Norfolk Southern agrees to $600M settlement over Ohio derailment

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (NewsNation) — Norfolk Southern has agreed to a $600 million settlement in a class action lawsuit relating to the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment in February 2023.

The rail company announced the agreement in a news release Tuesday morning, saying if the courts accept the settlement, all class action claims within a 20-mile radius of the derailment will be resolved.

“This is another promise kept by Norfolk Southern to make it right for the people of East Palestine and the surrounding communities,” the press release said.

Norfolk Southern says this settlement is not an admission of guilt or liability, but rather furthers the work the company has done to help right its wrong in East Palestine. The rail company had spent over $1.1 billion in 2023 related to the derailment, according to its 2023 annual report for investors.

On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in the small Ohio community.

Some 1,500 residents were told to evacuate following the crash. Fearing an explosion, officials decided to vent and burn five tank cars, releasing 116,000 gallons of the carcinogen vinyl chloride into the air. Later, a toxic plume of smoke smothered the region.

However, three days later, the Environmental Protection Agency said it had not detected contaminants at “levels of concern” and gave the all-clear for residents to return.

Residents of East Palestine complained of rashes and sickness. They’ve also criticized the government for downplaying their concerns that their community is no longer safe to live in.

Last month, National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy testified before the Senate that the controlled burn and explosion set off in the wake of the derailment could have been avoided.

Several pieces of necessary information were not shared with state and local leaders who decided to vent and burn five tank cars after being advised by Norfolk Southern contractors at the scene of the crash in February 2023 that it was their only option. 

“They were provided incomplete information to make a decision,” Homendy said. 

An investigation by the NTSB found that Gov. Mike DeWine, East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick and several other officials were told they had minutes to decide whether to vent the train cars or wait and risk an uncontrolled explosion.

“There was another option: Let it cool down,” she said. 

The controlled burn contaminated the air, water and soil in East Palestine, and even one year after the derailment, many of the town’s residents say they will still suffer from health issues. 

The problem is that initial EPA and Norfolk Southern testing done at the derailment site showed the presence of dioxins, the most carcinogenic compounds on the planet, but did not test any of the residents’ health.

But independent testers have been to East Palestine, examining the environment and people. Some have tested the soil, others the water in local creeks and air filters in homes around the derailment site. 

Residents have been diagnosed with vinyl chloride in their blood and complained of respiratory issues.

Many in East Palestine felt their concerns were being ignored by the government and its agencies. Residents fought for their case to be heard both on the state and federal level, even calling on the president for assistance.

It was not until a year later that President Joe Biden visited the site of the derailment, which frustrated residents more than addressed their concerns.

Earlier this month, it was also revealed that the EPA decided not to declare a public health emergency following the derailment, despite having the legal authority to do so.

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Appeals court rejects Trump’s bid to delay hush money trial

A New York appeals court on Monday denied Trump’s bid to put his hush money trial on pause while he argues the case should be tried outside of Manhattan. 

The decision followed arguments at an emergency hearing where Trump’s lawyers contended deep-blue Manhattan is not an appropriate venue for the controversial Republican former president’s criminal case to be heard. Judge Lizbeth González heard the arguments.

Instead, the former president’s lawyers suggested the trial take place on Staten Island — the only New York City borough Trump won in 2016 and 2020.  

In the meantime, Trump’s trial — scheduled to begin with jury selection April 15 — should be paused, the lawyers argued. It’s slated to be his first criminal trial and the first criminal trial of any former U.S. president. 

Trump’s lawyers asked González to issue an emergency stay, which would have postponed the trial indefinitely. She declined to do so.  

The hush money trial has already faced delays due to a last-minute document dump; it was originally scheduled to begin on March 25. 

Lawyers with the Manhattan district attorney’s office pointed to Judge Juan Merchan’s previous ruling that Trump’s motion to change venues was untimely. They also blamed Trump for any pretrial prejudice for making “countless media appearances talking about the facts of this case, the witnesses, and so on,” according to The Associated Press.

Trump’s lawyers are expected to return to the New York appeals court at a later date for arguments over their last-ditch effort to pause the trial while they appeal a gag order imposed by the trial judge.  

Merchan barred Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and the judge’s family, but did not preclude him from hurling insults at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) or the judge. 

