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Police confirm 2 dead in fierce storm that damaged homes and businesses in Ohio and Kentucky

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Police in Ohio confirmed two deaths resulting from a fierce storm system that unleashed suspected twisters and damaged homes and businesses in parts of Ohio and Kentucky on Thursday.Video above: Aerial footage show damage left from storms across southeast Indiana, northern KentuckyChief Deputy Joe Kopus of the Logan County Sheriff’s Department in Logan County in Bellefontaine, Ohio, confirmed the fatalities in an email early Friday to The Associated Press. He said there likely would be more fatalities discovered, noting there was heavy damage in Lakeview, Midway, Orchard Island and Russel’s Point.The Indiana State Police said there are “many significant injuries” after a tornado tore through the community of Winchester.“There have been many, many significant injuries, but I don’t know the number. I don’t know where they are. I don’t know what those injuries are,” Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter told reporters just before midnight Thursday. “There’s a lot that we don’t know yet.”Earlier in the night state police said they were investigating reports of deaths but at the news conference Carter said there were “no known fatalities.”State officials called on Indiana Task Force One to help with search efforts in Winchester, a town of 4,700 people located nearly 70 miles northeast of Indianapolis, according to a post by the rescue team on X. The team is one of 28 Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency-sponsored Urban Search and Rescue teams in the United States.“I’m shaken; it’s overwhelming,” Winchester Mayor Bob McCoy said. “I heard what sounded like a train and then I started hearing sirens.”Video below shows reported tornado moving through southeast IndianaHe and his wife were hunkered in a closet during the twister, which hit about 8 p.m.“I’ve never heard that sound before; I don’t want to hear it again,” McCoy said.The suspected tornado damaged a Walmart store and a Taco Bell in Winchester, Randolph County Sheriff Art Moystner told FOX59/CBS4. Travel throughout the county is restricted to emergency management workers only, he said.At about the same time as the tornado hit Winchester, another suspected twister touched down about 75 miles to the east in Ohio. The tornado hit near the southern end of Indian Lake, impacting the villages of Lakeview and Russells Point, said Sheri Timmers, a spokesperson for Logan County, home to the villages.“As far as we know, we have lots of injuries. We don’t know the extent of the injuries,” Timmers said. “An RV park was impacted.”Multiple buildings in the Indian Lake area were damaged, Timmers said, but the full extent of the destruction was still being assessed. Whether anyone was missing in the aftermath, was not immediately known.“They’re right now doing some searching,” she said.Amber Fagan, president and chief executive of the Indian Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, called the village of Lakeview “completely demolished,” saying homes, campgrounds and a laundromat were hard-hit by the tornado.“There’s places burning,” she said. “There’s power lines through people’s windows.”A shelter has been opened for anyone displaced.In Ohio’s Huron County, emergency management officials posted on Facebook that there was a “confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado” near Plymouth — some 75 miles northeast of Indian Lake.To the west of Winchester, Indiana, in Delaware County, emergency management officials said initial assessments suggested that up to half of the structures in the small town of Selma were damaged by a possible tornado.“We are relieved to report that only minor injuries have been reported thus far, with one individual transported to the hospital for treatment,” the Delaware County Emergency Management Agency said in a news release. About 750 people live in Selma.Video below: Roof ripped off home in Hanover, IndianaEarlier, storms damaged homes and trailers in the Ohio River communities of Hanover and Lamb in Indiana.The Ohio governor’s office said they did not have any information about fatalities in the state.Jefferson County Sheriff Ben Flint said storms destroyed three or four single-family homes and four or five other structures and demolished several uninhabited campers along the river.“We were fortunate that no one was injured,” Flint told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.Sgt. Stephen Wheeles of the Indiana State Police earlier said another suspected tornado struck Jefferson County, damaging several homes and downing trees and power lines.He posted photos on X showing one home with its roof torn off and another missing roof shingles as well as an image of a baseball-sized hailstone.Around 2,000 Duke Energy customers in Hanover lost power at one point during the storms, the company reported.In Kentucky, Trimble County Emergency Management Director Andrew Stark said the storms damaged at least 50 structures, including homes.“We have a whole bunch of damage,” Stark told the Courier Journal of Louisville.Video below: Strong hail moves through Vevay, IndianaKentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued a statement saying a tornado touched down along the Indiana state border in Gallatin and Trimble counties and there were reports of a couple of minor injuries. He urged Kentuckians to stay aware of the weather as more storms were expected across the state Thursday evening and overnight.“It does appear that there is some really significant damage, especially to the town of Milton in Trimble County,” Beshear said. “We think there are over 100 structures that are potentially damaged.”The state’s emergency operations center was activated to coordinate storm response, Beshear said.Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb posted on Facebook Thursday night that the Indiana Department of Homeland Security is monitoring the current weather situation.“Severe weather has impacted Hoosiers all across the state, and we have emergency response personnel in the impacted areas,” he wrote.The Indiana Department of Homeland Security posted on Facebook that their staff are on scene in Randolph County, home to Winchester, working with locals and that the State Emergency Operations Center has been activated to an enhanced staffing level to respond to the storm.A Facebook post on the Winchester Community High School page said all the schools in that school district would be closed on Friday. Another post said the high school had electricity and was open for emergency use for people who “need somewhere warm and dry.”Large pieces of hail also was reported in parts of the St. Louis area Thursday afternoon.There were unconfirmed reports of tornadoes in Jefferson County, Missouri, and Monroe County, Illinois, but no immediate reports of damage.Severe weather was possible into Thursday night from northeast Texas to Indiana and Ohio, the National Weather Service said on X.

Police in Ohio confirmed two deaths resulting from a fierce storm system that unleashed suspected twisters and damaged homes and businesses in parts of Ohio and Kentucky on Thursday.

Video above: Aerial footage show damage left from storms across southeast Indiana, northern Kentucky

Chief Deputy Joe Kopus of the Logan County Sheriff’s Department in Logan County in Bellefontaine, Ohio, confirmed the fatalities in an email early Friday to The Associated Press. He said there likely would be more fatalities discovered, noting there was heavy damage in Lakeview, Midway, Orchard Island and Russel’s Point.

The Indiana State Police said there are “many significant injuries” after a tornado tore through the community of Winchester.

“There have been many, many significant injuries, but I don’t know the number. I don’t know where they are. I don’t know what those injuries are,” Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter told reporters just before midnight Thursday. “There’s a lot that we don’t know yet.”

Earlier in the night state police said they were investigating reports of deaths but at the news conference Carter said there were “no known fatalities.”

State officials called on Indiana Task Force One to help with search efforts in Winchester, a town of 4,700 people located nearly 70 miles northeast of Indianapolis, according to a post by the rescue team on X. The team is one of 28 Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency-sponsored Urban Search and Rescue teams in the United States.

“I’m shaken; it’s overwhelming,” Winchester Mayor Bob McCoy said. “I heard what sounded like a train and then I started hearing sirens.”

Video below shows reported tornado moving through southeast Indiana

He and his wife were hunkered in a closet during the twister, which hit about 8 p.m.

“I’ve never heard that sound before; I don’t want to hear it again,” McCoy said.

The suspected tornado damaged a Walmart store and a Taco Bell in Winchester, Randolph County Sheriff Art Moystner told FOX59/CBS4. Travel throughout the county is restricted to emergency management workers only, he said.

At about the same time as the tornado hit Winchester, another suspected twister touched down about 75 miles to the east in Ohio. The tornado hit near the southern end of Indian Lake, impacting the villages of Lakeview and Russells Point, said Sheri Timmers, a spokesperson for Logan County, home to the villages.

“As far as we know, we have lots of injuries. We don’t know the extent of the injuries,” Timmers said. “An RV park was impacted.”

Multiple buildings in the Indian Lake area were damaged, Timmers said, but the full extent of the destruction was still being assessed. Whether anyone was missing in the aftermath, was not immediately known.

“They’re right now doing some searching,” she said.

Amber Fagan, president and chief executive of the Indian Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, called the village of Lakeview “completely demolished,” saying homes, campgrounds and a laundromat were hard-hit by the tornado.

“There’s places burning,” she said. “There’s power lines through people’s windows.”

A shelter has been opened for anyone displaced.

In Ohio’s Huron County, emergency management officials posted on Facebook that there was a “confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado” near Plymouth — some 75 miles northeast of Indian Lake.

To the west of Winchester, Indiana, in Delaware County, emergency management officials said initial assessments suggested that up to half of the structures in the small town of Selma were damaged by a possible tornado.

“We are relieved to report that only minor injuries have been reported thus far, with one individual transported to the hospital for treatment,” the Delaware County Emergency Management Agency said in a news release. About 750 people live in Selma.

Video below: Roof ripped off home in Hanover, Indiana

Earlier, storms damaged homes and trailers in the Ohio River communities of Hanover and Lamb in Indiana.

The Ohio governor’s office said they did not have any information about fatalities in the state.

Jefferson County Sheriff Ben Flint said storms destroyed three or four single-family homes and four or five other structures and demolished several uninhabited campers along the river.

“We were fortunate that no one was injured,” Flint told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Sgt. Stephen Wheeles of the Indiana State Police earlier said another suspected tornado struck Jefferson County, damaging several homes and downing trees and power lines.

He posted photos on X showing one home with its roof torn off and another missing roof shingles as well as an image of a baseball-sized hailstone.

Around 2,000 Duke Energy customers in Hanover lost power at one point during the storms, the company reported.

In Kentucky, Trimble County Emergency Management Director Andrew Stark said the storms damaged at least 50 structures, including homes.

“We have a whole bunch of damage,” Stark told the Courier Journal of Louisville.

Video below: Strong hail moves through Vevay, Indiana

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued a statement saying a tornado touched down along the Indiana state border in Gallatin and Trimble counties and there were reports of a couple of minor injuries. He urged Kentuckians to stay aware of the weather as more storms were expected across the state Thursday evening and overnight.

“It does appear that there is some really significant damage, especially to the town of Milton in Trimble County,” Beshear said. “We think there are over 100 structures that are potentially damaged.”

The state’s emergency operations center was activated to coordinate storm response, Beshear said.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb posted on Facebook Thursday night that the Indiana Department of Homeland Security is monitoring the current weather situation.

“Severe weather has impacted Hoosiers all across the state, and we have emergency response personnel in the impacted areas,” he wrote.

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security posted on Facebook that their staff are on scene in Randolph County, home to Winchester, working with locals and that the State Emergency Operations Center has been activated to an enhanced staffing level to respond to the storm.

A Facebook post on the Winchester Community High School page said all the schools in that school district would be closed on Friday. Another post said the high school had electricity and was open for emergency use for people who “need somewhere warm and dry.”

Large pieces of hail also was reported in parts of the St. Louis area Thursday afternoon.

There were unconfirmed reports of tornadoes in Jefferson County, Missouri, and Monroe County, Illinois, but no immediate reports of damage.

Severe weather was possible into Thursday night from northeast Texas to Indiana and Ohio, the National Weather Service said on X.

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March 15, 2024
Putin says Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or independence is threatened

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President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if there is a threat to its statehood, sovereignty or independence, voicing hope that the U.S. would refrain from actions that could trigger a nuclear conflict.Related video above: Biden calls out Putin during State of the UnionPutin’s statement was another blunt warning to the West ahead of a presidential vote this week in which he’s all but certain to win another six-year term.In an interview with Russian state television released early Wednesday, Putin described U.S. President Joe Biden as a veteran politician who fully understands possible dangers of escalation, and said that he doesn’t think that the world is heading to a nuclear war.At the same time, he emphasized that Russia’s nuclear forces are in full readiness and “from the military-technical viewpoint, we’re prepared.”Putin said that in line with the country’s security doctrine, Moscow is ready to use nuclear weapons in case of a threat to “the existence of the Russian state, our sovereignty and independence.”The Russian leader has repeatedly talked about his readiness to use nuclear weapons since launching the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The most recent such threat came in his state-of-the-nation address last month, when he warned the West that deepening its involvement in the fighting in Ukraine would risk a nuclear war.Asked in the interview if he has ever considered using battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin responded that there has been no need for that.He also voiced confidence that Moscow will achieve its goals in Ukraine and issued a blunt warning to Western allies, declaring that “the nations that say they have no red lines regarding Russia should realize that Russia won’t have any red lines regarding them either.”He held the door open for talks, but emphasized that Russia will hold onto its gains and would seek firm guarantees from the West.“It shouldn’t be a break for the enemy to rearm but a serious talk involving the guarantees of security for the Russian Federation,” he said. Putin said that a recent spike in Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside Russia is part of efforts to derail the country’s three-day presidential election, which starts Friday and which he is set to win by a landslide, relying on the tight control over Russia’s political scene he has established during his 24-year rule.Russian authorities reported another major attack by Ukrainian drones early Wednesday. The Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 58 drones over six regions. One of the drones hit an oil refinery in the Ryazan region, injuring at least two people and sparking a fire. Another drone was downed as it was approaching a refinery near St. Petersburg.Ukraine, meanwhile, reported more Russian attacks early Wednesday.A Russian strike killed two people and injured another five in the town of Myrnohrad in the eastern region of Donetsk, about 20 miles from the front line, according to Gov. Vadym Filashkin. Local rescuers managed to pull a 13-year-old girl out of the rubble of an apartment building that was hit by a Russian missile.A five-story building in the northern city of Sumy was struck by a drone launched from Russia overnight and 10 people were rescued from the rubble, including eight who sustained injuries, according to the regional administration.In President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, the death toll from a Russian missile attack the previous night rose to four, said Gov. Serhii Lysak. He said that 43 people were wounded in of Kryvyi Rih, including 12 children, the youngest of them two and eleven-month-old.“Every day our cities and villages suffer similar attacks. Every day Ukraine loses people because of Russian evil,” Zelenskyy said.

