Alabama
Council members resign after homophobic comments
CARBON HILL, Ala. (AP) — Two leaders of an Alabama city have resigned after their mayor posted a comment on Facebook about “killing out” socialists, “baby killers” and gay and transgender people.
But mayor Mark Chambers refused to step down and told residents of Carbon Hill that he plans to run for reelection.
Protesters staged a die-in and then confronted Chambers during Monday’s meeting, where he sat between two empty chairs.
Some asked just how he would like to kill them. One carried a sign saying “if you kill me, my ghost will haunt you.”
The meeting soon ended, with Chambers walking out past a gantlet of people calling for him to resign.
Chambers met privately beforehand with a small group of protesters. Resident Rawsy McCollum said the mayor apologized, saying his comments shouldn’t have been public.
But McCollum said he shouldn’t have voiced hatred at all, and it’s time for him to go.
“If you can impeach the president of the United States, you should be able to move the mayor in this little 1-red-light town,” she said.
Chambers accepted the resignations of council members McClain Burrough and Chandler Gann without explanation. McCollum said they had expressed embarrassment over the mayor’s comments.
Resident Savannah Miles says diversifying the council to better represent the community would be a step in the right direction.
Washington
Judge blocks rule for drug ads to disclose prices
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge Monday blocked a major White House initiative on prescription drug costs, saying the Trump administration lacked the legal authority to require drugmakers to disclose their prices in TV ads.
The narrow ruling by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., struck down a requirement that was set to go into effect within hours, on Tuesday.
Drugmakers had argued that requiring them to disclose list prices amounted to coercion that would violate their free speech rights under the Constitution.
But in his 27-page ruling Mehta avoided debating the First Amendment, saying simply that the Trump administration had failed to show it had legal authority under the statutes that govern federal programs such as Medicare to require price disclosure.
He wrote that neither the law’s “text, structure, nor context evince an intent by Congress to empower (administrative agencies) to issue a rule that compels drug manufacturers to disclose list prices.”
Mehta also said he wasn’t questioning the motives of the Health and Human Services Department, which issued the price disclosure rule. He suggested the administration could even be right on the merits.
“That policy very well could be an effective tool in halting the rising cost of prescription drugs,” the judge wrote. “But no matter how vexing the problem of spiraling drug costs may be, HHS cannot do more than what Congress has authorized. The responsibility rests with Congress to act in the first instance.”
HHS spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley said the administration was disappointed by the ruling and “will be working with the Department of Justice on next steps related to the litigation.” The administration could appeal the ruling, and it could also ask Congress to specifically authorize requiring drugmakers to disclose their prices. The Senate and the House are working on a package of bills that aim to reduce health care costs for insured patients, and drug prices are one of lawmakers’ biggest targets.
The lawsuit was brought by three major manufacturers, Merck, Eli Lilly and Amgen. HHS Secretary Alex Azar was once a top executive of Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly.
AARP vice president Nancy LeaMond also called the ruling a disappointment. “Today’s ruling is a step backward in the battle against skyrocketing drug prices,” she said in a statement. “Americans should be trusted to evaluate drug price information and discuss any concerns with their health care providers.”
Arizona
Man accused of murdering 4 to face death penalty hearing
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (AP) — One of two men accused of killing four people in Casa Grande in 2017 will have a court hearing next month to determine if he’s eligible for the death penalty.
A Pinal County Superior Court judge has set Aug. 12 for a status hearing on quadruple murder charges against Rodney Ortiz.
Ortiz and Alec Perez are accused of killing two men and two women at a housing complex in October 2017.
Prosecutors also are seeking the death penalty against Perez.
They say one of the victims, 29-year-old Crysta Proctor, was married to Perez.
According to the Casa Grande Dispatch, police reports show Perez and his estranged wife had a history of domestic violence.
Delaware
Chief justice Leo Strine hands in resignation
DOVER, Del. (AP) — The chief justice of Delaware’s Supreme Court is resigning. Leo E. Strine Jr. is stepping down from the bench with more than half his term remaining.
The Delaware News Journal reports Strine handed in his resignation to Gov. John Carney Monday, saying he plans to retire in the fall. Officials did not detail why Strine plans to step down, and the newspaper reports he was on vacation and unavailable for comment.
Strine was appointed to the state’s highest court for a 12-year term in 2014, but is leaving with almost seven years remaining.
The paper says there were rumors of Strine’s departure when he didn’t hire legal clerks for the upcoming court calendar.
Gov. John Carney will soon begin the process to nominate a successor.
Virginia
Woman living in church faces $214K fine
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Federal officials are threatening to issue a $214,000 fine against a Guatemalan woman who has been living in a Charlottesville, Virginia, church for nearly a year.
Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church agreed to help protect Maria Chavalan Sut from deportation by allowing her to live in the church. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have said they generally avoid entering sensitive locations such as places of worship.
Chavalan Sut has been seeking asylum since she was threatened and her home was burned in 2015. She took refuge in the church after ICE said she would be deported following a missed court date.
The Daily Progress reports that she received a “Notice of Intent to Fine” from ICE last week. Lead pastor Rev. Isaac Collins called the letter a “scare tactic.”
