Shreveport

As shutdown lingers, Pelosi urges Trump to reschedule State of the Union

With Trump's address scheduled for Jan. 29, Pelosi wrote him a letter citing security concerns because the Secret Service, which is required to provide security for the address, has not received funding during the impasse. The standoff was triggered by Trump's demand for a round of funding for his promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Senate Democrats planned to gather on the steps of the Capitol at noon EST on Wednesday to highlight the havoc the shutdown is wreaking, as 800,000 federal workers are furloughed or work without pay, and contractors do not receive payments.

Airbus spends $300 million on new Alabama plant for A220 jet

Airbus expanded its industrial presence in the United States on Wednesday, preparing to breaking ground on a new assembly plant for the A220, 18 months after agreeing to buy the Canadian jetliner in the midst of a U.S.-Ottawa trade row. The European planemaker said it would invest $300 million and create 400 jobs in the new facility, to be built in the port city of Mobile alongside an existing assembly line for its best-selling A320 passenger jet, which already employs 700 people. It said Alabama would provide an unspecified amount in state incentives to support the development.

U.S. shutdown turns Washington into ghost town during quiet travel season

Phones have stopped ringing at tour companies. In the nation's capital, where more than 20 million tourists typically visit each year, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history has threatened businesses that depend on the patronage of government workers and the attraction of federal monuments and museums to bring in tourists. "It definitely feels like the phone should be ringing more," said Adam Plescia, owner of Custom Tours of DC.

Disgraced U.S. ex-cardinal could be defrocked soon: Vatican sources

Disgraced former U.S. cardinal Theodore McCarrick is almost certain to be defrocked in the next few weeks over allegations against him, including sexual abuse of minors, two Vatican sources said. Last July, McCarrick became the first Catholic prelate in nearly 100 years to lose the title of cardinal. The allegations against him date back to decades ago when he was still rising to the top of the U.S. Church hierarchy.

No talks scheduled on third day of Los Angeles teachers strike

Some 30,000 Los Angeles teachers are on strike for higher pay, smaller class sizes and more staff. Thousands were to hit picket lines again, while the district struggles to keep schools open for 1,200 campuses, relying on remaining administrators and substitute teachers to run classes. Two press conferences are scheduled by the union on Wednesday, raising speculation talks could resume even though the union and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) remain at loggerheads over how much money should be spent.

Atlanta airport says ready for Super Bowl crush despite shutdown

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), already the world's busiest, expects to see an additional 125,000 passengers ahead of the Feb. 3 game and is bringing in reinforcements to meet the additional numbers, said Elise Durham, the airport's director of communications. More than 1,800 volunteers will help passengers navigate the airport while additional customer engagement agents will be on hand to assist people entering and exiting the city, she added. Durham said the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the federal agency responsible for airport security screening, had committed additional resources for the Super Bowl, before the government shutdown.

Los Angeles teachers strike for second day as mayor seeks to restart talks

Some 30,000 Los Angeles teachers on strike for higher pay, smaller classes and more staff walked picket lines in the rain for a second day on Tuesday as Mayor Eric Garcetti embraced their cause while trying to nudge the two sides back to the bargaining table. The walkout, with teachers garbed mostly in red braving two days of rainy weather to stage mass rallies downtown, has shattered 30 years of labor peace by Los Angeles teachers but has not completely idled schools.

Hundreds in new U.S.-bound migrant caravan cross into Guatemala

Several hundred Honduran migrants in a new U.S.-bound caravan crossed into Guatemala on Tuesday, as U.S. President Donald Trump seized on news of the advancing group to try to build support for a wall along his country's border with Mexico. About 360 Hondurans presented documents to pass legally through the Agua Caliente border crossing separating the two Central American nations. An additional 350 Hondurans crossed into Guatemalan territory, but were being detained by migration officials checking their documents, according to pro-migrant activists traveling with them.

