National & World Headlines – Federal News Network https://federalnewsnetwork.com Helping feds meet their mission. Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:58:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/cropped-icon-512x512-1-60x60.png National & World Headlines – Federal News Network https://federalnewsnetwork.com 32 32 Mexico leader to end daylight saving, keep “God’s clock” https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/mexico-leader-to-end-daylight-saving-keep-gods-clock/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/mexico-leader-to-end-daylight-saving-keep-gods-clock/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:52:31 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4135818 MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president submitted a bill Tuesday to end daylight saving time, putting an end to the practice of changing clocks twice a year.

Health Secretary Jorge Alcocer said Mexico should return to “God’s clock,” or standard time, arguing that setting clocks back or forward damages people’s health.

That would mean darkness falling an hour earlier on summer afternoons.

“The recommendable thing is to return to standard time, which is when the solar clock coincides with the people’s clock, the clock of God,” Alcocer argued.

Mexicans set their clocks ahead this year on April 3, and are scheduled to set them back on Oct. 30. The changes, if approved, would presumably apply to next year.

The change would mean central Mexican time, which covers most of the country, potentially could be permanently two hours behind the east coast of the United States; it is now one hour behind for most of the year. The U.S. Senate in March passed a bill to make daylight savings permanent, though the measure has not passed the House of Representatives.

Economists argue that, while the energy savings are minimal, going back to standard time might cause trouble for financial markets in Mexico by putting U.S. east coast markets so far ahead.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has said he is considering keeping daylight savings time for some northern border states.

And businesses like restaurants that have become accustomed to staying open later may have to close earlier as many crime-wary Mexicans often try to be off the streets after dark.

Nearly a dozen states across the U.S. have already standardized daylight saving time.

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Parade shooting suspect charged with 7 counts of murder https://federalnewsnetwork.com/business-news/2022/07/july-4-parade-shooting-leaves-6-dead-30-hurt-man-detained/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/business-news/2022/07/july-4-parade-shooting-leaves-6-dead-30-hurt-man-detained/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:46:38 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4134908 HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (AP) — A prosecutor in suburban Chicago said Tuesday that the gunman accused of attacking an Independence Day parade has been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart promised that dozens more charges would be sought. He added that the suspect, if convicted of murder, would receive a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story is below.

The gunman who attacked an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago, killing at least seven people, legally bought two high-powered rifles and three other weapons despite authorities being called to his home twice in 2019 after he threatened suicide and violence, police said Tuesday.

A spokesman for the Lake County Major Crime Task Force told a news conference that the suspected shooter, who was arrested late Monday, used a high-powered rifle “similar to an AR-15″ to spray more than 70 rounds from atop a commercial building into a crowd that had gathered for the parade in Highland Park, an affluent community of about 30,000 on the Lake Michigan shore.

Police said they were called to the suspect’s home in September 2019 after a family member called to say he was threatening “to kill everyone” there. Task force spokesman Christopher Covelli said police confiscated 16 knives, a dagger and a sword, but said there was no sign he had any guns at the time.

The suspect legally purchased the rifle used in the attack in Illinois within the past year, Covelli said. In all, police said, he purchased five firearms, which were recovered by officers at his father’s home.

Police in April 2019 also responded to a reported suicide attempt by the suspect, Covelli said.

It was not clear whether Crimo’s past contacts with police would have barred him from obtaining an Illinois gun owner’s license. State police, who issue the licenses, did not immediately respond to a message from The Associated Press inquiring about his eligibility.

The day after the shooting, authorities reported the death of a seventh person. More than three dozen other people were wounded in the attack, which Covelli said the suspect had planned for several weeks.

Investigators who have interrogated the suspect and reviewed his social media posts have not determined a motive for the attack or found any indication that he targeted victims by race, religion or other protected status, Covelli said.

Authorities have not filed criminal charges.

Earlier in the day, FBI agents peeked into trash cans and under picnic blankets as they searched for more evidence at the site where the assailant opened fire. The shots were initially mistaken for fireworks before hundreds of revelers fled in terror.

A day later, baby strollers, lawn chairs and other items left behind by panicked parade goers remained inside a wide police perimeter. Outside the police tape, some residents drove up to collect blankets and chairs they abandoned.

