Officials say more than 2 million people in the Houston area remain under a boil order notice after a power outage caused low water pressure at a water purification plant. The advisory — which means water must be boiled before it’s used for cooking, bathing or drinking — also prompted schools in the Houston area to close Monday. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says the city believes the water is safe but a boil order was required because of the drop Sunday in water pressure. Water sampling began Monday morning and the notice could be lifted by early Tuesday at the latest, once the state’s environmental agency gives an all-clear. Turner said two electrical transformers failed, causing power outages at the water plant.

Two former school board officials say policies and procedures that could have prevented a mass shooting that left four students dead at a Michigan high school last year were approved earlier but never implemented. Tom Donnelly and Korey Bailey told reporters Monday that a threat assessment policy had been adopted by the district in 2004 and was later updated. Bailey says he learned about the policy in August and that it never was put into practice in Oxford school buildings prior to Nov. 30, 2021. Wednesday will mark the one-year anniversary of the shooting at Oxford High School that also wounded six other students and a teacher.

Charges have been filed against seven Michigan State football players stemming from a melee in Michigan Stadium’s tunnel last month. That's according to a statement from the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office. Michigan State player Khary Crump faces the most serious charge — felonious assault. Charges against the six other players are misdemeanors. Five are charged with aggravated assault and one with assault and battery. The incident occurred on Oct. 29 when multiple members of Michigan State’s football team roughed up two Michigan players. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh had said earlier he expected the suspended Spartans to be charged.

New York officials are warning a judge that a court fight over licensing rules for marijuana dispensaries could wind up hurting small farms that just harvested their first cannabis crop. New York on Monday issued its first 36 licenses for dispensaries. The state has had to delay plans to authorize scores more because of a legal battle over licensing criteria.  In a court filing Tuesday, the state asked a judge to loosen an injunction preventing licenses from being issued in some parts of the state. They said marijuana farms could lose millions of dollars if they don't have an outlet for this year's harvest.

Across America, most high school football seasons are winding down. It will wrap up the first year since the Supreme Court ruled it was OK for a public school coach near Seattle to pray on the field. The decision prompted speculation that prayer would become an even bigger part of the game-day fabric, though that hasn’t seemed to be the case. Outside Detroit, coaches have found ways for their diverse rosters to pray if they wish. Some keep it behind closed doors to avoid potential anti-Islamic jeers from fans in other communities.

Election wins for abortion rights and Democrats could translate into abortion protections in some states. But more restrictions could still be coming elsewhere. This year's overturning of Roe v. Wade pushed abortion decisions to the states. While the majority of voters oppose total bans, the issue is playing out differently in different states. In Minnesota and Michigan, where this month's elections put Democrats in control, protections are a priority. But in Florida, where Republicans strengthened their grip on power, a tighter ban could be under consideration — though there's a question of how far it should go.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed state lawmaker Kyra Harris Bolden to the Michigan Supreme Court on Tuesday, making her the first Black woman on the high court when she assumes the role in 2023.  Bolden is Whitmer’s choice to fill the seat vacated by the resignation of Justice Bridget McCormack. Bolden is a state lawmaker from the Detroit area who has been a licensed lawyer for only eight years. Bolden was a Democratic nominee for the Supreme Court in the Nov. 8 election but finished third in a race for two seats. The 34-year-old Bolden will join the court in January after her House term expires. McCormack said in September that she was stepping down with six years left in her Supreme Court term.

No. 3 Michigan running back Blake Corum may be the most pivotal player in The Game against No. 2 Ohio State on the road Saturday with a spot in the Big Ten championship game and likely the College Football Playoff at stake. His numbers stack up well with players at his position who have won the Heisman Trophy this century. Corum might have a shot to win the award if he can put together a spectacular performance in a win against the Buckeyes as former Michigan stars Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson did before being voted college football’s most outstanding player.

The Biden administration has announced preliminary approval to spend up to $1.1 billion to help keep California’s last operating nuclear power plant running. The Energy Department said Monday it was creating a path forward for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant to remain open, with the final terms to be negotiated and finalized. The plant, which is scheduled to close by 2025, was chosen in the first round of funding for a new civil nuclear credit program, intended to bail out financially distressed owners or operators of nuclear power reactors. The Palisades plant in Michigan also applied for funding to restart operations and was turned down.

Elizabeth Clement is the new chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. Clement was the unanimous choice of her colleagues on the court. She takes over from Bridget McCormack, who is leaving the court as soon as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer picks a successor. Supreme Court justices are selected by governors when there’s a vacancy or elected by voters. The additional job of chief justice is determined by members of the court. The chief justice is the leader of Michigan’s statewide judiciary and has much influence over how courts operate. Clement was appointed to the court in 2017 by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder and subsequently elected to an eight-year term.