President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if there is a threat to its statehood, sovereignty or independence, voicing hope that the U.S. would refrain from actions that could trigger a nuclear conflict.

Related video above: Biden calls out Putin during State of the Union

Putin’s statement was another blunt warning to the West ahead of a presidential vote this week in which he’s all but certain to win another six-year term.

In an interview with Russian state television released early Wednesday, Putin described U.S. President Joe Biden as a veteran politician who fully understands possible dangers of escalation, and said that he doesn’t think that the world is heading to a nuclear war.

At the same time, he emphasized that Russia’s nuclear forces are in full readiness and “from the military-technical viewpoint, we’re prepared.”

Putin said that in line with the country’s security doctrine, Moscow is ready to use nuclear weapons in case of a threat to “the existence of the Russian state, our sovereignty and independence.”

The Russian leader has repeatedly talked about his readiness to use nuclear weapons since launching the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The most recent such threat came in his state-of-the-nation address last month, when he warned the West that deepening its involvement in the fighting in Ukraine would risk a nuclear war.

Asked in the interview if he has ever considered using battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin responded that there has been no need for that.

He also voiced confidence that Moscow will achieve its goals in Ukraine and issued a blunt warning to Western allies, declaring that “the nations that say they have no red lines regarding Russia should realize that Russia won’t have any red lines regarding them either.”

He held the door open for talks, but emphasized that Russia will hold onto its gains and would seek firm guarantees from the West.

“It shouldn’t be a break for the enemy to rearm but a serious talk involving the guarantees of security for the Russian Federation,” he said.

Putin said that a recent spike in Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside Russia is part of efforts to derail the country’s three-day presidential election, which starts Friday and which he is set to win by a landslide, relying on the tight control over Russia’s political scene he has established during his 24-year rule.

Russian authorities reported another major attack by Ukrainian drones early Wednesday. The Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 58 drones over six regions. One of the drones hit an oil refinery in the Ryazan region, injuring at least two people and sparking a fire. Another drone was downed as it was approaching a refinery near St. Petersburg.

Ukraine, meanwhile, reported more Russian attacks early Wednesday.

A Russian strike killed two people and injured another five in the town of Myrnohrad in the eastern region of Donetsk, about 20 miles from the front line, according to Gov. Vadym Filashkin. Local rescuers managed to pull a 13-year-old girl out of the rubble of an apartment building that was hit by a Russian missile.

A five-story building in the northern city of Sumy was struck by a drone launched from Russia overnight and 10 people were rescued from the rubble, including eight who sustained injuries, according to the regional administration.

In President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, the death toll from a Russian missile attack the previous night rose to four, said Gov. Serhii Lysak. He said that 43 people were wounded in of Kryvyi Rih, including 12 children, the youngest of them two and eleven-month-old.

“Every day our cities and villages suffer similar attacks. Every day Ukraine loses people because of Russian evil,” Zelenskyy said.

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March 13, 2024
HUD Secretary Fudge announces resignation in late March

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Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge announced Monday that she would resign her post, effective March 22, saying she was leaving “with mixed emotions.” Video above: VP Harris swears in Marcia Fudge as HUD SecretaryA former mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, and later an Ohio representative in Congress, Fudge, 71, served as HUD secretary since the start of President Joe Biden’s administration.“As a dedicated public servant for nearly five decades, I have been devoted to improving the quality of life for the people of this nation, focusing on those with the greatest need,” Fudge said in a statement. “Having worked at every level of government … I have worked tirelessly to ensure that America lives up to its promise of liberty and justice for all.”Fudge’s statement did not indicate a reason she was resigning now, saying only that she planned to “transition to life as a private citizen.”The White House, in a statement, hailed Fudge’s dedication to increasing the supply of affordable housing and protect the housing needs of some of the country’s most vulnerable residents.“From her time as a mayor, to her years as a fierce advocate in the U.S. House of Representatives, Marcia’s vision, passion, and focus on increasing economic opportunity have been assets to our country,” Biden said. “I’m grateful for all of her contributions toward a housing system that works for all Americans, and I wish her well in her next chapter.”

WASHINGTON —

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge announced Monday that she would resign her post, effective March 22, saying she was leaving “with mixed emotions.”

Video above: VP Harris swears in Marcia Fudge as HUD Secretary

A former mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, and later an Ohio representative in Congress, Fudge, 71, served as HUD secretary since the start of President Joe Biden’s administration.

“As a dedicated public servant for nearly five decades, I have been devoted to improving the quality of life for the people of this nation, focusing on those with the greatest need,” Fudge said in a statement. “Having worked at every level of government … I have worked tirelessly to ensure that America lives up to its promise of liberty and justice for all.”

Fudge’s statement did not indicate a reason she was resigning now, saying only that she planned to “transition to life as a private citizen.”

The White House, in a statement, hailed Fudge’s dedication to increasing the supply of affordable housing and protect the housing needs of some of the country’s most vulnerable residents.

“From her time as a mayor, to her years as a fierce advocate in the U.S. House of Representatives, Marcia’s vision, passion, and focus on increasing economic opportunity have been assets to our country,” Biden said. “I’m grateful for all of her contributions toward a housing system that works for all Americans, and I wish her well in her next chapter.”

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March 11, 2024
3 escaped inmates from Grenada charged with murder after American sailing couple vanishes

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3 escaped inmates from Grenada charged with murder after American sailing couple vanishes

Updated: 5:39 AM PST Mar 8, 2024

Three escaped inmates from the eastern Caribbean island of Grenada were charged in the killing of a U.S. couple whose catamaran they hijacked, police said Thursday.Video above: Son speaks about missing American couple in the CaribbeanRon Mitchell, a 30-year-old sailor; Atiba Stanislaus, a 25-year-old farmer; and Trevon Robertson, a 23-year-old unemployed man, were charged with capital murder, escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery and kidnapping. Stanislaus also was charged with one count of rape, according to a statement from the Royal Grenada Police Force.The men appeared in court on Thursday and were ordered held in prison until their hearing in late March.They were accused of escaping from a police holding cell on Feb. 18 and hijacking a catamaran owned by Ralph Henry and Kathy Brandel while they were aboard. Authorities said they believe the couple was thrown overboard as the suspects sailed to nearby St. Vincent, where they were arrested on Feb. 21.The three men were ordered deported from St. Vincent on Monday.The nonprofit Salty Dawg Sailing Association described Hendry and Brandel as “veteran cruisers” who participated in last year’s Caribbean Rally from Hampton, Virginia, to Antigua, and had planned to spend the winter cruising in the eastern Caribbean.Their bodies have not been found.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico —

Three escaped inmates from the eastern Caribbean island of Grenada were charged in the killing of a U.S. couple whose catamaran they hijacked, police said Thursday.

Video above: Son speaks about missing American couple in the Caribbean

Ron Mitchell, a 30-year-old sailor; Atiba Stanislaus, a 25-year-old farmer; and Trevon Robertson, a 23-year-old unemployed man, were charged with capital murder, escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery and kidnapping. Stanislaus also was charged with one count of rape, according to a statement from the Royal Grenada Police Force.

The men appeared in court on Thursday and were ordered held in prison until their hearing in late March.

They were accused of escaping from a police holding cell on Feb. 18 and hijacking a catamaran owned by Ralph Henry and Kathy Brandel while they were aboard. Authorities said they believe the couple was thrown overboard as the suspects sailed to nearby St. Vincent, where they were arrested on Feb. 21.

Salty Dawg Sailing Association via CNN Newsource
Ralph Henry and Kathy Brandel

The three men were ordered deported from St. Vincent on Monday.

The nonprofit Salty Dawg Sailing Association described Hendry and Brandel as “veteran cruisers” who participated in last year’s Caribbean Rally from Hampton, Virginia, to Antigua, and had planned to spend the winter cruising in the eastern Caribbean.

Their bodies have not been found.

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March 8, 2024
Katie Britt calls Biden a ‘diminished leader’ in GOP response to the State of the Union

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U.S. Sen. Katie Britt called President Joe Biden a “dithering and diminished leader” in the Republican rebuttal to his State of the Union address Thursday evening.The first-term Alabama Republican, the youngest woman in the Senate, delivered a stinging election-year critique of the president while sitting at her own kitchen table. She argued that “the country we know and love seems to be slipping away.”Britt, a 42-year-old former congressional staffer and mother of two, was elected to the Senate in 2022 with former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. She promised to come to Washington as a “momma on a mission” and has carved out a unique role in the GOP conference as an adviser to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and an experienced former aide on the Senate Appropriations Committee.It’s the third year in a row that Republicans have picked a woman to speak to the nation after Biden leaves the podium — and Britt’s remarks echo the same dark vision for the future under Biden and Democrats laid out by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2023 and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2022.“For years, the left has coddled criminals and defunded the police — all while letting repeat offenders walk free,” Britt said in her response. “The result is tragic but foreseeable — from our small towns to America’s most iconic city streets, life is getting more and more dangerous.”She criticized Biden’s foreign policy, including his chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan and talk of a renewed nuclear deal with Iran. She did not mention Ukraine’s war with Russia, as Biden has aggressively pushed the Republican-led House to take up a Senate-passed aid package.Britt’s rebuttal came as her state has drawn national attention for a state Supreme Court state Supreme Court ruling in February that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. That ruling blocked access to in vitro fertilization at clinics across the state, but some said they would resume services after the state legislature passed legislation Wednesday shielding doctors from legal liability.Britt has argued in support of the IVF services, calling Trump after the ruling. Trump, the party’s front-runner for the GOP nomination, issued a statement hours later saying that he backs IVF.In her response, Britt reiterated her support for the practice, saying “we want to help loving moms and dads bring precious life into this world.”Britt, who has made immigration a top issue, also slammed the president on the border, calling his policies a “disgrace” that have led to higher numbers of border crossings during his presidency.She noted that Biden mentioned slain Georgia nursing student Laken Riley during his speech, but said he “refused to take responsibility for his own actions.” Police say Ruket was killed by an immigrant in the country illegally.“Mr. President, enough is enough. Innocent Americans are dying and you only have yourself to blame. Fulfill your oath of office,” Britt said. “Reverse your policies and this crisis and stop the suffering.”Video below: Joe Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene face off at State of the UnionBritt said “the free world deserves better than a dithering and diminished leader. America deserves leaders who recognize that secure borders, stable prices, safe streets and a strong defense are the cornerstones of a great nation.”She did not mention Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, whom Britt endorsed in December. But she said the country is at a crossroads, and “I know which choice our children deserve – and the choice the Republican Party is fighting for.”

WASHINGTON —

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt called President Joe Biden a “dithering and diminished leader” in the Republican rebuttal to his State of the Union address Thursday evening.

The first-term Alabama Republican, the youngest woman in the Senate, delivered a stinging election-year critique of the president while sitting at her own kitchen table. She argued that “the country we know and love seems to be slipping away.”

Britt, a 42-year-old former congressional staffer and mother of two, was elected to the Senate in 2022 with former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. She promised to come to Washington as a “momma on a mission” and has carved out a unique role in the GOP conference as an adviser to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and an experienced former aide on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

It’s the third year in a row that Republicans have picked a woman to speak to the nation after Biden leaves the podium — and Britt’s remarks echo the same dark vision for the future under Biden and Democrats laid out by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2023 and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2022.

