WASHINGTON (AP) — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday blamed career bureaucrats in Washington and his own state for the Flint water-contamination crisis, while the head of the federal Environmental Protection Agency faulted him and other state officials.
At a contentious congressional hearing, the Republican governor repeatedly apologized for his role in the crisis, which occurred when state officials switched Flint's water supply to the Flint River two years ago to save money in the predominantly African-American city of 100,000 north of Detroit.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. authorities removed Cuba from a list of countries deemed to have insufficient security in their ports, eliminating on Thursday a major impediment to the free flow of shipping in the Florida Straits. The move marks one more step toward normalized relations ahead of President Barack Obama's historic trip to Cuba Sunday.
The shift clears the way for U.S. cruise ships, cargo vessels and even ferries to travel back and forth with much less hassle. No longer will all ships have to wait to be boarded by the U.S. Coast Guard for inspections, though the Coast Guard still can conduct random inspections.