Family behind Purdue Pharma pushed opioid marketing, Massachusetts says

Members of the wealthy Sackler family behind Purdue Pharma LP pushed it to boost sales of OxyContin and other opioids even as questions emerged about the extent its painkillers were being abused, Massachusetts' attorney general alleged on Tuesday. Attorney General Maura Healey filed an amended lawsuit against Purdue and current and former officers and directors of the drugmaker that drew on years of internal records to reveal new details about the family's involvement in the company. The lawsuit, originally filed in June in Suffolk County Superior Court, was the first by a state to try to hold members of the Sackler family, who own privately-held Purdue, personally responsible for contributing to the U.S. opioid epidemic.

Family behind Purdue Pharma pushed opioid marketing, Massachusetts says

Members of the wealthy Sackler family behind Purdue Pharma LP pushed it to boost sales of OxyContin and other opioids even as questions emerged about the extent its painkillers were being abused, Massachusetts' attorney general alleged on Tuesday. Attorney General Maura Healey filed an amended lawsuit against Purdue and current and former officers and directors of the drugmaker that drew on years of internal records to reveal new details about the family's involvement in the company. The lawsuit, originally filed in June in Suffolk County Superior Court, was the first by a state to try to hold members of the Sackler family, who own privately-held Purdue, personally responsible for contributing to the U.S. opioid epidemic.

Los Angeles teachers' strike extends to second day with no talks on horizon

Some 30,000 striking teachers demanding higher pay, smaller classes and more support staff from the nation's second-largest school district walked picket lines for a second day on Tuesday, with no new talks on the horizon between stalemated union and district officials. The strike, shattering 30 years of labor peace by Los Angeles teachers, has not completely idled instruction in the sprawling district encompassing some 1,200 schools. The district has enlisted administrators and substitute teachers to keep classes open on a limited basis through the strike, though LAUSD reported only about a third of its 492,000 students showed up on the first day of the walkout.

Factbox: Impact on U.S. government widens on 25th day of shutdown

The longest U.S. government shutdown in history reached its 25th day on Tuesday, with most of the 800,000 employees who have been furloughed or are working without pay having missed their first paychecks last week. The White House and congressional Democrats remain divided over Republican President Donald Trump's demand for money for a border wall. The shutdown, which began on Dec. 22, is the 19th since the mid-1970s, although most have been brief.

Los Angeles parents support striking teachers despite chaos at home

Elizabeth Rietz says it hasn't been easy taking care of her daughter at home during the first two days of a strike by Los Angeles teachers, while she and her husband try to start their own clothing line. Like many parents Rietz, whose daughter is a 4th grader at Ivanhoe Elementary School in the middle-class Silver Lake neighborhood, has taken on the extra burden in solidarity with 30,000 teachers demanding higher pay, smaller class sizes, more staff and less testing. Los Angeles Unified School District officials have kept its 900 schools open during the two-day strike using administrators and substitute teachers, mindful that working-class parents cannot afford child care.

Shutdown bites economy, U.S. Coast Guard as Washington talks stall

The shutdown dragged into its 25th day on Tuesday with neither Trump nor Democratic congressional leaders showing signs of bending on the topic that triggered it - funding for the wall Trump promised to build along the border with Mexico. Trump is insisting Congress shell out $5.7 billion for wall funding as about 800,000 federal workers go unpaid during the partial shutdown. Trump invited a bipartisan group of members of Congress for lunch to discuss the standoff but the White House said Democrats turned down the invitation.

U.S.-bound Honduran migrant caravan grows as Trump argues for wall

A new U.S.-bound caravan of Honduran migrants grew to nearly 1,000 people as it neared the Guatemalan border on Tuesday, a Honduran official said, while U.S. President Donald Trump seized on news of the group to try to drum up support for a border wall. Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Nelly Jerez told reporters that there were between 800 and 1,000 people traveling together and headed toward the Agua Caliente border crossing into Guatemala. Central American migrant caravans heading toward the United States have inflamed the debate over U.S. immigration policy, with Trump using the groups to seek backing for his plan to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

U.S. Justice Dept broadens restrictions on internet gambling

The U.S. Justice Department will effectively prohibit online gambling and lottery businesses, experts said on Tuesday, after it decided to broaden its interpretation of rules governing interstate sports gambling to other forms of betting. The department's Office of Legal Counsel said in a November 2018 opinion, not released until late Monday, that a 1961 law called the Wire Act does in fact apply to interstate online poker and casino games, not just sports bets. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday it would delay implementation of the new restrictions for 90 days to allow businesses to adjust their operations.

