AP-Newswatch

Senate dismisses one of two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security secretary

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has voted to dismiss the first of two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the first step in ending its trial on his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. Democrats said the article, which charged Mayorkas with “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” is unconstitutional. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the articles of impeachment against Mayorkas “fail to meet the high standard of high crimes and misdemeanors.” The House narrowly voted in February to impeach Mayorkas, arguing in the articles that he refused to enforce immigration laws. Mayorkas has said he’s focused on the work of his department.

Netanyahu brushes off calls for restraint, saying Israel will decide how to respond to Iran’s attack

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country will be the one to decide whether and how to respond to Iran’s major air assault over the weekend. Netanyahu’s remarks on Wednesday appeared to brush off calls for restraint from close allies, including the visiting foreign ministers of Germany and Britain. Israel has vowed to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack without saying when or how. That’s left the region bracing for further escalation after months of unrest linked to the ongoing war in Gaza. Iran’s president warned Israel against responding. Violence meanwhile has continued to surge along Israel’s border with Lebanon. A rocket attack on an Israeli town by Iran-backed Hezbollah wounded at least 14 people.

House’s Ukraine, Israel aid package gains Biden’s support as Speaker Johnson fights to keep his job

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says that he strongly supports a proposal from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. It sends crucial bipartisan support to the effort to approve $95 billion in funding for the U.S. allies. Ahead of potential weekend voting, Johnson was facing a choice between losing his job and funding Ukraine. He notified lawmakers earlier Wednesday that he would forge ahead despite growing anger from his right-flank. Shortly after Johnson released the funding proposals, Democrat Biden offered his support for the package.

Russian missiles slam into a Ukraine city and kill 17 people as the war approaches a critical stage

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Local officials say three Russian missiles have slammed into the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, hitting an apartment building and killing at least 17 people. Emergency services say at least 61 people were wounded. Chernihiv is about 150 kilometers or 90 miles north of the capital Kyiv near the border with Russia and Belarus. The city has a population of around 250,000 people. The latest Russian bombardment came as the war approaches what could be a critical juncture. A lack of further military support from Ukraine’s Western partners increasingly leaves it at the mercy of the bigger Kremlin forces.

Tesla asks shareholders to restore $56B Elon Musk pay package that was voided by Delaware judge

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla is asking shareholders to restore a $56 billion pay package for CEO Elon Musk that was rejected by a Delaware judge this year, and to shift the company’s corporate home to Texas. Stockholders will vote on the changes at a June 13 annual meeting. The proposals come as the electric vehicle maker struggles with falling global sales, slowing electric vehicle demand, an aging model lineup and a stock price that has tumbled 37% so far this year. In January, the Delaware court ruled that Musk is not entitled to the huge compensation plan that was to be granted over 10 years starting in 2018. But in a regulatory filing, Chairperson Robyn Denholm said Musk met all the stock value and operational targets in the package that was approved by shareholders.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in US more likely to believe in climate change: AP-NORC poll

Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States are slightly more likely than the overall adult population to believe in human-caused climate change. That’s according to a recent poll from AAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It finds that 84% of AAPI adults agree climate change exists. In comparison, 74% of all U.S. adults hold the same sentiment. Furthermore, three-quarters of AAPI adults who accept climate change is real attribute it to human activity. More AAPI Republicans than Republicans overall recognize climate change.

Things to know as courts and legislatures act on transgender kids’ rights

Several U.S. courts have ruled this week on state laws restricting the rights of transgender young people. The Supreme Court said Idaho can enforce its ban against gender-affirming care for minors. A federal appeals court said West Virginia cannot keep a transgender girl from joining her school’s track team. And an Ohio judge put on temporary hold a law that would ban gender-affirming healthcare for minors and keep transgender girls out of girls school sports. Most Republican-controlled states have adopted such laws, and many are being challenged in court. Meanwhile, there are more legislative efforts aimed at transgender people.

Biden vows to block US Steel acquisition by a Japanese company and promises tariffs on Chinese steel

PITTSBURGH (AP) — President Joe Biden has told an audience of cheering unionized steelworkers that his administration will block the acquisition of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company, potentially. And he’s calling for a tripling of tariffs on Chinese steel. The Democratic president is seeking to use trade policy to win over working-class votes in Pennsylvania, an election-year battleground. He said Wednesday that U.S. Steel “has been an iconic American company for more than a century and it should remain totally American.” His administration is reviewing the proposed acquisition by Japan’s Nippon Steel. On the tariff front, Chinese imports account for only a small percentage of the steel products coming into the United States so the higher fees are largely symbolic.

Boeing put under Senate scrutiny during back-to-back hearings on aircraft maker’s safety culture

An engineer at Boeing alleges the aircraft company is taking manufacturing shortcuts that could lead to jetliners breaking apart. The engineer, Sam Salehpour, testified before a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday about about Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. “They are putting out defective airplanes,” he said. Hundreds of Dreamliners are in use by airlines, mostly on international routes. Salehour spoke while another Senate committee held a separate hearing on the safety culture at Boeing. The company has been under multiple investigations and in crisis mode since a door-plug panel blew off a 737 Max jetliner during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

Columbia University’s president rebuts claims she has allowed school to become a hotbed of hatred

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — Four months after a contentious congressional hearing led to the resignations of two Ivy League presidents, Columbia University’s president unequivocally denounced antisemitism on her campus during an appearance before the same committee. Nemat Shafik is rebutting claims that she has allowed Columbia to become a hotbed of hatred. Shafik was originally asked to testify at the House Education and Workforce Committee’s hearing in December, but she declined citing scheduling conflicts. The December hearing featured the presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose lawyerly responses drew a fierce backlash. The presidents of Harvard and Penn have since resigned.