Arizona governor declares state of emergency in areas affected by Tunnel wildfire

On Thursday, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency in Coconino County due to the 20,000-acre Tunnel wildfire. The blaze started Sunday just north of Flagstaff and is 0% contained, according to the national wildfire clearinghouse website InciWeb. At least two dozen buildings have been destroyed and hundreds of homes near Flagstaff have …

Federal judge issues temporary order to block restrictive Kentucky abortion law

A federal judge on Thursday issued a temporary order blocking Kentucky’s new abortion law, which effectively outlaws the procedure in the state. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings approved the temporary restraining order that stems from a lawsuit by Planned Parenthood, which challenged the legality of the law passed by the Kentucky General Assembly. The …

Idris Elba to star in thriller series for Apple TV+ titled ‘Hijack’

Idris Elba will star in a new thriller series at Apple TV+ titled “Hijack.”  The streaming service said in a press release Thursday that the 49-year-old Elba will star in and executive produce the series, which is written by Lupin creator George Kay and directed by Jim Field Smith. Kay and Smith will serve as …

AMC green lights the Bob Odenkirk series ‘Straight Man’ set to premiere in 2023

AMC announced Thursday it has green lit the Bob Odenkirk series ‘Straight Man,’ set to premiere in 2023.  Odenkirk has wrapped filming on Better Call Saul, which will air its season finale this summer. Odenkirk will play William Henry Devereaux Jr., chairman of the Railton College English department in Straight Man, which AMC describes as ‘a …

DOJ appeals ruling on public transportation mask mandates

The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday appealed a federal judge’s ruling which rejected face mask mandates for passengers on public transportation. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ruled in Tampa, Fla., that the mask mandate enacted more than a year ago is unconstitutional. The DOJ filed the appeal in a Florida district …

Trump campaign ordered to pay ex-aide Omarosa Manigault Newman $1.3M in legal fees

Former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has been ordered to pay nearly $1.3 million in legal fees to former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman by a New York court arbitrator. The award comes after Trump filed a complaint against Manigault Newman over her 2018 book, “Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House,” …

‘The Goldbergs’ renewed for Season 10 at ABC

The 1980s-set comedy The Goldbergs has been renewed for its 10th season on ABC. The renewal arrives a month after star and exec producer Wendi McLendon-Covey signed a new deal to return with producers Sony Pictures Television. Before McLendon-Covey’s new deal, the future of The Goldbergs was in jeopardy, despite being the longest-running live-action comedy currently …

‘The Flash’ star Ezra Miller arrested for second-degree assault in Hawaii

Actor Ezra Miller, the star of the upcoming DC film ‘The Flash,’ was arrested Tuesday in Hawaii for the second time this year. The Hawaii Police Department said Miller was arrested for second-degree assault at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday at a private residence in the district of Puna, near the town of Pāhoa. Police say that …

DOJ says it will appeal ruling against travel mask mandate if CDC calls for it

The Department of Justice announced that it would consider an appeal of the recent ruling that voided the federal mask mandate on public transit, if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deems it necessary.  The Justice Department said in a statement Tuesday: “The Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …

Biden administration launches $6B effort to save distressed nuclear power plants

The Biden administration is launching a $6 billion effort to save nuclear power plants at risk of closing, citing the need to continue nuclear energy as a carbon-free source of power that helps to combat climate change. A certification and bidding process was opened Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Energy for a civil nuclear …