“For years, the left has coddled criminals and defunded the police — all while letting repeat offenders walk free,” Britt said in her response. “The result is tragic but foreseeable — from our small towns to America’s most iconic city streets, life is getting more and more dangerous.”

She criticized Biden’s foreign policy, including his chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan and talk of a renewed nuclear deal with Iran. She did not mention Ukraine’s war with Russia, as Biden has aggressively pushed the Republican-led House to take up a Senate-passed aid package.

Britt’s rebuttal came as her state has drawn national attention for a state Supreme Court state Supreme Court ruling in February that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. That ruling blocked access to in vitro fertilization at clinics across the state, but some said they would resume services after the state legislature passed legislation Wednesday shielding doctors from legal liability.

Britt has argued in support of the IVF services, calling Trump after the ruling. Trump, the party’s front-runner for the GOP nomination, issued a statement hours later saying that he backs IVF.

In her response, Britt reiterated her support for the practice, saying “we want to help loving moms and dads bring precious life into this world.”

Britt, who has made immigration a top issue, also slammed the president on the border, calling his policies a “disgrace” that have led to higher numbers of border crossings during his presidency.

She noted that Biden mentioned slain Georgia nursing student Laken Riley during his speech, but said he “refused to take responsibility for his own actions.” Police say Ruket was killed by an immigrant in the country illegally.

“Mr. President, enough is enough. Innocent Americans are dying and you only have yourself to blame. Fulfill your oath of office,” Britt said. “Reverse your policies and this crisis and stop the suffering.”

Video below: Joe Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene face off at State of the Union

Britt said “the free world deserves better than a dithering and diminished leader. America deserves leaders who recognize that secure borders, stable prices, safe streets and a strong defense are the cornerstones of a great nation.”

She did not mention Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, whom Britt endorsed in December. But she said the country is at a crossroads, and “I know which choice our children deserve – and the choice the Republican Party is fighting for.”

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March 7, 2024
Biden uses feisty State of the Union to contrast with Trump, sell voters on a second term

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President Joe Biden delivered a defiant argument for a second term in his State of the Union speech Thursday night, lacing into GOP front-runner Donald Trump for espousing “resentment, revenge and retribution” and for jeopardizing freedom at home and abroad.Reveling in the political moment, Biden fired multiple broadsides at “my predecessor” without ever mentioning Trump by name — 13 times in all — raising his voice repeatedly as he worked to quell voter concerns about his age and job performance while sharpening the contrast with his all-but-certain November rival.The scrappy tone from Biden was a sharp break from his often humdrum daily appearances and was designed to banish doubts about whether the 81-year-old president, the country’s oldest ever, is still up to the job.Video below: Biden calls out Putin, denounces Trump during State of the UnionFor 68 minutes in the House chamber, Biden goaded Republicans over their policies on immigration, taxes and more, invited call-and-response banter with fellow Democrats and seemed to relish the fight.“I know I may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while,” Biden said, addressing his age head-on. “When you get to be my age, certain things become clearer than ever before.”Noting he was born during World War II and came of political age during the upheaval of the 1960s, Biden declared: “My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. A future based on the core values that have defined America: honesty, decency, dignity, equality. To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor. Now some other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That’s not me.”The president linked Trump’s praise for those who overran the Capitol in an attempt to subvert the 2020 election with antidemocratic threats abroad.“Freedom and democracy are under attack both at home and overseas at the very same time,” Biden said as he appealed for Congress to support Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself against Russia’s two-year-old invasion. “History is watching.”Biden directly referenced the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, calling out those who have played it down.“My predecessor — and some of you here — seek to bury the truth about Jan. 6 — I will not do that,” Biden said. “This is a moment to speak the truth and to bury the lies. Here’s a simple truth. You can’t love your country only when you win.”The president showcased his accomplishments on infrastructure and manufacturing, and pushed Congress to approve more aid to Ukraine, tougher migration rules and lower drug prices. He also sought to remind voters of the situation he inherited when he entered office in 2021 amid a raging pandemic and a contracting economy.The 81-year-old president was closely watched not just for his message, but for whether he could deliver it with vigor and command.White House aides said Biden was aiming to prove his doubters wrong by flashing his combative side and trying to needle Republicans over positions he believes are out of step with the country, particularly on access to abortion, but also tax policy and healthcare. It’s part of his campaign-year effort to use even official speeches to clarify the choice for voters at the ballot box this fall.Taking a victory lap in selling his legislative accomplishments, such as one that bolsters manufacturing of computer chips nationwide, Biden veered from his prepared script to take a dig at Republicans who voted against such policies but are eager to take credit for them back home.“If any of you don’t want that money in your districts,” Biden said, “just let me know.”The president was speaking before a historically ineffective Congress. In the GOP-led House, Speaker Mike Johnson took power five months ago after the chaotic ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Legislators are still struggling to approve funding bills for the current year and have been deadlocked for months on foreign assistance bills to help Ukraine stave off Russia’s invasion and support Israel’s fight against Hamas.The State of the Union address is a marquee night on the White House calendar, offering presidents a direct line to a captive audience of lawmakers and dignitaries in the House chamber and tens of millions of viewers at home. But even so, the night has lost some of its luster as viewership has declined.Biden aides inside the White House and on his campaign had hoped for some fresh viral moments — like when he tussled last year with heckling Republicans and chided them for past efforts to cut Medicare and Social Security.Johnson, eager to avoid a similar episode this year, urged Republicans in a private meeting Wednesday to show “decorum” during the speech, according to a person familiar with his remarks to lawmakers.He appeared to have limited success. A number of House Republicans began to stand up and leave the chamber as Biden discussed raising taxes on billionaires and corporations. Other, like Johnson, remained in their chairs and shook their heads.Biden engaged in a loud call and response with lawmakers as he rhetorically questioned whether the tax code was fair and whether billionaires and corporations need “another $2 trillion in tax breaks,” as he charged Republicans want.Video below: Biden promises to restore Roe v. Wade as the ‘law of the land’Biden also has raised the problems of “shrinkflation” – companies putting fewer pretzels in the jar and less yogurt in sealed cups — and so-called “junk fees” on services. Neither is a prime driver of inflation, but the White House hopes to show consumers that Biden is fighting for them.One of the most contentious moments of his speech came during his remarks on immigration, when Biden was running down the endorsements by conservative groups of the bipartisan border legislation that Republicans killed last month.Some in the audience appeared to yell and interject, and Biden shot back, “I know you know how to read.”As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, decked out in pro-Trump paraphernalia, continued to shout at Biden, the president held up a white button that the Georgia Republican had handed him earlier bearing the name of Laken Riley, who authorities say was killed by a Venezuelan national who unlawfully crossed into the U.S. in September 2022.“Laken Riley,” Biden said, calling her an “innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.” He expressed condolences to her family, saying his heart goes out to them.And congressional Republican leaders were showcasing one of their newest lawmakers through the State of the Union rebuttal in order to make a generational contrast with Biden. Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, the youngest Republican woman elected to the Senate, planned to paint a picture of a nation that “seems to be slipping away” and one where “our families are hurting.”“Right now, our commander-in-chief is not in command. The free world deserves better than a dithering and diminished leader,” Britt was to say, according to excerpts released Thursday evening. “America deserves leaders who recognize that secure borders, stable prices, safe streets, and a strong defense are the cornerstones of a great nation.”Biden painted an optimistic future for the country as the massive pieces of legislation he signed into law during his first two years in office are implemented. But he also was set to warn that the progress he sees at home and abroad is fragile — and particularly vulnerable if Trump returns to the White House.Trump, for his part, said he planned to respond in real time to Biden’s remarks on his Truth Social platform.This year, Biden faced heightened emotions — particularly among his base supporters — over his staunch backing for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The White House had initially hoped a short-term cease-fire would be in place by the speech. It blames Hamas for not yet accepting a deal brokered by the U.S. and its allies.A slew of Democrats and Republicans wore pins and stickers in honor of the Israeli hostages still being held captive in Gaza. Meanwhile, several House progressives wore Palestinian keffiyehs, the black and white checkered scarfs that have come to symbolize Palestinian solidarity. Biden’s motorcade took a circuitous route to the Capitol, as hundreds of pro-cease-fire demonstrators tried to disrupt its path from the White House.Amid growing concerns about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, Biden announced in his address that he has directed the U.S. military to establish a temporary port on the Gaza coast aimed at increasing the flow of aid into the beleaguered territory.The president also issued an emphatic call for lawmakers to pass sorely needed defense assistance for Ukraine. Acute ammunition shortages have allowed Russia to retake the offensive in the 2-year-old war.The GOP-controlled House has refused to act on a Senate-passed version of the aid legislation, insisting on new stiffer measures to limit migration at the U.S.-Mexico border, after Trump used his influence to help sink a bipartisan compromise that would have done just that.Access to abortion and fertility treatments was also a key component of Biden’s speech, especially in light of a controversial ruling from Alabama’s Supreme Court that has upended access to in vitro fertilization treatment in the state.Video below: Joe Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene face off at State of the UnionOne of first lady Jill Biden’s guests for the speech was Kate Cox, who sued Texas, and ultimately left her home state, to obtain an emergency abortion after a severe fetal anomaly was detected.“If Americans send me a Congress that supports the right to choose I promise you: I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again,” Biden said. Several House Democratic women were wearing white — a symbol of women’s suffrage — to promote reproductive rights.The White House also invited union leaders, a gun control advocate, and others that Jill Biden and her husband have met as they traveled the country promoting his agenda. The prime minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, will attend to mark his country’s accession to NATO in the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine.Expelled and disgraced, former Rep. George Santos, who still retains floor privileges as an ex-member of Congress, also showed up for the speech.___AP writers Stephen Groves, Josh Boak, Aamer Madhani, Farnoush Amiri, Kevin Freking, Fatima Hussein, Amanda Seitz and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON —

President Joe Biden delivered a defiant argument for a second term in his State of the Union speech Thursday night, lacing into GOP front-runner Donald Trump for espousing “resentment, revenge and retribution” and for jeopardizing freedom at home and abroad.

Reveling in the political moment, Biden fired multiple broadsides at “my predecessor” without ever mentioning Trump by name — 13 times in all — raising his voice repeatedly as he worked to quell voter concerns about his age and job performance while sharpening the contrast with his all-but-certain November rival.

The scrappy tone from Biden was a sharp break from his often humdrum daily appearances and was designed to banish doubts about whether the 81-year-old president, the country’s oldest ever, is still up to the job.

Video below: Biden calls out Putin, denounces Trump during State of the Union

For 68 minutes in the House chamber, Biden goaded Republicans over their policies on immigration, taxes and more, invited call-and-response banter with fellow Democrats and seemed to relish the fight.

“I know I may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while,” Biden said, addressing his age head-on. “When you get to be my age, certain things become clearer than ever before.”

Noting he was born during World War II and came of political age during the upheaval of the 1960s, Biden declared: “My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. A future based on the core values that have defined America: honesty, decency, dignity, equality. To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor. Now some other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That’s not me.”

The president linked Trump’s praise for those who overran the Capitol in an attempt to subvert the 2020 election with antidemocratic threats abroad.

“Freedom and democracy are under attack both at home and overseas at the very same time,” Biden said as he appealed for Congress to support Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself against Russia’s two-year-old invasion. “History is watching.”

Biden directly referenced the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, calling out those who have played it down.

“My predecessor — and some of you here — seek to bury the truth about Jan. 6 — I will not do that,” Biden said. “This is a moment to speak the truth and to bury the lies. Here’s a simple truth. You can’t love your country only when you win.”

The president showcased his accomplishments on infrastructure and manufacturing, and pushed Congress to approve more aid to Ukraine, tougher migration rules and lower drug prices. He also sought to remind voters of the situation he inherited when he entered office in 2021 amid a raging pandemic and a contracting economy.

The 81-year-old president was closely watched not just for his message, but for whether he could deliver it with vigor and command.

White House aides said Biden was aiming to prove his doubters wrong by flashing his combative side and trying to needle Republicans over positions he believes are out of step with the country, particularly on access to abortion, but also tax policy and healthcare. It’s part of his campaign-year effort to use even official speeches to clarify the choice for voters at the ballot box this fall.