David Shapiro, 47, said the spray of gunfire quickly turned the parade into “chaos.”

“People didn’t know right away where the gunfire was coming from, whether the gunman was in front or behind you chasing you,” he said Tuesday as he retrieved a stroller and lawn chairs.

The shooting was just the latest to shatter the rituals of American life. Schools, churches, grocery stores and now community parades have all become killing grounds in recent months. This time, the bloodshed came as the nation tried to find cause to celebrate its founding and the bonds that still hold it together.

“It definitely hits a lot harder when it’s not only your hometown but it’s also right in front of you,” resident Ron Tuazon said as he and a friend returned to the parade route Monday evening to retrieve chairs, blankets and a child’s bike that his family abandoned when the shooting began.

“It’s commonplace now,” Tuazon said. “We don’t blink any more. Until laws change, it’s going to be more of the same.”

A police officer pulled over Robert E. Crimo III north of the shooting scene several hours after police released his photo and warned that he was likely armed and dangerous, Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen said.

Law enforcement officials gave his age as 21 or 22. His father, Bob, a longtime deli owner, ran for mayor in 2019.

After evading initial capture by dressing as a woman and blending into the fleeing crowd, Crimo drove to the Madison, Wisconsin, area, then returned to Illinois, Covelli said.

The shooting occurred at a spot on the parade route where many residents had staked out prime viewing points early in the day.

Among them was Nicolas Toledo, who was visiting his family in Illinois from Mexico. He was shot and died at the scene, his granddaughter, Xochil Toledo, told the Chicago Sun-Times. Also killed was Jacki Sundheim, a lifelong congregant and “beloved” staff member at nearby North Shore Congregation Israel, which announced her death on its website.

Toledo’s granddaughter told the Sun-Times that Toledo had spent most of his life in Morelos, Mexico. Xochil Toledo said she remembers looking over at her grandfather, who was in his late 70s, as a band passed them.

“He was so happy,” she said. “Happy to be living in the moment.”

Xochil Toledo said her father tried to shield her grandfather and was shot in the arm. Her boyfriend also was shot in the back and taken to a hospital.

Sundheim had spent decades on the staff at North Shore Congregation Israel, teaching at the congregation’s preschool and later coordinating events, “all of this with tireless dedication,” the congregation said in its statement announcing her death.

“Jacki’s work, kindness and warmth touched us all,” the statement said.

The Lake County coroner released the names of four other victims: 64-year-old Katherine Goldstein, 35-year-old Irina McCarthy, 37-year-old Kevin McCarthy and 88-year-old Stephen Straus.

Nine people, ranging from 14 to 70, remained hospitalized Tuesday, hospital officials said.

Since the start of the year, the U.S. has seen 15 shootings where four or more people were killed, including the one in Highland Park, according to The Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University mass killing database.

Scores of smaller-scale shootings in nearby Chicago also left eight people dead and 60 others wounded over the July 4 weekend.

In 2013, Highland Park officials approved a ban on semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines. A local doctor and the Illinois State Rifle Association quickly challenged the liberal suburb’s stance. The legal fight ended at the U.S. Supreme Court’s doorstep in 2015 when justices declined to hear the case and let the suburb’s restrictions remain in place.

Crimo, who goes by the name Bobby, was an aspiring rapper with the stage name Awake the Rapper, posting on social media dozens videos and songs, some ominous and violent.

In one animated video since taken down by YouTube, Crimo raps about armies “walking in darkness” as a drawing appears of a man pointing a rifle, a body on the ground and another figure with hands up in the distance.

Federal agents were reviewing Crimo’s online profiles, and a preliminary examination of his internet history indicated that he had researched mass killings and had downloaded multiple photos depicting violent acts, including a beheading, a law enforcement official said.

The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Shapiro, the Highland Park resident who fled the parade with his family, said his 2-year-old son woke up screaming later that night.

“He is too young to understand what happened,” Shapiro said. “But he knows something bad happened.”

___

Foody reported from Chicago. Groves reported from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Associated Press writers Don Babwin in Chicago, Mike Householder in Highland Park and Mike Balsamo in New York also contributed.

