Nation briefs 2/18/16

GOP's No. 2 senator open to hearings

WASHINGTON -- The Senate's second-ranking Republican left open the possibility of a confirmation hearing for President Barack Obama's nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. In a radio interview Wednesday, Texas Sen. John Cornyn did not rule out Judiciary Committee hearings while saying he agreed with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the selection of a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia should rest with the next president. "It's entirely up to the chairman of the Judiciary Committee whether even to schedule a hearing on the president's nomination," Cornyn said on Dallas-area station KSKY. "And were the nomination to get out of the Judiciary Committee, it's entirely within the control and discretion of the Senate majority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell, whether to schedule it for a vote. Which does demonstrate that majorities do matter."

Group observes rise in hate groups

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The number of hate groups and anti-government organizations in the United States rose sharply in 2015 as political speech became more divisive, violent encounters between police and black men increasingly were publicized and attacks in Paris and California spurred widespread fears of terrorism, a civil-rights advocacy group said Wednesday. In its annual Year In Hate and Extremism report, the Southern Poverty Law Center said the number of U.S. hate groups increased to 892 last year, up from 784 in 2014. SPLC officials said the number of anti-government groups increased from 874 in 2014 to 998 in 2015. The nonprofit also noted an uptick in anti-Muslim behavior, which it linked to terrorist attacks in Paris and California and talking points from Republican presidential candidates. Some candidates have suggested Muslim Syrian war refugees be blocked from entering the country to ensure Muslim extremists don't get in. The group also noted the number of black separatist groups, which it categorizes as hate groups, rose from 113 in 2014 to 180 in 2015.

2015 saw big rise in traffic deaths

WASHINGTON -- The number of traffic deaths in the United States rose 8 percent from 2014 to 2015, the largest year-to-year percentage increase in a half-century, according to preliminary estimates Wednesday by the National Safety Council. About 38,300 people were killed on U.S. roads, and 4.4 million people were hurt seriously, the council said. That would make 2015 the deadliest driving year since 2008. The council said a stronger economy and lower jobless rates probably were among the key factors, along with lower gas prices. With driving more affordable, more people are on the road. Average gas prices were 28 percent lower last year than in 2014 and are projected to continue dropping. The Transportation Department estimates a 3.5 percent increase in the number of miles driven by motorists in the United States in 2015. Among the biggest increases were in Oregon (27 percent), Georgia (22 percent), Florida (18 percent) and South Carolina (16 percent). Only 13 states showed improvement, including New Mexico (a 20 percent drop), Kansas (down 7 percent) and New Jersey (down 2 percent).

-- From wire reports