On the brink of a government shutdown, McCarthy pivots to a 45-day plan relying on Democratic help
WASHINGTON (AP) — On the brink of a federal government shutdown Speaker Kevin McCarthy has announced a dramatic pivot. The Republican leader will try on Saturday to push a 45-day funding bill through the House with Democratic help. It’s a move that could keep government open but most certainly risks his job as speaker. Hard-right Republicans in Congress have rejected any temporary measure. Senators also are at work in a rare weekend session. Without a deal in place by midnight, millions of federal workers will face furloughs and programs and services that Americans rely on will begin to face disruptions. The House is preparing for a quick vote, but Democrats want time to read the 71-page bill.
President Biden says the looming shutdown isn’t his fault. Will Americans agree with him?
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has pinned the blame for a looming government shutdown on House Republicans who’ve been paralyzed by their inability to pass a funding package. President Joe Biden is hoping the rest of the country will see things the same way. That’s an uncertain proposition at a time of extreme political polarization, when many Americans are dug into their partisan corners regardless of the facts of the matter. Biden already faces low poll numbers and concerns about the economy. A government shutdown that could begin Sunday would mean even more chaos in Washington at a time when he’s running for reelection.
The Supreme Court will take up abortion and gun cases in its new term while ethics concerns swirl
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is returning to a new term with familiar topics such as guns and abortion, as well as concerns about ethics swirling around the justices. The year also will have a heavy focus on social media and how free speech protections apply online. The new term begins on Monday. A big unknown is whether the court will be asked to weigh in on any aspect of the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump or on efforts in some states to keep Trump off the 2024 presidential ballot because of his role in trying to overturn the results of the last presidential contest.
Arrest in Tupac Shakur killing stemmed from Biggie Smalls death investigation
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The first arrest in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur had its roots in the investigation of the killing of Biggie Smalls. Duane Keffe D. Davis was arrested and charged with murder Friday, with prosecutors saying he ordered and masterminded the Shakur killing. Retired Los Angeles police detective Greg Kading tells The Associated Press that he interviewed Davis as a person of interest in the Biggie Smalls shooting death. The detective says Davis revealed his role in the Shakur killing in that interview, then said the same thing in public interviews and a memoir. That gave new life to the Las Vegas investigation, and led to his arrest and indictment.
The Dianne Feinstein they knew: Women of the Senate remember a tireless fighter and a true friend
WASHINGTON (AP) — In tributes to Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death, her female colleagues talked about her indomitable, fierce intelligence and how she had paved the way for so many women. But colleagues also mentioned their private times with the California Democrat that were at odds with Feinstein’s tough public persona. They spoke of how she would invite them out to dinners and sometimes give them the clothes off her back. Feinstein was the first female mayor of San Francisco, one of California’s first two female senators and the first female chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The 90-year-old Feinstein died on Thursday night at her home in Washington.
New York stunned and swamped by record-breaking rainfall as more downpours are expected
NEW YORK (AP) — One of New York’s wettest days in decades has left the metropolitan area stunned and swamped. Heavy rainfall on Friday knocked out several subway and commuter rail lines, stranded drivers on highways, flooded basements and shuttered a terminal at LaGuardia Airport for hours. Some 8.65 inches of rain had fallen at John F. Kennedy Airport by nightfall. The National Weather Service says Friday’s weather broke the airport’s rainfall record for any September day. More downpours were expected Saturday. The deluge came two years after the remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped record-breaking rain on the Northeast and killed at least 13 people in New York City.
Anti-abortion groups are at odds on strategies ahead of Ohio vote. It could be a preview for 2024
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Abortion opponents in Ohio are at odds over how to frame their opposition to a reproductive rights amendment on the state’s November ballot and over longer-term goals on how severely they would restrict the procedure. The disagreements come just six weeks before Election Day and they’re providing a window into the challenges that the wider movement is preparing to navigate next year. Initiatives to protect reproductive rights are expected in multiple states and abortion will be a central issue in candidate races up and down the ballot, including for president.
Pope Francis creates 21 new cardinals who will help him to reform the church and cement his legacy
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has presided over a ceremony to create 21 new cardinals. They include key figures at the Vatican and in the field who will help enact his reforms and cement his legacy. With the ceremony Francis has further expanded his influence on the College of Cardinals who will one day elect his successor. Nearly three-quarters of the voting-age “princes of the church” owe their red hats to the Argentine Jesuit. Among the new cardinals is the controversial new head of the Vatican’s doctrine office, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez. Leaders of the church in geopolitical hotspots like Hong Kong, Jerusalem and South Sudan filled out the roster. Francis said their variety and geographic diversity would serve the church like musicians in an orchestra.
When Kula needed water to stop wildfire, it got a trickle. Many other US cities are also vulnerable
Hours before fires largely destroyed the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina, residents of another part of Maui were trying to stop flames reaching their homes despite a frustrating loss of pressure in their water system. Officials say when electricity was knocked out, the lack of backup power for pumps seriously hindered firefighting efforts in Kula. The scale of damage and loss was far smaller than in Lahaina, where at least 97 people died. But Kula’s experience highlighted a vulnerability that exists in many water systems across the United States. Experts say adding backup power to water systems is expensive, and it’s not required.
Becky G proudly shows her roots in ‘Esquinas,’ inspired by regional Mexican music
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Growing up on the border between Mexico and the United States, Becky G spoke English, but sang corridos, boleros and mariachi in Spanish. All her life she dreamed of an album that would honor her family’s roots and delve into those genres that she enjoys so much. On “Esquinas,” that dream has become a reality. The album released Thursday. “A lot of the times they would tell me that I am too Mexican to be American or too American to be Mexican and that you can’t be in the middle,” Becky G told the Associated Press.
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