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WASHINGTON (AP) — The ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee says there are conflicting reports about the final minutes of the flight of the EgyptAir plane that went down early today in the Mediterranean Sea while headed to Cairo from Paris. Rep. Adam Schiff says U.S. intelligence collections are being examined but there is nothing to confirm whether there was terrorism or structural failure. Flight 804 plummeted after sharp turns and went down about halfway between the Greek island of Crete and Egypt's coastline. There were 66 people aboard.
WASHINGTON (AP) — With Democrats shouting "Shame! Shame!," some House Republicans switched their votes under pressure from House leaders and defeated a measure to protect gay rights. The final vote was 213-212. The measure would have upheld an executive order that bars discrimination against LGBT employees by federal contractors. The measure was part of a defense policy bill.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal judge has upheld Virginia's 2013 law requiring voters to show a valid photo ID at the polls. State elections officials were sued by the Virginia Democratic Party. It argued that the photo ID requirement unconstitutionally suppresses voting by blacks, Latinos and young people. Judge Henry Hudson ruled that there was no proof the law violates the Voting Rights Act or several constitutional amendments.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers aren't laughing at what one their colleagues said was a joke amendment to a law banning strip clubs from hiring dancers younger than 21. Republican Rep. Kenny Havard provoked outrage in the Capitol and nationwide when he suggested that strippers should be in their 20's and no more than 160 pounds. Gov. John Bel Edwards says the joke wasn't funny and House Speaker Taylor Barras says Havard should apologize.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists say the amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the air jumped by the biggest amount on record last month. They say it was amplified by El Nino, warm ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific. Carbon dioxide levels increased by 4.16 parts per million in April compared to a year earlier. According to readings at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, the increase is the biggest ever seen.
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