Taking a victory lap in selling his legislative accomplishments, such as one that bolsters manufacturing of computer chips nationwide, Biden veered from his prepared script to take a dig at Republicans who voted against such policies but are eager to take credit for them back home.

“If any of you don’t want that money in your districts,” Biden said, “just let me know.”

The president was speaking before a historically ineffective Congress. In the GOP-led House, Speaker Mike Johnson took power five months ago after the chaotic ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Legislators are still struggling to approve funding bills for the current year and have been deadlocked for months on foreign assistance bills to help Ukraine stave off Russia’s invasion and support Israel’s fight against Hamas.

The State of the Union address is a marquee night on the White House calendar, offering presidents a direct line to a captive audience of lawmakers and dignitaries in the House chamber and tens of millions of viewers at home. But even so, the night has lost some of its luster as viewership has declined.

Biden aides inside the White House and on his campaign had hoped for some fresh viral moments — like when he tussled last year with heckling Republicans and chided them for past efforts to cut Medicare and Social Security.

Johnson, eager to avoid a similar episode this year, urged Republicans in a private meeting Wednesday to show “decorum” during the speech, according to a person familiar with his remarks to lawmakers.

He appeared to have limited success. A number of House Republicans began to stand up and leave the chamber as Biden discussed raising taxes on billionaires and corporations. Other, like Johnson, remained in their chairs and shook their heads.

Biden engaged in a loud call and response with lawmakers as he rhetorically questioned whether the tax code was fair and whether billionaires and corporations need “another $2 trillion in tax breaks,” as he charged Republicans want.

Video below: Biden promises to restore Roe v. Wade as the ‘law of the land’

Biden also has raised the problems of “shrinkflation” – companies putting fewer pretzels in the jar and less yogurt in sealed cups — and so-called “junk fees” on services. Neither is a prime driver of inflation, but the White House hopes to show consumers that Biden is fighting for them.

One of the most contentious moments of his speech came during his remarks on immigration, when Biden was running down the endorsements by conservative groups of the bipartisan border legislation that Republicans killed last month.

Some in the audience appeared to yell and interject, and Biden shot back, “I know you know how to read.”

As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, decked out in pro-Trump paraphernalia, continued to shout at Biden, the president held up a white button that the Georgia Republican had handed him earlier bearing the name of Laken Riley, who authorities say was killed by a Venezuelan national who unlawfully crossed into the U.S. in September 2022.

“Laken Riley,” Biden said, calling her an “innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.” He expressed condolences to her family, saying his heart goes out to them.

And congressional Republican leaders were showcasing one of their newest lawmakers through the State of the Union rebuttal in order to make a generational contrast with Biden. Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, the youngest Republican woman elected to the Senate, planned to paint a picture of a nation that “seems to be slipping away” and one where “our families are hurting.”

“Right now, our commander-in-chief is not in command. The free world deserves better than a dithering and diminished leader,” Britt was to say, according to excerpts released Thursday evening. “America deserves leaders who recognize that secure borders, stable prices, safe streets, and a strong defense are the cornerstones of a great nation.”

Biden painted an optimistic future for the country as the massive pieces of legislation he signed into law during his first two years in office are implemented. But he also was set to warn that the progress he sees at home and abroad is fragile — and particularly vulnerable if Trump returns to the White House.

Trump, for his part, said he planned to respond in real time to Biden’s remarks on his Truth Social platform.

This year, Biden faced heightened emotions — particularly among his base supporters — over his staunch backing for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The White House had initially hoped a short-term cease-fire would be in place by the speech. It blames Hamas for not yet accepting a deal brokered by the U.S. and its allies.

A slew of Democrats and Republicans wore pins and stickers in honor of the Israeli hostages still being held captive in Gaza. Meanwhile, several House progressives wore Palestinian keffiyehs, the black and white checkered scarfs that have come to symbolize Palestinian solidarity. Biden’s motorcade took a circuitous route to the Capitol, as hundreds of pro-cease-fire demonstrators tried to disrupt its path from the White House.

Amid growing concerns about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, Biden announced in his address that he has directed the U.S. military to establish a temporary port on the Gaza coast aimed at increasing the flow of aid into the beleaguered territory.

The president also issued an emphatic call for lawmakers to pass sorely needed defense assistance for Ukraine. Acute ammunition shortages have allowed Russia to retake the offensive in the 2-year-old war.

The GOP-controlled House has refused to act on a Senate-passed version of the aid legislation, insisting on new stiffer measures to limit migration at the U.S.-Mexico border, after Trump used his influence to help sink a bipartisan compromise that would have done just that.

Access to abortion and fertility treatments was also a key component of Biden’s speech, especially in light of a controversial ruling from Alabama’s Supreme Court that has upended access to in vitro fertilization treatment in the state.

Video below: Joe Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene face off at State of the Union

One of first lady Jill Biden’s guests for the speech was Kate Cox, who sued Texas, and ultimately left her home state, to obtain an emergency abortion after a severe fetal anomaly was detected.

“If Americans send me a Congress that supports the right to choose I promise you: I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again,” Biden said. Several House Democratic women were wearing white — a symbol of women’s suffrage — to promote reproductive rights.

The White House also invited union leaders, a gun control advocate, and others that Jill Biden and her husband have met as they traveled the country promoting his agenda. The prime minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, will attend to mark his country’s accession to NATO in the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Expelled and disgraced, former Rep. George Santos, who still retains floor privileges as an ex-member of Congress, also showed up for the speech.

___

AP writers Stephen Groves, Josh Boak, Aamer Madhani, Farnoush Amiri, Kevin Freking, Fatima Hussein, Amanda Seitz and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

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March 7, 2024
Biden, Trump trounce competition in Super Tuesday contests; inch closer to November rematch

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The Super Tuesday primaries are the largest voting day of the year in the United States aside from the November general election.Voters in 16 states and one territory are choosing presidential nominees. Some states are also deciding who should run for governor, senator or district attorneys.Party primaries, caucuses or presidential preference votes are being held in Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.Read below for the latest from Super Tuesday:12:44 a.m. ETFormer Trump presidential campaign adviser Katrina Pierson advances to a Republican primary runoff in Texas for a legislative seat in the Dallas suburbs.Pierson’s opponent in the May 28 runoff for the Texas House seat is Rep. Justin Holland. He was one of dozens of Republicans who voted last year to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Trump ally.It’s not the first time Pierson has run for office in Texas. She lost a run for Congress in 2014 before becoming a spokesperson for Trump’s presidential campaign.12:27 a.m. ETNikki Haley’s national campaign spokesperson Tuesday that the Republican candidate was honored to be the first GOP woman to win two presidential primary contests. Despite her win in Vermont on Tuesday and her primary win in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, Trump was notching more victories.On the other side of the political aisle, Jason Palmer, 52, of Baltimore, told AP he knows he’s a longshot for the Democratic presidential nomination even after he won four delegates in American Samoa on Super Tuesday.12:02 a.m. ETRepublican Steve Garvey is advancing to a November election to fill the California U.S. Senate seat held for three decades by the late Dianne Feinstein, a rare opportunity for the GOP to compete in a marquee statewide race in this Democratic stronghold. Garvey also advances to a special election to complete the unexpired term of Feinstein.Garvey will compete against Democrat Adam Schiff, who is currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.11:59 p.m. ETTwo Democrats advanced to a primary runoff election in the newly-drawn 2nd Congressional District in Alabama.Anthony Daniels and Shomari Figures emerged from the crowded field Tuesday. The district is closely watched by Democrats as a potential pickup opportunity in the U.S. House.11:35 p.m. ETU.S. Rep. Colin Allred has secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas. Allred will face U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in November.11:30 p.m. ETAP projects that Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff will advance to the U.S. Senate general election in California, fending off fellow Democratic representatives Katie Porter and Barbara Lee after a heated campaign.Schiff is projected to face Republican and former MLB player Steve Garvey in November.11:15 p.m. ETThe biggest prize of the night. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are projected to win their primaries in California, which carries the largest delegate count of all Super Tuesday states for both parties.11 p.m. ETPolls have closed in California, leaving Alaska as the lone state still with residents filling out Super Tuesday primary ballots.10:35 p.m. ETHanding former President Donald Trump his only blemish of Super Tuesday, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has won the Vermont Republican primary, according to AP.This is the second contest Haley has won so far, the first being Washington D.C.’s primary.10:25 p.m. ETFormer President Donald Trump took the stage at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, to speak to supporters after a successful Super Tuesday night for the GOP frontrunner.10:05 p.m. ETLittle-known candidate Jason Palmer has defeated President Joe Biden in the American Samoas Democratic caucuses, AP and CNN project. Out of 91 ballots cast, Palmer won 51 and Biden won 40, according to the local party.The massive upset prevents Biden from a clean sweep of the Super Tuesday contests.Meanwhile, Biden is projected to win the Democratic primary in Utah.10 p.m. ETPolls have closed in Utah, leaving just California and Alaska with polls still open.9:45 p.m. ETAP projects that Sarah Stewart has won the GOP nomination to replace the retiring chief justice on the Alabama Supreme Court, which recently drew national attention for its ruling recognizing frozen embryos as children.Stewart, a current associate justice on the court, was a part of the majority opinion that threatened access to IVF in the state.She will face Democrat and Circuit Judge Greg Griffin in November.Video below: Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are children; White House reacts9:30 p.m. ETOnly three states still have polls open; Utah, California and Alaska. It’s been a near-flawless night for both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who will look to finish out strong in the remaining states.9:25 p.m. ET In Minnesota, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are both projected to win their primaries, according to AP.Biden defeated longshot candidate U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, who represents Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District. 9:10 p.m. ETMinutes after President Joe Biden was projected as the winner of his primary in Colorado, AP also said former President Donald Trump won the state’s GOP primary.Video below: Experts weigh in on Supreme Court’s decision to allow Donald Trump on ballots9:05 p.m. ETAlmost as soon as the polls closed in Colorado, President Joe Biden was tabbed as the winner of the Democratic primary, AP projected.Additionally, in Texas, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is projected to win the GOP primary for his seat in the Senate.9 p.m. ETPolls have closed in Colorado and Minnesota, leaving just a handful of states with polls still open. Also, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are projected to win their respective primaries in Texas, according to AP. Additionally, Trump has been declared the winner in the GOP primary in Arkansas. Biden took Arkansas earlier in the night.8:55 p.m. ETWhile it’s been mostly smooth sailing for the two frontrunners, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, one state is providing Trump a little trouble: Vermont. At the time of this update, Trump is only up on former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley by less than 800 votes, holding a 49.3% to 46.9% lead with less than half of the vote counted.8:50 p.m. ETFormer President Donald Trump has won the Republican primary in Massachusetts, according to AP.8:45 p.m. ETPresident Joe Biden is projected to win the Arkansas Democratic primary, according to AP. Biden is also projected to win in Alabama, as is former President Donald Trump in the state’s GOP primary.8:40 p.m. ETNorth Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore is projected to win the House Republican primary in the state’s 14th District, a top target for the GOP to flip in November thanks to redistricting. Video below: Some Massachusetts voters use Super Tuesday to send message to frontrunners8:30 p.m. ETAP is projecting that President Joe Biden is the winner of the Massachusetts and Maine Democratic primaries, meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is projected to win the Maine GOP primary8:20 p.m. ETNeither candidate has missed a state yet as Biden and Trump are projected to win their respective primaries in Oklahoma, according to AP.8:10 p.m. ETAP is projecting that President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will win the Tennessee Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively. The night is going as well as could be expected for the two candidates who will likely face off in a rematch this November.Video below: Large rally urging ‘no preference’ primary vote shuts down Massachusetts road8:05 p.m. ETPresident Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have been declared the winners of their respective primaries in North Carolina, according to AP.Additionally, AP projects that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has won the Republican primary for governor in North Carolina, and Josh Stein, the state’s attorney general, has won the Democratic primary, setting up a showdown in November that will garner many eyes nationally. 8 p.m. ETThe biggest round of states has closed the polls, including Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee.7:55 p.m. ETNearly two-thirds of North Carolina primary voters say that they’d consider former President Donald Trump fit for the presidency if he’s convicted of a crime, according to the initial results of CNN’s exit poll of Republican primary voters in the state, with slightly over half of GOP primary voters in Virginia saying the same.Roughly 4 in 10 primary voters in North Carolina describe themselves as part of the MAGA, or “Make America Great Again,” movement, compared to about one-third in Virginia. That’s below the 46% in Iowa’s caucuses who identified with the MAGA slogan. In South Carolina, about 41% of GOP primary voters described themselves as identifying with MAGA, with about one-third of New Hampshire GOP primary voters saying the same.Roughly 6 in 10 North Carolina GOP primary voters baselessly deny that President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win was legitimate, as do close to half of Virginia voters. Across all of the states of the GOP primary this year where entrance and exit polls have been conducted – including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina – none has seen a majority of the GOP electorate willing to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election.Exit polls are a valuable tool to help understand primary voters’ demographic profile and political views. Like all surveys, however, exit polls are estimates, not precise measurements of the electorate. 7:45 p.m. ETNikki Haley has pegged her Republican presidential campaign to the biggest day of the primary season, crossing the country over the last several days to visit Super Tuesday states.But the former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina governor is not holding any public events Tuesday night. And she has no future campaign rallies listed on her website.Haley’s campaign says she’s spending election night in the Charleston, South Carolina, area and watching results come in with her staff.7:40 p.m. ETPresident Joe Biden remains undefeated as AP projects that he will win the North Carolina Democratic primary.7:30 p.m. ETPolls have closed in North Carolina, the third state to begin counting votes on Super Tuesday.Video below: Trump hails Supreme Court decision to keep him on the ballot as a ‘great day’ for the country7:25 p.m. ETFormer President Donald Trump is projected to win the Virginia GOP primary, according to AP and CNN. It is his first win of the night.7:20 p.m. ETThe AP is projecting that President Joe Biden won the Vermont Democratic primary. Biden has gone a perfect three-for-three so far tonight, also notching victories in Virginia and Iowa.7:10 p.m. ETPresident Joe Biden is the projected winner of the Virginia Democratic presidential primary, according to AP. Biden was also declared the winner of the Iowa caucuses earlier in the night.7 p.m. ETPolls have closed in Vermont and Virginia, the first states of Super Tuesday. The next state to close its polls is North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. ET.

