BILL JOHNSON

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) stood in front of his new Republican colleagues Tuesday and tried to convince them to support a bill backed by Senate Democrats that would impose a host of new regulations on a powerful rail industry.

Republicans say the federal response to a train derailment in an eastern Ohio village shows Democrats are not focused on policy at home.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg vowed to "hold Norfolk Southern accountable" on Sunday amid criticism over the federal response to the train derailment in Ohio.

Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, spoke with FOX News Digital on Thursday about the train derailment in his district that spilled toxic chemicals into East Palestine and the surrounding area.

The Biden administration is defending its response to a freight train derailment in Ohio that left toxic chemicals spilled or burned off, even as local leaders and members of Congress demanded that more be done.

East Palestine, Ohio, residents share how the release of toxic chemicals is affecting their health and Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, shares what's next for the community on "Jesse Watters Primetime."

An Ohio resident appeared visibly frustrated Wednesday night during an outburst at a town hall meant to answer questions about the Feb. 3 toxic train derailment.

Republican Ohio Rep. Bill Johnson, who represents East Palestine is criticizing Pete Buttigieg after he shifted blame for a toxic train derailment to Trump and Congress.

It was a stunning revelation: One of the officers involved in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols took a cellphone photo of the bloodied and handcuffed man and shared it with five other people.

Ready or not, BOA is coming to a downhill ski boot near you.

Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, ripped Democrats on 'Fox & Friends First' Monday after former Hillary Clinton drew comparison between a recent Trump rally and Hitler speeches,

Letting power firms remotely adjust appliances of consenting customers could save huge amounts of energy and avert blackouts. Why aren’t states doing more of it?

New census data shows declining populations in rural areas and some Rust Belt cities, which could make them targets during redistricting for the U.S. House.

One Ohio U.S. Senate candidate has been circulating a who’s-done-more-for-Donald Trump scorecard.

Every adult in Louisiana over the age of 16 is now eligible to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as the state's expanded eligibility went into effect Monday. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)More than a dozen states will open vaccine eligibility to all adults this week in a major expansion of COVID-19 shots for tens of millions of Americans amid a worrisome increase in virus cases and concerns about balancing supply and demand for the vaccines. Demand "has definitely decreased over the past couple of weeks,” said Imelda Garcia, head of the state’s expert vaccine allocation panel. California officials said the state can administer 3 million shots a week now, and Democratic Gov. Lena Lawson, a 37-year-old technology consultant in Phoenix, tried to book a vaccine appointment since the new eligibility rules started.

Rob Portman, R-Ohio, speaks to members of the media outside a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Portman said Monday, Jan. 25 that he won't seek reelection and plans to end a career in federal government spanning more than three decades. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)CINCINNATI – Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a fiery Donald Trump supporter, won't run to succeed Ohio Sen. The former star college wrestler's style doesn't reflect that of Portman, a career establishment Republican with a reputation for bipartisanship. AdTrump rewarded Jordan, 56, for his steady support by giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom before leaving office this month.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Democrats once dominated Koochiching County in the blue-collar Iron Range of northern Minnesota. But in this month's presidential election, President Donald Trump won it with 60% of the vote. Though Democrats’ rural woes aren’t new, they now heap pressure on Biden to begin reversing the trend. In clinging to their majority, House Democrats lost rural seats, notably the one held for 30 years by Rep. Collin Peterson in western Minnesota. For now, Democrats' future in rural America rests largely on how Biden is viewed there, Heitkamp said.

Torrential rain from Tropical Storm Eta caused dangerous flooding across Florida's most densely populated urban areas on Monday after it made landfall in the Florida Keys. The system's wide reach and heavy rains posed a serious threat across South Florida, an area already drenched from more than 14 inches of rain last month. "In some areas, the water isn't pumping out as fast as it's coming in," warned Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz. Firefighters pulled a person from a car that had driven into a canal Sunday night in Lauderhill, Florida, north of Miami. Eta also wasn't done yet with Cuba, just 90 miles south of Florida, where the storm continued to swell rivers and flood coastal zones on Monday.

