U.S. Army plans 24-hour aviation stand down after two deadly helicopter crashes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Army on Friday ordered its aviation units to pause operations for one day next month to review safety procedures and training after two recent helicopter crashes killed 12 soldiers. The move will ground all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training, the Army said…

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Women state senators cross party lines to block proposed South Carolina abortion ban

By Sharon Bernstein (Reuters) – A day after all five women in the South Carolina state senate banded together to block a proposed abortion ban, Republican Senator Sandy Senn posted a picture of the group on her Facebook page calling the three Republicans, one Democrat and one Independent “united and unstoppable.” The senators came together…

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US regulators vow to sharpen oversight as SVB, Signature aftershocks reverberate

By Ann Saphir, Hannah Lang and Chris Prentice (Reuters) – U.S. regulators on Friday put large banks on notice that tougher oversight is coming, after the Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation detailed their supervisory lapses before deposit runs caused the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in March. Though the banking…

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California moves to phase-out diesel-powered trucks, cut locomotive pollution

By David Shepardson (Reuters) – California regulators on Friday approved new rules requiring all medium- and heavy-duty vehicles sold in the state in 2036 be zero-emission, a day after the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted reduced emission regulations for locomotives. “With these actions requiring all new heavy-duty truck sales to be zero emission and…

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Judge declines to block Colorado from banning medication abortion reversal

By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) – A federal judge in Denver on Friday rejected a Catholic medical center’s bid to block Colorado from banning an unproven treatment meant to reverse the effects of a medication abortion drug. U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico said there was no need to block the first-of-its-kind ban because the state has…

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In win for Republicans, North Carolina court allows partisan gerrymandering

By Joseph Ax (Reuters) -North Carolina’s highest court on Friday ruled that state law does not bar lawmakers from drawing congressional and state legislative maps for partisan benefit, boosting Republicans’ odds next year of maintaining their narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The decision – divided along party lines – appears to clear…

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U.S. senator introduces bill targeting AI’s shortfalls

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senator Michael Bennet introduced a bill on Thursday that would create a task force to look at U.S. policies on artificial intelligence, and identify how best to reduce threats to privacy, civil liberties and due process. The popular use of ChatGPT and other AI, which have been used for years to create…

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