State Headlines
Democratic US Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife are indicted over ties to Azerbaijan
Posted/updated on: May 5, 2024 at 8:13 amWASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife were indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges and taken into custody Friday in connection with a U.S. Department of Justice probe into the couple's ties to the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. From 2014 to 2021, Cuellar, 68, and his wife accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico, and in exchange, Cuellar agreed to advance the interests of the country and the bank in the U.S., according to the indictment. Among other things, Cuellar agreed to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House, the indictment states. The Department of Justice said the couple surrendered ... Read More
Justice Department warns it plans to sue Iowa over new state immigration law
Posted/updated on: May 5, 2024 at 8:13 amDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice has told Iowa's top officials it plans to sue the state over a new law making it a crime for a person to be in Iowa if they've previously been denied admission to the U.S. The statute interferes with the federal government's authority to enforce immigration law, according to the DOJ, which already sued Texas to block a similar measure. The DOJ informed Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and state Attorney General Brenna Bird that it intends to sue unless the state agrees by May 7 not enforce the law, according to a letter sent Thursday and first reported on by the Des Moines Register. Bird indicated Friday that the state is unlikely to agree to ... Read More
Hundreds rescued from Texas floods as forecast calls for more rain and rising water
Posted/updated on: May 5, 2024 at 8:55 amHOUSTON (AP) — High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that resulted in crews rescuing more than 400 people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water. Others prepared to evacuate their properties. A flood watch remained in effect through Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted additional rainfall Saturday night and the likelihood of major flooding in Harris County, the nation’s third-largest county which includes Houston, and nearby areas. Up to 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of additional rain was expected, with up to 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) possible in isolated areas. Houston authorities have not reported any deaths or injuries. Judge Lina Hidalgo, Harris County’s top elected official, said Saturday that 178 people and 122 pets had been rescued so far ... Read More
Police in Fort Worth say four children are among six people wounded in a drive-by shooting
Posted/updated on: May 5, 2024 at 8:13 amFORT WORTH (AP) — Four children are among six people wounded in a drive-by shooting at a Fort Worth, Texas, apartment complex, according to police. The six were shot about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and five were taken to a hospital while one refused treatment, according to Officer Brad Perez of the Fort Worth Police Department. Their conditions were not released, and Perez said in an email Thursday morning that police were still “gathering information” about the shooting. No arrests have been announced, but the shooting was called “stupid” by Police Chief Neil Noakes, who said he is sickened by the violence. “It makes me angry, I am mad," Noakes said. “There is absolutely no reason anybody should be conducting themselves in such a violent, careless, ... Read More
First wrongful-death trial in Travis Scott concert deaths delayed
Posted/updated on: May 5, 2024 at 8:13 amHOUSTON (AP) — The start of the first civil trial stemming from the 2021 Astroworld festival, at which 10 people were killed in a crowd surge, has been delayed. Jury selection had been set to begin next Tuesday in the wrongful-death lawsuit filed the family of Madison Dubiski, a 23-year-old Houston resident who was killed during the crowd crush at the Nov. 5, 2021, concert by rap superstar Travis Scott. But Apple Inc., one of the more than 20 defendants going to trial next week, filed an appeal this week, automatically delaying the start of jury selection. “Unless I hear differently, the trial is stayed,” state District Judge Kristen Hawkins said during a court hearing Thursday. Apple, which livestreamed Scott’s concert, is appealing a ruling ... Read More
Committee finds a decayed and broken utility pole caused largest wildfire in Texas history
Posted/updated on: May 5, 2024 at 8:13 amLUBBOCK (AP) — A decayed utility pole that broke, causing power wires to fall on dry grass in the Texas Panhandle, sparked the state’s largest wildfire in history, a Texas House committee confirmed Wednesday. And other poorly maintained power equipment sparked four additional fires across the region earlier this year, the committee said. The committee also found that a lack of readily available air support, ineffective communication from faulty equipment and coordination among agencies inhibited on-the-ground efforts to contain the Smokehouse Creek fire and others that ravaged the Panhandle earlier this year. In response, the committee made up of three House members and two landowners recommended the Legislature have more effective monitoring and rule enforcement to check “irresponsible” oil and gas operators and improve accountability ... Read More
Texas school board accepts separation agreement with superintendent
Posted/updated on: May 5, 2024 at 8:13 amSHERMAN (AP) — A school board in Texas has accepted a voluntary separation agreement with its superintendent who was suspended after removing a transgender student from a role in the musical “Oklahoma!” The school board said in a statement that it voted Wednesday “to accept a voluntary separation agreement with Superintendent Dr. Tyson Bennett,” who was suspended in March after the board opened an investigation into the decision to remove the student. “ The school district will continue to operate as normal in the best interest of students, staff and families,” according to the statement. Terms of the settlement were not revealed. The school board in November apologized and reinstated 17-year-old Max Hightower and the remainder of the original cast after a public outcry in ... Read More
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