‘Swamp Sweep’

in the works

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Federal agents are set to conduct a major immigration crackdown called “Swamp Sweep” in New Orleans in the coming weeks.

The operation aims to arrest around 5,000 people across southeast Louisiana and Mississippi. People familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press the deployment is expected to start in early December.

This is part of a series of nationwide immigration crackdowns under the Trump administration. Republican Governor Jeff Landry has fully supported aligning state policy with federal immigration. Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol commander known for large-scale immigration crackdowns, will oversee the operation.

The plan includes agents fanning out across neighborhoods and commercial hubs, with staging sites planned at the FBI field office and a nearby naval base.

Zelenskyy will

visit Turkey

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to visit Turkey this week to revive talks on ending Russia’s invasion, which began nearly four years ago. It remains unclear if U.S. representatives will attend, but Russia says it will not send a representative.

Earlier talks in Turkey achieved only prisoner exchanges. Heavy U.S. sanctions on Russia’s oil industry are set to take effect Friday. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy was in Spain where the government said it would provide Ukraine with aid worth $946 million for defense and reconstruction.

Meanwhile, Ukraine launched aerial attacks on energy infrastructure in the occupied Donetsk region, and Russian drones caused fires in Dnipro. The conflict continues with heavy casualties.

Meta prevails

in legal case

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Meta has prevailed over an existential challenge to its business that could have forced the tech giant to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp after a judge ruled that the company does not hold a monopoly in social networking.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued his ruling Tuesday after the historic antitrust trial wrapped up in late May. His decision follows two separate rulings that branded Google an illegal monopoly in both search and online advertising, dealing yet another regulatory blow to the tech industry that for years enjoyed nearly unbridled growth.

Loose wire led

to bridge crash

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Federal investigators say the loss of electrical power from a loose wire caused a huge cargo ship to lose propulsion and steering before crashing into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse last year and killing six construction workers.

The National Transportation Safety Board voted unanimously Tuesday for the disaster’s probable cause and safety recommendations during a hearing in Washington.

Investigators found that a loose signal wire connection to a terminal block on the container ship called the Dali stemmed from the improper installation of a label on the wire that prevented the wire from being fully inserted.

US education

moneys shifted

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Education Department is handing off some of its biggest grant programs to other federal agencies as the Trump administration accelerates its plan to shut down the department.

The changes announced Tuesday represent a major step forward for the administration’s dismantling of the department, which has mainly involved cutting jobs since President Donald Trump called for its elimination with an executive action in March.

Six new agreements signed by the Education Department will effectively move billions of dollars in grant programs to other agencies. Most notable is one that will put the Department of Labor over some of the largest federal funding streams for K-12 schools, including Title I money for schools serving low-income communities.

Agents expand

NC crackdown

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Federal agents have expanded their North Carolina immigration crackdown to the area around the state capital of Raleigh. The crackdown spread fear in at least one one immigrant-heavy suburb where restaurants closed and many people stayed home.

The North Carolina operation began over the weekend in the state’s largest city, Charlotte, where officials said more than 130 people have been arrested. Mayor Janet Cowell said she did not know how large the operation would be or how long agents would be present.