National News
As Defense Bill heads to the floor, Thornberry comments on NDAA
Ahead of anticipated floor consideration this week, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following remarks on HR 2500, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020: “Normally the NDAA is a product of bipartisan consensus that allows Congress to execute our most important Constitutional duty. Unfortunately,…
Read MoreHealth officials alarmed by paralyzing illness in kids
NEW YORK (AP) — One morning last fall, 4-year-old Joey Wilcox woke up with the left side of his face drooping. It was the first sign of an unfolding nightmare. Three days later, Joey was in a hospital intensive care unit, unable to move his arms or legs or sit up. Spinal taps and other…
Read MoreThornberry reacts to recent missile testing
On Monday, the Missile Defense Agency conducted the most complex test of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System ever attempted. Preliminary results indicate that the test met all primary objectives successfully. The test involved two ground-based interceptors, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, and one ICBM-class target. Rep. Mac Thornberry said the action was vital. “Every…
Read MoreSupreme Court agrees to hear deadly DC sniper shootings case
By JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider Virginia’s plea to reinstate the life-without-parole sentence of a man who as a teenager participated in sniper shootings that terrorized the Washington, D.C., region in 2002. The justices said they will take up the state’s appeal in the case…
Read MoreNew Zealand’s darkest day: 36 minutes of terror
By NICK PERRY, KRISTEN GELINEAU and JULIET WILLIAMS Associated Press CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — On March 15, New Zealand changed. Some are calling it a loss of innocence, a reminder that distance doesn’t bring protection against violence. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed to change gun laws and investigate what went wrong. This is…
Read MoreGunman kills 3 on Dutch tram, mayor says terror likely
By ALEKSANDAR FURTULA and MIKE CORDER Associated Press UTRECHT, Netherlands (AP) — A gunman killed three people and wounded nine others on a tram in the central Dutch city of Utrecht, sparking a manhunt that saw heavily armed officers with sniffer dogs zero in on an apartment building close to the shooting. Authorities immediately raised…
Read MoreReport released on Vernon bound plane crash
A preliminary report regarding the crash of a single-engine aircraft into the Red River was released last week by the National Transportation Safety Board. Killed in the crash were pilot Richard Lennard and passenger Michael Hollis. The report offers new details but no determination of the cause for the aircraft to plummet into the Red…
Read MoreTexas senator defends bill empowering husband’s office
AUSTIN (AP) — The wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Tuesday that a bill she filed that would change state securities law “has literally nothing to do” with her husband facing criminal charges of defrauding investors, even as experts said the proposal appears to strike near the heart of his indictment. Republican state…
Read MoreBorder wall a complex issue for 2020 prospect Beto O’Rourke
By WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press EL PASO, Texas (AP) — When President Donald Trump visited Beto O’Rourke’s hometown to argue that walling off the southern border would make the U.S. safer, the former Democratic congressman and possible 2020 presidential hopeful was ready. As the president filled an El Paso arena with supporters, O’Rourke helped lead…
Read MoreVernon among stops as monarchs head to Mexico
MEXICO CITY (AP) — As the colorful monarch butterfly makes its way to Mexico, the Texoma area, including Vernon, is on its flight path and residents have reported sightings of the butterfly. The population of monarch butterflies wintering in central Mexico is up 144 percent over last year, experts said Wednesday. The data presented by…
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