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Mexican navy sets net hooks in bid to help vaquita porpoise https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/mexican-navy-sets-net-hooks-in-bid-to-help-vaquita-porpoise/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/mexican-navy-sets-net-hooks-in-bid-to-help-vaquita-porpoise/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:44:10 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4136199 MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican navy said Tuesday it has begun a controversial plan to drop concrete blocks onto the bottom of the Gulf of California to snag illegal nets that drown critically endangered vaquita marina porpoises.

As few as eight of the tiny, elusive porpoises remain in the Gulf, also known as the Sea of Cortez. It is the only place they live, and they cannot be captured and bred in captivity.

Vaquitas become trapped and drown in gill nets fishermen set illegally for totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder is a delicacy in China and sells for thousands of dollars per pound (kilogram).

The Mexican government has largely abandoned efforts to keep small fishing boats out of a 110-square-mile (288-square kilometer) “zero tolerance” area near San Felipe, Baja California, where the few remaining vaquita have been seen.

Environmentalists said Tuesday the plan to sink 193 concrete blocks was approved with no public comment and expressed concerns that the metal hooks attached to the blocks may accumulate remnants of nets that could continue to entangle and drown sea life.

“This is a total surprise, because the environmental impact statement was approved in record time, in six weeks. It wasn’t opened to public comment,” said Alex Olivera, the Mexico representative for the Center for Biological Diversity.

Mexico’s Environment Department acknowledged there had been no public comment, but said that was because nobody had requested one. The department has become known for quickly signing off on government projects.

Doubts about the plan abound. It would scatter one block, with a metal hook attacked, every one kilometer over the zero tolerance area. It is not clear how, or whether, any snagged nets would be recovered from underwater.

“A net can be snagged on these hooks, and we don’t know, we’re talking about nets that are hundreds of yards (meters) long, so we don’t know if a net snagged down there might be a double-edged sword, and trap vaquitas,” said Olivera.

Abandoned nets, known as “ghost nets,” can continue killing marine life for years.

Another expert, who did not want to be cited by name out of concern over reprisals, said the plan might discourage the illegal fishermen by causing them to lose nets to the snags.

But he added that it would crucial for the navy to regularly clear out any snagged nets, “or other species could be killed down there.”

In a statement announcing the plan, the navy made a vague mention of “recovering detained nets.” In practice, it would probably require divers to descend and manually cut nets off each of the 193 blocks every few days.

Given the defiance of the fishermen and the lucrative nature of the illegal trade in dried totoaba bladders, there is also no guarantee that fishermen might not mark — either physically or with GPS — the location of the blocks and fish around them.

Last year, the Mexican government abandoned the policy of keeping fishing boats out of the “zero tolerance” zone in the upper Gulf. It then introduced a sliding scale of punishments if more than 60 fishing boats are seen in the area on multiple occasions.

Olivera expressed doubts. “They can’t be checking these blocks every day,” he said.

Earlier this year, the United States filed the first trade-based environmental complaint under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact, arguing that Mexico is failing to protect the species.

Mexico has agreed to an investigation. Under the treaty, which took effect in 2020, the complaint could lead to trade sanctions.

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Twins place Archer on 15-day IL with left hip tightness https://federalnewsnetwork.com/sports-news/2022/07/twins-place-archer-on-15-day-il-with-left-hip-tightness/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/sports-news/2022/07/twins-place-archer-on-15-day-il-with-left-hip-tightness/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:33:12 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4136210 CHICAGO (AP) — The Minnesota Twins placed veteran right-hander Chris Archer on the 15-day injured list Tuesday because of left hip tightness.

Archer had been scheduled to start against the Chicago White Sox. Minnesota recalled right-hander Josh Winder from Triple-A St. Paul to pitch in his place.

The 33-year-old Archer is 2-3 with a 3.08 ERA over 15 starts in his first season with the Twins. He agreed to a $3.5 million, one-year contract in March after missing most of last season with Tampa Bay because of tightness in his right forearm. A two-time All-Star, Archer is 63-84 with a 3.84 ERA over 10 seasons with Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and Minnesota.

Winder was 3-2 with a 3.06 ERA in four starts and eight appearances prior to Tuesday’s game. The Twins were leading the AL Central at 46-37.

