News

By MICHAEL BIESECKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Louisiana wildlife officials say they have documented more than 100 oil-soaked birds after crude oil spilled from a refinery flooded during Hurricane Ida. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said Thursday that a growing number of oiled birds had been observed within heavy pockets of oil

By BEN FOX Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Transportation Security Administration is increasing the penalty for people who violate the mandate to wear masks on planes, trains and other forms of transportation to help stop the spread of COVID-19. President Joe Biden warns that violators should “be prepared to pay.” First-time offenders would face

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A former city commissioner who once ran the Florida Democratic Party will serve prison time for taking money from Uber and undercover FBI agents in exchange for his influence. A federal judge sentenced former Tallahassee Commissioner Scott Maddox to five years in prison on corruption charges.

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court has ruled that not guilty verdicts in criminal cases must be unanimous, marking a significant change in how jury trials are conducted in the U.S. territory. For nearly seven decades, Puerto Rico’s constitution has allowed a minimum of nine jurors

By SEAN MURPHY The Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s Supreme Court has agreed to hear a prosecutor’s request that two members of the state’s Pardon and Parole Board should not be allowed to vote on a high-profile death row inmate’s commutation hearing. Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater wants the high court to

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled Northern California county officials can’t stop trucks from delivering water to Hmong farmers who are illegally growing marijuana. The judge says the practice raises “serious questions” about racial discrimination and leaves the growers without a source of water for drinking, bathing and growing food. The judge

By DON THOMPSON Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California would bar police from using certain face-down holds that have led to multiple unintended deaths under a measure headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom. The bill expands on the state’s ban on chokeholds in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis policeman. The Assembly

By MARK PRATT Associated Press Beards aren’t just cool and trendy — they might also be an evolutionary development to help protect a man’s delicate facial bones from a punch to the face. That’s the conclusion of a trio of scientists from the University of Utah who are among the winners of this year’s spoof

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted former Kansas state Rep. Michael Capps on 19 counts alleging that he tried to defraud federal, state and county government organizations out of more than $450,000 in coronavirus relief funding. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Kansas said in a news release Thursday that the Wichita

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A new study finds that about a third of the female service members in the Air Force and Space Force say they’ve experienced sexual harassment and many can describe accounts of sexism and a stigma associated with pregnancy and maternity leave. The review, done by the