Impeachment effort dies in Senate

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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The Senate killed both impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The NBA banned a player for life for sports betting violations. And famously dry Dubai is swamped after getting two years of rain in 24 hours.

👋 Hey there! Laura Davis here. It’s time for Wednesday’s news.

But first: Free circus! 🐘 To the amazement of residents, a circus elephant got loose and wandered around Butte, Montana.

Impeachment articles against Mayorkas rejected

The Senate on Wednesday voted to declare both articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas unconstitutional, killing the charges against the top Biden administration official before a formal trial could begin.

The votes: The Senate rejected the article accusing Mayorkas of violating the Constitution by "willfully and systemically" refusing to enforce border security laws on a 51-48 vote, then dropped the second charge of "breach of public trust" in a 51-49 vote.

The argument: Democrats, along with some Republicans and constitutional law experts, panned the GOP-led effort as a remarkable misuse of impeachment powers that could have undermined America's system of checks and balances. Nevertheless, Senate Republicans argued it was a major mistake to dismiss the trial before it even began. 👉 Here's everything we know now.

NBA player gets lifetime ban for gambling violations

The NBA banned Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter for life on Wednesday after a league investigation found he bet on NBA games and broke other gambling rules.

Among the significant findings of the NBA's investigations: "Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status" to bettors, and he "limited his own game participation to influence the outcome of one or more bets on his performance in at least one Raptors game." 🔎 What else was found.

Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA for violations of the league's sports betting rules.
Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA for violations of the league's sports betting rules.

Real quick

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Dubai inundated with rain

Residents in the United Arab Emirates were issued a stay-at-home advisory after the typically dry country received two years' worth of rain in 24 hours, causing flooding, shutting down one of the world's busiest airports and resulting in at least one death. Neighboring Oman also endured a deadly round of flooding this week, which has killed 19 people in that nation as of Wednesday.

A deluge of rain: In a typical year, Dubai sees an average of 3.73 inches of rain. On Tuesday, a torrential downpour brought 5.59 inches of rainfall and brought the city to a standstill. 🌧️ What we know about the downpours.

Vehicles are stranded on a flooded street following heavy rains in Dubai early on April 17, 2024.
Vehicles are stranded on a flooded street following heavy rains in Dubai early on April 17, 2024.

📸 See more photos: Dubai underwater after historic rains.

Netanyahu: Israel 'will make our own decisions' on Iran response

Western leaders have announced plans to impose new sanctions against Iran after the country's first direct attack on Israel in decades with hopes to both penalize Iran and limit the force and scope of Israel's retaliation as fears grow over a wider regional conflict.

What they're saying: During a visit to Israel, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Wednesday that while Israel has clearly decided to retaliate against Iran, he and other diplomatic leaders hope Israel shows restraint. He added that, through sanctions, Iran "needs to be given an unequivocal message" by the G7. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he appreciates the support and advice but Israel alone will decide how to protect itself and how to respond. 👉 Here's the latest on the conflict.

A break from the news

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hi: laura@usatoday.com. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alejandro Mayorkas, NBA bans Jontay Porter, Iranian strikes in Israel: Wednesday's news