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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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Deadly July 4 parade: Shots, then a frantic rush to escape https://federalnewsnetwork.com/u-s-news/2022/07/deadly-july-4-parade-shots-then-a-frantic-rush-to-escape/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/u-s-news/2022/07/deadly-july-4-parade-shots-then-a-frantic-rush-to-escape/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:29:45 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4136106 HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (AP) — David Shapiro and his wife brought their two young kids to enjoy the Independence Day parade in their hometown north of Chicago, snagging a spot in front of a boutique winery.

The children’s parade in downtown Highland Park had already gone by, with about 50 school-age children riding bikes, scooters and tricycles. The musicians of the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, complete with full drum set and brass section, were starting to play atop a flatbed trailer.

Then came the sound that Shapiro knew did not fit: pop pop pop pop pop.

Before he knew what was happening, parade-goers from further down the route began running toward the 47-year-old and his family, screaming about someone with a gun.

“It was chaos,” Shapiro recalled. “People didn’t know right away where the gunfire was coming from, whether the gunman was in front or behind you chasing you.”

For many people, the mass shooting that killed at least seven people and injured more than 30 others adds to the fear that any place, any event in the U.S. can turn dangerous or deadly, even though most gun violence is personal. Highland Park is one of the country’s safest towns, and July 4th parades among the most American of celebrations. Even before Monday’s killings, some people already were on edge, questioning whether to venture into large gatherings, looking over their shoulders during even the most run-of-the-mill activities, from grocery shopping to going to school or catching a movie.

But as the shots rang out in Highland Park on Monday, all most people at the July 4 parade knew was at first confusion, then terror as they searched for a safe place to hide or any way to escape.

___

The atmosphere along the short but crowded parade route was exuberant as the kids stepped along around 9:40 a.m., said Vivian Visconti, a 19-year-old Highland Park Park District counselor who helped organize and direct the children’s parade

Parents and other attendees smiled and waved at that first group, while Visconti instructed younger kids to keep moving if they slowed or momentary veered off the designated route.

“It was fun, cheerful, and hot,” she recalled about passing through Central Avenue business district, lined with tony boutiques, cafes and restaurants. On either side of the street, attendees sat on blankets and lawn tables, some snacking on potato chips or cookies as they watched.

It took the children on the cycles no more than 20 minutes to traverse the entire parade route, which ended at the bottom of a hill near a park, where a bouncy house was set up for youngsters to play in after they completed the trek.

“We may have been one of the only groups who finished the parade route,” Visconti said.

One of the reasons the smaller kids went first was so they could run back up the hill and watch the rest of the parade.

Visconti, too, made her way back up the hill, to the other end of Central Avenue, near the Shapiro family. It was around 10:20 a.m. when she heard several slower booming sounds followed immediately by a rapid secession of what seemed 20 loud pops, she said.

“It thought it was blanks, part of the parade at first,” she said. “But my friend turned to me and told me, ‘No, it’s real!’”

After a pause of around five seconds, she heard another rapid series of shots. She and her friend ran.

Like most others who heard shots, they never saw the shooter, who had climbed a fire escape to perch atop of a row of specialty stores. As he fired, some parade-goers fell, mortally wounded. Many others lay bleeding or were carried away by family and friends.

Not far from Visconti, 16-year-old Yonatan Garfinkle, of Highland Park, understood he had to get away fast.

A friend’s dad happened to be passing by in his Jeep. Fifteen other people were already in the vehicle or holding onto it. He jumped on its side, too, hugging it tightly as the vehicle sped away from the city center.

___

Staging for the parade was on St. John’s Avenue, near a parking garage and train station. Floats, bands and politicians headed north a bit, then turned west down Central.

Greg Gilberg, 45, was on a float with his wife just minutes from making the turn when he saw crowds of frightened parade goers bolt from the avenue. The Highland Park man didn’t hear any shots clearly, but knew they needed to flee. So he and his wife hurried to where he had left his bike nearby; she jumped on the back with him and Gilberg pedaled as fast as he could home.

As he passed the Highland Park library, Gilberg said, he saw dozens of people streaming inside for safety.

The sound of the shots was much louder on Central Avenue — the parade’s main thoroughfare — where Richard Isenberg and his wife were watching the parade near a shop that sells outdoor gear. Though they could not see who was firing or where they were, Isenberg could tell from the sound that the shooter was close.