WASHINGTON —

The Super Tuesday primaries are the largest voting day of the year in the United States aside from the November general election.

Voters in 16 states and one territory are choosing presidential nominees. Some states are also deciding who should run for governor, senator or district attorneys.

Party primaries, caucuses or presidential preference votes are being held in Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.

Read below for the latest from Super Tuesday:

12:44 a.m. ET

Former Trump presidential campaign adviser Katrina Pierson advances to a Republican primary runoff in Texas for a legislative seat in the Dallas suburbs.

Pierson’s opponent in the May 28 runoff for the Texas House seat is Rep. Justin Holland. He was one of dozens of Republicans who voted last year to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Trump ally.

It’s not the first time Pierson has run for office in Texas. She lost a run for Congress in 2014 before becoming a spokesperson for Trump’s presidential campaign.

12:27 a.m. ET

Nikki Haley’s national campaign spokesperson Tuesday that the Republican candidate was honored to be the first GOP woman to win two presidential primary contests.

Despite her win in Vermont on Tuesday and her primary win in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, Trump was notching more victories.

On the other side of the political aisle, Jason Palmer, 52, of Baltimore, told AP he knows he’s a longshot for the Democratic presidential nomination even after he won four delegates in American Samoa on Super Tuesday.

12:02 a.m. ET

Republican Steve Garvey is advancing to a November election to fill the California U.S. Senate seat held for three decades by the late Dianne Feinstein, a rare opportunity for the GOP to compete in a marquee statewide race in this Democratic stronghold.

Garvey also advances to a special election to complete the unexpired term of Feinstein.

Garvey will compete against Democrat Adam Schiff, who is currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

11:59 p.m. ET

Two Democrats advanced to a primary runoff election in the newly-drawn 2nd Congressional District in Alabama.

Anthony Daniels and Shomari Figures emerged from the crowded field Tuesday. The district is closely watched by Democrats as a potential pickup opportunity in the U.S. House.

11:35 p.m. ET

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred has secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas. Allred will face U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in November.

Emil Lippe
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) speaks to reporters following a special service on Jan. 17, 2022, in Southlake, Texas.

11:30 p.m. ET

AP projects that Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff will advance to the U.S. Senate general election in California, fending off fellow Democratic representatives Katie Porter and Barbara Lee after a heated campaign.

Schiff is projected to face Republican and former MLB player Steve Garvey in November.

11:15 p.m. ET

The biggest prize of the night. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are projected to win their primaries in California, which carries the largest delegate count of all Super Tuesday states for both parties.

Anadolu
U.S. President Joe Biden pays a visit to Culver City for his campaign at Julian Dixon in Los Angeles, California, United States on Feb. 21, 2024.

11 p.m. ET

Polls have closed in California, leaving Alaska as the lone state still with residents filling out Super Tuesday primary ballots.

10:35 p.m. ET

Handing former President Donald Trump his only blemish of Super Tuesday, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has won the Vermont Republican primary, according to AP.

This is the second contest Haley has won so far, the first being Washington D.C.’s primary.

10:25 p.m. ET

Former President Donald Trump took the stage at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, to speak to supporters after a successful Super Tuesday night for the GOP frontrunner.

10:05 p.m. ET

Little-known candidate Jason Palmer has defeated President Joe Biden in the American Samoas Democratic caucuses, AP and CNN project. Out of 91 ballots cast, Palmer won 51 and Biden won 40, according to the local party.

The massive upset prevents Biden from a clean sweep of the Super Tuesday contests.

Meanwhile, Biden is projected to win the Democratic primary in Utah.

10 p.m. ET

Polls have closed in Utah, leaving just California and Alaska with polls still open.

9:45 p.m. ET

AP projects that Sarah Stewart has won the GOP nomination to replace the retiring chief justice on the Alabama Supreme Court, which recently drew national attention for its ruling recognizing frozen embryos as children.

Stewart, a current associate justice on the court, was a part of the majority opinion that threatened access to IVF in the state.

She will face Democrat and Circuit Judge Greg Griffin in November.

Video below: Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are children; White House reacts

9:30 p.m. ET

Only three states still have polls open; Utah, California and Alaska. It’s been a near-flawless night for both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who will look to finish out strong in the remaining states.

9:25 p.m. ET

In Minnesota, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are both projected to win their primaries, according to AP.

Biden defeated longshot candidate U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, who represents Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District.

9:10 p.m. ET

Minutes after President Joe Biden was projected as the winner of his primary in Colorado, AP also said former President Donald Trump won the state’s GOP primary.

Video below: Experts weigh in on Supreme Court’s decision to allow Donald Trump on ballots

9:05 p.m. ET

Almost as soon as the polls closed in Colorado, President Joe Biden was tabbed as the winner of the Democratic primary, AP projected.

Additionally, in Texas, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is projected to win the GOP primary for his seat in the Senate.

9 p.m. ET

Polls have closed in Colorado and Minnesota, leaving just a handful of states with polls still open.

Also, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are projected to win their respective primaries in Texas, according to AP. Additionally, Trump has been declared the winner in the GOP primary in Arkansas. Biden took Arkansas earlier in the night.

8:55 p.m. ET

While it’s been mostly smooth sailing for the two frontrunners, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, one state is providing Trump a little trouble: Vermont.

At the time of this update, Trump is only up on former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley by less than 800 votes, holding a 49.3% to 46.9% lead with less than half of the vote counted.

8:50 p.m. ET

Former President Donald Trump has won the Republican primary in Massachusetts, according to AP.

8:45 p.m. ET

President Joe Biden is projected to win the Arkansas Democratic primary, according to AP. Biden is also projected to win in Alabama, as is former President Donald Trump in the state’s GOP primary.

8:40 p.m. ET

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore is projected to win the House Republican primary in the state’s 14th District, a top target for the GOP to flip in November thanks to redistricting.

Video below: Some Massachusetts voters use Super Tuesday to send message to frontrunners

8:30 p.m. ET

AP is projecting that President Joe Biden is the winner of the Massachusetts and Maine Democratic primaries, meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is projected to win the Maine GOP primary

8:20 p.m. ET

Neither candidate has missed a state yet as Biden and Trump are projected to win their respective primaries in Oklahoma, according to AP.

8:10 p.m. ET

AP is projecting that President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will win the Tennessee Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively. The night is going as well as could be expected for the two candidates who will likely face off in a rematch this November.

Video below: Large rally urging ‘no preference’ primary vote shuts down Massachusetts road

8:05 p.m. ET

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have been declared the winners of their respective primaries in North Carolina, according to AP.

Additionally, AP projects that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has won the Republican primary for governor in North Carolina, and Josh Stein, the state’s attorney general, has won the Democratic primary, setting up a showdown in November that will garner many eyes nationally.

8 p.m. ET

The biggest round of states has closed the polls, including Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee.

7:55 p.m. ET

Nearly two-thirds of North Carolina primary voters say that they’d consider former President Donald Trump fit for the presidency if he’s convicted of a crime, according to the initial results of CNN’s exit poll of Republican primary voters in the state, with slightly over half of GOP primary voters in Virginia saying the same.

Roughly 4 in 10 primary voters in North Carolina describe themselves as part of the MAGA, or “Make America Great Again,” movement, compared to about one-third in Virginia. That’s below the 46% in Iowa’s caucuses who identified with the MAGA slogan. In South Carolina, about 41% of GOP primary voters described themselves as identifying with MAGA, with about one-third of New Hampshire GOP primary voters saying the same.

Alex Wong
Supporters of Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump hold up signs as he speaks during a campaign event at Greensboro Coliseum on March 2, 2024, in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Roughly 6 in 10 North Carolina GOP primary voters baselessly deny that President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win was legitimate, as do close to half of Virginia voters. Across all of the states of the GOP primary this year where entrance and exit polls have been conducted – including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina – none has seen a majority of the GOP electorate willing to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election.

Exit polls are a valuable tool to help understand primary voters’ demographic profile and political views. Like all surveys, however, exit polls are estimates, not precise measurements of the electorate.

7:45 p.m. ET

Nikki Haley has pegged her Republican presidential campaign to the biggest day of the primary season, crossing the country over the last several days to visit Super Tuesday states.

But the former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina governor is not holding any public events Tuesday night. And she has no future campaign rallies listed on her website.

Haley’s campaign says she’s spending election night in the Charleston, South Carolina, area and watching results come in with her staff.

7:40 p.m. ET

President Joe Biden remains undefeated as AP projects that he will win the North Carolina Democratic primary.

7:30 p.m. ET

Polls have closed in North Carolina, the third state to begin counting votes on Super Tuesday.

Video below: Trump hails Supreme Court decision to keep him on the ballot as a ‘great day’ for the country

7:25 p.m. ET

Former President Donald Trump is projected to win the Virginia GOP primary, according to AP and CNN. It is his first win of the night.

7:20 p.m. ET

The AP is projecting that President Joe Biden won the Vermont Democratic primary. Biden has gone a perfect three-for-three so far tonight, also notching victories in Virginia and Iowa.

7:10 p.m. ET

President Joe Biden is the projected winner of the Virginia Democratic presidential primary, according to AP. Biden was also declared the winner of the Iowa caucuses earlier in the night.

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Voters cast their ballots at the Philomont firehouse, on primary election day in Philomont, Virginia, on March 5, 2024.

7 p.m. ET

Polls have closed in Vermont and Virginia, the first states of Super Tuesday. The next state to close its polls is North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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March 5, 2024
Air Force employee charged with sharing classified info on Russia’s war with Ukraine on dating site

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Air Force employee charged with sharing classified info on Russia’s war with Ukraine on dating site

Updated: 2:14 AM PST Mar 5, 2024

A civilian U.S. Air Force employee has been charged in federal court in Nebraska with transmitting classified information about Russia’s war with Ukraine on a foreign online dating platform, the Justice Department said Monday.Related video above: Russian forces ramp up assault in UkraineDavid Franklin Slater, 63, who authorities say retired as an Army lieutenant colonel and was assigned to the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, was arrested Saturday on charges of illegally disclosing national defense information and conspiring to do so.Prosecutors say Slater attended briefings between February and April 2022 about Russia’s war with Ukraine and, despite having signed paperwork pledging not to disclose classified information, shared details about military targets and Russian capabilities on an online messaging platform with an unindicted co-conspirator who claimed to be a woman living in Ukraine.According to an indictment, that alleged co-conspirator, who is not identified by prosecutors, repeatedly asked Slater for information and described him as “my secret informant love.”It wasn’t immediately clear if Slater had a lawyer. He is due to make his first court appearance Tuesday.

WASHINGTON —

A civilian U.S. Air Force employee has been charged in federal court in Nebraska with transmitting classified information about Russia’s war with Ukraine on a foreign online dating platform, the Justice Department said Monday.

