Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.
Golf-Kathy Whitworth, winningest pro golfer in history, dead at 83
Kathy Whitworth, whose 88 LPGA Tour victories are the most ever by a player on a pro tour, passed away suddenly on Saturday while celebrating Christmas Eve with family and friends, her longtime partner Bettye Odle said. She was 83. “It is with a heart full of love that we let everyone know of the passing of the winningest golf professional ever, Kathy Whitworth,” Odle said in a statement on Sunday.
Deadly blizzard, deemed worst in 45 years, paralyzes greater Buffalo, N.Y
Road and utility crews faced the task on Monday of digging out and restoring some normalcy around Buffalo, New York, where a blizzard considered the area’s worst in 45 years buried snow plows, stranded motorists in cars and killed at least 13 people. The lethal blizzard took form late on Friday and pummeled western New York through the Christmas holiday weekend, capping an Arctic freeze and winter storm front that had extended over most of the United States for days, as far south as the Mexican border.
Capitol riot panel’s final report sets out case to try Trump
The congressional panel probing the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol released its final report late on Thursday, outlining its case that former U.S. President Donald Trump should face criminal charges of inciting the deadly riot. The House of Representatives Select Committee also made public the transcripts of a number of its interviews and witness testimonies earlier on Thursday and on Wednesday.
Migrants dropped outside VP Harris’s home on blustery Christmas Eve
Busloads of migrants were dropped over Christmas weekend near Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in Washington amid freezing temperatures, having traveled from the southwest border in Texas, immigrant aid groups said on Sunday. Approximately 110-130 of the migrants seeking asylum in the United States, many of them families with children, were placed on buses by Texas officials, said Tatiana Laborde, managing director of SAMU First Response, a relief agency working with the city of Washington, D.C.
‘Where else can I go?’: Migrants face freezing Christmas at U.S.-Mexico border
Hundreds of migrants prepared to camp in the cold at Mexico’s northern border over Christmas, hoping for a swift reversal in U.S. migration restrictions as they endure the bite of a winter storm ravaging the United States. After the U.S. Supreme Court this week ruled that restrictions known as Title 42 could stay in place temporarily, many migrants are facing a Christmas weekend of what Mexico’s weather service called a “mass of arctic air.”
Arizona judge dismisses election denier Kari Lake’s bid to overturn vote results
An Arizona judge on Saturday rejected defeated Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s effort to overturn the results of her election loss in the state’s governor race. The order by Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson was filed on Saturday.
Airlines cancel thousands of U.S. flights over winter storm
Airlines canceled nearly 2,700 U.S. flights as of Saturday afternoon after a massive winter storm snarled airport operations around the country, frustrating thousands of holiday travelers. There were flight delays within, into or out of the United States totaling about 6,200 as of Saturday afternoon, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, which showed total U.S. flight cancellations at around 2,700. The cancellations as of Saturday afternoon included over 750 from Southwest Airlines and nearly 500 from Delta Air Lines Inc.
NFL-Baby, it’s cold outside: Teams, fans adapt as deep freeze hits U.S
The National Football League (NFL) was hit by the cold that pummeled the United States on Saturday as fans bundled up to watch late-season showdowns in punishing conditions. Cities from Pennsylvania to Georgia were expected to experience their coldest-ever Christmas Eve as an arctic blast gripped much the United States, roiling travel plans during the busy holiday season.
Thousands lose power after three substations targeted in Washington state, sheriff says
Thousands of residents were without power near Tacoma, Washington, after three electrical substations were vandalized, local authorities said on Sunday, adding that it was not yet clear if the Christmas Day incidents were linked. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said robberies were reported at two substations belonging to Tacoma Public Utilities and another belonging to Puget Sound Energy. Deputies cited forced entry into the fenced-in area, with equipment vandalized but nothing taken from the sites, it said. More than 14,000 customers were affected.
Blizzard kills 13 in Buffalo, N.Y., area as Christmas Day freeze grips U.S
A lethal blizzard paralyzed Buffalo, New York, on Christmas Day, trapping motorists and rescue workers in their vehicles, leaving thousands of homes without power and raising the death toll from storms that have chilled much of the United States for days. At least 30 people have died in U.S. weather-related incidents, according to an NBC News tally, since a deep freeze gripped most of the nation, coupled with snow, ice and howling winds from a sprawling storm that roared out of the Great Lakes region on Friday.
(With inputs from agencies.)