US Senate votes to expand radiation

Nov 08, 2023

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Senate has endorsed a major expansion of a compensation program for people sickened by exposure to radiation during nuclear weapons testing and the mining of uranium during the Cold War, with a vote Thursday on a massive defense spending bill.

Advancing on a 86-11 Senate vote, the provisions would extend health care coverage and compensation to so-called downwinders exposed to radiation during weapons testing to several new regions stretching from Guam to the New Mexico site where the world’s first atomic bomb was tested in 1945.

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A judge has ordered criminal charges dropped against the final executive accused of lying about problems building two nuclear reactors in South Carolina that were abandoned without generating a watt of power. The judge says she tossed the charges Wednesday because ratepayers of the utility that lost billions of dollars on the project were improperly allowed on the grand jury that indicted Westinghouse Electric Co. executive Jeffrey Benjamin. But federal judge Mary Geiger Lewis also ruled nothing is stopping prosecutors from properly seeking another indictment. Prosecutors say they are not going away as they review the ruling. Benjamin's attorneys praised the judge for protecting his rights.

North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop has announced he'll run for state attorney general next year rather than seek to remain in Congress. Bishop confirmed his bid on Thursday on a Charlotte radio station. The Republican former state legislator is a member of the House Freedom Caucus that's been pressuring House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from the right. His 8th Congressional District east of Charlotte is solidly conservative. Bishop says he sees the AG's post as a way to counter federal overreach and buttress law enforcement during a time of increasing violence. Current Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein is running for governor next year.

In "Shortcomings," a delighted film festival crowd gets an early peek at what is very clearly meant to be "Crazy Rich Asians," the 2018 romantic comedy that would go on to be a cross-cultural blockbuster.

Phoenix hosts the Atlanta Dream after Diana Taurasi scored 29 points in the Phoenix Mercury's 72-71 loss to the Indiana Fever. Thursday's game will be the second meeting this season between the two teams. The Dream won the last matchup 78-65. Phoenix is 5-6 at home, and Atlanta is 7-6 on the road.

Dallas hosts the Chicago Sky after Arike Ogunbowale scored 27 points in the Dallas Wings' 76-65 win against the Seattle Storm. Friday's game is the second meeting this season between the two teams. The Sky won the last matchup 94-88. Dallas is 9-3 at home, and Chicago is 5-6 on the road.

In the picturesque town of Sale, the shock and euphoria of Morocco’s soccer team advancing to the knockout round of the Women’s World Cup were palpable. At the Hollywood cafe, Ghita Alaoui says “We did not expect this accomplishment.” Especially after a 6-0 loss to Germany in the opener. But a 1-0 victory over Colombia on Thursday propelled Morocco beyond the group stage — a first for an Arab or North African nation. While men’s soccer has long been the dominant sport in Morocco, reactions to the women’s success have shown a remarkable shift.

What sounds like a standard biopic takes an unexpected turn in Minnesota filmmaker Bill Pohlad's "Dreamin' Wild."

A U.S. judge blocked a proposed water pipeline through a wilderness area in southwest Montana that was intended to help a rare fish species that’s seen sharp declines due to habitat loss, warming temperatures and other pressures. The mile-long pipeline was intended to move oxygenated water that’s beneficial for fish from a creek to a lake in the Red Rock Lakes Wilderness. The judge said Wednesday that environmentalists raised valid concerns that the pipeline and its construction would disturb the wilderness area, where motor vehicles and structures are largely prohibited under federal law. The number of grayling in Montana’s Centennial Valley plummeted from more than 1,100 fish in 2015 to 73 fish last year.

Philippine troops have found the wreckage of a small plane and retrieved the bodies of its Filipino trainer pilot and his Indian student after a three-day search that was hampered by bad weather. Officials said Thursday that the Cessna 152 crashed in a hinterland village near Luna town in the mountainous northern province of Apayao, which lies east of Ilocos Norte province, where the plane took off on Tuesday. Army troops, police and volunteers launched a search after the two-seater plane failed to land three hours later as expected in Cagayan province near Apayao. Two aerial searches were called off due to strong wind, heavy rains and poor visibility, officials said.

