Distracted engineer blamed in wreck

Distracted engineer blamed in wreck

WASHINGTON

The Amtrak engineer whose speeding train ran off the rails in Philadelphia last year was apparently distracted by word that a train nearby had been hit by a rock, federal investigators concluded Tuesday, pinning most of the blame on him for the wreck that killed eight people.

At the same time, the NTSB said a contributing factor was the railroad industry’s decades-long failure to fully install positive train control, GPS-based technology that can automatically slow trains that are going over the speed limit.

Engineer Brandon Bostian heard about the rock-throwing on the radio and apparently was so preoccupied by it that he lost track of where he was and accelerated full-throttle to 106 mph as he went into a sharp curve with a 50 mph speed limit, investigators said at an NTSB hearing to pinpoint the cause of the May 12, 2015, derailment.

Republican Jewish leaders asked to support Trump

WASHINGTON

Billionaire casino executive Sheldon Adelson is already at work on behalf of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

“I’m asking for your support” for Trump, Adelson wrote in an email Monday to more than 50 Republican Jewish leaders. Adelson told them he had met with Trump recently and is “specifically convinced he will be a tremendous president when it comes to the safety and security of Israel.”

Trump has work to do in winning over the Republican Jewish Coalition, which includes many top party fundraisers – and Adelson’s note may help smooth the way. He’s a major funder of the group and an influential part of its board of directors.

“Like many of you, I do not agree with him on every issue,” Adelson wrote in the email, obtained by The Associated Press. “However, I will not sit idly by and let Hillary Clinton become the next president. The consequences to our country, and Israel, are far too great to take that risk.”

Judge: Kansas can’t require citizenship proof to vote

WICHITA, Kan.

A judge says Kansas can’t require people to show proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote for federal elections at motor vehicle offices. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday in a lawsuit over Kansas’ proof-of-citizenship requirements. She put it on hold until May 31 so the state can appeal.

Robinson said that more than 18,000 eligible voters would be disenfranchised in the November federal election under the Kansas law.

The judge says Kansas’ requirements likely violate a provision in the National Voter Registration Act requiring only minimal information to determine voter eligibility. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach says he plans to appeal.

Overtime pay may become reality for more US workers

WASHINGTON

More than 4 million U.S. workers will become newly eligible for overtime pay under rules to be issued Wednesday by the Obama administration.

The policy changes are intended to counter an erosion in overtime protections, which date from the 1930s and require employers to pay 11/2 times a worker’s regular salary for any work past 40 hours a week.

In the fast-food and retail industries in particular, many employees are deemed “managers,” work long hours, but are barely paid more than the people they supervise.

Under the new rules, first released in draft form last summer, the annual salary threshold at which companies can deny overtime pay will be doubled from $23,660 to nearly $47,500.

Associated Press