Government shutdown breaks record, with no end in sight

A partial U.S. government shutdown over President Donald Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border entered its 22nd day on Saturday, making it the longest shuttering of federal agencies in U.S. history, with no end in sight. Trump, holed up in the White House with Congress adjourned for the weekend, warned of a much lengthier impasse and blamed the Democrats. "They’re the ones that are holding it up," he said during a telephone interview with Fox News on Saturday night.

President Trump can't stop U.S. coal plants from retiring

In total, more than 23,400 megawatts (MW) of coal-fired generation were shut in 2017-2018 versus 14,900 MW in 2009-2012, according to data from Reuters and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Trump has tried to roll back rules on climate change and the environment adopted during the Obama administration to fulfill pledges to voters in states like West Virginia and Wyoming. One megawatt can power about 1,000 U.S. homes.

Judge rejects citizenship question for 2020 U.S. census

U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross concealed his true motives in adding the question last March. Ross had said the question - which has not appeared on the decennial census since 1950 - was necessary to enforce federal laws protecting eligible voters. Furman's decision will almost certainly be appealed, and could wind up before the Supreme Court this year.

Carol Channing, Broadway's iconic 'Dolly,' dead at 97

(Reuters) - Carol Channing, who won over audiences with her giddy, guileless charm in signature roles in Broadway's "Hello, Dolly!" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," died in her California home on Tuesday at the age of 97, according to her publicist.

No clear path for California as massive PG&E utility nears bankruptcy

PG&E Corp's announcement that it will file for bankruptcy, citing massive potential liability from deadly wildfires, puts California politicians in quandary, whether to offer a bailout or risk allowing the state's largest private utility to fail. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, told reporters late on Monday his team was discussing the possibility of helping PG&E stay solvent, but no decisions had been made.

Spike Lee joins The Killers for protest video over Trump's planned wall

Rockers The Killers have teamed up with film director Spike Lee to make the music video for their latest song, "Land Of The Free", a protest against President Donald Trump's planned wall on the U.S.-Mexican border. The "Do the Right Thing" and "Malcom X" director was given full creative rein to make the video for the track, which the Las Vegas band describes as "a heartfelt lament inspired by current events and recent national tragedies in the United States". Lee filmed the video at the end of 2018 around the border, capturing scenes of migrant families as they headed towards "the land of the free", the group said.

Confederate monument's pedestal ordered removed at university in North Carolina

The plan to remove the statue's base and commemorative plaques was outlined by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill chancellor Carol Folt, in a statement that also said she would resign after this academic year's graduation ceremonies. "The base and tablets will be preserved until their future is decided," Folt said in a statement. The effort to eliminate Confederate monuments gained momentum in the United States after avowed white supremacist Dylann Roof in 2015 murdered nine black people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Alaska officials probing BP oil, gas wells at Prudhoe Bay after spill

Regulators in the U.S. state of Alaska will investigate all of the oil and natural gas wells operated by BP Plc at its Prudhoe Bay oil field after the release of a small amount of crude oil and gas from a well that had earlier been shut. The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC) has scheduled a Feb. 7 hearing “to assess the mechanical integrity of Prudhoe Bay wells operated by BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc.,” the agency said in a notice issued on Friday.

Burgers by candlelight: Trump lays out fast food for college football champs

U.S. President Donald Trump laid out a White House feast fit for a government shutdown on Monday: silver platters heaped high with McDonald's quarter pounders and the red-and-white burger wrappers of Wendy's. White House chefs normally would serve much fancier fare underneath the stern gaze of the portrait of Abraham Lincoln in the State Dining Room. The White House said Trump himself sprang for what he pronounced to be "great American food" for the visiting Clemson Tigers, winners of the U.S. college football championship.