The gag order originally did not include the family members of Bragg and Merchan, but the judge expanded it after Trump assailed his daughter, Loren, who works for a progressive political consulting firm. The firm, Authentic, boasts clients including prominent Democrats President Biden, Vice President Harris and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). 

Loren Merchan’s work also forms the basis for an effort by Trump to recuse Merchan from the case. The former president claims Merchan’s daughter has a “direct financial interest” in his case because of her work for his political opponents.  

The filings relating to both the gag order and the venue change are under seal and not accessible to the public at this time. 

Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his ex-fixer made to a porn star to cover up an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty.

The Associated Press contributed.  

Updated at 5:53 p.m.

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UConn concludes a dominant run to its 2nd straight NCAA title, beating Zach Edey and Purdue 75-60

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — A basketball beatdown. A coaching clinic. A double-digit domination.

Take one guess who finished off a romp through college basketball again. You bet, it’s UConn — a team built to win now, and often, and by a lot every time it takes the court.

Coach Dan Hurley’s Huskies delivered the latest of their suffocating hoops performances Monday night, smothering Purdue for a 75-60 victory to become the first team since 2007 to capture back-to-back national championships.

Tristen Newton scored 20 points for the Huskies, who won their 12th straight March Madness game — not a single one of them decided by fewer than 13 points.

UConn was efficient on offense but won this with defense. The Huskies (37-3) limited the country’s second-best 3-point shooting team to a mere seven shots behind the arc and only a single make, while happily allowing 7-foot-4 AP Player of the Year Zach Edey to go for 37 points on 25 shot attempts.

UConn won its sixth overall title and joined the 2006-07 Florida Gators and the 1991-92 Duke Blue Devils as just the third team to repeat since John Wooden’s UCLA dynasty of the 1960s and ’70s.

“I just think it’s the best two-year run in a very, very long time, just because of everything we lost from last year’s team,” said Hurley, whose top two scorers from last year now play in the NBA. “To lose that much and do it again, it’s got to be as impressive a two-year run since at least prior to Duke.”

The 2024 Huskies are the sixth team to win all six tournament games by double-digit margins. They won those games by a grand total of 140 points, blowing past the 1996 Kentucky team, which won its six by 129.

In a matchup of two top seeds, they wore down the Boilermakers (34-5), who made it this far a year after becoming just the second No. 1 in the history of March Madness to fall in the first round. But Purdue left the same way it came — still looking for the program’s first NCAA title.

So much for the free-for-all this new age of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness deals was supposed to become. UConn has figured out how to dominate and replenish its roster with players who understand their roles.

Cam Spencer, a transfer from Rutgers, Stephon Castle, a blue-chip freshman, and Alex Karaban, a sophomore from last year’s team, spent the night guarding the 3-point line and making life miserable for Purdue’s guards.

“They just made a decision — we can defend the perimeter, and we can take this away from you, you’re going to get the ball to your best player, he’ll be 1-on-1, and that’s that,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said.

This was only the second time this season Purdue didn’t put up 10 3-point attempts, and how ’bout this final score: Edey 37, the rest of the Boilermakers 23.

How serious was Hurley about defending the perimeter? When Braden Smith wiggled loose for a semi-open look to make Purdue’s first 3 of the game with 2:17 left in the first half, the coach bolted onto the floor and called timeout.

And that was that from behind the arc.

“Coaches made a point that we’d be really locked in if we controlled their 3-point attempts,” Spencer said. “Holding them to seven shows we were locked in on making sure their guards didn’t get involved in the game.”

With his Xs-and-Os masterpiece, Hurley joins former Florida coach Billy Donovan in the back-to-back club, and is in company with Bill Self and Rick Pitino as only the third active coach with two championships. News broke over the weekend that it appears there’s a job opening at Kentucky, and the UConn coach’s name has come up there.

“I don’t think that’s a concern,” Hurley said. “My wife, you should have her answer that.”

No way the Huskies would want to lose him.

Hurley earned every penny in this one. In the first half, he begged with, swore at and generally berated the refs about over-the-backs, elbows and hip checks that weren’t called.

Once, when that didn’t work after Edey set a hard (and probably legal) pick against Castle, Hurley started in on Edey himself as the center walked toward the Purdue bench for a timeout.

But the coach’s best work came in whatever hotel room he used to draw up the game plan.

“The whole game plan was no Smith, no Loyer, no Jones, no Gillis,” Hurley said, as he ticked off the last names of the Purdue guards. “We knew if we keep them below 18, 20 points as a group, and they had no chance to win, no matter how well Zach played.”

