RISE: North Carolina lawmakers announce deal to end HB2 standoff

March 30--RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina Republican lawmakers said Wednesday night that they have an agreement with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper on legislation to resolve a standoff over the state's "bathroom bill."

GOP leaders announced the new legislation would be debated and voted on Thursday. Details about the replacement weren't immediately available, and House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger declined to take questions during a brief news conference.

Cooper's office didn't immediately comment.

13 KILLED IN BUS CRASH

UVALDE, Texas -- A small shuttle bus carrying Texas church members home from a retreat collided head-on with a pickup truck, killing 13 people and injuring two others Wednesday on a two-lane highway in southwestern Texas, officials said.

All of the victims who died were senior adults who attended First Baptist Church of New Braunfels, Texas, including the driver. A total of 14 senior adults were on the bus and the driver was the only person in the pickup when the vehicles collided about 12:30 p.m. on U.S. 83 outside Garner State Park in northern Uvalde County, according to Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Conrad Hein and a church statement. The area is about 75 miles (120.7 km) west of San Antonio.

SENATE COMMITTEE TO MEET ON RUSSIA

The Senate Intelligence Committee will host an open hearing at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Republican Richard Burr is the chairman of the committee and has pledged to work side-by-side with Democrats to get to the truth on the impact of Russian interference during November's election.

Standing alongside his committee' ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, Burr said: "Mark and I work hand in hand on this. ... We're partners to see that this is completed and that we have a product at the end of the day that we can, in bipartisanship, support."

TCU, GEORGIA TECH PLAY FOR NIT TITLE TONIGHT

Georgia Tech and Texas Christian will meet for the NIT title on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

Neither team was expected to be competitive in 2016-17. Texas Christian was picked to finish last in the Big 12 preseason poll. Georgia Tech was picked 14th in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The game tips off at 8 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

IVANKA TRUMP TO BECOME OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE EMPLOYEE

WASHINGTON -- Ivanka Trump is officially joining her father's administration as an unpaid employee, after her plans to serve in a more informal capacity were questioned by ethics experts.

The first daughter announced Wednesday that she will serve as an unpaid employee in the White House, saying she had "heard the concerns some have with my advising the President in my personal capacity." She added that she has been "working in good faith with the White House Counsel and my personal counsel to address the unprecedented nature of my role."

The news about Ivanka Trump was first reported by The New York Times. A White House official said her title will be Assistant to the President.

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