Related video above: Russian forces ramp up assault in Ukraine

David Franklin Slater, 63, who authorities say retired as an Army lieutenant colonel and was assigned to the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, was arrested Saturday on charges of illegally disclosing national defense information and conspiring to do so.

Prosecutors say Slater attended briefings between February and April 2022 about Russia’s war with Ukraine and, despite having signed paperwork pledging not to disclose classified information, shared details about military targets and Russian capabilities on an online messaging platform with an unindicted co-conspirator who claimed to be a woman living in Ukraine.

According to an indictment, that alleged co-conspirator, who is not identified by prosecutors, repeatedly asked Slater for information and described him as “my secret informant love.”

It wasn’t immediately clear if Slater had a lawyer. He is due to make his first court appearance Tuesday.

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March 5, 2024
Putin pays tribute to Russian national unity in state-of-the-nation address

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President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hailed Russian national unity, even as fighting raged on in Ukraine, in a state-of-the-nation address ahead of next month’s election he’s all but certain to win.Speaking to an audience of lawmakers and top officials televised live nationwide, Putin said that Russia was “defending its sovereignty and security and protecting our compatriots” in Ukraine.He hailed Russian soldiers and honored those who were killed in fighting with a moment of silence.Putin, 71, who is running as an independent candidate in the March 15-17 presidential election, relies on the tight control over Russia’s political system that he has established during 24 years in power.Prominent critics who could challenge him have either been imprisoned or are living abroad, while most independent media have been banned, meaning that Putin’s reelection is all but assured. He faces token opposition from three other candidates nominated by Kremlin-friendly parties represented in parliament.Russia’s best-known opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose attempt to run against Putin in 2018 was rejected, died suddenly in an Arctic prison colony earlier this month, while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges. Navalny’s funeral is set for Friday.Putin has repeatedly said that he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to protect Russian interests and prevent Ukraine from posing a major security threat to Russia by joining NATO. Kyiv and its allies have denounced it as an unprovoked act of aggression.The Russian leader has repeatedly signaled a desire to negotiate an end to the fighting but warned that Russia will hold onto its gains.

MOSCOW —

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hailed Russian national unity, even as fighting raged on in Ukraine, in a state-of-the-nation address ahead of next month’s election he’s all but certain to win.

Speaking to an audience of lawmakers and top officials televised live nationwide, Putin said that Russia was “defending its sovereignty and security and protecting our compatriots” in Ukraine.

He hailed Russian soldiers and honored those who were killed in fighting with a moment of silence.

Putin, 71, who is running as an independent candidate in the March 15-17 presidential election, relies on the tight control over Russia’s political system that he has established during 24 years in power.

Prominent critics who could challenge him have either been imprisoned or are living abroad, while most independent media have been banned, meaning that Putin’s reelection is all but assured. He faces token opposition from three other candidates nominated by Kremlin-friendly parties represented in parliament.

Russia’s best-known opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose attempt to run against Putin in 2018 was rejected, died suddenly in an Arctic prison colony earlier this month, while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges. Navalny’s funeral is set for Friday.

Putin has repeatedly said that he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to protect Russian interests and prevent Ukraine from posing a major security threat to Russia by joining NATO. Kyiv and its allies have denounced it as an unprovoked act of aggression.

The Russian leader has repeatedly signaled a desire to negotiate an end to the fighting but warned that Russia will hold onto its gains.

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February 29, 2024
Letter containing white powder sent to Donald Trump Jr.’s home

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Emergency crews responded Monday after a letter containing an unidentified white powder was sent to the Florida home of Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of former President and GOP front-runner Donald Trump.A person familiar with the matter said that the results on the substance were inconclusive, but officials do not believe it was deadly. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to confirm details of the letter, which were first reported by The Daily Beast.Trump Jr. opened the letter, which also contained a death threat, in his home office, and emergency responders wearing hazmat suits responded.Jupiter police said the investigation is being handled by the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, which said it was working with the U.S. Secret Service but didn’t have any further details. The Secret Service declined to comment.Trump Jr. is one of his father’s top campaign surrogates, frequently headlining events and appearing in interviews on his behalf.It’s the second time white powder has been sent to the former president’s oldest son. In 2018, his then-wife, Vanessa, was taken to a New York City hospital after she opened an envelope addressed to her husband that contained an unidentified white powder. Police later said the substance wasn’t dangerous.In March 2016, police detectives and FBI agents investigated a threatening letter sent to the Manhattan apartment of Donald Trump Jr.’s brother Eric that also contained a white powder that turned out to be harmless.Envelopes containing white powder were also sent twice in 2016 to Trump Tower, which served as Trump’s campaign headquarters.Hoax attacks using white powder play on fears that date to 2001, when letters containing deadly anthrax were mailed to news organizations and the offices of two U.S. senators. Those letters killed five people._____ Colvin reported from New York.

MIAMI —

Emergency crews responded Monday after a letter containing an unidentified white powder was sent to the Florida home of Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of former President and GOP front-runner Donald Trump.

A person familiar with the matter said that the results on the substance were inconclusive, but officials do not believe it was deadly. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to confirm details of the letter, which were first reported by The Daily Beast.

Trump Jr. opened the letter, which also contained a death threat, in his home office, and emergency responders wearing hazmat suits responded.

Jupiter police said the investigation is being handled by the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, which said it was working with the U.S. Secret Service but didn’t have any further details. The Secret Service declined to comment.

Trump Jr. is one of his father’s top campaign surrogates, frequently headlining events and appearing in interviews on his behalf.

It’s the second time white powder has been sent to the former president’s oldest son. In 2018, his then-wife, Vanessa, was taken to a New York City hospital after she opened an envelope addressed to her husband that contained an unidentified white powder. Police later said the substance wasn’t dangerous.

In March 2016, police detectives and FBI agents investigated a threatening letter sent to the Manhattan apartment of Donald Trump Jr.’s brother Eric that also contained a white powder that turned out to be harmless.

Envelopes containing white powder were also sent twice in 2016 to Trump Tower, which served as Trump’s campaign headquarters.

Hoax attacks using white powder play on fears that date to 2001, when letters containing deadly anthrax were mailed to news organizations and the offices of two U.S. senators. Those letters killed five people.

_____

Colvin reported from New York.

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February 27, 2024
Donald Trump appeals $454 million judgment in New York civil fraud case

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Donald Trump has appealed his $454 million New York civil fraud judgment, challenging a judge’s finding that Trump lied about his wealth as he grew the real estate empire that launched him to stardom and the presidency.The former president’s lawyers filed a notice of appeal Monday asking the state’s mid-level appeals court to overturn Judge Arthur Engoron’s Feb. 16 verdict in Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit.Trump’s lawyers wrote in court papers that they’re asking the appeals court to decide whether Engoron “committed errors of law and/or fact” and whether he abused his discretion and/or his jurisdiction.Engoron found that Trump, his company and top executives, including his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., schemed for years to deceive banks and insurers by inflating his wealth on financial statements used to secure loans and make deals. Among other penalties, the judge put strict limitations on the ability of Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, to do business.The appeal ensures that the legal fight over Trump’s business practices will persist into the thick of the presidential primary season, and likely beyond, as he tries to clinch the Republican presidential nomination in his quest to retake the White House.If upheld, Engoron’s ruling will force Trump to give up a sizable chunk of his fortune. Engoron ordered Trump to pay $355 million in penalties, but with interest the total has grown to nearly $454 million. That total will increase by nearly $112,000 per day until he pays.Video below: Trump gives remarks after closing arguments at his New York civil fraud trial

NEW YORK —

Donald Trump has appealed his $454 million New York civil fraud judgment, challenging a judge’s finding that Trump lied about his wealth as he grew the real estate empire that launched him to stardom and the presidency.

The former president’s lawyers filed a notice of appeal Monday asking the state’s mid-level appeals court to overturn Judge Arthur Engoron’s Feb. 16 verdict in Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit.

Trump’s lawyers wrote in court papers that they’re asking the appeals court to decide whether Engoron “committed errors of law and/or fact” and whether he abused his discretion and/or his jurisdiction.

Engoron found that Trump, his company and top executives, including his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., schemed for years to deceive banks and insurers by inflating his wealth on financial statements used to secure loans and make deals. Among other penalties, the judge put strict limitations on the ability of Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, to do business.

The appeal ensures that the legal fight over Trump’s business practices will persist into the thick of the presidential primary season, and likely beyond, as he tries to clinch the Republican presidential nomination in his quest to retake the White House.

If upheld, Engoron’s ruling will force Trump to give up a sizable chunk of his fortune. Engoron ordered Trump to pay $355 million in penalties, but with interest the total has grown to nearly $454 million. That total will increase by nearly $112,000 per day until he pays.

Video below: Trump gives remarks after closing arguments at his New York civil fraud trial

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February 26, 2024
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is in Ukraine to meet Zelenskyy as US aid hangs in the balance

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is in Ukraine to try to reassure President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials that Congress will deliver another round of U.S. aid, even as a package that would provide $60 billion is stalled in the U.S. House.Schumer’s surprise trip Friday comes at a perilous time for Ukraine. Zelenskyy has said that delays in aid from the U.S. and other Western countries are creating an opening for Russia to make advances on the battlefield, with Ukrainian forces running dangerously low on ammunition and weaponry.Lawmakers from both parties have traveled to Europe in the last week to promise that the United States will not desert Ukraine and other European allies. Yet the path ahead is far from certain. The Senate passed a $95 billion package to aid Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan last week, but House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has not yet put forward a plan for passing it in the House.In an interview before his trip, Schumer, D-N.Y., told The Associated Press that he plans to tell Ukrainian officials that “we’re going to win this fight, and America is not abandoning them.”“I feel I have to be there because it’s so crucial,” Schumer said. “We are right at a vortex, a critical turning point in the whole West. And if we abandon Ukraine, the consequences for America are severe.”The Senate passage of the aid package last week came after the collapse of a broader framework that would have combined the aid with changes to American border policies. The Senate quickly moved ahead with just the foreign aid portion, passing it on a 70-29 vote, with 22 Republicans in support.But GOP opponents of aiding Ukraine are a vocal faction in the House, where Republicans have narrow control and former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, holds more sway. Trump has opposed the aid package and urged Republicans to vote against it.Schumer is in the western city of Lviv where he and four other Democratic senators are expected to meet with Zelenskyy and other top officials. Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Michael Bennet of Colorado, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Jack Reed of Rhode Island are joining him on the trip. Reed is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.The visit comes days after senators and House lawmakers from both parties traveled to the Munich Security Conference to try to assuage European leaders, including Zelenskyy, who are closely watching the U.S. developments. The conference coincided with Ukraine withdrawing troops from the eastern city of Avdiivka after months of intense combat.Johnson is caught between a wide swath of his Republican members who support the Ukraine aid and a vocal faction on the right who strongly oppose it. Some House Republicans have threatened to try to remove him from his job if he puts the aid package up for a vote. He has said he “won’t be rushed” into a decision.House Republicans have floated possible ways to push the aid to passage, including by scaling it back, but no plan has so far emerged. It remains unclear how Johnson – only months into the job after replacing ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy — will navigate the deep divisions within his party.Republicans who oppose the aid say that the money is better spent in the U.S. and that it should be paired with legislation to curtail record numbers of crossings at the southern border. They rejected the proposed Senate compromise on border policy, saying it was not tough enough, and some of them want to see the House try again to tackle that issue before moving to the national security package.In the Senate, a group of Republicans opposed to the foreign aid kept the chamber open all night to rail against it before the final vote. Some of them echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin in calling for a negotiated end to the war.Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, part of the increasingly isolationist wing of the GOP, traveled to the Munich conference to make his case. He countered Zelenskyy’s pleas by saying that additional money wouldn’t “fundamentally change the reality” on the ground.“Can we send the level of weaponry we’ve sent for the last 18 months?” Vance asked. “We simply cannot. No matter how many checks the U.S. Congress writes, we are limited there.”Schumer said opposition to the aid “may be the view of Donald Trump and some of the hard right zealots. But it is not the view of the American people, and I don’t think it’s the view of the majority of people in the House or Senate.”He said he plans to tell Zelenskyy and other officials that he will push the House to act, and that “they shouldn’t give up and we’re not giving up.” He said he hoped to gather new detail on the trip that could help convince reluctant lawmakers.President Joe Biden has continued to tell Zelenskyy that he will get the aid to Ukraine. But he has expressed concerns about whether the House would be able to pass the aid before Russia takes more Ukrainian territory.“The idea now when they are running out of ammunition that we’re going to walk away, I find it absurd,” Biden told reporters after speaking to Zelenskyy last weekend.Schumer said he is “greatly worried” about what could happen if Congress doesn’t act.“They’re hurting,” he said of Ukraine. “And I think by us being there, we’re giving them strength and giving them hope that America is still fighting for them.”

