Supreme Court blocks order requiring Trump admin. to reinstate federal workers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has blocked an order for the Trump administration to return to work thousands of federal employees who were let go in mass firings aimed at dramatically downsizing the federal government. The justices acted Tuesday in the Republican administration’s emergency appeal of a ruling by a federal judge in California ordering that 16,000 probationary employees be reinstated while a lawsuit plays out because their firings didn’t follow federal law. The effect of the high court’s order will keep employees in six federal agencies on paid administrative leave for now. The coalition of organizations and labor unions that sued says it’s disappointed with the court’s order.

Kentucky watches for surging rivers to recede so widespread cleanup can begin

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — After days of deluges overfilled rivers to near-record levels across Kentucky, residents are anxious to return to their flooded homes and assess what is salvageable. Water is slowly receding in flooded Frankfort and officials hope most people will be able to return by the end of Wednesday. Gov. Andy Beshear urged patience and caution, asking people to wait if they couldn’t get to their homes without driving through water. Inundated rivers are the latest threat from the storms that have killed at least 23 people. The National Weather Service says freeze warnings are in effect in much of Kentucky and a freeze watch has been issued for Tuesday night.

Texas measles outbreak tops 500 cases, including multiple at a day care in Lubbock

(AP) — Public health officials say a day care facility in a Texas county that’s part of the measles outbreak has multiple cases, including children too young to be fully vaccinated. West Texas is in the middle of a still-growing measles outbreak with 505 cases as of Tuesday and the state expanding the number of counties in the outbreak area this week to 10. The highly contagious virus began to spread in late January. Three people who were unvaccinated have died from measles-related illnesses this year, including two elementary school-aged children in Texas. Lubbock Public Health director Katherine Wells says day care there had seven cases as of Friday.

After decades of sex abuse complaints, a NY pediatrician is ordered to pay $1.6B

MERRICK, N.Y. (AP) — A New York court has awarded $1.6 billion to more than 100 women who say they were sexually abused by a former pediatrician on Long Island. A judge in recent months has awarded damages in a series of lawsuits filed against Stuart Copperman in Nassau Supreme Court. The 89-year-old former Merrick resident was found liable because he never responded to the legal challenges. Lawyers for the women say the resolution represents one of the largest cumulative awards against an individual facing sexual abuse claims. Copperman’s lawyer didn’t respond to requests for comment. Copperman had his New York license revoked in 2000.