(Reuters) -The governor of Kentucky said on Thursday fatalities were expected after two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a routine training mission over the state late on Wednesday.

The status of the crew members was not immediately known, the U.S. Army’s Fort Campbell said in a statement to Reuters, without providing the number of people who were on board.

“We’ve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash, and fatalities are expected,” governor Andy Beshear said in a post on Twitter, adding that local authorities and emergency services were responding to the accident.

Crew members were flying two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, operated by the 101st Airborne Division, which crashed at around 10:00 p.m. ET (0200 GMT Thursday) in Kentucky’s Trigg County, Fort Campbell’s public affairs office said.

“The command is currently focused on caring for the service members and their families,” the statement said, adding that the cause of the crash was under investigation.

The HH-60 is a variant of the Black Hawk helicopter designed to provide support for various military operations, including air assaults and medical evacuations, according to the Army.

(Reporting by Akriti Sharma and Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Bernadette Baum)

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on its first major legislation of the year on Thursday, a partisan energy bill that poses an early test of unity for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s majority.

The 175-page measure, dubbed the Lower Energy Costs Act, represents a top 2022 Republican campaign pledge to lower Americans’ energy costs by scaling back Democratic President Joe Biden’s climate policies and increasing oil and gas production through deregulation.

“This bill, H.R. 1 – House Resolution One, is the most important bill to this Congress,” Republican Representative August Pfluger of Texas told reporters.

“We’re fighting back against the president’s attacks by boosting energy production in America – not cutting it, boosting it – to stop runaway inflation, to make sure the U.S. is not reliant and dependent.”

Both Republicans and Democrats are keen to pass legislation that streamlines permitting for energy projects, but the disagreement over the House bill reflects gaping divisions over how to do that. 

Democrats want a permitting bill that will pave the way for a swifter adoption of clean energy technologies like solar and wind power that have received lucrative new subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act, while Republicans are pushing for a renewed focus on fossil fuels.

Democrats have decried the legislation as a giveaway for the oil industry. They warn that it would also repeal a greenhouse gas reduction fund aimed at reducing pollution and creating green energy jobs, while also eliminating a methane reduction program that charges polluters for releasing the greenhouse gas.

“This bill is nothing more than a grab bag of Big Oil giveaways and loopholes that endanger the health, safety and security of Americans,” said Representative Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“It does absolutely nothing to lower energy costs for American families. In fact, it will actually drive costs up while doubling down on costly fossil fuels,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has labeled the legislation as “dead on arrival” in the Democratic-led Senate, and the White House has said that Biden would veto the measure if it reached his desk.

With Republicans holding a narrow 222-213 majority, the legislation will serve as a test of McCarthy’s ability to marshal his members on major legislation, as Congress prepares for bigger fights this summer over the $31.4 trillion U.S. debt ceiling and funding for the federal government.

The chamber’s party breakdown allows for as few as five Republican dissenters to block legislation, if others vote along party lines.

The energy bill has stirred reservations from at least five Republicans, including Florida lawmakers who oppose existing wind energy leases off the state’s coast saying that the turbines would interfere with the military and migratory birds. The lawmakers back an amendment that would delay lease sales until an independent government watchdog can review the potential impact.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said that nearly all Republicans support the legislation and predicted it would pass.

Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, a Florida lawmaker who has expressed reservations about the bill, also said behind-the-scenes discussions were going in the right direction.

“We’re making a lot of progress on that and I’m feeling better and better about it,” Gaetz told Reuters.

Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, who sought unsuccessfully to make the package more climate friendly, said his vote will depend on what the legislation includes after a series of amendment votes. “I want to see what the final bill is going to look like,” the Pennsylvania Republican said.

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Deepa Babington)

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on its first major legislation of the year on Thursday, a partisan energy bill that poses an early test of unity for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s majority.

The 175-page measure, dubbed the Lower Energy Costs Act, represents a top 2022 Republican campaign pledge to lower Americans’ energy costs by scaling back Democratic President Joe Biden’s climate policies and increasing oil and gas production through deregulation.

“This bill, H.R. 1 – House Resolution One, is the most important bill to this Congress,” Republican Representative August Pfluger of Texas told reporters.

“We’re fighting back against the president’s attacks by boosting energy production in America – not cutting it, boosting it – to stop runaway inflation, to make sure the U.S. is not reliant and dependent.”

