ATLANTA (AP) – The president of a historically black college in Alabama says its band will perform in President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural parade, despite a barrage of criticism. Talladega College President Billy Hawkins announced the decision Thursday. It comes after the Presidential Inaugural Committee had announced that the Alabama band had accepted its invitation to…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Under mounting pressure to free convicts as a last act, President Barack Obama is planning at least one more batch of pardons and commutations before leaving office in two weeks. But don’t expect many famous offenders to make the list. The list of bold names appealing to Obama for compassion in his…
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) – Convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof did not ask jurors to spare his life or for the death penalty during his brief opening statement at his sentencing trial. The soft-spoken Roof told jurors Wednesday that there is nothing wrong with him psychologically and that his lawyers forced him to go through…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A federal appeals court has reversed a lower court decision that declared Minnesota’s sex offender program unconstitutional because it holds people long after they complete their prison sentences. A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday sided with the state and sent the case back to a lower…
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – An attorney for media outlets including The Associated Press argues that Monday’s competency hearing for convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof should be open. Attorney Jay Bender filed an objection Friday to federal Judge Richard Gergel’s proposal to close the hearing, arguing there’s no compelling reason to exclude the public. Bender…
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama has imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia’s interference in the U.S. presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts. The State Department also has kicked out 35 Russian diplomats from its embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco, giving them…
ATLANTA (AP) – With Donald Trump’s election, Republicans in Congress will have the opportunity to overhaul Medicaid, something they’ve wanted to do for years. The program provides health care to millions of lower-income and disabled Americans. Currently, the federal government pays a certain percentage of each state’s Medicaid costs. Republicans say states have little incentive…
