Trending
Flash floods
in Texas
UVALDE, Texas (AP) -- Authorities in Texas have rescued hundreds of stranded drivers and people trapped in homes and at least two people have died due to catastrophic flooding. The region is still recovering from devastating floods a year ago.
The National Weather Service says a “deadly flood wave” is barreling down the Guadalupe River that runs alongside Camp Mystic. That’s where two dozen children and two counselors were killed last July.
Rivers are rising hour by hour, turning them into fast-moving seas of white water. Gov. Greg Abbott has issued disaster declarations for dozens of counties.
Green card
denials revived
MIAMI (AP) -- The Trump administration is reviving a rule that could deny green cards to immigrants who use public benefits that could include food stamps, Medicaid, housing vouchers and more.
The policy appeared Thursday in the Federal Register and comes into effect Sept. 18. The policy was first implemented in February 2020 as one of President Donald Trump’s moves to limit legal immigration during his first administration, but it was reversed after Democratic President Joe Biden came to power.
Federal law already requires those seeking permanent residency or legal status to demonstrate that they will not become a public charge. The new rule broadens the grounds for disqualification.
AI stocks
bruise market
NEW YORK (AP) -- Drops for computer chipmakers and other AI winners dragged down stock markets worldwide. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% Thursday, even though more stocks rose within the index than fell.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 1.5%. Wall Street mostly rose after more U.S companies reported better earnings for the latest quarter than analysts expected.
But drops for Nvidia and other chip companies overshadowed them. The losses were sharper in South Korea, where AI winners whipped lower.
Cholesterol
pill approved
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration has approved a first-of-its-kind pill that can drastically reduce cholesterol. The drug cleared Thursday can lower dangerous cholesterol in a way that’s previously only been available with expensive, injectable drugs. The Lipfendra pill from Merck is the first noninjectable option for blocking a liver protein that interferes with the body’s ability to clear cholesterol from the blood.
Biotech injectables targeting the protein have been available from other drugmakers for more than a decade. But patient access has been limited by high prices, insurance restrictions and low prescribing by doctors.