Author: Maria Monroe

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon’s newly sworn-in Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek signed three executive orders intended to combat homelessness on her first full day in office Tuesday, a sign of how critical the shortage of affordable housing has become in the state and across the nation.The orders call for boosting construction and marshaling resources to help the nearly 18,000 people living outside in Oregon. Advocates welcomed the measures. But they said that shoring up mental health and addiction services must also occur in order to help people move off the street.Just last year, Oregon lawmakers passed a spending package that included…

The Mega Millions jackpot has climbed all the way to $1.1 billion.If a player wins the jackpot in Tuesday’s drawing, it would be the third-largest Mega Millions jackpot won ever. The cash option for the jackpot is $568.7 million.The jackpot was last won in October when two winning tickets purchased in Florida and California split a $502 million prize.The largest Mega Millions jackpot was won on Oct. 23, 2018, when someone in South Carolina won $1.537 billion. For more than four years, that was the largest lottery prize ever won on a single ticket.In July, a ticket purchased in Illinois…

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Mega Millions prize has grown again to an estimated $1.35 billion after there was no winner of the lottery’s latest giant jackpot.The numbers drawn late Tuesday night were: 7, 13, 14, 15, 18 and gold Mega Ball 9.The new jackpot drawing on Friday night will be another milestone in the game, Mega Millions said in a statement early Wednesday.“Now at $1.35 billion, the Mega Millions jackpot is moving up and making history as the second highest Mega Millions jackpot ever,” Pat McDonald, Ohio lottery director and lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said in…

WASHINGTON – The infighting was so intense a year ago that Democrats who controlled both the White House and Congress couldn’t win support for a sweeping social spending package that was the party’s top legislative priority. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, was viewed skeptically enough that some of his fellow Democrats questioned the wisdom of him seeking reelection.What a difference a year makes. Speculation about Biden’s political future has quieted after Democrats outperformed expectations during the November midterm elections. His toughest critics on the left are signaling they’ll work to help him secure a second term.And perhaps most notably, last year’s…

SEATTLE – Like the tobacco, oil, gun, opioid and vaping industries before them, the big U.S. social media companies are now facing lawsuits brought by public entities that seek to hold them accountable for a huge societal problem — in their case, the mental health crisis among youth.But the new lawsuits — one by the public school district in Seattle last week, with a second filed by a suburban district on Monday and almost certainly more to come — face an uncertain legal road. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments next month over the extent to which…

Justice Richard Bernstein issued an apology after he criticized another justice who hired a man with a former conviction to serve as a law clerk. Pete Martel, 48 served 14 years in prison after robbing a store and shooting at police officers. After his release in 2008, he obtained a degree from Wayne State University law school.

Video: Ann Arbor police K-9 officer tracks down robbery suspect The partnership between Officer Thomas Burnette and his K-9, Stang is only a few months old, but the Ann Arbor police is already seeing happy returns. ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) – The partnership between Officer Thomas Burnette and his K-9, Stang is only a few months old, but the Ann Arbor police is already seeing happy returns. After being partners since September, the pair both helped track down robbery suspects Sunday. Ann Arbor police were called to help track a suspect who ran from a crash following a Speedway…

Religious animal sacrifice to continue in Hamtramck as both sides sound off in council meeting Should the City of Hamtramck allow residents to sacrifice animals for religious purposes? According to the US Constitution – yes. HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (FOX 2) – Should the City of Hamtramck allow residents to sacrifice animals for religious purposes? According to the US Constitution – yes. One activist called Tuesday night’s City Council meeting where an ordinance regarding religious animal sacrifice was to be voted on, “one big waste of time.” The city attorney went to the council and said they can’t approve the measure because…

Back to virtual learning for Southeastern High School in Detroit Students at Detroit’s Southeastern High School are loading up to return to virtual learning after the school’s classrooms were flooded over winter break. DETROIT (FOX 2) – Detroit’s Southeastern High School will be closed for months as the school works to get most of the classrooms cleaned up after a water pipe burst inside the school. On Tuesday, students and parents arrived at the school to pick up laptops as they return to virtual learning. Among them was junior Zachary White who took us through the gear that he has…

Alcohol guidance from the CDC Alcohol can have very dangerous long-term effects on a person’s health if abused. HILLSBORO, Mo. – The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri wants to actually pay you to get drunk so they can do field sobriety tests to update their training and no this is not a joke.  On Jan. 8, the sheriff’s office put out a request for local drinkers to come to the station and not only get paid to drink but get all the drinks for free.  So what’s the catch? Anyone who shows up has to assist in the deputies…

Construction plans stall for Perfecting Church, causing Detroit attorneys to call for answers The future home of Perfecting Church sits at the corner of Woodward and Seven Mile in Detroit. It has been under construction for years since the plans to build there were first revealed in 2003. DETROIT (FOX 2) – The City of Detroit appears to be running out of patience with a church’s construction plans. The future home of Perfecting Church sits at the corner of Woodward and Seven Mile in Detroit. It has been under construction for years since the plans to build there were first…