It’s no slight on Edey, who battled gamely, finishing with 10 rebounds to record his 30th double-double of the season. But this game proved the number crunchers and analytics experts right. UConn let Edey back in and back down all night on 7-2 Donovan Clingan, giving up difficult 2s in the post in exchange for any 3s.

“They only doubled late in the second half, but by that point we had dug ourselves too deep of a hole,” Fletcher Loyer said.

The defensive dominance put the finishing touch on a tournament in which UConn’s average margin of victory was 23.3 points. Sure, Hurley might have to replace two or three of these players, but the coach said he’ll worry about that in a week or two.

“Obviously, what can you say?” he said. “We won — by a lot — again.”

___

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

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RFK Jr.: Special counsel on Jan. 6 convicts would ‘restore peace’

(NewsNation) — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would appoint a special counsel to determine whether the sentences of Jan. 6 convicts are appropriate, adding that he believes it would help “restore peace” and trust in the American government.

“My purpose is not to exonerate those people, but rather to restore peace,” Kennedy told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo on Monday. “I think we’re living in a time when Americans don’t trust their government anymore and that is really what the problem is. There is no trust in government and we need to restore that trust.”

Kennedy’s campaign last week sent out a fundraising email that referred to people facing charges for the Jan. 6, 2021 riot as “activists” who were “stripped of their constitutional liberties.”

“We made a couple of mistakes,” Kennedy said on “CUOMO.” “It started with an email that went out about Jan. 6 from my campaign that did not reflect my views about Jan. 6 and it was followed very quickly by a press release that had a factual error in it. All I can say is this is my responsibility. It’s my campaign. We have a lot of hardworking people on the campaign but we’re all drinking from fire hoses.”

Campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear said the emailed statement “was an error” that had been inserted by a new marketing contractor and “slipped through the normal approval process.”

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) responded to the comment Friday, claiming Kennedy’s campaign has been “hijacked by MAGA.” `

The statement didn’t reflect Kennedy’s views and the campaign has terminated its contract with the vendor, Spear said.

In another email to supporters Friday, Kennedy said that ”reasonable people,” including Trump opponents, have told him there’s “little evidence of a true insurrection.”

Pushed on the matter Monday, Kennedy said that he believes the events of Jan. 6 were a “protest that turned into a riot” and that whether he believes it was an insurrection depends on how the word is defined.

“If your definition is armed men who are intending to take over the United States government, then it wasn’t that,” Kennedy said. “I think there were people there who wanted to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the other’s. I would say it was a very traumatic day in our nation’s history and people committed criminal acts. Those people deserve to be in jail.”

Kennedy, however, said he’s heard concerns about the sentences people convicted for their role in Jan. 6 received. That, he said, is why — if elected president — he would appoint a special counsel to review whether those sentences were appropriate.

“If there’s large numbers of people who see the world in one way, even if I see it in a different way, I’m going to listen to them and I’m going to fairly look at their point of view,” he said.

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Georgia SOS pokes fun at ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ season ender

(NewsNation) — The final episode of the iconic HBO comedy “Curb Your Enthusiasm” garnered rave reviews, but not everyone approved of the seasonlong storyline that tackled Georgia’s controversial 2021 voting law.

The episode featured a cameo from NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live,” as the season revolved around show creator Larry David’s unlikely legal turmoil over the Georgia law. In one scene earlier this season, David’s character was arrested for giving a bottle of water to someone waiting in line to vote, which was outlawed under the legislation.

Abrams appeared on the TV screen in a restaurant giving a “NewsNation Special Report” about the arrest as fictional Larry David picked up a coffee.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the state’s top election official, fired back with a cutting letter, congratulating David on “becoming the first, and to our knowledge, only person arrested for distributing water bottles to voters within 150 feet of a polling station.”

The letter continued, “We apologize if you didn’t receive celebrity treatment at the local jail. I’m afraid they’ve gotten used to bigger stars.”

“When people do absurd things, you respond with absurdity,” Raffensperger said Monday on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live.” “The real irony of ironies … is actually, it’s illegal to hand out water in his home state of New York.”

The Georgia law states, “No person shall … distribute or display any campaign material, nor shall any person give, offer to give, or participate in the giving of any money or gifts, including, but not limited to, food and drink … within 150 feet of the outer edge of any building within which a polling place is established.”