Piles of snow taller than most people have buried parts of western and northern New York. Snowfall totals as high as 77 inches have been reported in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park, home to the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. A lake-effect storm caused by cold air picking up moisture from warmer lakes has pounded areas east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario for a third straight day. The snowfall in some spots ranked among the highest ever recorded in the area. Up to 2 feet of snow has been dumped on some communities in Michigan south of Lake Superior and east of Lake Michigan.

Starbucks workers at more than 100 U.S. stores walked out on strike Thursday. It's largest labor action since a campaign to unionize Starbucks' stores began late last year. The walkouts coincide with Starbucks’ annual Red Cup Day, when the company gives free reusable cups to customers who order a holiday drink. Workers say it’s often one of the busiest days of the year. They say they are seeking better pay, more consistent schedules and better staffing. Starbucks opposes the unionization effort. The Seattle coffee giant has more than 9,000 company-owned stores in the U.S.

Lawyers for Michigan’s former health director are urging an appeals court to quickly stop an effort to revive criminal charges related to the Flint water crisis of 2014-15. Nick Lyon’s defense team made the plea this week in response to a pledge by prosecutors to try to save indictments that were declared invalid by the Michigan Supreme Court. It’s the latest volley in the legal saga. The attorney general’s office lost a unanimous Supreme Court decision in June, and a Flint judge subsequently dismissed charges against Lyon and others. But prosecutors are refusing to give up. Lyon was charged with involuntary manslaughter. He was accused of failing to timely inform the public about an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease linked to water tainted by bacteria and lead.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has been elected to lead the Republican Governors Association as she increases her national political profile days after she easily won a second term as governor. Reynolds’ election Wednesday as chairwoman of the group will put her in charge of raising money in 2023 for the Republican governors’ largest fundraising organization. Governor races next year include Kentucky and Louisiana, now held by Democrats, and Mississippi. Reynolds served as vice-chair of the association in 2022, and her new role will give her a larger national presence.

Abortion bans in several states allow exemptions for life-threatening health emergencies, but they say mental health crises don't count. Some abortion foes say the laws target women who fake mental illness to get doctors to agree to end their pregnancies. But critics say it's an example of how mental illness is often disregarded, as if the brain were somehow distinct from the rest of the body. They note that life-threatening mental health crises happen more often in pregnancy than some realize. A U.S. government report released in September shows mental health conditions recently became the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related deaths.

Stellantis is recalling nearly 250,000 heavy duty diesel Ram pickups in the U.S. because transmission fluid can leak and cause engine fires. The recall covers certain 2020 to 2023 Ram 2500 and some 2020 through 2022 Ram 3500 trucks. All have 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engines and 68-RFE transmissions. The company says heat and pressure can build up in the transmission, expelling fluid from the dipstick tube. If the fluid hits a hot engine part, that can touch of a fire. Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, is still developing a repair. In the meantime the company says owners can drive the trucks but drivers should contact a dealer if they see a dashboard warning light.

Alabama will withdraw from a 32-state voter registration database, the incoming secretary of state announced on Wednesday — a decision that drew sharp criticism from his outgoing counterpart. Republican Wes Allen, who will be sworn in as secretary of state in January, sent a letter announcing the state will withdraw from the Electronic Registration Information Center, a database allows states to share voter registration data. Allen cited privacy concerns as the reason to withdraw. The Republican made a promise during his campaign to withdraw from ERIC. Secretary of State John Merrill, also a Republican, issued a statement from his office saying ERIC provides needed information to maintain voter rolls and has identified suspected incidents of voter fraud.

Officials in Mississippi’s capital city are scheduled to vote Thursday on a proposed agreement with the federal government for how to fix the city’s water system. The water system came dangerously close to collapsing more than two months ago. EPA Administrator Michael Regan says approval of the plan would prompt the U.S. Justice Department to file a case in federal court in Jackson and ask the court to approve the proposed path forward. He spoke Tuesday in Jackson. On Wednesday, the EPA’s Office of Inspector General that it has launched two new probes into government decisions that might have impacted the crisis.

The Energy Department on Wednesday awarded nearly $74 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law for 10 projects to advance recycling and reuse of batteries for electric vehicles and other purposes. The funding will go to academic and commercial applicants in seven states, including four in California. Other grant winners are in Nevada, Michigan, New Jersey, Tennessee, Indiana and Alabama. The announcement supports President Joe Biden’s goal for electric vehicles to make up half of all new vehicle sales by 2030.

Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Military Services, who oversees Catholic ministries to the U.S. armed forces, has been elected as the new president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The archbishop of Baltimore, William Lori, was elected as vice president. Broglio, 70, was elected from a field of 10 candidates. He will succeed Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, who assumed the post in 2019. Usually the election of a new USCCB president is a formality, with the bishops elevating the conference’s vice president to the post. But this year’s election was wide open because the incumbent VP — Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron — will turn 75 soon, making him ineligible to serve.