WASHINGTON —

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is in Ukraine to try to reassure President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials that Congress will deliver another round of U.S. aid, even as a package that would provide $60 billion is stalled in the U.S. House.

Schumer’s surprise trip Friday comes at a perilous time for Ukraine. Zelenskyy has said that delays in aid from the U.S. and other Western countries are creating an opening for Russia to make advances on the battlefield, with Ukrainian forces running dangerously low on ammunition and weaponry.

Lawmakers from both parties have traveled to Europe in the last week to promise that the United States will not desert Ukraine and other European allies. Yet the path ahead is far from certain. The Senate passed a $95 billion package to aid Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan last week, but House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has not yet put forward a plan for passing it in the House.

In an interview before his trip, Schumer, D-N.Y., told The Associated Press that he plans to tell Ukrainian officials that “we’re going to win this fight, and America is not abandoning them.”

“I feel I have to be there because it’s so crucial,” Schumer said. “We are right at a vortex, a critical turning point in the whole West. And if we abandon Ukraine, the consequences for America are severe.”

The Senate passage of the aid package last week came after the collapse of a broader framework that would have combined the aid with changes to American border policies. The Senate quickly moved ahead with just the foreign aid portion, passing it on a 70-29 vote, with 22 Republicans in support.

But GOP opponents of aiding Ukraine are a vocal faction in the House, where Republicans have narrow control and former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, holds more sway. Trump has opposed the aid package and urged Republicans to vote against it.

Schumer is in the western city of Lviv where he and four other Democratic senators are expected to meet with Zelenskyy and other top officials. Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Michael Bennet of Colorado, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Jack Reed of Rhode Island are joining him on the trip. Reed is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The visit comes days after senators and House lawmakers from both parties traveled to the Munich Security Conference to try to assuage European leaders, including Zelenskyy, who are closely watching the U.S. developments. The conference coincided with Ukraine withdrawing troops from the eastern city of Avdiivka after months of intense combat.

Johnson is caught between a wide swath of his Republican members who support the Ukraine aid and a vocal faction on the right who strongly oppose it. Some House Republicans have threatened to try to remove him from his job if he puts the aid package up for a vote. He has said he “won’t be rushed” into a decision.

House Republicans have floated possible ways to push the aid to passage, including by scaling it back, but no plan has so far emerged. It remains unclear how Johnson – only months into the job after replacing ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy — will navigate the deep divisions within his party.

Republicans who oppose the aid say that the money is better spent in the U.S. and that it should be paired with legislation to curtail record numbers of crossings at the southern border. They rejected the proposed Senate compromise on border policy, saying it was not tough enough, and some of them want to see the House try again to tackle that issue before moving to the national security package.

In the Senate, a group of Republicans opposed to the foreign aid kept the chamber open all night to rail against it before the final vote. Some of them echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin in calling for a negotiated end to the war.

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, part of the increasingly isolationist wing of the GOP, traveled to the Munich conference to make his case. He countered Zelenskyy’s pleas by saying that additional money wouldn’t “fundamentally change the reality” on the ground.

“Can we send the level of weaponry we’ve sent for the last 18 months?” Vance asked. “We simply cannot. No matter how many checks the U.S. Congress writes, we are limited there.”

Schumer said opposition to the aid “may be the view of Donald Trump and some of the hard right zealots. But it is not the view of the American people, and I don’t think it’s the view of the majority of people in the House or Senate.”

He said he plans to tell Zelenskyy and other officials that he will push the House to act, and that “they shouldn’t give up and we’re not giving up.” He said he hoped to gather new detail on the trip that could help convince reluctant lawmakers.

President Joe Biden has continued to tell Zelenskyy that he will get the aid to Ukraine. But he has expressed concerns about whether the House would be able to pass the aid before Russia takes more Ukrainian territory.

“The idea now when they are running out of ammunition that we’re going to walk away, I find it absurd,” Biden told reporters after speaking to Zelenskyy last weekend.

Schumer said he is “greatly worried” about what could happen if Congress doesn’t act.

“They’re hurting,” he said of Ukraine. “And I think by us being there, we’re giving them strength and giving them hope that America is still fighting for them.”

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February 23, 2024
Texas school legally punished Black student over hairstyle, judge says

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A Black high school student’s monthslong punishment by his Texas school district for refusing to change his hairstyle does not violate a new state law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, a judge ruled on Thursday.Video above: Clarified: What is the CROWN Act?Darryl George, 18, is a junior and has not been in his regular classes at his Houston-area high school since Aug. 31 because his school district, Barbers Hill, says he is violating its policy limiting the length of boys’ hair.The district filed a lawsuit arguing George’s long hair, which he wears in tied and twisted locs on top of his head, violates its dress code policy because it would fall below his shirt collar, eyebrows or earlobes when let down. The district has said other students with locs comply with the length policy.After just a few hours of testimony in Anahuac, state District Judge Chap Cain III ruled in favor of the school district, saying its ongoing discipline of George over the length of his hair is legal under the CROWN Act. For most of the school year, George has either served in-school suspension at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu or spent time at an off-site disciplinary program.Dozens of people filed into the courtroom in Anahuac, outside Houston, where George and his mother, Darresha George, told reporters they were hopeful his punishment would soon end allowing him to return to regular classes.“We’re going to get justice today,” Darresha George said. “I’m nervous but I’m happy.”Video below: Darryl George makes comment as hair discrimination trial beginsThe CROWN Act, which took effect in September, prohibits race-based hair discrimination and bars employers and schools from penalizing people because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including Afros, braids, locs, twists or Bantu knots.Attorneys for the school district did not present any witnesses. Attorney Sara Leon told Cain that the Barbers Hill dress code “is consistent with the CROWN Act” and that the policy “is race neutral.”Allie Booker, Darryl’s George’s attorney, presented only two witnesses: Darresha George and Democratic state Rep. Ron Reynolds, one of the co-authors of the CROWN Act.Reynolds testified that hair length was not specifically discussed when the CROWN Act was proposed but “length was inferred with the very nature of the style.”“Anyone familiar with braids, locs, twists knows it requires a certain amount of length,” Reynolds said.Pressed by Cain if there was anything in the legislation that talks specifically about length, Reynolds said no, but that it is “almost impossible for a person to comply with this (grooming) policy and wear that protective hairstyle.”After Reynolds’ testimony, both sides rested their case.George, an 18-year-old junior, has not been in his regular classroom at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu since Aug. 31. He has instead served in-school suspension and spent time in an off-site disciplinary program.In court documents, the school district maintains its policy does not violate the CROWN Act because the law does not mention or cover hair length.In a paid ad that ran in January in the Houston Chronicle, Barbers Hill Superintendent Greg Poole wrote that districts with a traditional dress code are safer and have higher academic performance, and that “being an American requires conformity.”George’s family has also filed a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency and a federal civil rights lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with the school district, alleging they failed to enforce the CROWN Act. The lawsuit is before a federal judge in Galveston.Barbers Hill’s hair policy was also challenged in a May 2020 federal lawsuit filed by two other students. Both withdrew from the high school, but one returned after a federal judge granted a temporary injunction, saying there was “a substantial likelihood” that his rights to free speech and to be free from racial discrimination would be violated if he was not allowed to return. That lawsuit is pending.

ANAHUAC, Texas —

A Black high school student’s monthslong punishment by his Texas school district for refusing to change his hairstyle does not violate a new state law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, a judge ruled on Thursday.

Video above: Clarified: What is the CROWN Act?

Darryl George, 18, is a junior and has not been in his regular classes at his Houston-area high school since Aug. 31 because his school district, Barbers Hill, says he is violating its policy limiting the length of boys’ hair.

The district filed a lawsuit arguing George’s long hair, which he wears in tied and twisted locs on top of his head, violates its dress code policy because it would fall below his shirt collar, eyebrows or earlobes when let down. The district has said other students with locs comply with the length policy.

After just a few hours of testimony in Anahuac, state District Judge Chap Cain III ruled in favor of the school district, saying its ongoing discipline of George over the length of his hair is legal under the CROWN Act. For most of the school year, George has either served in-school suspension at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu or spent time at an off-site disciplinary program.

Dozens of people filed into the courtroom in Anahuac, outside Houston, where George and his mother, Darresha George, told reporters they were hopeful his punishment would soon end allowing him to return to regular classes.

“We’re going to get justice today,” Darresha George said. “I’m nervous but I’m happy.”

Video below: Darryl George makes comment as hair discrimination trial begins

The CROWN Act, which took effect in September, prohibits race-based hair discrimination and bars employers and schools from penalizing people because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including Afros, braids, locs, twists or Bantu knots.

Attorneys for the school district did not present any witnesses. Attorney Sara Leon told Cain that the Barbers Hill dress code “is consistent with the CROWN Act” and that the policy “is race neutral.”

Allie Booker, Darryl’s George’s attorney, presented only two witnesses: Darresha George and Democratic state Rep. Ron Reynolds, one of the co-authors of the CROWN Act.

Reynolds testified that hair length was not specifically discussed when the CROWN Act was proposed but “length was inferred with the very nature of the style.”

“Anyone familiar with braids, locs, twists knows it requires a certain amount of length,” Reynolds said.

Pressed by Cain if there was anything in the legislation that talks specifically about length, Reynolds said no, but that it is “almost impossible for a person to comply with this (grooming) policy and wear that protective hairstyle.”

After Reynolds’ testimony, both sides rested their case.

George, an 18-year-old junior, has not been in his regular classroom at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu since Aug. 31. He has instead served in-school suspension and spent time in an off-site disciplinary program.

In court documents, the school district maintains its policy does not violate the CROWN Act because the law does not mention or cover hair length.

In a paid ad that ran in January in the Houston Chronicle, Barbers Hill Superintendent Greg Poole wrote that districts with a traditional dress code are safer and have higher academic performance, and that “being an American requires conformity.”

George’s family has also filed a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency and a federal civil rights lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with the school district, alleging they failed to enforce the CROWN Act. The lawsuit is before a federal judge in Galveston.

Barbers Hill’s hair policy was also challenged in a May 2020 federal lawsuit filed by two other students. Both withdrew from the high school, but one returned after a federal judge granted a temporary injunction, saying there was “a substantial likelihood” that his rights to free speech and to be free from racial discrimination would be violated if he was not allowed to return. That lawsuit is pending.

