Amid concerns about crime and public safety, at least two major U.S. cities recently considered banning ski masks or balaclavas to prevent criminal behavior, despite a lack of academic research about the effectiveness of such bans.

OMAHA — Preston Love Jr., a longtime advocate for North Omaha, is running again for the U.S. Senate, four years after stepping in as a write-in candidate for Nebraska Democrats in 2020.

Love’s campaign confirmed Thursday that he is announcing his bid Jan. 17. He is the highest-profile Democrat running for a seat held by Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, a former governor who was appointed to the seat in January 2023.

WASHINGTON —  A deal on changes to immigration policy remained elusive Tuesday for top U.S. Senate negotiators.

Those leading the talks — Sens. James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut and Kyrsten Sinema, independent of Arizona — have worked for weeks to strike a deal between the White House and Senate Republicans on immigration policy changes at the U.S. Southern border.

Congress was on a break for the holidays but returned this week.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts on Sunday turned his focus to the promise, and shortcomings, of artificial intelligence in the federal courts, in an annual report that made no mention of Supreme Court ethics or legal controversies involving Donald Trump.