DETROIT – A new Detroit fire boat was named on Friday in honor of fallen Detroit firefighter Sivad Johnson. Johnson died on Aug. 21 after going into the Detroit River, near Belle Isle, to save young children from drowning in the river. READ: Memorial service honors Detroit Fire Department sergeant who drowned while rescuing childrenLocal 4 spoke with Johnson’s brother, Jamal Johnson, and father, Bill Johnson, who were also Detroit firefighters. The two are now helping raise Sivad Johnson’s two daughters. Detroit firefighters are selling t-shirts to help the Johnson’s raise money to support the family.

The speakers tearfully told of holiday and birthday celebrations that will never be celebrated after their loved ones perished in the November 2018 fire that nearly wiped out Paradise, California. You had the capacity to know what you were doing would kill people, said Philip Binstock, referring to PG&E executives. His 88-year-old father, Julian Binstock, was found with his dog in the shower of his Paradise, California home. Binstock noted that PG&E was previously found to have falsified safety and maintenance records for its natural gas lines to make more money before the 2018 wildfire. Wednesday was the second day of an extraordinary court proceeding that will culminate in PG&E being sentenced for 85 felony counts.

Pacific Gas & Electric officials are to be expected to appear in court Tuesday, June 16, 2020, to plead guilty for the deadly wildfire that nearly wiped out the Northern California town of Paradise in 2018. The fire killed 85 people, but prosecutors weren't certain they could prove PG&E was responsible for one of the deaths. The proceedings will continue Wednesday when surviving family members of those who died in the 2018 wildfire will be allowed to make statements before Deems. As part of a deal with California power regulators, PG&E will replace 11 of its 14 board members. Despite PG&E's pledge to turn over a new leaf, the utility's critics fear more danger looms during an upcoming wildfire season after an unusually dry winter in Northern California.

Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Commission will vote on the bankruptcy plan. U.S. District Judge William Alsup blasted PG&E for flim flamming him about its newfound commitment to safety in previous hearings. He also raised worries that state power regulators havent done enough to prevent a recalcitrant criminal from causing more death and destruction as the risk of wildfires rises with the summer temperatures. If there ever was a corporation that deserved to go to prison, it is PG&E, Alsup said. But the reforms included in PG&E's plan still might not be enough, acknowledged Clifford Rechtschaffen, one of the the five PUC board members.

PG&E Co., California's biggest utility owner, faces $30 billion in potential wildfire liabilities, and its bankruptcy plan has reverberated across the power industry. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPG&E says it has reached a $13.5 billion settlement that will resolve all major claims related to devastating wildfires blamed on its outdated equipment and negligence. PG&E says it is a key step in leading it out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. PG&E said the proposed settlement is the third it has reached as it works through its Chapter 11 case. The utility previously reached a $1 billion settlement with cities, counties and other public utilities and an $11 billion agreement with insurance companies and other entities that have paid claims relating to the 2017 and 2018 fires.

Pacific Gas and Electric announced Friday it has reached a tentative $13.5 billion settlement resolving all major claims related to the deadly, devastating Northern California wildfires of 2017-2018 that were blamed on its outdated equipment and negligence. The utility says the deal, which still requires court approval, represents a key step in leading it out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. "From the beginning of the Chapter 11 process, getting wildfire victims fairly compensated, especially the individuals, has been our primary goal," Bill Johnson, PG&E Corporation 's CEO and president, said in a statement Friday. The settlement is still subject to a number of conditions involving PG&E's Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plans, which must be completed by June 30, 2020. PG&E said the proposed settlement is the third it has reached as it works through its Chapter 11 case.

Johnson is scheduled to testify before lawmakers about the utilities' decision to turnoff power for millions of people to prevent California wildfires. Johnson has defended the companys actions as well planned and executed, arguing the power shutoffs have saved lives during the lengthy wildfire season. The latest planned blackout is expected to affect 660,000 people throughout Northern California, including the San Francisco suburbs, Sierra Nevada foothills and wine country. Preemptive power shutoffs are not new to California, but the scope of those by PG&E this year have been unprecedented. The company has more than 5 million customers in Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley.

Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. CEO Bill Johnson is scheduled to testify during a Legislative oversight hearing on Monday, Nov. 18, at the state Capitol. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)SACRAMENTO, CA The Latest on state legislative hearing into power outages by Pacific Gas & Electric (all times local):3:20 p.m. The head of Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. has told a California legislative committee that the utility became complacent about power shutdowns after successfully completing a few smaller ones. ___12:35 p.m.Northern California is bracing for more power outages after Pacific Gas & Electric started notifying customers that it may turn off electricity Wednesday because of strong winds that could spark wildfires. Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. CEO Bill Johnson is scheduled to testify during a Legislative oversight hearing on Monday at the state Capitol.

PG&E CEO Bill Johnson blamed his company's poor response to the blackouts affecting millions of people partly on a sense of complacency after a much smaller outage went well earlier this year. In 2012, he said less than 15% of its power lines traversed areas at high risk for wildfires. He also said the company recently inspected its vast network of power lines and other equipment for repairs and replacement. Mo&E has not buried its power lines in fire-prone areas to "save money for shareholders." Preemptive power shutoffs are not new to California, but the scope of those by PG&E this year have been unprecedented.

(AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)SAN FRANCISCO, CA Pacific Gas & Electric is reporting substantial losses for the third quarter driven by catastrophic wildfires. The company anticipates those costs could escalate to as much as $6.3 billion. That's a per-share loss of $3.06, or $1.11 when one-time costs are removed. The bankrupt company is facing criticism for blackouts intended to limit wildfires, but that have left millions without power. _____Some of this story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research.

Newsom also reiterated the state would consider a potential takeover of the utility if the bankruptcy is not resolved by June 30. Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. CEO Bill Johnson defended the company, telling reporters after the meeting that the power shutoffs have been "well planned and executed." Last year, strong winds knocked down some of PG&E's power lines, which sparked a series of devastating wildfires. Johnson said Tuesday he believes the company won't have power shutoffs on this scale in 10 years as it works to "sectionalize the system." "There will be fewer (power shutoffs) every year, and eventually we will get out of it," he said.

In Southern California, two fires rolled along the parched foothills north of Los Angeles, forcing at least 40,000 people to flee neighborhoods where thousands of homes have sprung up in recent decades. Winds gusting to about 40 mph (65 kph) pushed the flames, and enormous plumes of smoke were visible for miles. Hot and dry Santa Ana winds led Southern California Edison to cut power to more than 31,000 customers. While the cause of fire wasn't yet determined PG&E reported a problem with a transmission tower near the spot where the fire ignited. A series of deadly blazes tore through the same area in Northern California wine country two years ago, killing 44 people.

(CNN) - Power outages to prevent fires in Northern California may continue for a decade, the state's biggest utility said Friday. Utility PG&E chief executive Bill Johnson made the announcement during a California Public Utilities Commission meeting Friday. Earlier this month, PG&E shut off power to almost 800,000 customers in Northern California to lower the risk of wildfires started by the company's equipment. The power company has said that it's "probable" that its equipment started last year's Camp Fire when a powerline touched nearby trees. As the environment changes, "dealing with wildfires is the new abnormal within California," PG&E's Sumeet Singh told reporters at the time.

(Reuters) - Northern Californians can expect widespread power cuts aimed at preventing wildfires for a decade while Pacific Gas & Electric upgrades wires systems, cuts back trees and takes other safety measures, the utilitys chief executive said on Friday. FILE PHOTO: Firefighters battle a wind-driven wildfire called the Saddle Ridge fire in the early morning hours Friday in Porter Ranch, California, U.S., October 11, 2019. But the day when preemptive power outages would no longer be necessary is still years away, he said. This is not hard, PUC President Marybel Batjer said during the meeting to the panel of PG&E executives assembled. The utility filed for bankruptcy in January 2019, citing potential civil liabilities in excess of $30 billion from major wildfires linked to its transmission wires and other equipment.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A deadly wind-driven wildfire that raged across the northern edge of Los Angeles last week started near the base of high-voltage transmission tower owned by electric utility Southern California Edison, company and fire officials said on Monday. Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Captain Erik Scott said Monday that the cause of the fire was uncertain. But he said investigators had traced the fires origin to a slope beneath the high-voltage tower near Saddle Ridge Road. But the Edison spokeswoman, Susan Cox, confirmed that the tower in question belonged to the utility. ORIGIN PINPOINTED, CAUSE STILL UNKNOWNThe Saddleridge fire was the latest in a string of severe California wildfires for which electrical utility equipment has been scrutinized as a possible flashpoint.

