford University. But only one involves students running into the ocean fully dressed or donning explosives device uniforms. In the Hacking for Defense class, students tackle problems facing troops and defense agencies. They are expected to go out in the field to understand what it is like to be a soldier struggling with mapping technology or a returning veteran dealing with multiple injuries.   “They work on some of the toughest real world problems they are ever going to see,” said Steve Blank, one of the class instructors. “With all due respect to Google and Dropbox and Facebook and Twitter, which they all have opportunities in the valley to go work for as graduates here, these are some problems that make those look trivial by comparison,” he said. Agencies within the Department of Defense give the class problems. The students could be …

U.S. President Donald Trump is defending Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, who news reports say attempted to establish a back-channel communications link to Russian officials in the weeks before Trump assumed power in January. “Jared is doing a great job for the country,” Trump told The New York Times late Sunday.  “I have total confidence in him. He is respected by virtually everyone and is working on programs that will save our country billions of dollars.  In addition to that, and perhaps more importantly, he is a very good person.” The 36-year-old Kushner, a New York real estate executive before joining Trump’s White House staff, is married to Trump’s oldest daughter Ivanka, who also is a White House adviser. Kushner, according to several news accounts, sought to create the secret communications link with Moscow as he met with the Kremlin’s ambassador to the U.S., Sergey …

Tiger Woods, once the top golfer in the world, has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in Florida. Police say Woods was arrested early Monday morning in the city of Jupiter and was released on his own recognizance several hours later. The greatest player of his generation and one of the best of all time, Woods, 41, has not won a major tournament since 2008. He was the world’s number-one ranked golfer for nearly 700 weeks but is now ranked at number 876. Woods had been plagued in recent years by multiple back surgeries which have forced him to withdraw from recent tournaments. Woods has won 14 major golf championships and had been pursuing the record of 18 held by retired U.S. golfer Jack Nicklaus. …

The U.S. celebrates Memorial Day. Officially, Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday in May, has been set aside to honor all who died during military service throughout U.S. history. Congress declared Memorial Day a national federal holiday in 1971. …

The U.S. is celebrating Memorial Day to honor its war dead. President Donald Trump, in his first Memorial Day as the U.S. leader, laid a wreath Monday at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington. “We honor the noblest among us, the men and women who paid the ultimate price for victory and freedom,” Trump said. “They made their sacrifice, not for fame, nor for money, or even for glory, but for country.” Trump said the country’s fallen warriors “died in war, so we could live in peace.” He told relatives of those killed in action, “While we cannot know the extent of your pain, what we do know is that our gratitude for them and to you is boundless and undying.” Officially, Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday in May, has been set aside to honor all who died during military service …

Congressional investigations have long timelines. House Republicans do not.   Two-hundred and thirty-nine House Republicans are facing down a November 2018 mid-term election, which will determine whether they get to keep their jobs. They have to weigh the merits – and the costs – of supporting President Donald Trump.   On the face of it, House Republicans are in an enviable position because they are in the majority and have the opportunity to work with a Republican president to pass landmark legislation. But as waves of Russia-related allegations make headlines nationwide, and as Senate and House hearings run alongside a newly-launched special counsel probe into the Trump administration’s connections with Russia, the legislation languishes. Recently, Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo and Michigan Republican Rep. Justin Amash became the first in their party to mention impeachment. The two Congressmen issued carefully worded statements. But Curbelo corrected news reports to ensure he …

German Chancellor Angela Merkel remains committed to strong trans-Atlantic relations, her spokesman said Monday, after the German leader suggested that the United States is no longer a reliable partner.                “Because trans-Atlantic relations are so important to this chancellor, it is right from her viewpoint to speak out honestly about differences,” spokesman Steffen Seibert said Monday during a news conference. “The times in which we can fully count on others are somewhat over, as I have experienced in the past few days,” Merkel said, addressing a campaign rally in Bavaria. Merkel, among other European leaders, was sharply critical of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision at the recent G-7 meeting in Sicily not to reiterate support for the 2015 Paris agreement to combat climate change. In a pared down final communique, all G-7 nations except the U.S. pledged action to mitigate climate change. Merkel has said the climate agreement is …

