
New GOP-led voting restrictions move forward in Texas
CBSN
Texas Republicans advanced a slate of proposed new voting restrictions Thursday that would reduce options to cast ballots, limit polling hours and hand more power to partisan poll watchers.
All those efforts are rolled into a single bill that cleared the GOP-controlled state Senate — a key marker in a campaign by Republicans, including Gov. Greg Abbott, to impose new restrictive measures over elections in America's biggest red state. A first vote on the Senate bill was slowed by hours of questioning by Democrats that spilled overnight into early Thursday morning. The measure eventually passed 18-13 in a vote along party lines.
As federal policies and staffing levels rapidly change in the name of government efficiency and energy independence, historical sites across the United States — sites that help the public understand the cultures that came before them and built their communities of today — are in jeopardy of losing out on important federal protections. "National Park Service employees are deeply committed to preserving our public lands and serving visitors. At times, team members may step into a range of responsibilities outside their usual scope to help ensure continued access, safety, and stewardship across the park system. This flexibility reflects the dedication and collaborative spirit of our workforce.

Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys' visionary and fragile leader whose genius for melody, arrangements and wide-eyed self-expression inspired "Good Vibrations," "California Girls" and other summertime anthems and made him one of the world's most influential recording artists, has died, his family said in a statement posted to his website and social media. He was 82.