WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans would cut Medicaid, end penalties for people not buying insurance and erase a raft of tax increases as part of their long-awaited plan to scuttle President Barack Obama’s health care law, congressional aides and lobbyists say. After weeks of closed-door meetings that angered Democrats and some Republicans, Senate Majority Leader … Continue reading
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — A huge suicide car bombing outside a bank in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province on Thursday targeted Afghan troops and government employees waiting to collect their salaries ahead of a major Muslim holiday, killing at least 29 people, officials said. Most of the casualties in the explosion near the Kabul Bank in … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is growing older and more ethnically diverse, a trend that could put strains on government programs from Medicare to education, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. Every ethnic and racial group grew between 2015 and 2016, but the number of whites increased at the slowest rate — less than one … Continue reading
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — After 52 hours of tense deliberations, two holdouts in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial refused to convict the 79-year-old comedian, a juror told ABC News. The juror, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said 10 of the 12 jurors agreed that Cosby was guilty on the first and third felony counts. … Continue reading
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Gulf Coast states were in for a third day of rough weather as Tropical Storm Cindy sloshed ashore early Thursday in southwestern Louisiana. Already blamed for one death in Alabama, Cindy was expected to keep churning seas and spin off bands of severe weather from eastern Texas to northwestern Florida. The … Continue reading
DENVER (AP) — A recent insurance study links increased car crash claims to legalized recreational marijuana. The Highway Loss Data Institute, a leading insurance research group, said in study results released Thursday that collision claims in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon went up 2.7 percent in the years since legal recreational marijuana sales began when compared … Continue reading
PEDROGAO GRANDE, Portugal (AP) — A raging forest fire in central Portugal killed at least 61 people as they desperately tried to flee, charring cars and trucks as it swept over roads. The disaster — the worst tragedy Portugal has experienced in decades — shook the nation, with the president declaring that the country’s pain … Continue reading
PARIS (AP) — The Latest on France’s parliamentary elections (all times local): 11:35 p.m. Official figures show French President Emmanuel Macron’s new centrist party has won an absolute majority in the powerful lower house of parliament. The Interior Ministry said Sunday night that with 513 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly definitively decided, Macron’s Republic … Continue reading
LONDON (AP) — The new exterior cladding used in a renovation on London’s Grenfell Tower may have been banned under U.K. building regulations, two British ministers said Sunday as police continued their criminal investigation into the inferno that killed at least 58 people. Trade Minister Greg Hands said the government is carrying out an “urgent … Continue reading
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The big income tax increase Kansas legislators enacted over Gov. Sam Brownback’s veto won’t balance the budget by itself, despite immediately boosting the state’s credit outlook. Even though the reversal of most of Brownback’s income tax cuts will inject $1.2 billion in new revenue through June 2019, lawmakers will have to … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Are Beyonce and Jay Z parents again? Mum’s the word from the parents and their reps, even though reports are flying that the much-anticipated twins have made their arrival. Several outlets have published reports with no official confirmation. Even Beyonce’s father, with whom she has had a strained relationship, tweeted congrats … Continue reading
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Desert dwellers in the western U.S. see temperatures topping 120 degrees as a reason to hunker down indoors and turn up the air conditioning. But some tourists welcome it as a bucket-list opportunity to experience Death Valley — famously the hottest place in America. Many will get their chance in the … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs is the top earner on Forbes’ list of the 100 highest-paid celebrities. The magazine says the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy brought in $130 million from June 1, 2016, to June 1, 2017. Forbes says Diddy’s Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour, a stake in Ciroc vodka and … Continue reading
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — The bodies of two people have been found in Virginia. The Virginian-Pilot reports (http://bit.ly/2s1Ffre ) police were investigating the scene where the bodies were found in the Alexandria neighborhood of Virginia Beach on Sunday. Neighbors say an incident like it is unusual for the area. David Vanderberg, who has lived … Continue reading
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginians are set to head to the polls Tuesday to pick a Republican and Democratic candidate in the closely watched race for governor. The Old Dominion is one of only two states electing governors this year, and the primary could illustrate how voters feel about President Donald Trump’s early months and … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 