Days after U.S. President Donald Trump told Muslim leaders of the need to unite to stamp out terrorism and extremism, a man on a train in the northwestern U.S. city of Portland, Oregon, targeted two teenagers with an anti-Muslim rant, then killed two people and wounded another who confronted him. In a tweet Monday, President Trump called the attack “unacceptable.” “The victims were standing up to hate and intolerance. Our prayers are w/ them,” the Trump tweet read. Portland Police have said one of the two young women on the train was wearing a hijab, and that the attacker ranted on many topics using “hate speech or biased language.” “Two men lost their lives standing up to somebody spewing hateful words directed at Muslim passengers on an afternoon commuter train,” said Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler.  “Our current political climate allows far too much room for those who spread bigotry.  Violent …

Takuma Sato on Sunday became the first Japanese driver to win the Indianapolis 500, in a race that featured a horrific crash involving the driver who started from the pole position. In the 101st running of the iconic U.S. auto race in the midwestern state of Indiana, Sato passed three-time winner Helio Castroneves of Brazil in the closing laps of the 200-lap drive around the oval track, and held on to win by the slim margin of two-tenths of a second. “Unbelievable feeling!” a jubilant Sato, 40, declared. Five years ago, the Japanese driver had a great chance to win the prestigious event, but on the final lap collided with eventual champion Dario Franchitti of Scotland. “He drove unbelievable,” said Michael Andretti, head of the team Sato drives for, Andretti Autosport. “I couldn’t do what he was doing (on the closing laps),” said Castroneves, who barely avoided two crashes. The …

Since 1971, when the U.S. Congress declared Memorial Day a national federal holiday, Americans have spent the final Monday in May honoring all who died during military service throughout U.S. history. But it all began in 1865, just after the end of the Civil War, when a group of freed American slaves held what came to be seen as the first commemoration of the nation’s war dead.   According to historical accounts, in an expression of gratitude to those who died fighting against slavery, the freed slaves exhumed the bodies of more than 250 Union soldiers from a mass grave at a Confederate prison camp in Charleston, South Carolina, and gave them a proper burial. A few weeks later, about 10,000 people marched on May 1 to commemorate the war dead.  Historian and author David Blight, writing in The New York Times about the events in Charleston in 1865, cited …

Back from his first foreign trip as president, Donald Trump confronts a Russia probe that has expanded into new areas of inquiry during his absence. VOA’s Michael Bowman reports a startling allegation is swirling around someone close to the president personally and politically: his son-in-law and top adviser, Jared Kushner. …

A man was arrested Sunday for killing eight people in the southern U.S. state of Mississippi in a shooting rampage at three separate houses the night before. Willie Corey Godbolt, 35, was arrested after the deadly attacks, which allegedly began when he got into a dispute with his wife and in-laws. One of the victims was Deputy Sheriff William Durr, 36. “My pain wasn’t designed for him. He was just there,” Godbolt said of the deputy, speaking to local paper the Clarion-Ledger. “We was talking about me trying to take the children home … somebody called the officer … that’s what they do, they intervene. It cost him his life. I’m sorry.” The names of the other seven victims, two of whom were children, have not been released as police are informing their families. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said charges against Godbolt have not yet been filed, as it …

The U.S. Homeland Security chief says he’s considering banning laptop computers from the passenger cabins of all international flights to and from the United States. John Kelly says there are signs of a “real threat” against civilian aviation from carry-on electronic devices. Speaking on the Fox News Sunday television program, Kelly said terrorists are “obsessed” with the idea of “knocking down an airplane in flight.” The ban would expand a March order that affects about 50 flights per day to the United States from 10 cities, in the Middle East and North Africa. The ban requires all electronics larger than a smartphone to be checked in. About 3,250 flights a week are expected this summer between European Union countries and the United States, according to aviation industry figures. Britain has taken similar measures targeting flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. In Europe last week, during President …