'El Chapo' dreamed of biopic for years before capture, says trial witness

Alex Cifuentes, Guzman's self-described one-time "right hand man," said he learned about a planned movie project while living with Guzman in the mountains of his boss' home state of Sinaloa from 2007 to 2009. Colombian-born Cifuentes is one of about a dozen witnesses who have so far testified against Guzman after striking deals with U.S. prosecutors, in a trial that has provided a window into the secretive world of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world's most powerful drug trafficking organization. The alleged kingpin's silver screen dreams first surfaced after Penn wrote a story for Rolling Stone magazine in 2016 about traveling with Del Castillo to meet Guzman at a forest hideout, not long after Guzman had escaped from a Mexican prison through a tunnel.

Stormy Daniels sues over Ohio strip club arrest, calling it political

The Columbus vice unit officers who arrested Daniels on July 12, 2018, were registered Republicans as is the president, Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said in her lawsuit filed in federal court in Ohio. "Defendant officers believed that Ms. Clifford was damaging President Trump and they thereafter entered into a conspiracy to arrest her during her performance in Columbus in retaliation for the public statements she had made regarding (Trump)," the suit said.

Wisconsin kidnapper targeted teen after seeing her get on school bus: prosecutor

Authorities said Jake Patterson, 21, had confessed to killing Jayme Closs' father with a shotgun while the teen and her mother hid in a bathtub, then killing the mother after forcing her to help duct-tape her daughter's mouth shut. The October discovery of the parents' bodies in the family home in rural Barron, Wisconsin, with the door blasted open and their daughter gone, sparked a search by hundreds of police officers and thousands of volunteers. At a brief hearing in Barron County Circuit Court on Monday, Patterson appeared via live video from jail, wearing an orange jumpsuit and glasses.

Stormy Daniels sues over Ohio strip club arrest, calling it political

The Columbus vice unit officers who arrested Daniels on July 12, 2018, were registered Republicans as is the president, Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said in her lawsuit filed in federal court in Ohio. "Defendant officers believed that Ms. Clifford was damaging President Trump and they thereafter entered into a conspiracy to arrest her during her performance in Columbus in retaliation for the public statements she had made regarding (Trump)," the suit said.

Volkswagen to invest $800 million, build new electric vehicle in U.S

Volkswagen AG said on Monday it was investing $800 million to build a new electric vehicle at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and scheduled a briefing with Ford Motor Co for Tuesday on their efforts to forge a global alliance. The German automaker said in an announcement at the Detroit Auto Show that it was adding 1,000 jobs at the Chattanooga plant and that electric vehicle production there would begin in 2022. Volkswagen Chief Executive Herbert Diess said the company was considering building luxury Audi vehicles in the United States but that no decisions had been made.

Trump defends trade policies to farmers, vows fair deal with China

Trump dedicated much of his speech to explaining why the U.S. needs a wall on its southern border in his second consecutive visit to the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention. U.S. farmers, numbering some 3.2 million, have been reliable Trump supporters, despite struggling financially since Beijing imposed a tariff on imports of U.S. soybeans in July in retaliation for Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods. China has also implemented duties on other U.S. farm goods, including pork and grain sorghum.

Los Angeles teachers strike, claiming 'existential battle' over schools

More than 30,000 Los Angeles teachers demanding pay raises and smaller classes walked off the job in America's second-largest school system on Monday, marching downtown in the rain after negotiations over a new contract broke down. Students arriving for classes at some 900 campuses across the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) were met by their teachers carrying picket signs in the city's first teachers' strike in three decades. "It's an existential battle for the future of public education," teacher Mike Finn told Reuters outside John Marshall High School in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz.

U.S. government shutdown drags into fourth week amid stalemate

At a speech to an American Farm Bureau convention in New Orleans, Trump again urged Congress to grant him the money, saying drones, sensors and other technology cannot do what a wall can do to stop illegal border crossings. Farmers, a key bloc of Trump supporters, have been hit by the shutdown as federal loan and farm aid applications have stalled and key farming and crop data has been delayed. "If you want to help farmers, re-open the government," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a Twitter posting.