Strike by NJ Transit train engineers leaves some 350,000 commuters in the lurch

(AP) — Train engineers in New Jersey’s huge commuter rail system are on strike, leaving its 350,000 daily riders either working from home or seeking other means to transit the state or cross the Hudson River into New York City. People who normally rely on New Jersey Transit took to buses, cars, taxis and boats for the morning rush hour on Friday after trains ground to a halt at a minute past midnight. Some left extra early to avoid problems. A few, unaware that the strike was underway, showed up and waited for trains that weren’t going to arrive. Early indications were that the strike hadn’t resulted in major traffic jams or epic lines to get on buses. Friday’s rail commute is typically the lightest of the week.

Thunderstorms down trees, knock out power to thousands in parts of the Great Lakes region

(AP) — Storms accompanied by deep, booming thunder, lightning displays and powerful winds swept through parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, northern Indiana and Michigan overnight — leaving scores of trees down and thousands of homes without power. The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings and watches across the region Thursday night into early Friday morning. Several tornadoes touched down Thursday in central Wisconsin. No injuries have been reported. Weather service meteorologist Steven Freitag says surveys were underway Friday of damage in Michigan to determine if any tornadoes touched down there. He says the storms were fueled by temperatures in the lower 80s that stretched from Illinois into Michigan and were activated by a cold front that pushed through.

Trump administration again blocked from cutting billions in federal health money

(AP) — A federal judge says the government must stop slashing billions in money for public health departments. U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy in Rhode Island granted the preliminary injunction request Friday in a lawsuit that was brought by a coalition of Democrat-led states last month. The lawsuit seeks to restore $11 billion in funding for public health infrastructure across the country. McElroy previously granted the states a temporary restraining order. The injunction applies only to the 23 states and the District of Columbia.

Report: Woman connected to the Zizians fired the bullet that killed a Vermont border agent

(AP) — Authorities say a woman charged in the January killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont fired the bullet that struck him during a traffic stop. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Wednesday that another agent fired back during the Jan. 20 stop, wounding Teresa Youngblut and killing her companion, Felix Bauckholt. Authorities say the two were affiliated with the Zizians, a cultlike group that has also been linked to killings in Pennsylvania and California. Youngblut has pleaded not guilty to charges in the killing of border agent David Maland.