The Pittsburgh synagogue gunman has been sentenced to death for killing 11 in the nation’s deadliest attack on Jews.

U.S. officials says two U.S. Navy sailors have been arrested on charges related to national security and tied to China. The officials were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The officials say a 22-year-old sailor assigned to a ship in San Diego was arrested Wednesday on a charge related to espionage involving conspiracy to send national defense information to Chinese officials. Officials say another sailor was arrested at Naval Base Ventura County north of Los Angeles and charged with conspiracy and receipt of a bribe from a Chinese official. It was unclear whether the two cases were related. The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment. Federal officials were expected to release more details at a press conference later Thursday.

Jonathan Majors’ domestic violence case will go to trial in September, a month later than initially planned.

Thursday

MINNEAPOLIS — There was something missing from the "Barbie" movie: dads.

US military considers rare plan to put armed troops on civilian ships in effort to stop Iran seizures, officials tell AP.

The U.S. military is considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, in what would be an unheard of action aimed at stopping Iran from seizing and harassing civilian vessels. That's what four American officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. If implemented, it would be an extraordinary step by the Pentagon as it grapples with a renewed effort by Iran to harass and seize ships traveling in the strait, through which 20% of all the world’s crude oil passes. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP about the U.S. proposal.

Here are the bestsellers for the week that ended Saturday, July 29, compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide, powered by Circana BookScan © 2023 Circana.

A Michigan attorney and supporter former President Donald Trump has been charged in connection with voting machines in Michigan following the 2020 election, according to court records. Stefanie Lambert is the third suspect to be charged in the case involving accessing and tampering with voting machines. A former GOP state attorney general candidate, and a former state representative were charged earlier this week. Prosecutors say those charged worked to illegally take five vote tabulators from various Michigan counties. Some of the defendants had argued that local clerks gave them permission. Investigators say they broke into the voting machines and performed so-called “tests.” A Republican-led investigation in Michigan upheld the 2020 election results there.

Federal prosecutors say a Connecticut man was given nearly $300,000 in fraudulent Home Depot credit by walking into stores in several states, taking expensive doors and then returning them without a receipt. The U.S. attorney’s office in Rhode Island says 26-year-old Alexandre Henrique Costa-Mota was detained without bail after a judge entered not-guilty pleas on his behalf to wire fraud charges. Prosecutors allege he walked into the stores, grabbed expensive doors and immediately returned them for credit. Prosecutors allege he sometimes took doors without paying and returned them at different Home Deport stores. His attorney did not immediately comment.

Publishers Weekly Best Selling Books for the week ending July 29th

Colombia’s government and the National Liberation Army, or ELN, have formally begun a six-month cease-fire as part of a process to forge a permanent peace between authorities and the country’s last remaining rebel group. The cease-fire agreement was announced June 9 during talks in Havana. It comes amid skepticism among many Colombians that the peace process can fully end an insurgency dating back to the 1960s or halt the alleged involvement of the group’s estimated 5,000 remaining members in drug trafficking. The ELN leadership denies involvement in the drug trade. The agreement also sets up a broadly representative national committee to discuss a lasting solution to the conflict.

An approved Pennsylvania spending plan appeared within reach after Senate Republican leaders decided to summon their colleagues back to the Capitol to complete the work they held up when budget negotiations with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro soured a month ago. The Senate is due back Thursday afternoon. Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward of Westmoreland County says that after continued conversations with the governor, the Senate would return to finalize the spending plan. That would allow millions of dollars to begin flowing to counties and school districts that were preparing to empty out their reserves or consider taking out loans to continue necessary operations.

