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Republican legislatures flex muscles to maintain power in two closely divided states

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) — In 2020, North Carolina seemed the model of an evenly-divided swing state. Then-President Donald Trump barely won, beating Democrat Joe Biden by just over a percentage point. Meanwhile, the state’s Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, won reelection by a relatively comfortable 5 points.Even last year, as Republicans won two seats on the state Supreme Court, North Carolina’s congressional delegation split evenly between Democrats and the GOP. But it’s the Republican Party that is making the decisions in the state, thanks to recent seat gains in the legislature and aggressive stances from GOP lawmakers. It has passed voting changes over Democrats’ objections and this week could vote to wrest power from the governor over how the state’s elections are run.In both cases, Republicans are expected to override the governor’s veto thanks to their legislative supermajorities. Those major changes will come on the heels of similar p...

Judge to hold hearing on ex-DOJ official’s request to move Georgia election case to federal court

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge who rejected efforts by former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to move his charges in the Georgia election subversion case to federal court is set to hear arguments Monday from former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark on the same issue.Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has accused Clark and Meadows, along with former President Donald Trump and 16 others, of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory and keep Trump in power. The 41-count indictment includes charges under the state’s anti-racketeering law. All 19 defendants have pleaded not guilty.Clark is one of five defendants seeking to move his case to federal court. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, who will preside over Monday’s hearing, rejected Meadows’ attempt for removal earlier this month, saying the actions outlined in the indictment were taken on behalf of the Trump campaign and ...

In a state used to hurricanes and flooding, Louisiana is battling an unprecedented wildfire season

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana, typically one of the wettest states in the country, is on fire.In communities often challenged by flooding and hurricanes this time of year, firefighters instead are fending off 300-foot-tall (91.44 meters) blazes during an unprecedented wildfire season, which isn’t even halfway over. Stoked by record-breaking heat, drought and plentiful dry vegetation to fuel the flames, more than 550 fires — in August alone — ravaged tens of thousands of acres of Louisiana land, engulfed homes and forced entire towns to evacuate.Louisiana’s excessive wildfire season is just one climate disaster in a summer of weather anomalies that have plagued the country — a tropical storm watch issued for southern California, destructive flooding in the Northeast and the fatal wildfires in Maui, the deadliest in the country in over a century. More extreme weather events are happening across the globe, from longer, more intense and more frequent droughts and heat waves to...

North Carolina Republicans seek control over state and local election boards ahead of 2024

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Republicans who control the North Carolina legislature with veto-proof majorities are close to wresting supervision of elections from the governor and the governor’s party — almost always the Democrats for over a century.A bill that could reach Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk this week would, among other changes, take away from him and future governors the power to appoint members of the State Board of Elections. It would give that authority to legislative leaders instead.The legislation also could lead to the ouster of the top elections administrator ahead of the next presidential election in a state where former President Donald Trump squeezed out a razor-thin win over Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. North Carolina was Trump’s narrowest victory that year, raising hopes among Democrats that Biden could win there in 2024.GOP attempts since 2016 to erode Cooper’s election board power have been struck down by courts or defeated by voters in a statewide referendum.Cooper ...

Vigil held in honor of slain 31-year-old model

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

Family, friends and supporters gathered in downtown Los Angeles Sunday evening to honor the life of model and real-estate agent Maleesa Mooney, whose death is being investigated as a homicide.  The 31-year-old was discovered dead inside her apartment at the Sky at Bunker Hill complex in the 200 block of South Figueroa Street at around 4 p.m. on Sept. 12. Police were asked to conduct a welfare check after she abruptly stopped answering calls or texts from her family.  Police did not release any details about any injuries or a possible cause of death for Mooney, however they did confirm that the incident was being investigated as a homicide.31-year-old aspiring model and real estate agent Maleesa Mooney was found dead in her DTLA apartmentJust three days later, authorities announced the death of another model, 32-year-old Nichole “Nikki” Coats. Coats was found dead in her apartment by concerned family members on Sept. 10 after she wouldn’t answer attempts to contact her...

