NEW ORLEANS — Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate the Texas and Louisiana coasts Tuesday as Laura strengthened into a hurricane that forecasters said could slam into land as a major storm with ferocious winds and deadly flooding. More than 385,000 residents were told to flee the Texas cities...
FBI Says Texas Naval Base Shooting Is ‘Terrorism-Related’
A shooting at a Texas naval air station that wounded a sailor and left the gunman dead early Thursday was being investigated as “terrorism-related,” the FBI said, but divulged few details as to why. The suspect was identified as Adam Alsahli of Corpus Christi, according to three officials familiar with...
Governor Softens Order Over Jailed Texas Hair Salon Owner
AUSTIN, Texas — Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday removed jail as a punishment for violating his coronavirus restrictions following outcry by conservatives over a Dallas salon owner who was locked up for refusing to keep her business closed. In a swift relaxing of his own rules, Abbott said...
Dallas Salon Owner Jailed for Defying Virus Shutdown Order
DALLAS — A Texas' judge's decision to jail a hair salon owner for defying restrictions meant to limit the spread of the coronavirus has drawn criticism from the governor and state attorney general. Shelley Luther was booked in the Dallas County jail on Tuesday afternoon following a video hearing during...
Can Dog 'Sleuths' Sniff out California Citrus Disease?
WASHINGTON — Dog detectives might be able to help save ailing citrus groves, research published Monday suggests. Scientists trained dogs to sniff out a crop disease called citrus greening that has hit orange, lemon and grapefruit orchards in Florida, California and Texas. The dogs can detect it weeks to years...
White House Welcomes Court Ruling on Border Wall Spending
WASHINGTON — The White House says construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall will move forward after a federal appeals court ruling that frees up construction money. The 2-1 ruling on Wednesday halted a federal judge’s ruling in December that had prevented the government from spending $3.6 billion diverted from 127 military...
With Births Down, U.S. Had Slowest Growth Rate in a Century
ORLANDO, Fla. — The past year’s population growth rate in the United States was the slowest in a century due to declining births, increasing deaths and the slowdown of international migration, according to figures released Monday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. grew from 2018 to 2019 by almost...
Minister: Texas Gunman Grew Angry in Past Over Cash Requests
WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas — The man who opened fire inside a Texas church, killing two people before being shot to death, visited the church several other times this year and was given food but got angry when officials refused to give him money, the minister said. Keith Thomas Kinnunen, 43,...
Armed Congregants Kill Gunman Who Shot 2 at Texas Church
WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas — A gunman who killed two people during a Texas church service was fatally shot within seconds by armed congregants, said state officials, who hailed the state's gun laws that allow weapons in places of worship. More than 240 people were in the West Freeway Church of...
California Still Most Populous, but Stalls at 39.9 Million
SACRAMENTO — California's population has stalled at 39.9 million people as expensive housing prices and other factors convince more people to leave the state for other parts of the country. An estimate released Friday showed California added 141,300 people from July 1, 2018, to July 1, 2019, bringing its total...