Torrential storm floods South Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Parts of South Florida began cleaning up Thursday after an unprecedented storm that trapped motorists, dumped upward of 2 feet of rain in a matter of hours, caused widespread flooding, closed a key airport and turned thoroughfares into rivers. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.
Residents still waded through knee-high water or used canoes and kayaks to navigate the streets Thursday in Fort Lauderdale’s Edgewood neighborhood, where window screen installer Dennis Vasquez towed some of his neighbor’s belongings on an inflatable mattress to a car on dry land. He himself lost all of his possessions when water rose chest-high in his house Wednesday night.
“Everything, it’s gone,” he said in Spanish. “But I will replace it.” In Broward County, where rains started Monday before the heaviest rains arrived Wednesday afternoon, crews worked Thursday to clear drains and fire up pumps to clear standing water.
Fort Lauderdale issued a state of emergency as flooding persisted in parts of the city. Crews worked through the night to attend rescue calls. Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, which closed Wednesday evening, said it would not reopen until 5 a.m. this morning because of debris and flooding.
Broward County schools initially canceled classes Thursday, including after-school and extracurricular activities, after water flooded hallways and classrooms at some schools. Officials announced in the evening that schools would remain closed today.
Feinstein asks to leave judiciary panel
LOS ANGELES — Recuperating U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California has asked to be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee, shortly after two House Democrats called on her to resign after her extended absence from Washington.
The long-serving Democratic senator said Wednesday her recovery from a case of shingles had been delayed because of complications. She provided no date for her return to the Senate and said she had asked Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., to ask the Senate to allow another Democratic senator to serve in her committee seat until she was able to return.
“I intend to return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that it’s safe for me to travel,” Feinstein said. “In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco.”
U .S. won’t prosecute in Mexico slaying
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — U.S. officials in North Carolina will not federally prosecute the person suspected of killing a North Carolina woman vacationing in Mexico last year, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Federal prosecutors said Wednesday they have presented the findings of their investigation to the family of Shanquella Robinson, who was seen being beaten in a viral video at a resort development in San Jose del Cabo. As the video circulated on social media, it raised suspicions that Robinson may have been killed by her travel companions.
Justice Department attorneys said the available evidence and autopsy results do not support a federal prosecution. Investigators could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a federal crime was committed, they said.
Local prosecutors in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur filed charges late last year against a U.S. woman — whom they would not name — suspected of killing Robinson. They issued an arrest warrant for the suspect, who had already left Mexico with other travel companions after Robinson was found dead in a rented villa. Mexican federal prosecutors are trying to get her extradited to face charges in Mexico.
Jury selection starts in Fox News lawsuit
WILMINGTON, Del. — Potential jurors in a defamation trial seeking to hold Fox News responsible for repeatedly airing false claims related to the 2020 presidential election were asked Thursday whether they were viewers of the network and had any opinions about allies of former President Donald Trump, who helped spread the allegations after his loss.
With jury selection closed to the media and public, Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis announced by the afternoon that the interview process had produced a large enough pool from which to choose 12 jurors and 12 alternates. The seating of jurors will begin Monday morning, followed by opening statements from lawyers.
Potential jurors also were questioned whether they knew or had any opinion of lawyers Rudy Giuliani or Sidney Powell, who represented Trump after his defeat and appeared on Fox News programs. There were questions, too, concerning Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO who has helped spread conspiracy theories related to voting machines.
News habits were a key focus of the questionnaire given to potential jurors, who were asked whether they regularly watch or avoid Fox News programs and whether that would affect their ability to be fair and impartial.
James Richard and Katherine Arroyo trudge through high water Thursday in Hollywood, Fla., after an unprecedented storm that dumped about 2 feet of rain in a matter of hours. The Fort Lauderdale airport was forced to close amid reports of abandoned cars “floating like boats” in the streets. More photos at arkansasonline.com/414southfla/. (AP/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/Mike Stocker)Gallery: Flooding in south Florida
A person walks past the Fox News Headquarters in New York on Wednesday. (AP/Yuki Iwamura)