Weather-weary Texas battered again as powerful storm, strong winds kill 1

HOUSTON (AP) — Weather-weary Texas has been hammered again by powerful storms bearing forceful winds that left one person dead, collapsed homes under construction and uprooted trees. In Dallas, the city has opened respite centers where people can get shelter and air conditioning. The high winds were blamed for the collapse of a house under construction Tuesday in the Houston suburb of Magnolia. A 16-year-old construction worker was killed. The storms were a continuation of deadly storms over the Memorial Day weekend, when 24 people were killed in seven states. The potential for heavy rains, localized flash flooding and severe weather continues Wednesday through Oklahoma and Texas.

Giant pandas will return to Washington’s National Zoo by year’s end

WASHINGTON (AP) — Half a year after the nation’s capital bid an emotional farewell to its giant pandas, the National Zoo is expecting a renewed surge in panda-mania with the announcement that two more of the furry black-and-white icons will be returning to Washington. The zoo announced Wednesday that a fresh agreement had been struck with the Chinese government, and a pair of adult pandas would be arriving by the end of the year. The zoo said the incoming pair are Bao Li and Qing Bao. Giant pandas are icons in Washington and beloved around the nation and the world. Pandas have been the symbol of U.S.-China friendship since Beijing sent a pair to the National Zoo in 1972.

House Ethics Committee will investigate Rep. Cuellar after his federal indictment

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee is opening an investigation into Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas after his indictment this month on allegations of bribery, money laundering and working on behalf of a foreign government. The committee said Wednesday that it voted unanimously to take the rare step of pursuing an investigation into Cuellar while he and his wife remain under investigation by the Department of Justice over the couple’s ties to the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. Cuellar said in a statement that he respects the committee’s work and says he’s innocent.

Biden and Harris launch a Black voter outreach effort

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — President Joe Biden is renewing his election-year pitch to Black voters. At an appearance in Philadelphia with Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday, he lashed out at what he called Donald Trump’s “MAGA lies” and said the winner of this year’s White House race will make crucial decisions, including nominees for the Supreme Court, that could affect the country for decades. Biden also argued that Trump is peddling misinformation in an effort to win back the White House. Biden called on the crowd at a boarding school where the student body predominantly Black to help him and Harris win a second term. Biden has seen his solid support among Black voters show signs of erosion.