Jul 25 Bill strengthening oversight of crisis-plagued federal prisons signed into law By Michael Sisak, Michael Balsamo, Associated Press The Federal Prison Oversight Act establishes an independent ombudsman to field and investigate complaints after sexual assaults and other criminal misconduct by staff, escapes and high-profile deaths. Continue reading
Jul 25 Inmates at Louisiana’s Angola prison sue to end working farm lines in brutal heat By Margie Mason, Robin McDowell, Associated Press As daily temperatures hit record highs across much of the South, a federal judge has taken an unusual step, challenging the treatment of mostly Black incarcerated workers in the fields. Continue reading
Jul 25 Wind power can be a major source of tax revenue, but officials struggle to get communities invested By Melina Walling, Mary Katherine Wildeman, Associated Press An Associated Press analysis of county tax data from local governments in Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska found wind companies rank among the biggest taxpayers in many rural communities, with their total tax bills at times outstripping that of large farms,… Continue reading
Jul 25 Church sues Colorado town in order to continue sheltering homeless in trailers By Colleen Slevin, Associated Press Echoing arguments made by other churches trying to serve the homeless from Oregon to Ohio, the Colorado church argues that helping those in need is religious activity protected by the Constitution. Continue reading
Jul 25 Uvalde school police officer pleads not guilty to charges related to 2022 mass shooting By Nadia Lathan, Jim Vertuno, Associated Press Some of the victims' families have spent more than two years pressing for officers to face charges after 19 children and two teachers were killed inside the fourth grade classroom. Some have called for more officers to be charged. Continue reading
Jul 25 Wildfires prompt California evacuations as crews battle fires in Oregon, Idaho By Rebecca Boone, Associated Press Evacuations were ordered in California's Butte and Tehama counties as crews battled a fire reported near Chico just before 3 p.m. Wednesday. Continue reading
Jul 24 U.S. prosecutors file details of Boeing’s plea deal related to 737 Max crashes By David Koenig, Associated Press The Justice Department submitted an agreement with Boeing on Wednesday in which the aerospace giant will plead guilty to a fraud charge for misleading U.S. regulators who approved the 737 Max jetliner before two of the planes crashed, killing 346… Continue reading
Jul 24 Watch 5:59 COVID infections spike, raising concerns of another summer surge By William Brangham, Karina Cuevas, Azhar Merchant A COVID summer wave has spread across most of the U.S. and western states are seeing particularly high numbers of infections. With more people traveling for the summer and gathering in large groups, public health officials are concerned these numbers… Continue watching
Jul 24 Watch 7:42 More young, Black Americans taking their lives amid lack of resources, study finds By Fred de Sam Lazaro, Sam Lane, Ryan Connelly Holmes, Mekhi Hill For years, experts have warned about a growing mental health crisis among America’s young people. But within that trend, there are important signals about racial disparities. Between 2018 and 2022, the suicide rate among Black youth rose by more than… Continue watching
Jul 24 Weak profit reports from big tech companies send stocks tumbling on Wall Street By Stan Choe, Alex Veiga, Associated Press A wipeout on Wednesday sent U.S. stock indexes to their worst losses since 2022 after profit reports from Tesla and Alphabet helped suck momentum from Wall Street’s frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology. Continue reading