NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
1 Dems subpoena Perry: House Democrats subpoenaed Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Thursday as part of their impeachment investigation into President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. The chairmen of the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees sent Perry a subpoena asking him to provide documents related to a Ukrainian stateowned energy company as well as his involvement in a July call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The lawmakers set a deadline for Oct. 18. Trump has said Perry teed up the July 25 call, in which Trump pressed Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival Joe Biden and his son, who was employed by a Ukrainian gas company. Trump said Thursday he did not know why Democrats are focusing on Perry.
2 Great Plains snowstorm: A powerful winterlike storm moving through the Great Plains was closing schools and causing travel headaches in several states, authorities said Thursday. Winter storm warnings and watches stretched from Wyoming and Montana through western Nebraska and into the Dakotas and Minnesota. Forecasters said the storm packs strong winds and doubledigit snowfall totals, along with blizzardlike conditions through Friday. Blowing and drifting snow were making travel hazardous in some areas.
3 Bishop resigns: Pope Francis accepted the resignation of a New York City bishop who was accused of sexually abusing a teenage boy in the 1980s, the Vatican said Thursday. Auxiliary Bishop John Jenik denied the allegation when it was first brought to the New York City archdiocese last year. He nevertheless stopped public ministry and moved out of his Bronx parish. Cardinal Timothy Dolan said the archdiocese’s lay review board had found the allegation to be “credible and substantiated,” and he turned the case over to the Holy See for further investigation, since only the pope can decide a bishop’s fate. Jenik turned 75 in March, the normal retirement age for bishops. As a result, it wasn’t immediately clear if Vatican made any determination about the abuse allegation.
4 Bottle ban: Hotels in California will have to stop giving guests small plastic shampoo bottles under a law set to take effect in 2023. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week that he had signed a law banning hotels from giving guests plastic bottles filled with shampoo, conditioner or soap. It takes effect in 2023 for hotels with more than 50 rooms and 2024 for hotels with less than 50 rooms. Violators could be fined $500 for a first offense and $2,000 for subsequent violations. The law follows similar actions by some of the world’s largest hotel chains. Marriott International plans to stop using small plastic bottles in its hotel rooms by December 2020. IHG, which owns Holiday Inn, Kimpton and other brands, said it will eliminate about 200 million small bottles by 2021.