House passes bill calling for referendum on Puerto Rico statehood
CBSN
Washington — The House passed a bill Thursday that would allow Puerto Rico to hold the first-ever binding referendum on whether to become a state or gain some sort of independence, in a last-ditch effort that stands little chance of passing the Senate.
The bill, which passed 233-191 with some Republican support, would offer voters in the U.S. territory three options: statehood, independence or independence with free association.
"It is crucial to me that any proposal in Congress to decolonize Puerto Rico be informed and led by Puerto Ricans," said Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, which oversees affairs in U.S. territories.

The Federal Communication Commission announced Thursday evening that it had approved the $6.2 billion merger of major broadcast station owners Nexstar and Tegna. The move came on the same day that attorneys general in eight states and DirecTV filed separate lawsuits seeking to block the deal, arguing that it will lead to higher prices for consumers and stifle local journalism. In:












