Country Legend Merle Haggard Dies At 79
Outlaw, "Okie from Muskogee," poet of working-class values and a fixture in country music for 50 years, Merle Haggard died Wednesday, April 6, his 79th birthday.
News
Supermassive Black Holes May Be More Common Than Anyone Imagined
A black hole with about 17 billion times the mass of our sun has turned up in another remote galaxy. Astronomers now think these mass-eating monsters may not be so rare after all.
A Big Week For Parents: New York State, San Francisco Establish Paid-Leave Laws
New York, the fourth state to offer paid leave, will cover 12 weeks of leave — twice what other states offer. San Francisco, meanwhile, becomes the first city to require fully paid parental leave.
White House Says It Will Cut Ebola Funding To Address Zika
The Obama administration requested $1.9 billion in emergency funds to prepare for Zika, but Congress has yet to respond. Now the White House plans to divert funding intended for Ebola.
Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew May Visit Greece This Month
The visit by the leaders of the Eastern and Western churches — announced by Greek church and government officials, but not confirmed by the Vatican — would signal support for migrants and refugees.
Former Coal Executive Don Blankenship Sentenced To 1 year In Prison
The former Massey Energy CEO also must pay a $250,000 fine for his role in a 2010 mining disaster that killed 29 miners.
Puerto Rico Passes Law That Freezes The Island's Debt Payments
The measure delays payments on Puerto Rico's debt load, which is now more than $70 billion, until January 2017. Creditors say the measure violates prior agreements and the island's constitution.
Progress Made To Rein In Shell Corporations, But More Action Needed
Global organizations have been trying to rein in the abuse that costs governments hundreds of billions of dollars. But the Panama Papers revelations show the extent to which more work is needed.
From Fracking Bans To Paid Sick Leave: How States Are Overruling Local Laws
PR Watch's Lisa Graves says that states can overrule local laws, and that legislatures are increasingly using preemption to stop things like minimum wage increases and protections for LGBT people.
All-Natural But Still 'Imitation'? The Strange Case Of The Skim Milk Label
A Florida dairy farmer has had to dump hundreds of gallons of skim milk from her creamery because she doesn't add vitamins back in. Legally, that makes it an "imitation milk product."