National News

National News

Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson (from left), Sen. Ed Markey, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and Rep. Mondaire Jones announce legislation Thursday to expand the number of seats on the U.S. Supreme Court outside the high court. CREDIT: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Democrats Unveil Long-Shot Plan To Expand Size Of Supreme Court From 9 To 13

Liberal congressional Democrats unveiled a proposal Thursday to expand the number of seats on the U.S. Supreme Court from nine to 13 — a move Republicans have blasted as “court packing” and which has almost no chance of being voted on after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she has “no plans to bring it to the floor. Continue Reading Democrats Unveil Long-Shot Plan To Expand Size Of Supreme Court From 9 To 13

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File photo, March 2, 2020: Farmer Ben DuVal with his wife, Erika, and their daughters, Hannah, third from left, and Helena, fourth from left, stand near a canal for collecting run-off water near their property in Tulelake, Calif. Federal officials announced in April 2021 that farmers who rely on a massive irrigation project spanning the Oregon-California border will get 8% of the deliveries they need amid a severe drought. CREDIT: Gillian Flaccus/AP

Epic Drought Means Water Crisis For Parts Of The West Coast, Though Much Of Northwest Is OK

Hundreds of farmers who rely on a massive irrigation project that spans the Oregon-California border learned Wednesday they will get a tiny fraction of the water they need amid the worst drought in decades, as federal regulators attempt to balance the needs of agriculture against federally threatened and endangered fish species that are central to the heritage of several tribes. Continue Reading Epic Drought Means Water Crisis For Parts Of The West Coast, Though Much Of Northwest Is OK

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Diners eat lunch at Max's Oyster Bar in West Hartford, Conn., on March 19. Retail sales surged last month as $1,400 relief payments and easing coronavirus restrictions led shoppers to open their wallets. Jessica Hill/AP

Signs Of Economic Boom Emerge As Retail Sales Surge, Jobless Claims Hit Pandemic Low

Signs of an economic boom are emerging as Americans open up their wallets to spend freely. Retail sales soared 9.8% in March, according to a report Thursday from the Commerce Department. The increase follows a 2.7% slump in February, which analysts blamed partly on severe winter weather. Continue Reading Signs Of Economic Boom Emerge As Retail Sales Surge, Jobless Claims Hit Pandemic Low

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Using fluorescent antibody-based stains and advanced microscopy, researchers are able to visualize cells of different species origins in an early stage chimeric embryo. The red color indicates the cells of human origin. CREDIT: Weizhi Ji/Kunming University of Science and Technology

Scientists Create Early Embryos That Are Part Human, Part Monkey For Organ Transplant Research

The embryos, described Thursday in the journal Cell, were created in part to try to find new ways to produce organs for people who need transplants, says the international team of scientists who collaborated in the work. But the research raises a variety of concerns. Continue Reading Scientists Create Early Embryos That Are Part Human, Part Monkey For Organ Transplant Research

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Bernard Madoff, shown here in 2009, died Wednesday in a federal prison facility in North Carolina. CREDIT: Louis Lanzano/AP

Bernie Madoff, Financier Behind Notorious Ponzi Scheme, Dies At 82

As a money manager, Madoff defrauded thousands of investors out of tens of billions of dollars over the course of nearly two decades. His scheme wiped out the savings of individuals, charities, municipal governments and college endowment funds, and he was so hated at the time of his 2009 trial that he wore a bulletproof vest to and from the courthouse. Continue Reading Bernie Madoff, Financier Behind Notorious Ponzi Scheme, Dies At 82

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Barry Brodd, a use-of-force expert, testifies Tuesday in former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's trial. Brodd said the position in which George Floyd was restrained — facedown on the ground — was safest for officers and the suspect. CREDIT: Court TV/Pool via AP

Derek Chauvin Trial Continues As Defense Witness Testifies Ex-Officer’s Actions Were Justified

A use-of-force witness gave a new point of view to former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s trial on charges of murder and manslaughter. The defense witness said Tuesday that Chauvin and three other officers’ actions were justified during the arrest that ended in George Floyd’s death and that they used an appropriate amount of force. Continue Reading Derek Chauvin Trial Continues As Defense Witness Testifies Ex-Officer’s Actions Were Justified

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