Millions of Americans face air quality alerts from Minnesota to New York as authorities urge people to stay indoors

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Smoke from wildfires burning in south-central Canada and parts of Minnesota is spreading across the US, prompting air quality alerts in more than 20 states with millions of Americans expected to face unhealthy air conditions this week.

The smoke from the more than 180 active wildfires in northern Ontario briefly made Toronto’s air quality among the worst in the world on Wednesday. By Wednesday night, the smoke had spread across several US states, from Minnesota, where multiple wildfires are also burning, to New York, blanketing the skies in haze and worsening air quality.

Musk distributed money to three people before the 2025 election, which he claimed was critical to Trump’s agenda

Billionaire Elon Musk likely violated Wisconsin law when he gave out $1m checks to voters in the 2025 state supreme court election, a bipartisan elections panel has found.

Musk distributed the money before the vote, which he claimed was critical to Donald Trump’s agenda and “the future of civilization”.

Polls suggest many Democratic voters oppose the projects as party leaders champion AI investment

Sarah Brabbs used to be a fan of Michigan’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer.

“I have her book; I appreciated her stewardship and guidance during the pandemic,” Brabbs, who has voted Democrat for basically her entire life, says. “I will never not appreciate who she was during that time.”

Hannah Dugan was fined $5,000 for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to evade ICE agents

A former Wisconsin judge who was convicted of felony obstruction for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to evade US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has been spared prison.

A federal judge on Wednesday instead fined Judge Hannah Dugan $5,000, citing her otherwise law-abiding life in issuing the sentence.

Officials rescued seven other people after a sudden storm led to a boat sinking on Geneva Lake

Three children died after a boat capsized on Wisconsin’s Geneva Lake during inclement weather on the eve of the US’s semiquincentennial celebrations, and seven other people had to be rescued by emergency responders, according to officials.

A recreational motor boat with 10 passengers, including four children, sank on Friday afternoon as the boat “attempted to navigate to safety as weather conditions deteriorated” amid an intense, sudden storm, the city of Lake Geneva police department said in a statement.