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February 22, 2024
A year after Jimmy Carter’s entered hospice care, advocates hope his endurance drives awareness

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Since Jimmy Carter entered hospice care at his home in south Georgia one year ago, the former U.S. president has celebrated his 99th birthday, enjoyed tributes to his legacy and lost his wife of 77 years.Rosalynn Carter, who died in November, about six months after the Carter family disclosed her dementia diagnosis, lived only a few days under hospice supervision, with her frail husband at her bedside.Experts on end-of-life care say the Carters’ different paths show the range of an oft-misunderstood service. Those advocates commend the Carter family for demonstrating the realities of aging, dementia and death. They express hope that the attention spurs more Americans to seek out services intended to help patients and families in the latter stages of life.“It’s been massive to have the Carters be so public,” said Angela Novas, chief medical officer for the Hospice Foundation of America, based in Washington. “It has shed hospice in a new light, and it’s raised questions” for people to learn more.The Carter family released a statement ahead of Sunday, the first anniversary of their announcement that the 39th president would forgo future hospital stays and enter end-of-life care at home in Plains.“President Carter continues to be at home with his family,” the statement said. “The family is pleased that his decision last year to enter hospice care has sparked so many family discussions across the country on an important subject.”To be clear, the family has not confirmed whether Jimmy Carter remains in hospice care or has been discharged, as sometimes happens when even a frail patient’s health stabilizes.Here is a look at hospice and the Carters’ circumstances:HOSPICE SERVES EVERYONE, EVEN THE RICH AND POWERFULMollie Gurian is vice president of Leading Age, a national network of more than 5,000 nonprofit elder-care agencies. She described hospice as “holistic care … for someone who is trying to live the end of their life as fully as possible” but no longer seeks a cure for a terminal condition.Hospice offers multiple practitioners for each patient: nurses, physicians and social-service professionals like chaplains and secular grief counselors. Home hospice features in-home visits but not round-the-clock or even full-shift care.Initial eligibility requires a physician’s certification of a terminal condition, with the expectation that a person will not live longer than six months; there are also disease-specific parameters.For-profit businesses or nonprofit agencies typically provide the care and employ the providers. Medicare pays those agencies a per-day rate for each patient. There are four levels of care and daily rates. The concept was developed after World War II and has been part of the Medicare program since the early 1980s. Private insurance plans also typically cover hospice.In 2021, 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in hospice at a taxpayer cost of $23.1 billion, according to the federal Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). Almost half of Medicare patients who died that year did so under hospice care.HOSPICE IS MORE THAN THE ‘MORPHINE MYTH’Hospice can elicit images of “someone doped up and bedridden,” but it is not “just providing enough morphine to make it through the end,” Gurian said.Indeed, patients give up curative treatments and many medicines. Cancer patients no longer receive radiation or chemotherapy. Those with late-stage Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or another degenerative neurological disease typically ditch cholesterol and blood-pressure medication — and eventually, drugs that regulate their acute condition.But Novas and Gurian said treatment is case-by-case. Some agencies might allow someone with end-stage kidney disease to get dialysis or take regulatory medication. They simply have to absorb the cost, because Medicare almost certainly does not pay separately for those treatments.Further, hospice does not necessarily mean forgoing treatments for certain complications that threaten comfort: antibiotics for a urinary tract infection or infected bed sores, for example. That said, patients or families may forgo such treatments, especially in cases of end-stage neurological disease.Chip Carter, one of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s four children, confirmed to The Washington Post that his mother was suffering from a severe urinary tract infection at the time of her hospice admission and death. In those cases, Novas explained, patients are administered pain management drugs.Video below: Jimmy Carter arrives at Rosalynn Carter’s tribute service in November 2023JIMMY CARTER’S ENDURANCE IS NOT UNUSUALIn 2021, the average stay of hospice patients who died was 92 days, MedPAC calculated. The median was 17 days — about two weeks longer than the time between when the Carters’ announced the former first lady had entered hospice and when she died.About 10% of enrollees who die in hospice care stayed more than 264 days. Extended cases drive a majority of costs. In 2021, $13.6 billion of the overall $23 billion paid was for stays exceeding 180 days before death. Of that, $5 billion was for stays longer than a year.Patients are sometimes discharged from hospice if their condition stabilizes, especially if they have reached the six-month mark in the program. In 2021, 17.2% of the patients were discharged. The MedPAC report to Congress noted that for-profit agencies have higher average length of stays than nonprofits and added that living patients’ discharge rates raise questions about admission standards.Novas offered explanations. She said hospice has seen an uptick in patients with dementia, conditions in which “a patient can wax and wane for months or even years.” Another factor — one she said could explain Jimmy Carter’s endurance — is sheer grit.“We cannot measure the human spirit,” she said. With many conditions, “somebody who wants to be here is going to stick around for a while.”ADVOCATES WANT CHANGES AND EXPANSIONMedicare does not include a long-term care insurance provision, something that Leading Age and other advocates argue the U.S. needs, especially as the Baby Boomer generation ages.That kind of care, she said, would help patients and families absorb significant burdens of care that hospitals do not provide and that hospice does not cover — or at least should not cover. A long-term care benefit, for example, could become a more common route of insured care in some dementia cases.Legislation has been introduced in Congress in recent sessions to create a long-term care plan under Medicare. But it is politically difficult, if not impossible, because it calls for an increase in payroll taxes to finance a new benefit.Separately, Gurian said Leading Age would like Congress to increase hospice payments structures so more agencies might admit patients and still cover certain treatments they now typically forgo. For example, she said some cancer patients could ratchet down cancer treatments as part of pain management rather than give up treatment altogether and advance more rapidly to heavy drugs like morphine that eliminate quality of life.JIMMY CARTER STILL OFFERING LESSONSGurian said the U.S. health care system and American society too often see just two choices for someone with a grave diagnosis: “fighting” or “giving up.”“Hospice is not giving up,” she said, even if it means “accepting our mortality.”Novas said Jimmy Carter has proven those distinctions with his public announcements and, in November, his determination to attend Rosalynn Carter’s funeral, physically diminished, reclined in a wheelchair, his legs covered in a blanket.“That was such an important moment,” Novas said, for the world to “see what 99 looks like,” even for a former president. “He still has lessons for us. I think, on some level, he must be aware of what he’s doing. … Hospice is just a partner in that journey. But it’s his journey.”

ATLANTA —

Since Jimmy Carter entered hospice care at his home in south Georgia one year ago, the former U.S. president has celebrated his 99th birthday, enjoyed tributes to his legacy and lost his wife of 77 years.

Rosalynn Carter, who died in November, about six months after the Carter family disclosed her dementia diagnosis, lived only a few days under hospice supervision, with her frail husband at her bedside.

Experts on end-of-life care say the Carters’ different paths show the range of an oft-misunderstood service. Those advocates commend the Carter family for demonstrating the realities of aging, dementia and death. They express hope that the attention spurs more Americans to seek out services intended to help patients and families in the latter stages of life.

“It’s been massive to have the Carters be so public,” said Angela Novas, chief medical officer for the Hospice Foundation of America, based in Washington. “It has shed hospice in a new light, and it’s raised questions” for people to learn more.

The Carter family released a statement ahead of Sunday, the first anniversary of their announcement that the 39th president would forgo future hospital stays and enter end-of-life care at home in Plains.

“President Carter continues to be at home with his family,” the statement said. “The family is pleased that his decision last year to enter hospice care has sparked so many family discussions across the country on an important subject.”

To be clear, the family has not confirmed whether Jimmy Carter remains in hospice care or has been discharged, as sometimes happens when even a frail patient’s health stabilizes.

Here is a look at hospice and the Carters’ circumstances:

HOSPICE SERVES EVERYONE, EVEN THE RICH AND POWERFUL

Mollie Gurian is vice president of Leading Age, a national network of more than 5,000 nonprofit elder-care agencies. She described hospice as “holistic care … for someone who is trying to live the end of their life as fully as possible” but no longer seeks a cure for a terminal condition.

Hospice offers multiple practitioners for each patient: nurses, physicians and social-service professionals like chaplains and secular grief counselors. Home hospice features in-home visits but not round-the-clock or even full-shift care.

Initial eligibility requires a physician’s certification of a terminal condition, with the expectation that a person will not live longer than six months; there are also disease-specific parameters.

For-profit businesses or nonprofit agencies typically provide the care and employ the providers. Medicare pays those agencies a per-day rate for each patient. There are four levels of care and daily rates. The concept was developed after World War II and has been part of the Medicare program since the early 1980s. Private insurance plans also typically cover hospice.

In 2021, 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in hospice at a taxpayer cost of $23.1 billion, according to the federal Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). Almost half of Medicare patients who died that year did so under hospice care.

HOSPICE IS MORE THAN THE ‘MORPHINE MYTH’

Hospice can elicit images of “someone doped up and bedridden,” but it is not “just providing enough morphine to make it through the end,” Gurian said.

Indeed, patients give up curative treatments and many medicines. Cancer patients no longer receive radiation or chemotherapy. Those with late-stage Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or another degenerative neurological disease typically ditch cholesterol and blood-pressure medication — and eventually, drugs that regulate their acute condition.

But Novas and Gurian said treatment is case-by-case. Some agencies might allow someone with end-stage kidney disease to get dialysis or take regulatory medication. They simply have to absorb the cost, because Medicare almost certainly does not pay separately for those treatments.

Further, hospice does not necessarily mean forgoing treatments for certain complications that threaten comfort: antibiotics for a urinary tract infection or infected bed sores, for example. That said, patients or families may forgo such treatments, especially in cases of end-stage neurological disease.

Chip Carter, one of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s four children, confirmed to The Washington Post that his mother was suffering from a severe urinary tract infection at the time of her hospice admission and death. In those cases, Novas explained, patients are administered pain management drugs.

Video below: Jimmy Carter arrives at Rosalynn Carter’s tribute service in November 2023

JIMMY CARTER’S ENDURANCE IS NOT UNUSUAL

In 2021, the average stay of hospice patients who died was 92 days, MedPAC calculated. The median was 17 days — about two weeks longer than the time between when the Carters’ announced the former first lady had entered hospice and when she died.

About 10% of enrollees who die in hospice care stayed more than 264 days. Extended cases drive a majority of costs. In 2021, $13.6 billion of the overall $23 billion paid was for stays exceeding 180 days before death. Of that, $5 billion was for stays longer than a year.

Patients are sometimes discharged from hospice if their condition stabilizes, especially if they have reached the six-month mark in the program. In 2021, 17.2% of the patients were discharged. The MedPAC report to Congress noted that for-profit agencies have higher average length of stays than nonprofits and added that living patients’ discharge rates raise questions about admission standards.

Novas offered explanations. She said hospice has seen an uptick in patients with dementia, conditions in which “a patient can wax and wane for months or even years.” Another factor — one she said could explain Jimmy Carter’s endurance — is sheer grit.

“We cannot measure the human spirit,” she said. With many conditions, “somebody who wants to be here is going to stick around for a while.”

ADVOCATES WANT CHANGES AND EXPANSION

Medicare does not include a long-term care insurance provision, something that Leading Age and other advocates argue the U.S. needs, especially as the Baby Boomer generation ages.

That kind of care, she said, would help patients and families absorb significant burdens of care that hospitals do not provide and that hospice does not cover — or at least should not cover. A long-term care benefit, for example, could become a more common route of insured care in some dementia cases.

Legislation has been introduced in Congress in recent sessions to create a long-term care plan under Medicare. But it is politically difficult, if not impossible, because it calls for an increase in payroll taxes to finance a new benefit.

Separately, Gurian said Leading Age would like Congress to increase hospice payments structures so more agencies might admit patients and still cover certain treatments they now typically forgo. For example, she said some cancer patients could ratchet down cancer treatments as part of pain management rather than give up treatment altogether and advance more rapidly to heavy drugs like morphine that eliminate quality of life.

JIMMY CARTER STILL OFFERING LESSONS

Gurian said the U.S. health care system and American society too often see just two choices for someone with a grave diagnosis: “fighting” or “giving up.”

“Hospice is not giving up,” she said, even if it means “accepting our mortality.”

Novas said Jimmy Carter has proven those distinctions with his public announcements and, in November, his determination to attend Rosalynn Carter’s funeral, physically diminished, reclined in a wheelchair, his legs covered in a blanket.

“That was such an important moment,” Novas said, for the world to “see what 99 looks like,” even for a former president. “He still has lessons for us. I think, on some level, he must be aware of what he’s doing. … Hospice is just a partner in that journey. But it’s his journey.”

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February 18, 2024
Oregon officials report bubonic plague in local resident. They say there’s little risk to community

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Oregon officials report bubonic plague in local resident. They say there’s little risk to community

Updated: 10:58 AM PST Feb 13, 2024

Public health officials in Oregon have reported a case of bubonic plague in a local resident who they said likely contracted it from a pet cat.All close contacts of the person and the cat have been contacted and provided medication, Dr. Richard Fawcett, the health officer for Deschutes County, said in a statement last week.The county said Wednesday the case was identified and treated in its early stages and poses little risk to the community.Symptoms of bubonic plague include the sudden onset of fever, nausea, weakness, chills and muscle aches, county health services said. Symptoms begin two to eight days after exposure to an infected animal or flea.Bubonic plague can lead to bloodstream and lung infections if it is not diagnosed early. These forms of the disease are more severe and difficult to treat.The last time Oregon reported a case of bubonic plague was in 2015.

BEND, Ore. —

Public health officials in Oregon have reported a case of bubonic plague in a local resident who they said likely contracted it from a pet cat.

All close contacts of the person and the cat have been contacted and provided medication, Dr. Richard Fawcett, the health officer for Deschutes County, said in a statement last week.

The county said Wednesday the case was identified and treated in its early stages and poses little risk to the community.

Symptoms of bubonic plague include the sudden onset of fever, nausea, weakness, chills and muscle aches, county health services said. Symptoms begin two to eight days after exposure to an infected animal or flea.

Bubonic plague can lead to bloodstream and lung infections if it is not diagnosed early. These forms of the disease are more severe and difficult to treat.

The last time Oregon reported a case of bubonic plague was in 2015.

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February 13, 2024

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