Both Republicans and Democrats are keen to pass legislation that streamlines permitting for energy projects, but the disagreement over the House bill reflects gaping divisions over how to do that. 

Democrats want a permitting bill that will pave the way for a swifter adoption of clean energy technologies like solar and wind power that have received lucrative new subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act, while Republicans are pushing for a renewed focus on fossil fuels.

Democrats have decried the legislation as a giveaway for the oil industry. They warn that it would also repeal a greenhouse gas reduction fund aimed at reducing pollution and creating green energy jobs, while also eliminating a methane reduction program that charges polluters for releasing the greenhouse gas.

“This bill is nothing more than a grab bag of Big Oil giveaways and loopholes that endanger the health, safety and security of Americans,” said Representative Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“It does absolutely nothing to lower energy costs for American families. In fact, it will actually drive costs up while doubling down on costly fossil fuels,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has labeled the legislation as “dead on arrival” in the Democratic-led Senate, and the White House has said that Biden would veto the measure if it reached his desk.

With Republicans holding a narrow 222-213 majority, the legislation will serve as a test of McCarthy’s ability to marshal his members on major legislation, as Congress prepares for bigger fights this summer over the $31.4 trillion U.S. debt ceiling and funding for the federal government.

The chamber’s party breakdown allows for as few as five Republican dissenters to block legislation, if others vote along party lines.

The energy bill has stirred reservations from at least five Republicans, including Florida lawmakers who oppose existing wind energy leases off the state’s coast saying that the turbines would interfere with the military and migratory birds. The lawmakers back an amendment that would delay lease sales until an independent government watchdog can review the potential impact.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said that nearly all Republicans support the legislation and predicted it would pass.

Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, a Florida lawmaker who has expressed reservations about the bill, also said behind-the-scenes discussions were going in the right direction.

“We’re making a lot of progress on that and I’m feeling better and better about it,” Gaetz told Reuters.

Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, who sought unsuccessfully to make the package more climate friendly, said his vote will depend on what the legislation includes after a series of amendment votes. “I want to see what the final bill is going to look like,” the Pennsylvania Republican said.

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Deepa Babington)

(Reuters) -The governor of Kentucky said on Thursday fatalities were expected after two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a routine training mission over the state late on Wednesday.

The status of the crew members was not immediately known, the U.S. Army’s Fort Campbell said in a statement to Reuters, without providing the number of people who were on board.

“We’ve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash, and fatalities are expected,” governor Andy Beshear said in a post on Twitter, adding that local authorities and emergency services were responding to the accident.

Crew members were flying two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, operated by the 101st Airborne Division, which crashed at around 10:00 p.m. ET (0200 GMT Thursday) in Kentucky’s Trigg County, Fort Campbell’s public affairs office said.

“The command is currently focused on caring for the service members and their families,” the statement said, adding that the cause of the crash was under investigation.

The HH-60 is a variant of the Black Hawk helicopter designed to provide support for various military operations, including air assaults and medical evacuations, according to the Army.

(Reporting by Akriti Sharma and Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Bernadette Baum)

(Reuters) – A Florida board created to oversee Walt Disney World’s special taxation district is considering legal action after saying its power over the entertainment company’s resort has been eviscerated, a spokesperson for the district confirmed on Wednesday.

Florida lawmakers passed a bill in February giving Governor Ron DeSantis effective control over a board that oversees municipal services and development in a special district that encompasses Walt Disney World resort.

But before the takeover by DeSantis’s appointees, Walt Disney Co pushed through changes to the special tax district agreement that limit the board’s action for decades, according to the Orlando Sentinel, which quoted lawyers for the board who spoke at a meeting on Wednesday.

“It completely circumvents the authority of this board to govern,” board member Brian Aungst Jr. was quoted as saying.

A spokesperson for the board said the supervisors characterized the prior board’s actions as an “eleventh hour” act that effectively ties their hands and limits their ability to do their jobs.

DeSantis’s press office could not be reached for comment, however his former press secretary, Christina Pushaw, tweeted that Disney “got a rude awakening” and would be held accountable.

Disney said its action was proper.

“All agreements signed between Disney and the district were appropriate and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida’s Government in the Sunshine law,” Walt Disney World resort said in a statement.