Where DC region schools landed in 2023’s US News Best College rankings

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

Photo shows Burruss Hall on the Virginia Tech University campus in Blacksburg. (Shutterstock.com/Kristi Blokhin via InsideNova) Photo shows Burruss Hall on the Virginia Tech University campus in Blacksburg. (Shutterstock.com/Kristi Blokhin via InsideNova) Making a plan with your teen to go on college tours this school year? The U.S. News and World Report has released its Best College rankings of 2024, and this year, it’s focused on graduation rates, post-graduation success and graduating with manageable debt.U.S. News said in a press release that this “greater emphasis on social mobility and outcomes for graduating college students” marks the largest change in methodology since the ranking was or...

Today in History: September 18, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

Today in History Today is Monday, Sept. 18, the 261st day of 2023. There are 104 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Sept. 18, 2020, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a towering women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice, died at her home in Washington at the age of 87 of complications from pancreatic cancer.On this date: In A.D. 14, the Roman Senate officially confirmed Tiberius as the second emperor of the Roman Empire, succeeding the late Augustus. In 1793, President George Washington laid the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol. In 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, which created a force of federal commissioners charged with returning escaped slaves to their owners. In 1851, the first edition of The New York Times was published. In 1947, the National Security Act, which created a National Military Establishment and the position of Secretary of Defense, went into effect. In 1961, United Nations Secretary-General Dag Ha...

‘The building will be rebuilt:’ Repairs underway after spate of six fires

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

Six separate “suspicious fires” at two shopping centers in Gaithersburg, Maryland, this weekend left store and building owners with a lot of work to do in the week ahead.The spate of fires started around 2:30 a.m. Sunday at the Holbrook Center across from Gaithersburg High School, according to the Montgomery County Fire Department. Around an hour later, more fires were reported at another shopping center at 3 Russell Avenue in Gaithersburg.“It was difficult to actually come and to see it so badly damaged and understand — or even begin to understand — why somebody would do such damage for no particular reason,” Mary Covell, the owner of the building on Russell Avenue, said.A person of interest is in custody, but Montgomery County Fire and Rescue have not identified the individual, nor their relation to the fires.Covell said the the fires were rattling to the business owners affected.“It’s frightening,” Covell said. “It’s frighteni...

Patriots react to rare 0-2 start: ‘Something’s got to happen’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

FOXBORO — The Patriots are tired.Frustrated. Hoping for better. Eager for more.The Pats have the look and sound of an 0-2 team, which they became after Sunday’s loss to Miami. They’re 0-2 for the first time since 2001. Several players gave voice to their frustration and disappointment after the game.Below is a sampling of player reaction from the locker room and post-game press conferences:QB Mac Jones“I think, obviously, it sucks. But, really, when you’re close, you just have to do more, I think. Weight room, film, practice. Like, everyone just has to do more.  And hopefully if you do that, I mean, you know you did everything you could do, right? So at that point, some of it’s out of your control. Some of it is luck, some of it’s other things. But for us, just got to do more.”WR JuJu Smith-Schuster“We’re all very, very upset and very down about it, but there’s a lot of things to learn and a lot of things to grow and to imp...

Mac Jones’ plan to make sure Patriots don’t spiral after two tough losses

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

FOXBORO — Mac Jones sat facing his locker, towel over head in full uniform 20 minutes after the Patriots’ latest distressing loss.Last week, the Patriots lost after rookie wide receiver couldn’t get a second foot in bounds on fourth down. This week, they lost after officials determined that guard Cole Strange came inches away from the first-down marker after a heads-up lateral from tight end Mike Gesicki on fourth down in the 24-17 loss.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots react to wild overturned play that sealed loss to Dolphins New England Patriots | Bill Belichick offers alternate reasons for Patriots rookie Demario Douglas’ apparent benching New England Patriots | Callahan: Patriots offense fails to deliver again, puts season in danger New England Patriots | Patriots can’t finish comeback, fall to Dolphins in 24-17 heartbreaker New England Patriots | Patriots inactives: Three start...