Portions of eastern US under watch for dangerous winds and tornadoes as storm moves out on Sunday Portions of Pennsylvania, New York, and mid-Atlantic and south-east states were still under a National Weather Service watch for damaging wind and tornadoes, as the death toll from weekend storms rose to 36 people across six states. In a White House statement, Donald Trump said he was monitoring the tornadoes and storms, adding that “36 innocent lives have been lost, and many more devastated ..read more

A massive storm system unleashed powerful winds and spawned multiple tornadoes, killing at least 32 ..read more

Several people killed in Kansas dust storm while scattered tornadoes cause fatalities in Missouri People return to their storm-ravaged homes in the US south – in pictures Violent tornadoes ripped through parts of the US, wiping out schools and toppling semitractor-trailers in several states, part of a monster storm that killed at least 35 people as more severe weather was expected. In western Kansas, a dust storm was reported to have killed eight people as high winds produced blowing dust over the interstate, causing collisions of more than 71 vehicles on the I-70 ..read more

GenBioPro seeks to defend access to mifepristone in suit brought by attorneys general of Idaho, Missouri and Kansas The manufacturer of the generic version of a major abortion pill has asked to join a federal lawsuit over the pill’s future, marking a new step forward in litigation that could rewrite US abortion access. The manufacturer, GenBioPro, filed court papers on Monday to become a defendant in the lawsuit over mifepristone, one of two drugs typically used in a US medication abortion. That lawsuit, which was brought by the Republican attorneys general of Idaho, Missouri and Kansas, seeks ..read more

There are three tried-and-tested strategies for getting into Donald Trump’s inner circle, from adoration to misogyny There are three tried-and-tested strategies for getting into Donald Trump’s inner circle. No 1: be young, blond and so obsessed with the president that even the Secret Service think it’s kinda weird. That strategy certainly seems to have worked out well for Natalie Harp, a former far-right cable host who is now an official aide to Trump ..read more

Dubbed ‘eHarmony for babies’, bill would create connected databases for pregnant women and those looking to adopt A Republican lawmaker in Missouri has introduced legislation to create a registry of pregnant women who are “at risk” of having an abortion – a proposal the bill’s author characterized as an “eHarmony for babies” that could also help match adoptive parents with babies. If passed, the bill would create two registries: one for people “at risk” of abortions and one for people looking to adopt. Members of each registry could access the other, while Missouri government officials would b ..read more

Andrew Lester, who is white, was charged with assault after Ralph Yarl, who survived, rang doorbell by mistake in 2023 An 86-year-old Missouri man died just days after pleading guilty to a lesser charge in the 2023 shooting of Ralph Yarl, a Black honor student who rang the white man’s doorbell by mistake, prosecutors announced on Wednesday. Andrew Lester of Kansas City had been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of the then 16-year-old, who survived and is now a freshman at Texas A&M. Before his trial was scheduled to begin, Lester had pleaded guilt ..read more

Ruling enables providers to offer procedure, which voters enshrined in state constitution after fall of Roe in 2022 In a massive victory for abortion rights supporters, a Missouri judge on Friday blocked a licensing requirement for abortion clinics that providers said prevented them from offering the procedure. Planned Parenthood announced shortly after the judge’s ruling that its clinics would once again perform abortions in Missouri ..read more

Andrew Lester pleaded guilty to lesser charge in shooting of Black honor student who mistakenly rang his doorbell An 86-year-old Kansas City man has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in the 2023 shooting of Ralph Yarl, a Black honor student who was then 16 and rang the man’s doorbell by mistake. Andrew Lester’s plea on Friday came days before he was supposed to stand trial on charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of the teenaged student. Lester pleaded guilty to second-degree assault as part of a deal with prosecutors that averted the trial ..read more

Republican attorney general files suit claiming – without evidence – coffee chain’s hiring policies cause higher prices Missouri has sued Starbucks for discrimination because its workforce has “become more female and less white”. Filed on Tuesday by the state’s Republican attorney general, the lawsuit accuses the coffee chain of engaging in “systemic racial, sexual, and sexual orientation discrimination” through its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, including hiring quotas, advancement opportunities and board membership ..read more