Power lines ignited the largest wildfire in Texas history, officials say

(AP) — Officials in Texas say power lines ignited massive wildfires across the state’s Panhandle region that destroyed homes and killed thousands of livestock last week. Texas A&M Forest Service said Thursday that investigators concluded power lines ignited the Smokehouse Creek and Windy Deuce fires. Xcel Energy also said Thursday in a news release that its equipment appeared to have played a role in the starting of the Smokehouse Creek fire. That blaze has burned nearly 1,700 square miles and spilled into neighboring Oklahoma. It was 74% contained as of Thursday.

Investigators say they confirmed pilots’ account of a rudder-control failure

(AP) –Federal investigators have confirmed an account by pilots who say the rudder controls on their Boeing Max jetliner failed during a landing last month. The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report Thursday on the Feb. 6 incident, which happened as a United Airlines plane from the Bahamas landed in Newark, New Jersey. The pilots say pedals that control rudder movement were stuck as they rolled down the runway. They were able to use a nose-gear steering wheel to veer from the runway to a high-speed turnoff.

Justice Department beefs up focus on artificial intelligence enforcement

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is stepping up its focus on artificial intelligence. Officials warn that companies and people who deliberately misuse AI technology to advance a white-collar crime like price fixing, fraud or market manipulation will be at risk for a harsher sentence. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told an American Bar Association conference in San Francisco on Thursday the Justice Department will take into account how well a company is managing the risks of AI technology each time it assesses a corporate compliance program.

Powell: Regulatory proposal criticized by banks will be revised by end of year

WASHINGTON (AP) — A sweeping bank regulatory proposal will be significantly revised by year’s end, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday, a potential victory for the large banks that have aggressively opposed the likely changes. The proposed rule, issued last summer by the Fed and other regulatory agencies, is intended to implement changes that were negotiated internationally after the 2008 global financial crisis. Among other things, the rule would require the largest banks — those with more than $100 billion in assets — to hold more funds in reserve to protect against bad loans and other potential losses.

House Republicans push bill to arrest migrants accused of theft

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed a bill that would require federal authorities to detain unauthorized immigrants who have been accused of theft. Republicans are seizing on the recent death of a nursing student in Georgia to rebuke President Joe Biden’s border policies just hours ahead of his State of the Union address. After 22-year-old Laken Riley, an Augusta University student, was killed late last month while on a morning run, Republicans rushed the “Laken Riley Act” to the House floor to coincide with Biden’s annual address. The legislation passed, but the nine-page bill was designed more to deliver a political point than to enact law and has little chance of being taken up in the Democratic-controlled Senate.