Rains spawn flooding on Texas coast
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Heavy rains along the Texas coast have caused flooding in areas that were hit hard by Hurricane Harvey less than a year ago.
National Weather Service meteorologist Tyler Castillo said Wednesday that since Tuesday, reports of 5 to 10 inches of rain were widespread along the Texas coast with up to 15 inches in isolated areas.
On Tuesday, heavy rains farther north near Beaumont, also caused flooding. KHOU television reported that emergency management officials in Orange County say that as many as 15 homes flooded, several of which were still empty after being damaged during Harvey.
On Wednesday morning, flash-flood warnings and watches were issued for counties on and near the Texas coast from the U.S.-Mexican border to east of Houston.
The National Weather Service said the slow-moving storm that submerged the coastal area is expected to finally move away today.
Pope withdraws retired archbishop
NEW YORK -- The retired Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., whose sexual misconduct with adults led to previously undisclosed legal settlements, has been removed from public ministry and faces further punishment over a "credible" allegation that he sexually abused a teenager while he was a priest in New York more than 40 years ago, the church announced Wednesday.
Pope Francis ordered 87-year-old Cardinal Theodore McCarrick's removal pending further action that could include expulsion from the priesthood after the allegation was found to be "credible and substantiated." McCarrick is one of the highest-ranking U.S. church officials accused in a sexual abuse scandal that has seen thousands of priests implicated.
McCarrick, the Washington archbishop from 2000-06, said he was shocked by the allegation and denied it in a statement distributed through the church. He said he cooperated in the investigation and accepted the pope's decision out of obedience to the church.
Separately, the Newark, N.J., archdiocese, where McCarrick was a bishop and archbishop, said it was aware of three-decades-old allegations against him involving sexual misconduct with adults -- no cases there involving minors -- and that two of them resulted in legal settlements.
The Newark Archdiocese declined to provide additional details, citing confidentiality concerns.
CDC: Flu vaccine hit, miss in elderly
NEW YORK -- A newer kind of flu vaccine worked only a little bit better for senior citizens last winter than traditional shots, the government reported Wednesday.
Overall, flu vaccines barely worked in keeping people 65 and older out of the hospital, with roughly 24 percent effectiveness.
The best performance was by a new shot called Flucelvax; it was about 26.5 percent effective in that age group. The difference wasn't as large as some had hoped.
"The big problem is still the same -- we need better vaccines. But these incremental improvements are very important," said Brendan Flannery, a flu expert at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For Americans of all ages, the CDC estimates that flu shots were 40 percent effective against all strains last flu season. They were far less effective against the kind that made most people sick.
The findings of the Food and Drug Administration study were presented Wednesday to a panel that advises the government on vaccine recommendations.
The vast majority of flu shots in the U.S. are made in chicken eggs. Seqirus' Flucelvax is made by growing viruses in animal cells instead, which is thought to be a better match against some flu strains.
W.V. justice arrested in fraud case
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- FBI agents arrested West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry on Wednesday and took him to the federal courthouse in Charleston to face a 22-count federal indictment.
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart said Wednesday that Loughry is charged with 16 counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of witness tampering and three counts of making false statements to a federal agent.
Loughry was suspended over allegations that he repeatedly lied about using his office for personal gain.
The state Judicial Investigation Commission filed a 32-count complaint alleging that he "made false statements" and tried to deceive others about his office renovation, a federal subpoena, the moving of furniture from his Capitol office to his home and his improper personal use of state vehicles.
Loughry's attorney, John A. Carr, declined to comment. Loughry has repeatedly denied involvement in the office renovations.
Gov. Jim Justice and other state officials have urged Loughry to resign if the complaints were accurate.
A Section on 06/21/2018