Restaurant owner Emily Schiffman checks her phone behind a candle-lit bar at Reel and Brand in Sonoma, California, on October 9, 2019, during a planned power outage by the Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) utility company. California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday that utility Pacific Gas and Electric should be held accountable for mismanaging last week's widespread power shutoffs and urged the company to provide credits or rebates to affected customers. Separately, the California Public Utility Commission ordered corrective steps by PG&E, the state's largest investor-ownedutility, while summoning eight of its top executives to an emergency meeting on Friday. On Thursday, the governor said the power outage followed years of mismanagement by the utility and branded its handling as "unacceptable." "Loss of power is not a mere inconvenience it endangers lives and property, especially those individuals who are relianton power for medical reasons."

She ordered the utility to perform an audit of its performance during the outages that began Wednesday, saying the utility clearly did not adopt many of the recommendations state officials have made since utilities was granted the authority to begin pre-emptive power shutoffs last year. The review is due by Thursday, and she ordered several PG&E executives to appear at an emergency PUC hearing Friday.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California Governor Gavin Newsom called a widespread electricity shutdown triggered by a power company to prevent wildfires unacceptable, as gale-force winds and dry weather posed a critical fire threat to the north of the state. Pacific Gas and Electric Co (PG&E) has imposed unprecedented shut-offs that left more than 730,000 homes and workplaces in northern California without power on the second day of planned outages. But as of late Thursday, power was restored to more than half of those who had lost it, PG&E officials said in a release. Northern California is not a Third World country, the San Jose Mercury Statesman said in an editorial. Much of northern California, from San Francisco to the Oregon border, remains under a state red flag fire alert, although no major blazes have been reported.

A sign posted on the door of Saltaj Indian Cafe announces closure due to power outages on Oct. 10, 2019, in Sausalito, California. "I do apologize for the hardship but I think we made the right call on safety," said Johnson, who took over as CEO in May after heading the Tennessee Valley Authority. The night before, someone fired a bullet into a PG&E vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol. We have thousands of men and women, literally thousands, out there right now working tirelessly to restore power, including many who actually lost power themselves," Johnson said. Gavin Newsom has blasted the utility over the outages, blaming the action on years of neglect and putting profits ahead of customers.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California Governor Gavin Newsom called a widespread electricity shutdown triggered by a power company to prevent wildfires unacceptable, saying on Thursday it resulted from years of mismanagement by the utility. Were seeing a scale and scope of something that no state in the 21st century should experience, Newsom said. FILE PHOTO: Downtown Los Angeles is seen behind an electricity pylon through the morning marine layer in Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 20, 2019. Northern California is not a Third World country, the San Jose Mercury Statesman said in an editorial. Much of northern California, from San Francisco to the Oregon border, remains under a state red flag fire alert, although no major blazes have been reported.

Copyright 2019 CNN(CNN) - Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) announced it has reached an $11 billion settlement with insurance companies for claims stemming from the devastating 2017 wildfires in northern California and the 2018 Camp Fire. A statement from the company Friday said the settlement covers 85% of the claims. "Today's settlement is another step in doing what's right for the communities, businesses, and individuals affected by the devastating wildfires," said Bill Johnson, CEO and president of PG&E Corporation. The hardest-hit town of Paradise, which was left in charred ruins, will get $270 million to resolve wildfire claims. In May, Cal Fire released a final determination that PG&E power lines did cause the Camp Fire.