Nation

Jurors are shown video at ex-officer’s trial in Floyd’s death

Published on Mon, 03/29/2021 - 3:42pm
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The video of George Floyd  gasping for breath was essentially Exhibit A as the former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee on the Black man’s neck went on trial Monday on charges of murder and manslaughter.

Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell showed the jurors the footage at the earliest opportunity, during opening statements, after telling them that the number to remember was 9 minutes, 29 seconds — the amount of time officer Derek Chauvin  had Floyd pinned to the pavement last May.

Police: ‘No idea’ why man shot 5 people, killed himself

Published on Mon, 03/29/2021 - 3:41pm
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By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press

 

Investigators have “no idea” why a Maryland man fatally shot his parents at their home and gunned down two other people at a convenience store before setting fire to his apartment and killing himself, a police official said Monday.

A gun that Joshua Green, 27, used in Sunday’s deadly shooting spree was registered to him and had been legally purchased in 2020, according to Baltimore County Police Col. Andre Davis.

Shots in little arms: Vaccine testing turns to kids

Published on Fri, 03/26/2021 - 3:35pm
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By The Associated Press

The 9-year-old twins didn’t flinch as each received test doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine — and then a sparkly bandage to cover the spot. 

“Sparkles make everything better,” declared Marisol Gerardo as she hopped off an exam table at Duke University to make way for her sister Alejandra.

Tornado outbreak kills 5 in South

Published on Fri, 03/26/2021 - 3:34pm
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OHATCHEE, Ala. (AP) — Tornadoes and severe storms tore through the Deep South, killing at least five people as strong winds splintered trees, wrecked homes and downed power lines.

Multiple twisters sprang from a “super cell” of storms that rolled over western Georgia early Friday after spawning as many as eight tornadoes in Alabama on Thursday, said John De Block, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Birmingham. 

Mental health assessment needed for Colo. suspect, lawyer says during appearance

Published on Thu, 03/25/2021 - 3:26pm
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BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The suspect in the Colorado supermarket shooting appeared in court for the first time Thursday, and a defense attorney immediately asked that he receive a mental health evaluation before the case against him proceeds.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, did not speak during the brief hearing except to say “yes” to a question from the judge, who advised him that he is charged with murder in the attack that killed 10 people, including a Boulder police officer. Alissa is also charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting at another police officer, who was unhurt.

Biden leaves door open for Senate change to pass agenda

Published on Thu, 03/25/2021 - 3:22pm
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden at his first news conference Thursday left the door open to pushing for fundamental changes in Senate procedures to muscle key elements of his agenda such as immigration and voting rights past firm Republican opposition “if there’s complete lockdown and chaos.”

The 78-year-old president also, for the first time, said his “plan is to run for reelection, that is my expectation.”

School survey shows ‘critical gaps’ for in-person learning

Published on Wed, 03/24/2021 - 3:44pm
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 By COLLIN BINKLEY
AP Education Writerw

 

Nearly half of U.S. elementary schools were open for full-time classroom learning as of last month, but the share of students with in-person instruction has varied greatly by region and by race, with most nonwhite students taught entirely online, according to a Biden administration survey.

Montana among states suing to undo Biden pause on US oil & gas lease sales

Published on Wed, 03/24/2021 - 3:42pm

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Thirteen states sued the Biden administration Wednesday to end a suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal land and water and to reschedule canceled sales of leases in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska waters and western states.

The Republican-leaning states, led by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, seek a court order ending the moratorium imposed after Democratic President Joe Biden signed executive orders on climate change on Jan. 27.

Officials: Gun in supermarket shooting bought 6 days earlier

Published on Tue, 03/23/2021 - 3:51pm
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BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Police on Tuesday identified a 21-year-old man as the suspect who opened fire inside a crowded Colorado supermarket, and court documents showed that he purchased an assault rifle less than a week before the attack that killed 10 people, including a police officer.

US colleges tout hopes for return to new normal this fall semester

Published on Tue, 03/23/2021 - 3:50pm

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Colleges throughout the U.S. are assuring students that the fall semester will bring a return to in-person classes, intramural sports and mostly full dormitories. But those promises come with asterisks. 

Administrators say how quickly campus life comes back will depend on the success of the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts and the ability to avoid widespread outbreaks.