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Senate committee votes to hold Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer COVID questions
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Senate committee has voted along party lines to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress over his refusal to answer questions at a hearing on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The vote Thursday sets up a referral to the Department of Justice for potential investigation over whether the country’s longtime top infectious disease official properly exercised his constitutional rights. That would leave it up to the U.S. attorney in Washington to decide whether to investigate or potentially attempt to prosecute Fauci for contempt. A referral from Congress doesn’t compel prosecutors to act. Democrats are questioning whether the referral would be valid if the full Senate was bypassed.
Fauci contempt vote reflects the enduring politics of COVID
NEW YORK (AP) -- Six years after the world was thrust into a global pandemic, Republicans in power aren’t leaving it in the past. Instead, they’re bringing COVID-19 politics to center stage for new scrutiny and demanding accountability. A Republican-led Senate committee’s contempt vote against Dr. Anthony Fauci on Thursday represented their efforts to steer how America remembers the pandemic and who is held responsible for it. Political scientists and historians said the focus on COVID grievances demonstrates how some of the wounds it opened have never been closed. Democrats have slammed the federal government’s blaming of Fauci as a performative distraction that’s not based in facts.
2 soldiers killed in Lebanon in the first Israeli deaths since June truce with Hezbollah
BEIRUT (AP) -- The Israeli military says two soldiers have died in an explosion in southern Lebanon. This marks the first Israeli deaths since a truce with Hezbollah began in June. Four other soldiers were seriously wounded. The explosion occurred in the village of Majdal Zoun, and the cause is under investigation. Israeli forces launched strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, accusing Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire. Talks between Lebanese and Israeli negotiators in Rome were cut short due to the escalation. The discussions focus on Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Iran war renews concerns about the lasting toll of traumatic brain injuries to US troops
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Military officials say the majority of American troops wounded in the Iran war have suffered traumatic brain injuries. That’s raising fresh concerns about the lasting effects of such injuries, which were also a signature wound during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many people recover within weeks, but problems like memory loss and brain fog can persist for years. Colorado resident Joe Shearer says he’s still plagued with dizziness, migraines and forgetfulness after experiencing two blasts in Iraq in 2005. Democratic lawmakers are calling for an investigation into the care wounded troops received following an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait that killed six soldiers early in the Iran war.
A new Tennessee congressional map that splits Memphis is making its debut in the state’s primary
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- A new Tennessee congressional map that carved up a majority Black district in Memphis is making its debut in primary elections. Voters on Thursday are picking nominees in the new 9th Congressional District, which now stretches east from Memphis all the way to the Nashville area. President Donald Trump has endorsed state Sen. Brent Taylor in the Republican primary in the district. The Democratic contest features state Rep. Justin Pearson and state Sen. London Lamar. Memphis voters have expressed concerns over diminished representation. Redistricting also affected the 5th Congressional District, where Republican Rep. Andy Ogles faces a primary challenge from former agriculture commissioner Charlie Hatcher.
Ukraine strikes more oil facilities deep inside Russia, Zelenskyy says
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine has hit more oil facilities deep inside Russia. The attacks are part of Kyiv’s effort to undermine Moscow’s wartime economy. Ukrainian forces targeted refineries in Bashkortostan and the Yaroslavl region. They also hit Russian military patrol boats in the Black Sea. Meanwhile, Russian drone and glide bomb attacks across Ukraine killed at least three civilians and wounded 22 others. Zelenskyy is urging his allies to supply interceptor missiles to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses. Analysts say Russian President Vladimir Putin appears determined to exhaust Ukraine through sheer numbers, believing time is on his side in the 4-year-old full-scale invasion.
Trump administration moves forward with Head Start overhaul, proposing to eliminate regulations
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump’s administration plans to overhaul Head Start, a key early education program for the nation’s poorest children. Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services say the changes posted online Thursday would encourage more local decision-making by eliminating many federal regulations. Critics argue this could undermine Head Start’s effectiveness. The program currently serves around 700,000 vulnerable children, including those who are homeless or in foster care. The proposed changes would replace extensive federal regulations with state and local requirements. Officials claim this could save more than $2 billion and expand the program’s reach, but experts warn it may lower standards. The public has 60 days to weigh in.
Congo monitors nearly 200 boat passengers after a traveler dies with Ebola-like symptoms
BUNIA, Congo (AP) -- Health authorities in Congo are monitoring passengers from a boat near Kinshasa after a traveler died with Ebola-like symptoms. Congo has been battling an Ebola outbreak since May, with 4,000 confirmed cases, including more than 1,800 deaths. The boat had traveled for nearly three weeks along the Congo River with about 200 passengers, who are now in quarantine, authorities said. News of the death caused panic in Kinshasa. Meanwhile, health workers in Ituri province protested Thursday over unpaid wages, disrupting critical care. The outbreak is spreading at an alarming rate, with many cases outside monitored contacts.
Amanda Knox claims show she is performing at Edinburgh festival honors her murdered former flatmate
LONDON (AP) -- Amanda Knox is defending a show she is performing at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in Scotland over the coming days. The American student convicted and later acquitted of the gruesome murder and sexual assault of her British flatmate Meredith Kercher 19 years ago in Italy was a 20-year-old student in Perugia when Kercher was found stabbed to death in her bedroom in the apartment they shared with two Italian women. Knox was convicted and then acquitted over the murder. Knox, now 39, said Thursday in an Instagram post that her comedy show “honors Meredith Kercher’s memory and calls out the violence that was done to her and to me.”
US stocks edge lower as oil prices rise, more earnings reports roll in
NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks are edging lower on Wall Street as oil prices rise and more company earnings reports roll in. The S&P 500 fell 0.2% Thursday and hovered below its record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 403 points, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Warner Bros. Discovery rose after reporting earnings that came in ahead of what investors were expecting. Honeywell Aerospace slumped after turning in results that fell well short of forecasts. European markets were mostly higher, and Asian markets closed mostly lower overnight. The price of Brent crude rose 4%. Treasury yields moved higher in the bond market.