A group of drag performers and LGBTQ+ rights advocates are suing to block a new Texas law that expands what is considered an illegal public performance of sexual conduct. They argue it will be used to target drag shows but could also criminalize ballet and even cheerleading. The federal lawsuit filed in Houston by the American Civil Liberties Union argues the Texas law is unconstitutional and threatens the livelihood and free expression" of drag performers and others. The law is set to take effect Sept. 1. Supporters of the bill say it protects children from seeing sexually explicit content

DETROIT — This weekend one of the city's most stunning live music venues will welcome living legend Smokey Robinson to the stage, a show that is being billed as the 35th anniversary of the Fox Theatre's rebirth.

Carl Davis, the American composer and conductor behind the scores for numerous award-winning British television shows and movies, including 1973’s “The World at War,” a hugely influential documentary series about World War II, has died. He was 86. In a statement, his family said Davis, who was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005 by the late Queen Elizabeth II, died Thursday in Oxford following a brain hemorrhage. His most prominent television work is his score for “The World at War,” which was narrated by Laurence Olivier and broadcast over 26 weeks. His foreboding theme music set the tone for the factual non-sensationalist horror to come.

Authorities are stepping up security at the federal courthouse in Washington hours before Donald Trump is set to surrender and face a judge on felony charges accusing him of trying to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss. Dozens of police officers and vehicles were stationed Thursday morning near the courthouse, where Trump is expected to be processed and appear in court on charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of Congress. Law enforcement has set up bike racks near the courthouse to limit movement and police were patrolling the area by car, bike and foot.

Those ads showing caged dogs and desperate looking cats while Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” played in the background have been not just effective at making viewers sad, but also remarkably successful at raising money for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals since 2007. However, a new study shows other strategies may also be effective at motivating people to give. The study from Nathan Chan, assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Casey Wichman, assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, found that people in good moods are more likely to donate to a charitable cause.

ROSEVILLE, Calif., Aug. 3, 2023 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — US Kidney Research Corporation (USKRC) is delighted to announce new groundbreaking research as part of a contract with the University of Arkansas (U of A) resulting in the development of an ultrafiltration membrane with diverse filterin…

Country superstar Keith Urban and Kix Brooks of powerhouse country duo Brooks & Dunn will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame this year. The organization announced its newest inductees on Thursday. They also include Casey Beathard and David Lee Murphy, in the contemporary songwriter category, and Rafe Van Hoy in the veteran songwriter category. They will be formally inducted on October 11 during the 53rd Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala held at the Music City Center.

Simone Biles' return to compeitive gymnastics has renewed the conversation around “the twisties” that forced her to take herself out of multiple events at the 2020 Olympics. It happens when a gymnast suddenly loses their air awareness while trying to complete twisting elements in their routines. Biles says “the twisties” are behind her going into an event this weekend. Not every gymnast makes it back. Gage Dyer was attempting to make the U.S.'s 2021 world championship team when “the twisties” appeared out of nowhere. Within six months, Dyer, a two-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma, had retired.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 3, 2023--

Swedish media are reporting that an Eritrea-themed cultural festival in Stockholm took a turbulent turn when about a thousand anti-Eritrean government protesters stormed the event. Swedish police said there was no immediate reports of any injuries. But Swedish newspapers said several people were hurt in connection with what the publications described as a riot. The news outlets say the protesters set fire to booths, tore down tent shelters and threw rocks at the outdoor site of the Festival Eritrea Scandinavia. The annual event that has been held since the 1990s. Sweden is home to tens of thousands of people with Eritrean roots.

Producers of “The Daily Show” apparently didn’t have to cast such a wide net to find Trevor Noah’s replacement. Former correspondent Hasan Minhaj is reportedly being strongly considered for the plum Comedy Central hosting gig.

Thursday

The Atlanta mayor’s personal training center task force wrapped up on Wednesday after finalizing a variety of recommendations on ways to improve the planned facility.

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