Secret Service agents protecting Biden's granddaughter open fire when 3 people try to break into SUV
Secret Service agents protecting President Joe Biden’s granddaughter opened fire after three people tried to break into an unmarked Secret Service vehicle in the nation’s capital, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.
The agents, assigned to protect Naomi Biden, were out with her in the Georgetown neighborhood late Sunday night when they saw the three people breaking a window of the parked and unoccupied SUV, the official said. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on Monday on the condition of anonymity. (WLKY)
Louisville Ford workers vote against ratifying new contract.
Louisville Ford workers are divided over a contract deal with the automaker, the results of the ratification vote reveal.
2,744 total workers at the Kentucky Truck Plant and Louisville Assembly Plant voted “yes” to ratify the tentative contract agreement the UAW reached with Ford. 3,022 voted not to pass the new contract.
Local UAW 862 released the results of the vote around midnight. The results show the company's production workers voted against the deal while skilled trades workers voted in favor of it. (WHAS)
Beshear declares state of emergency to help combat Eastern Kentucky wildfires
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency Thursday in an effort to provide more resources for combating wildfires across the state, particularly in Eastern Kentucky. A Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet release Thursday afternoon said that state Division of Forestry officials are responding to dozens of wildfires across the state and are working on 31 fires that continue to spread.
As of Thursday morning, a Kentucky Emergency Management report stated 314 firefighters were responding to more than 9,100 acres of “active fires,” with fires of concern in Knox, Bell, Pike, Lawrence, Pike and Harlan counties. Harlan and Letcher counties have declared states of emergency because of the wildfires. Forestry teams from Idaho, Utah and Oregon were helping with the wildfires.
“We are taking action to make sure that Kentucky families and communities have the resources they need,” Beshear said in a statement. “We appreciate everyone on the front lines stepping up to fight the fires, and we pray for their safety and that these fires can be put out quickly.” (Kentucky Lantern)
Farm Bill debate snags on GOP efforts to cut climate funds and food aid to increase subsidies for cotton, peanuts, rice
“Congress appears unlikely to pass a new Farm Bill by the end of this year amid standoffs over Republicans’ push to extend subsidies to three specific Southern crops — at the potential cost of billions in both food aid and popular farm conservation programs,” reports Saul Elbein of The Hill.
The GOP plan would boost subsidies for peanuts, cotton and rice, “the only commodities that won’t get automatic price increases” under current law, Elbein reports. “To pay for this increase, Republican supporters of those programs want to cut food aid and take money from $20 billion previously allocated to conservation payments backed by Democrats, environmental groups, and a wide array of farm groups.” (The Rural Blog)
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott announces he is dropping out of the 2024 race
Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott announced late Sunday that he was dropping out of the 2024 race, about two months before the start of voting in Iowa's leadoff caucuses.
The South Carolina senator made the surprise announcement on “Sunday Night in America” with Trey Gowdy. The news was so abrupt that one campaign worker told The Associated Press that campaign staff found out Scott was dropping out by watching the show. The worker was not authorized to discuss the internal deliberations publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Scott, the Senate’s only Black Republican, announced his intention to run in May. (WHAS)
And from the X-verse ...
