April Jefferson

Freelance Journalist · Chicago, IL

PureSource News LLC

April Jefferson is a freelance journalist in Chicago who covers government, business, courts, and issues affecting urban communities. Her reporting has included public institutions, municipal decisions, economic developments, and community level consequences of changes in public policy. Jefferson takes a research driven approach to reporting, working from original documents and multiple sources whenever possible and focusing on presenting complicated subjects in language that is accessible to general readers.

Articles by April Jefferson

137 published articles — showing the 24 most recent

Pentagon Releases 71 UAP Files With New Waiver us Technology SEP 19, 2026

Pentagon Releases 71 UAP Files With New Waiver

The Pentagon released 71 files on unidentified anomalous phenomena, including documents from 1952 to 2025. A new legal waiver now allows personnel to share information without violating non-disclosure agreements.

world Conflict (War) SEP 19, 2026

Vucic Opens Israeli Drone Factory in Belgrade

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic inaugurated an assembly factory for Israeli-made drones in Belgrade on Thursday. The facility will employ 100 people and produce equipment for Serbian and foreign armed forces.

Florida Adopts New Pollution Plans for Nine Springs us Environment SEP 19, 2026

Florida Adopts New Pollution Plans for Nine Springs

Florida will implement new Basin Management Action Plans for nine springs to reduce nitrogen pollution from agriculture and septic systems.

Justice Department Warns Unregistered Foreign Agents Face Prison us Crime SEP 19, 2026

Justice Department Warns Unregistered Foreign Agents Face Prison

The Justice Department reminded individuals acting for foreign governments to register or face up to five years in prison.

Anduril Halts Fury Drone Production Pending 2027 Funding us Technology SEP 19, 2026

Anduril Halts Fury Drone Production Pending 2027 Funding

Anduril officials state FQ-44 Fury drone production cannot start until Congress approves fiscal year 2027 funding. The Air Force requested $996.5 million to initiate procurement for the autonomous aircraft program.

Fix Our Forests Act Awaits Senate Vote After House Passage us Politics SEP 19, 2026

Fix Our Forests Act Awaits Senate Vote After House Passage

The Fix Our Forests Act awaits a Senate vote after passing the House with strong Republican support. The bill aims to speed up forest management by reducing regulatory hurdles for projects in high fire risk areas.

Stanton Declares New Era of Pentagon Cyber Readiness us Technology SEP 19, 2026

Stanton Declares New Era of Pentagon Cyber Readiness

Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton declared a new era of cyber readiness for the Pentagon due to AI risks. Zero-day vulnerabilities have increased by a factor of ten.

Joe diGenova Resigns From Justice Department Probe Role in Florida us Politics SEP 19, 2026

Joe diGenova Resigns From Justice Department Probe Role in Florida

Joe diGenova resigned Thursday after five months leading a Florida investigation into alleged intelligence community conspiracies.

Prime Line, Ferrarini Recall Pork for Listeria Risk us Health SEP 19, 2026

Prime Line, Ferrarini Recall Pork for Listeria Risk

Prime Line Distributors and Ferrarini USA recalled 1,513 pounds of imported pork guanciale due to potential Listeria contamination.

Police Detain Six in Tirana Clash For Resort world Politics SEP 19, 2026

Police Detain Six in Tirana Clash For Resort

Albanian police detained six people Tuesday after protesters threw eggs and tomatoes while blocking lawmakers in Tirana. The demonstration marked the 100th day of rallies against a coastal resort project.

Belgium Association Withdraws Support for Infantino Re-election Bid world Sports SEP 19, 2026

Belgium Association Withdraws Support for Infantino Re-election Bid

The Royal Belgian Football Association withdrew support for Gianni Infantino's 2027 re-election bid on September 7, 2026, citing concerns over the FIFA Forward Enterprise and the reversed suspension of Folarin Balogun.

NYPD Ends Brooklyn Parade at 5:30 P.M. to Curb Violence metro Lifestyle SEP 19, 2026

NYPD Ends Brooklyn Parade at 5:30 P.M. to Curb Violence

Thousands of police officers enforced a mandated 5:30 p.m. end time for the West Indian American Day Parade on Monday. This early conclusion directly responds to three shootings that occurred after last year's festivities ended.