State Republicans last year targeted Disney after it publicly clashed with DeSantis, widely considered a 2024 presidential candidate, over a law that restricts classroom instruction of gender and sexual orientation.

Disney’s then-chief executive officer, Bob Chapek, publicly voiced disappointment with the measure, saying he called DeSantis to express concern about it becoming law.

In a move political observers viewed as retaliation for Disney’s criticism of the Parental Rights in Education Act, Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney’s virtual autonomy in developing 25,000 acres in central Florida where its theme parks are located.

(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski and Peter Henderson; Editing by Sonali Paul)

(Reuters) -The governor of Kentucky said on Thursday fatalities were expected after two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a routine training mission over the state late on Wednesday.

The status of the crew members was not immediately known, the U.S. Army’s Fort Campbell said in a statement to Reuters, without providing the number of people who were on board.

“We’ve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash, and fatalities are expected,” governor Andy Beshear said in a post on Twitter, adding that local authorities and emergency services were responding to the accident.

Crew members were flying two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, operated by the 101st Airborne Division, which crashed at around 10:00 p.m. ET (0200 GMT Thursday) in Kentucky’s Trigg County, Fort Campbell’s public affairs office said.

“The command is currently focused on caring for the service members and their families,” the statement said, adding that the cause of the crash was under investigation.

The HH-60 is a variant of the Black Hawk helicopter designed to provide support for various military operations, including air assaults and medical evacuations, according to the Army.

(Reporting by Akriti Sharma and Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Bernadette Baum)

(Reuters) – Two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a training mission over Kentucky on Wednesday night, the U.S. military said.

The status of the crew members was not immediately known, Army spokeswoman Nondice Thurman said in a statement early on Thursday to Reuters, without detailing the number of people who were on board.

However, Kentucky governor Andy Beshear said in a post on Twitter that fatalities were expected and the Kentucky State Police and the state’s Division of Emergency Management were responding to the accident.

Crew members were flying two Black Hawk helicopters that crashed at around 10:00 PM ET (0200 GMT Thursday) in Kentucky’s Trigg County, Thurman said. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

“The command is currently focused on caring for the service members and their families,” she said.

(Reporting by Akriti Sharma and Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Christian Schmollinger)

(Reuters) – Two U.S. Army helicopters collided on Wednesday while on a training mission over Kentucky, a spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.

The status of the crew members was not immediately known, the spokesperson added.

“We’ve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected,” Kentucky’s governor, Andy Beshear, said in a post on Twitter early on Thursday.

(Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

(Reuters) – Two United States Army helicopters collided during a training mission over Kentucky on Wednesday night, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing an army spokeswoman said.

It was not immediately clear whether there were casualties, the report said, adding that the status of the crew members was unknown.

(Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

By Jody Godoy

(Reuters) – U.S. criminal charges should be dropped against two former Societe Generale SA bankers for allegedly trying to rig the London interbank offered rate, prosecutors told a New York court on Wednesday.

Muriel Bescond, a former head of Societe Generale SA’s Treasury desk in Paris, and her boss Danielle Sindzingre, who was SocGen’s global head of treasury, were charged in 2017 with preparing inaccurate Libor submissions in 2010 and 2011.

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace did not give reasons in the motion asking a judge in New York state’s Long Island to dismiss the case.

Bescond’s attorney Laurence Shtasel said “she looks forward to being relieved of this burden and moving forward with her professional life.”

Peace’s spokesperson declined to comment. A spokesman for the Department of Justice’s Washington-based Fraud Section, which led the Libor prosecutions, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

An attorney representing Sindzingre did not reply to a similar request.

The move by prosecutors comes after court rulings undermined several cases alleging traders at the world’s largest financial institutions rigged the lending benchmark, which was phased out last year.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2021 that Bescond could fight the charges from France, rather than travel to the United States.

The same appeals court reversed the convictions of two Deutsche Bank AG traders last year and two London-based Rabobank traders in 2017.

Two Deutsche Bank traders who cooperated with prosecutors had their guilty pleas reversed by judges last August, and traders from other banks are seeking to do the same.

Libor-rigging investigations resulted in about $9 billion of fines worldwide for banks. SocGen agreed in June 2018 to pay $750 million of fines to settle U.S. criminal and civil Libor-rigging charges.

The case is U.S. v. Sindzingre et al., U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, No. 17-00464.

(Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis)