AP-Newswatch

What to know about Texas’ extraordinary move to impeach GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — After years of legal and ethical scandals swirling around Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, the state’s GOP-controlled House of Representatives has moved toward an impeachment vote that could quickly throw him from office. The extraordinary and rarely-used maneuver comes in the final days of the legislative session and sets up a bruising political fight. On one side is Paxton, who has allied himself closely with former President Donald Trump and the state’s hard-right conservatives. On the other is House Republican leadership, who appear to have suddenly had enough of the allegations of wrongdoing that have long dogged Texas’ top lawyer.

Indiana doctor reprimanded, fined $3,000 for talking publicly about Ohio 10-year-old’s abortion

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana board has decided to reprimand an Indianapolis doctor after finding that she violated patient privacy laws by talking publicly about providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from neighboring Ohio. The state Medical Licensing Board voted that Dr. Caitlin Bernard didn’t abide by privacy laws when she told a newspaper reporter about the girl’s treatment in a case that became a flashpoint in the national abortion debate days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer. Board members chose to fine Bernard $3,000 for the violations, turning down a request from the attorney general’s office to suspend Bernard’s license.

Deadline looming, Biden and McCarthy narrow in on budget deal to lift debt ceiling

WASHINGTON (AP) — Days from a deadline, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are narrowing in on a two-year budget deal that could unlock a vote for lifting the nation’s debt ceiling. They’re racing for agreement this weekend. As soon as June 1, Treasury says it could run short of funds to pay the nation’s bills. A federal default on the national debt would send the economy into chaos. The budget flow isn’t the only hang-up. One thorny issue is a Republican demand opposed by Democrats for stiffer work requirements on people who receive government aid. Any compromise needs support from both Democrats and Republicans to pass in Congress.

Scarred by war, Ukrainian children carry on after losing parents, homes and innocence

LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — A generation of Ukrainian children have seen their lives upended by Russia’s invasion of their country. The war has subjected them to constant bombardment, uprooted millions from their homes and turned many into orphans. Hundreds of kids have been killed. For the survivors, the wide-ranging trauma is certain to leave psychological scars that will follow them into adolescence and adulthood. Psychologist Oleksandra Volokhova works with children who escaped the violence. She says even if children flee to a safer area, it doesn’t mean they forgot everything that happened to them. UNICEF says an estimated 1.5 million Ukrainian children are at risk of mental health issues.

Passenger opens exit door during airplane flight in South Korea; 12 people injured slightly

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Asiana Airlines and government officials say a passenger opened an emergency exit door during a flight in South Korea. Air blew through the cabin, slightly injuring 12 people. Some people on board tried to stop the person, who was able to partially open the door. The plane with 194 people was heading to Daegu from the southern island of Jeju and the incident occurred as it was nearing its destination at an altitude of 700 feet. It landed safely and the unidentified person was detained by airport police. The Transport Ministry says 12 people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.

Always wanted a lighthouse? US is giving some away, selling others at auction

BOSTON (AP) — Ten lighthouses that for generations have stood like sentinels along America’s shorelines protecting mariners from peril and guiding them to safety are being given away at no cost or sold at auction by the federal government. The aim of the program run by the General Services Administration is to preserve the properties, most of which are more than a century old. The development of modern technology, including GPS, means lighthouses are no longer essential for navigation and not critical to the Coast Guard’s mission. Since the passage of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act in 2000, the GSA the ownership of about 150 lighthouses have been transferred.

Navy SEALs training plagued by pervasive problems, according to investigation after death of sailor

WASHINGTON (AP) — The training program for Navy SEALs is plagued by widespread medical failures, poor oversight and the use of performance-enhancing drugs that have increased the risk of injury and death to those seeking to become elite commandos. That’s according to an investigation triggered by the death of a sailor last year. The nearly 200-page, highly critical report says medical oversight and care were “poorly organized, poorly integrated and poorly led and put candidates at significant risk.” The report says flaws in the medical program “likely had the most direct impact on the health and well being” of the SEAL candidates and “specifically” on Kyle Mullen, the sailor who died. It said if the shortcomings had been addressed, his death may have been preventable.

Attorney demands firing of Mississippi police officer after 11-year-old boy is shot

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — An attorney says a Mississippi police officer who shot and wounded an 11-year-old Black boy in the child’s home should be fired. Attorney Carlos Moore says Aderrien Murry was shot in the chest early Saturday in Indianola. Moore says the child’s mother, Nakala Murry, asked her son to call police because of an intruder in their home. Moore says after she told officers that the intruder had left, an officer yelled for anyone else in the house to come out. That’s when Aderrian was shot. The child returned home Wednesday after being hospitalized five days for a collapsed lung, lacerated liver and fractured ribs.

Expect big crowds for the summer travel season — and big prices, too

The unofficial start of the summer travel season is here, with airlines hoping to avoid the chaos of last year and travelers scrounging for ways to save a few bucks on pricey airfares and hotel rooms. Some travelers say they will settle for fewer trips than they hoped to take, or they will drive instead of fly. Others are finding different money-saving sacrifices. AAA predicts that 37 million Americans will drive at least 50 miles from home this weekend, an increase of more than 2 million from Memorial Day last year but still below pre-pandemic numbers in 2019. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 10 million travelers between Friday and Monday, a 14% increase over the holiday in 2022 and slightly more than in 2019.