Nation

Court to decide if border wall can go next to river

Published on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 4:19pm
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HOUSTON (AP) — For Tommy Fisher, a federal court hearing set for Thursday next to the U.S.-Mexico border could result in his company getting a chance to prove it can build President Donald Trump’s signature border wall faster and better than the government.

For environmentalists and some landowners in South Texas, the hearing could clear the way for a project that they say could cause flooding and destroy their property. 

Weinstein judge won’t step aside as jury selection resumes

Published on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 4:18pm

NEW YORK (AP) — The judge in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial declined the defense’s request that he step aside as jury selection dipped into a third day Thursday.

Judge James Burke announced his decision Thursday, a day after Weinstein’s lawyers sent him a letter asking that he remove himself from the case. They objected to comments Burke made when he threatened to jail Weinstein for ignoring a court order barring texting in the courtroom.

Weinstein’s lawyers blasted the judge’s comments as “prejudicial and inflammatory,” and raised questions about his impartiality.

Bill Cosby asks Pennsylvania high court to review conviction

Published on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 4:18pm

Comedian Bill Cosby filed an appeal Thursday of a court decision last month that upheld his conviction for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home.

The latest appeal — filed with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which does not have to take the case — focuses on four key trial issues, including the judge’s decision to let five other accusers testify and to send Cosby to trial despite what he called a binding agreement with an earlier prosecutor that he would not be charged in the case.

‘Obamacare’ mandate: Hot for lawyers, ho-hum to consumers

Published on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 4:17pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — The repeal of an unpopular fine for people without health insurance has had little impact on “Obamacare” sign-ups or premiums, a gap between the real world and legal arguments from conservatives again challenging the Affordable Care Act.

The 10-year-old law has proved more resilient than its creators or detractors imagined, even as the Supreme Court considers whether to take up the latest effort to roll it back.

Trebek: ‘Jeopardy!’ retirement isn’t imminent despite cancer

Published on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 4:16pm

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — The brief farewell that Alex Trebek says will close his final “Jeopardy!” episode isn’t on the horizon.

“I don’t foresee that 30-second moment coming up in the near future,” Trebek said Wednesday, referring to his request for time to close out his decades-long run with the quiz show.

Bieber says he’s battling Lyme disease

Published on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 4:16pm
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NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Bieber says that he has been battling Lyme disease.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the pop star wrote that “it’s been a rough couple years but (I’m) getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever.”

Pelosi says she will ‘soon’ transmit impeachment to Senate

Published on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 4:15pm
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WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she will “soon’’ transmit the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, but warned that Senate Republicans are rushing to acquittal without a fair trial.

Facebook refuses to ban political ads

Published on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 4:14pm
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Despite escalating pressure ahead of the 2020 presidential election, Facebook reaffirmed its freewheeling policy on political ads Thursday, saying it won’t ban them, won’t fact-check them and won’t limit how they can be targeted to specific groups of people.

Instead, Facebook said it will offer users slightly more control over how many political ads they see and make its online library of political ads easier to use.

Hanukkah stabbing suspect indicted on federal hate crimes

Published on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 12:00am

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal grand jury handed up hate crime charges Thursday against the man accused of stabbing five people with a machete during a Hanukkah celebration north of New York City. 

The indictment charges Grafton Thomas with five counts each of attempting to kill victims based on their religion and obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by attempting to kill with a dangerous weapon. 

Thomas, 37, also faces state charges in the Dec. 28 attack inside the home of a rabbi in Monsey, N.Y. He is being held without bail on the federal charges. 

US and Iran step back from the brink

Published on Wed, 01/08/2020 - 5:00pm
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and Iran stepped back from the brink of possible war Wednesday, as President Donald Trump indicated he would not respond militarily after no one was