New York governor won’t remove NYC mayor, for now

NEW YORK (AP) — Gov. Kathy Hochul will not immediately remove New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office, but will instead push for increased oversight of City Hall as he faces intense scrutiny over his relationship with the Trump administration. Hochul will announce Thursday that she has, for now, decided against removing Adams from office, according to three people familiar with the governor’s plan but who were not authorized to disclose its details. The decision came after she solicited opinions from a roster of New York political figures regarding questions over whether Adams could independently govern after the Justice Department moved to drop his corruption case so he could help President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.

Unions sue over federal worker firings

(AP) — Unions for federal workers have filed a lawsuit to block the mass firings of probationary federal employees by President Donald Trump’s administration, alleging that officials are exploiting and misusing the probationary period to eliminate staff across government agencies. The unions allege in the federal lawsuit filed late Wednesday that the administration’s Office of Personnel Management acted unlawfully by directing federal agencies to use a standardized termination notice, falsely claiming performance issues. The unions seek an injunction to stop more firings and to rescind those that have already happened. OPM did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Snowy roads lead to hundreds of Virginia and North Carolina crashes

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Snowy roads led to hundreds of crashes throughout Virginia and North Carolina, including a series of crashes on an interstate highway involving more than 50 vehicles. Officials continued to ask people to avoid travel on Thursday to allow crews to work on the roads. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol says it responded to nearly 1,200 collisions statewide on Wednesday. Virginia State Police reported early Thursday that there had been nearly 500 crashes statewide since the storm began, including at least 45 involving injuries. An Arctic air mass is bringing widespread, record-breaking cold to the central United States and forecasters expected some locations to experience their coldest temperatures on record this late in the season.

Michigan appeals court upholds permits for Great Lakes pipeline tunnel project

(AP) — A Michigan appeals court has ruled that Enbridge Energy’s plans to build a tunnel around an aging pipeline that runs beneath a Great Lakes channel can continue. Enbridge wants to build a protective tunnel around a 4-mile stretch of its Line 5 pipeline along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, which link lakes Michigan and Huron. The state Public Service Commission issued permits for the project in December 2023. Several environmental groups and Native American tribes appealed, arguing that the commission failed to assess the need to continue operating the pipeline and inadequately analyzed the impact of petroleum products’ greenhouse gas emissions. The appeals court ruled Wednesday that the commission acted reasonably and there’s no basis for reversal.