The secretary of state maintained that the law is aimed at preventing electioneering and politicking within a 150-foot radius of polling places, not at preventing poll workers from providing necessities to voters.

“What we said is you can’t do any politicking, electioneering. But … poll workers, they can hand out all the water they want,” Raffensperger said.

While acknowledging the technical violation, Raffensperger said that the law is not being enforced in such a strict manner, noting that Georgia has reduced waiting times at the polls to less than two minutes on average.

“We’re really working on the important issues and proving that we get the results posted up quickly,” Raffensperger said. “And we have now 17 days early voting so people have plenty of opportunities to vote in Georgia. We have high record turnout.”

Despite the controversy, Raffensperger seemed to take the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” episode in stride, even joking that he’s a “conservative Republican” who’s “just not mad about it.”

“We’re having some fun with this … I think Larry David probably fell out of his chair when he got that letter from me. ‘Wow, a Republican with a sense of humor, must be a ‘unicorn.’”

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‘We shouldn’t have to pay’: Kobach on Biden loan forgiveness

(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden’s attempt to cancel student loans is facing legal scrutiny.

Eleven states, led by GOP Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, are suing the Biden administration over the SAVE federal student loan forgiveness plan.

“We shouldn’t have to pay for those who took out a debt that they’re having difficulty repaying years later,” Kobach said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill.” “You have to look at the cost of college. … You need to start thinking about things that push down the cost of college. That’s that’s the core of the problem.”

Biden announced a new plan for student debt relief Monday that would increase the number of borrowers eligible for relief to more than 30 million. This plan follows the defeat of an earlier one.

With the new assistance, Biden said he wanted to “give everybody a fair shot” and the “freedom to chase their dreams.”

The new plan uses the Higher Education Act to forgive student debt after the Supreme Court ruled a previous plan overstepped the president’s executive authority. Since the court ruling, the administration has used existing programs to chip away at student loan debt on a smaller scale.

The Biden-Harris administration proposes waivers that would cancel up to $20,000 of unpaid interest for borrowers who owe more than they originally borrowed due to accrued interest, regardless of income.

Low and middle-income people enrolled in the administration’s SAVE plan or other income-driven repayment plan would be eligible for the entire amount their balance has grown since beginning repayment, including single borrowers who earn $120,000 or less or married couples earning $240,000 or less.

No application would be needed for forgiveness. The administration announced a plan to automatically discharge debt for borrowers otherwise eligible for loan forgiveness under other programs who have not enrolled.

NewsNation’s Steph Whiteside and Kellie Meyer contributed to this report.

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Woman involved in Slender Man stabbing not ready for release: Experts

(NewsNation) — Two psychologists testified Wednesday that a Wisconsin woman is not ready to leave a psychiatric center nearly a decade after she and another woman stabbed their classmate in an attempt to please the fictional character Slender Man.

Morgan Geyser, who is now 21 years old, originally made the request in June 2022 but withdrew the request shortly after, according to Associated Press reports at the time. She then came forward with a similar request in January, and another hearing on the matter was scheduled for Wednesday, April 10.

According to one psychologist, Geyser said she had been faking psychotic symptoms. That claim, however, doesn’t align with years of observation and treatment, the psychologist said, according to the AP.

“If the person is not able to have insight into their mental health condition, the potential warning signs, the triggers that could cause decline, have insight into the kinds of treatment that may be beneficial — it raises a lot of concerns” about being discharged, said Brooke Lundbohm, who has seen Geyser since 2014.

Another psychologist, Deborah Collins, said Geyser has made progress but may still pose a risk to the public. Geyser may be in a better position for release in six to twelve months, Collins said, according to the AP.

The hearing is scheduled to resume Thursday.

Geyser and another woman, Anissa Weier, were 12 years old when they lured a sixth-grade student of the same age to a Waukesha park where the stabbing happened. Geyser stabbed the 12-year-old girl 19 times as Weier encouraged her. The pair then took off, leaving the girl to crawl to a bike path, where a passerby discovered her.

Medical staff who treated the victim said she barely survived. Geyser and Weier later told investigators they thought stabbing the girl would earn them the right to become Slender Man’s servants and thereby protect their families from the supernatural internet, movie and video game character, according to reporting from the AP.

The girls told police they believed Slender Man was real and that stabbing their classmate would keep their families safe.

Geyser ultimately struck a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide. A judge sent her to the psychiatric institute after determining she had a mental illness.

She began treatment for early-onset schizophrenia while in custody in 2015, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She has remained at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute since she was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect in 2017 and has been serving a 40-year commitment term since 2018, the newspaper reported.

Weier pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree intentional homicide. She was similarly sent to a psychiatric facility based on a jury’s findings that she was suffering from a mental illness at the time of the stabbing.

Weier was granted a conditional release in 2021 to live with her father, where she is continuing to serve her 25-year commitment term while under GPS monitoring.

Geyser has improved under treatment and can “be a safe and productive” person outside of the institution where she currently spends her time, her attorney Tom Cotton said in an official statement published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in January.

“At the age of 13, Morgan committed a terrible crime while she was in the throes of mental illness,” Cotton said in an email to the newspaper. “Morgan accepted responsibility for her behavior and has been punished immensely. She missed out on her adolescent years, high school, college and has spent nearly a decade in custody. We believe it is time for her to be released.”

At the time of the January hearing, the judge appointed three psychiatric experts — one on behalf of Geyser, one on behalf of prosecutors and the third as a court appointee. Each was tasked with examining her and writing a report on her mental condition by March 1, according to the AP.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Drone footage shows area where missing Kansas moms’ car found

  • Veronica Butler, Jilian Kelley of Hugoton, Kansas, are missing
  • They were traveling together to pick up children in Oklahoma
  • Car found abandoned near Oklahoma State Highway 95

(NewsNation) — The mystery continues to deepen surrounding the disappearance of two Kansas mothers who vanished more than a week ago.

Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, from Hugoton, Kansas, disappeared Mar. 30 without a trace except for an abandoned car found by Butler’s husband on the side of a road.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday “there was evidence to indicate foul play” based on information obtained from their vehicle.

The search efforts appear to be severely lacking. Despite the police’s belief of possible foul play, there are no visible signs of an active, large-scale search — no grid searches, no canine units, no command center.

NewsNation captured drone footage of the vast open area where the women’s car was found abandoned.

OSBI remains tightlipped about the ongoing investigation.

Butler’s family says the two were traveling together to Eva, Oklahoma, to pick up Butler’s two children. NewsNation has learned Butler’s children may be living with her ex-husband’s mother, who may have custody.

The car was found empty near a school where Butler graduated in 2015.

A family member informed NewsNation Wednesday they’ve been asked to postpone media interviews until authorities tell them otherwise. Additionally, sources have indicated to NewsNation that Kelley might have accompanied Butler to assist her with a custody matter.

The two moms, described as more “acquaintances” than “friends,” were involved in their community and their churches.

Butler’s small business in Hugoton is closed until further notice as investigators work to find the two moms.

On Mar. 30, the Texas County Sheriff’s Department requested OSBI look into the disappearance of Butler and Kelley.

“As of right now, as the investigation continues and we were requested, we’re unsure where these women are or what happened to them,” said Hunter McKee, OSBI public information manager. “That unknown is what has created it suspicious for us at this time.”

Two southwest kansas women remain missing. Veronica butler, 27, and jilian kelley, 39, of hugoton, kansas, are gone, and authorities say there are “suspicious” circumstances regarding their disappearance.

The OSBI said the vehicle the two women were in was found abandoned near Highway 95 and Road L south of Elkhart, Kansas.

OHP issued an Endangered Missing Advisory for them.

Butler is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and has red hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt, denim shorts and HEYDUDE shoes.

Kelley has brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a long-sleeved shirt, white-washed blue jeans and tan or beige shoes.

“Veronica has several tattoos, a Chinese symbol on her left forearm, a sunflower on her left shoulder. Jilian has a butterfly tattoo on her left forearm,” OHP said.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the OSBI at tips@osbi.ok.gov or 1-800-522-8017.

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Russian propaganda being said ‘on House floor:’ GOP Rep. Turner

(NewsNation) — Russian propaganda has made its way to Congress and is even being repeated by lawmakers on the floor of the House of Representatives, Republican Rep. Mike Turner, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said on CNN Sunday.

“It is absolutely true we see, directly coming from Russia, attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor,” Turner said to anchor Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

Turner’s remarks echo comments made by House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul in a Puck news article last week. McCaul similarly said Russian propaganda has “infected a good chunk” of the GOP base.

Multiple Republican lawmakers, particularly those who support Donald Trump, have started voicing their opposition to sending more aid to war-torn Ukraine recently, while others in the GOP have grown frustrated with their colleagues over the issue.

CNN writes that Turner, an outspoken advocate of giving Ukraine more assistance, said as more “propaganda” takes hold of Congress, it makes “it makes it more difficult for us to really see this as an authoritarian versus democracy battle.”

“There are members of Congress today who still incorrectly say that this conflict between Russia and Ukraine is over NATO, which of course it is not,” Turner said.

The Senate in February passed a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan despite political divisions.

A small group of Republicans, opposed to the $60 billion being allocated for Ukraine, held the Senate floor through the night, arguing that the U.S. should focus on its own problems. Meanwhile, more than a dozen Republicans voted with a majority of Democrats to pass the package 70-29. Supporters of the legislation said abandoning Ukraine at this time could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and threaten national security worldwide.

While Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has said for months that the House of Representatives will consider the funding package in due time, he’s pushed back that timeline, NewsNation partner The Hill reported. He recently promised to schedule a vote on it after Congress’ Easter recess, a period that The Hill notes comes to a close Tuesday.

Putting more pressure on Johnson is Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who filed a motion to vacate the speaker over a number of issues, including military aid for Ukraine. While ousting a House speaker would be a rare move, it’s happened before — notably to Johnson’s predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, just last year.

Still, Turner told CNN he doesn’t think Johnson’s position is being put at risk by what he deemed the “chaos caucus” or those members “who are seeking attention for themselves and trying to stop all of the important work in Congress.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Wolf hybrids gone feral roaming Northern California: Police

SHINGLETOWN, Calif. (NewsNation) — A pack of wolf-like dogs who police say have gone feral are on the loose in the Shingletown area in northern California, according to a press release from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.

The department said it is aware that six of these “wolf-type” animals remain in the wild and have been actively working to capture them. Police were first notified of the hybrids last week when the pack roaming the area killed another dog, the release said.

What are wolf hybrids?

The feral animals were determined to be “wolf/husky/malamute hybrids” that belonged to a local resident who has since been cited for having unlicensed and unvaccinated animals and strays, police said. The owner was also cited for kennel violations.

But what are wolf hybrids? While it sounds like something out of a fiction novel, wolf hybrids exist and are the product of mating a wolf and a domestic dog.

Is it legal to own a wolf hybrid?

It depends. Whether wolf hybrids are legal varies by region and government level. At the federal level, some laws state that a cross between a wild and domestic animal is a domestic animal, according to the International Wolf Center.

However, states can have their own laws when it comes to ownership of such breeds, the center said. Some states classify hybrids as wild animals while others require specific permits for such animals, according to the center. Some states make it illegal to own a hybrid animal regardless of proper vaccinations and licenses. In rare cases, some states will allow its cities and counties to decide, the center said.

Ongoing search for the wolf hybrids

One of the wolf hybrids was able to be voluntarily handed over to Animal Regulation Officers. However, catching the remaining six will be a challenge, police said.

The Animal Regulation Officers have set multiple traps in the area and remain on patrol. In the meantime, police have suggested residents take precautions to protect themselves, pets and livestock until the six dogs are captured.

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How to file a claim in Walmart’s $45M class action settlement

(NewsNation) — Some Walmart shoppers who purchased weighted groceries or bagged fruit may be eligible for a cash payment from a class action lawsuit settlement with the retailer.

The class action lawsuit, first filed in October 2022, alleges Walmart shoppers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico who purchased certain sold-by-weight meat and seafood and select citrus sold in bulk bags paid more than the lowest price advertised in stores.

Walmart denied any wrongdoing but agreed to pay $45 million to settle the litigation.

Customers who believe they were impacted can submit claims for cash payments. Here’s how to determine if you’re eligible:

Who is eligible for cash payments?

Cash payments are available for anyone who purchased certain weighted meat, seafood and bagged citrus products, including select oranges, grapefruit and tangerines, at Walmart in the U.S. and Puerto Rico between Oct. 19, 2018, and Jan. 19, 2024.

How do I apply for a settlement payment?

Consumers who believe they’re eligible must submit a claim online or download a form to print and mail it to an address provided on the form.

The claim form instructs consumers to submit contact information, provide descriptions for the types and amount of items purchased, select a payment option, and provides an opportunity to upload receipts.

Consumers must submit a claim by June 5. A final approval hearing is set for June 12. Objections and other comments to the settlement can be made through May 22.

How much should I expect?

Payments will range in amount depending on each claim. It’s possible to get some money even if you don’t have a purchase receipt anymore.

Consumers without proof of purchase can receive between $10 and $25, depending on how many eligible products they attest to buying during the settlement class period.

Those with receipts or other documentation may get 2% of the total cost for each purchased product — up to $500.

What will happen next?

Approved claimants will receive their payments electronically through Venmo, Zelle, ACH or a virtual pre-paid MasterCard. Paper checks can also be requested for those unable to receive payments electronically.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Actor Jonathan Majors avoids jail time, sentenced to counseling for assaulting ex-girlfriend

NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Jonathan Majors has been ordered to complete a yearlong counseling program but avoided jail time Monday for assaulting his ex-girlfriend in a high-profile case that derailed the once-promising star’s career.

The 34-year-old star of “Creed III” and other films had faced up to a year behind bars after he was convicted of misdemeanor assault by a Manhattan jury in December.

In court Monday, Judge Michael Gaffey sentenced Majors to conditional discharge after noting that both sides in the case agreed the charges did not warrant jail time, given the actor was a first time offender with no prior criminal record.

He said Majors must complete a 52-week, in-person batterer’s intervention program in Los Angeles, where the actor lives. He also has to continue with the mental health therapy his lawyers say he’s been participating in. Majors faces a year in jail if found in violation of the terms, which also included a no contact order with his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari.

Majors, dressed in all black and accompanied by his girlfriend, actor Meagan Good, declined to address the court and left the courthouse without speaking to reporters.

His lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, said the actor did not want to make any public statement that Jabbari could use against him in the civil suit she’s filed against the actor.

Majors, she added, is “committed to growing as a person” and will complete any court-mandated programs “with an open heart” even as he maintains his innocence and plans to appeal.

“He’s lost his whole career,” Chaudhry said in court. “This has been the most challenging year of his life.”

But Jabbari, fighting back tears as she addressed the court, said Majors refuses to acknowledge his guilt and remains a danger to those around him.

“He’s not sorry. He has not accepted responsibility, ” she said. “He will do this again and he will hurt other women. He believes he is above the law.”

Jabbari said Majors had made her believe the two were in a loving relationship, but, in reality, he isolated her from the rest of the world and cut her off from family and friends.

“I was so emotionally dependent on him,” she said. “I became a different person around him — small, scared and vulnerable.”

Rather than acknowledge his actions, Majors has been openly critical of the court proceedings, launching a “high-powered PR campaign” that included a nationally televised interview, added Assistant District Attorney Kelli Galloway as she argued for a sentence of violence counseling for Majors.

Following the December guilty verdict, Majors was immediately dropped by Marvel Studios, which had cast him as Kang the Conqueror, a role envisioned as the main villain in the entertainment empire’s movies and television shows for years to come.

The conviction stemmed from an altercation last March in which Jabbari accused him of attacking her in the backseat of a chauffeured car, saying he hit her head with his open hand, twisted her arm behind her back and squeezed her middle finger until it fractured.

Majors claimed the 31-year-old British dancer was the aggressor, flying into a jealous rage after reading a text message from another woman on his phone. He maintained he was only trying to regain his phone and get away from Jabbari safely.

Majors had hoped his two-week criminal trial would vindicate him. In a television interview shortly after his conviction, he said he deserves a second chance.

But the California native and Yale University graduate still faces Jabbari’s civil suit, which she filed last month in Manhattan federal court. In the suit, Jabbari accuses Majors of assault, battery, defamation and inflicting emotional distress, claiming he subjected her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse during their relationship. The two met in 2021 on the set of Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” in which Majors played Kang.

Majors’ lawyers have declined to respond to the claims, saying only that they are preparing to file counterclaims against Jabbari.

The actor had his breakthrough role in 2019’s “The Last Black Man in San Francisco.” He also starred in the HBO horror series “Lovecraft Country,” which earned him an Emmy nomination, and as the nemesis to fictional boxing champ Adonis Creed in the blockbuster “Creed III.”

As for Marvel, a looming question remains whether the studio will recast the role of Kang or pivot in a new direction.

Majors’ departure was among a recent series of high-profile setbacks for the vaunted superhero factory, which has earned an unprecedented $30 billion worldwide from 33 films.

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Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo



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