Mosteller Sentenced to 19 Months in Michigan for Cooper Death us Crime SEP 19, 2026

Mosteller Sentenced to 19 Months in Michigan for Cooper Death

Jeffrey Mosteller received a 19-month prison sentence in September 2026 for his role in the death of Thomas Cooper in Michigan. The plea agreement resolves one criminal case while three other defendants await trial on murder charges.

Alphabet Profit Rises on TPU Sales, Gemini Momentum us Business SEP 19, 2026

Alphabet Profit Rises on TPU Sales, Gemini Momentum

Alphabet Inc. stock rose in the second quarter of 2026 due to strong results and expanding TPU sales. The company's market capitalization reached approximately $4.14 trillion as of early September 2026.

CISA Orders Mitigation for Chromium V8 Flaw by Sept. 18 us Technology SEP 19, 2026

CISA Orders Mitigation for Chromium V8 Flaw by Sept. 18

CISA mandated federal agencies and critical infrastructure operators to mitigate CVE-2026-85046 by September 18, 2026. Entities must discontinue product use if mitigations remain unavailable to prevent remote code execution.

Massachusetts Voters Face Nine Ballot Questions in 2026 state Politics SEP 19, 2026

Massachusetts Voters Face Nine Ballot Questions in 2026

Massachusetts voters will decide nine ballot questions and fill federal and state offices on Nov. 3, 2026. The registration deadline is Oct. 24, with early voting running from Oct. 17 through Oct. 30.

Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge in Liberia Checks Former Research Chimps world Health SEP 19, 2026

Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge in Liberia Checks Former Research Chimps

Veterinarians performed comprehensive health exams on chimpanzees at Liberia's Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge. The procedures provided medical care for 60 survivors of past hepatitis B vaccine experiments.

Jani Study Finds Alcohol Cancer Deaths Doubled Since 1990 in U.S. us Health SEP 19, 2026

Jani Study Finds Alcohol Cancer Deaths Doubled Since 1990 in U.S.

Chinmay T. Jani reports alcohol-attributable cancer deaths doubled in U.S. adults from 1990 to 2023. Colorectal cancer became the top cause for men under 55 as rates rose.

world Conflict (War) SEP 19, 2026

SPLM-North Claims Kauda Control After Attacks Kill 21 in South Kordofan, Sudan

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North claimed control of Kauda after attacks killed at least 21 people. The group aligned with the Rapid Support Forces' local government and did not commit to the ceasefire.

FBI Probes Sale of 153 Million Licenses on Dark Web us Technology SEP 19, 2026

FBI Probes Sale of 153 Million Licenses on Dark Web

The FBI is investigating a dark web sale of 153 million driver's licenses linked to IDScan.net. Four lawsuits were filed against the verification firm as experts warn the data poses long-term risks.

Galveston County Jury Sentences Elmore to 20 Years metro Crime SEP 19, 2026

Galveston County Jury Sentences Elmore to 20 Years

A Galveston County jury sentenced James Dolphs Elmore Jr. to 20 years in prison for the 1986 manslaughter of Laura Miller.

Justice Dept Requires States Report Unlawful Immigrants us Politics SEP 19, 2026

Justice Dept Requires States Report Unlawful Immigrants

The US Department of Justice issued an opinion requiring states to report unlawfully present individuals to Homeland Security. Non-compliance could result in the loss of over $76 billion in annual federal welfare funding.

Emil Michael Sells Perplexity Shares While Serving in U.S. Defense Role us Technology SEP 19, 2026

Emil Michael Sells Perplexity Shares While Serving in U.S. Defense Role

Emil Michael sold Perplexity shares for up to $25 million in June 2025 while serving as the Pentagon's top artificial intelligence official.

Angie Nixon Wins Florida Democratic Senate Primary us Politics SEP 19, 2026

Angie Nixon Wins Florida Democratic Senate Primary

Angie Nixon defeated Alex Vindman in the Florida Democratic Senate primary on August 18, 2026. She raised less than $1 million to beat Vindman's $16 million campaign and will face Senator Ashley Moody.