The plaza outside the Diana E. Murphy United States Courthouse in Minneapolis is shown covered in snow on March 7, 2025. AP Photo/Steve KarnowskiA federal judge has ruled against a Minnesota state law

Historical Events1751 - Thomas Colley is executed in England for drowning a supposed witch1858 - Richmond "Daily Dispatch" reports 90 Black individuals arrested for learning1912 - District of Alaska becomes an organized incorporated territory of the United States1997 - 97th US Amateur Golf Championship won by Joel Kribel2019 - Britain's Prince Andrew denies knowing his friend Jeffrey Epstein was involved in sexual trafficking of underage girls after public accusations made against himMore Historical Events Famous Birthdays1890 - Franz Philipp, German composer, born in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany (d. 1972)1890 - Jean Rhys [Ella Gwendolyn Rees Williams], British writer (Voyage in the Dark), born in Roseau, Dominica (d. 1979)1951 - Oscar Hijuelos, American novelist (The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love), born in New York City (d. 2013)1977 - Jrgen Macho, Austrian footballer, born in Vienna, Austria1986 - Arian Foster, American football running back (First-team All-Pro 2010, 12; 4 Pro Bowl; NFL rushing TD leader 2010, 12; Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins), born in Albuquerque, New MexicoMore Famous Birthdays Famous Deaths1540 - Parmigianino [Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola,], Italian painter (Madonna of the Long Neck), dies at 371982 - Jack Siedle, South African cricketer (batted in 18 Tests for South Africa), dies at 791987 - Malcolm Kirk "King Kong Kirk", English professional wrestler, dies of a heart attack in the ring at 511996 - Robert Tewdwr Moss, English journalist and travel writer, found dead at 342020 - Pascal Lissouba, Congo politician, 1st democratically-elected President of the Republic of the Congo (1992-97), dies at 88More Famous Deaths

20 Powerful Back-to-School Prayers for Students and Teachers The following is a collection of prayers for going back to school. This season of transition comes a variety of emotions for students, parents, and teachers. Many may be feeling excitement about seeing friends again and new classrooms but also anxiety and stress over new schools and schedules. Let's pray for our students as they...

FBI Director Kash Patel set Washington buzzing Friday with a cryptic post on X, coinciding with a dramatic federal raid on the Bethesda, Maryland, home of former National Security Adviser John Bolton.

The Trump administration announced on Friday that it will not defend a decades-old federal grant program for colleges with high Hispanic enrollment, declaring that the funding is unconstitutional.The

The FBI conducted a high-profile raid on former National Security Adviser John Boltons Bethesda, Maryland, residence Friday morning, linked to allegations that he sent highly sensitive classified documents

We're glad to hear the applause at the end of this mother's tirade against High School District 211 in Illinois. She eloquently lays out the story of a 6-foot-four "girl" who was awarded a slot on the

Finding Love in Christ - Your Daily Bible Verse - August 24 EDITOR'S NOTE: We're happy to announce that, coming soon, this devotional will be available in audio version as the Your Daily Bible Verse Podcast! Stay tuned for updates...BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have...

Archaeologists excavating Newark Castle in Nottinghamshire have discovered a medieval cesspit covered by an old millstone. A team from Pre-Construct Archaeology are investigating the castle as it undergoes a major renovation. The cesspit was found at the outflow of the 13th/14th century garderobes (toilets that were basically niches built into castle walls with open holes over a shaft that disgorged waste into a ditch or moat).Rebecca Nichols, a senior project manager from Pre-Construct Archaeology, which is overseeing the works, said the team were very surprised when they made the discovery.Ms Nichols said the team had found a cesspit or soakaway, capped with a worn millstone but added were not quite sure which one yet.She said the facility was pretty standard really, what you would expect.But we werent expecting to find anything. We thought everything had been stripped away in the 19th and 20th Century, Ms Nichols said.Newark Castle was first built as the palace of Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln in the first half of the 12th century. When construction began in 1123, it was an earth and timber fortification. By the end of the century, it had been rebuilt as a formidable stone castle.King John of Magna Carta fame, brother of King Richard the Lionhearted, died at the castle in 1216 when he contracted dysentery during the First Barons War. He was in the middle of a campaign against the rebels barons, bouncing from Lincoln in the north, to Kings Lynn in the east (where he caught the dysentery that would kill him) then westward to Newark-on-Trent. He was hosted at Newark Castle and apparently ate so many peaches that when he died that night, the chroniclers blamed his peach binge for his death.The castle was besieged three times by Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War. The castle held out, but when Cromwells side won the war, they took their revenge on the castle by having it slighted (deliberately destroyed) in 1648. It was left a derelict shell until the mid-19th century when it was reconstructed. The city of Newark acquired the castle in 1889 and inaugurated a new garden within its walls in honor of Queen Victoria.In 2022, the district council began working on a redevelopment of the castle that would reopen its original Romanesque gatehouse, the most complete example of its kind in England, and create five new galleries inside the castle to explain its history. They also planned to create a viewing platform at the top of the tower to give visitors the best view of the area, and improve accessibility for people with mobility devices. The Victorian garden will be getting revamped as well, with new lighting installed and new native species planted.Renovations finally began this year, and the archaeological investigation has revealed more of the early castle remains survived than they expected to find.In addition to the cesspit, a stone retaining wall was found that is of great significance.After assessing the stone thickness and style, it is thought that this wall is part of the earliest phase of the stone Castle (the magnificent stone structure that currently stands was probably preceded by an earth and timber castle). This discovery has reshaped our understanding of how the Castle may have looked; the ditch seems to have only partially encircled the Castle.

By Gloria Ogbonna The German government announced on Friday that it has no plans to immediately recognize a Palestinian state, insisting that such a move would undermine efforts to achieve a lasting,