The couple fled, turning around a corner and into a lot full of large dumpsters. They saw a man lift his children into one of the dumpsters. He asked the Isenbergs to keep an eye on them as he ran back to the street for other relatives who had come to the parade with him.

The couple returned to the scene Tuesday to try to retrieve their car, which was still in an area cordoned-off by police investigating the crime. Recalling the thunderous sound of gunfire, Isenberg’s wife, who declined to share her name, covered her ears and closed her eyes.

“I can’t stop hearing it,” she said.

Amid the mayhem, the shooter, dressed as a woman, slipped into the panicked crowds and, for the moment, got away.

___

For Howard Diamond, 45, of Highland Park, attending the Independence Parade each year was a family tradition.

He was sitting in a lawn chair with his wife, 9-year-old son and other members of his extended family when he heard loud bangs about 500 feet away. Someone said it was fireworks. But he said he knew better, telling everyone they were shots and they needed to move now.

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” he recalled yelling.

Speaking Tuesday from outside a police cordon on Central Avenue, he pointed to a child’s blue miniature car, toppled over amid the pandemonium the day before, saying it belonged to his sister-in-law’s son. He had hoped to retrieve his cellphone, but was told he couldn’t because it was still a crime scene.

___

The Shapiro family wasn’t sure of the best escape route, they decided to run all the way to their nearby home. Shapiro grabbed his daughter in his arms and they sprinted away as fast as they could, leaving behind their children’s stroller and lawn chairs as they fled. Later that night, his 2-year-old woke up screaming, Shapiro said as he returned to downtown Tuesday to pick up the items the family abandoned.

“He is too young to understand what happened. But he knows something bad happened,” he said. “That’s chilling.”

___

Burnett reported from Chicago. Associated Press reporter Martha Irvine contributed.

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Judge won’t block law banning most Mississippi abortions https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/judge-set-to-hear-challenge-of-mississippi-abortion-law/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/judge-set-to-hear-challenge-of-mississippi-abortion-law/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:20:49 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4135131 JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — As attorneys argued about abortion laws across the South on Tuesday, a Mississippi judge rejected a request by the state’s only abortion clinic to temporarily block a law that would ban most abortions.

Without other developments in the Mississippi lawsuit, the clinic will close at the end of business Wednesday and the state law will take effect Thursday.

One of the clinic’s attorneys, Hillary Schneller of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said the judge should have blocked the law.

“People in Mississippi who need abortions right now are in a state of panic, trying to get into the clinic before it’s too late,” Schneller said. “No one should be forced to live in fear like that.”

Mississippi legislators passed the “trigger” law before the U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The clinic, Jackson Women’s Health Organization, sought a temporary restraining order that would have allowed it to remain open while the lawsuit played out in court.

“This law has the potential to save the lives of thousands of unborn Mississippi children,” Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said after the judge’s ruling. “It is a great victory for life. I also believe it is critical that we showcase to every mother and child that they are loved and that their communities will support them.”

The closely watched lawsuit was part of a flurry of activity nationwide since the Supreme Court ruled. Conservative states have moved to halt or limit abortions while others have sought to ensure abortion rights, all as some women try to obtain the medical procedure against the changing legal landscape.

Elsewhere in the South, Florida’s new 15-week abortion ban was blocked but then quickly reinstated Tuesday after an appeal from the state attorney general in a lawsuit challenging the restriction. Judge John C. Cooper issued the order temporarily halting the law after reproductive health providers argued that the state constitution guarantees a right to the procedure. The state quickly appealed his order, automatically putting the law back into effect.

The Florida law makes exceptions if the procedure is necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life, prevent serious injury or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. It does not allow for exemptions for pregnancies caused by rape, incest or human trafficking.

The law, which went into effect Friday, was passed by the GOP-controlled legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis this spring.

In Louisiana, the state attorney general has asked the state Supreme Court to allow enforcement of a ban on most abortions. Louisiana’s anti-abortion statutes include so-called triggers that were designed to instantly take effect if the U.S. Supreme Court were to reverse abortion rights. But a state judge in New Orleans last week blocked enforcement of the law pending a court hearing on a lawsuit filed by a north Louisiana abortion clinic and others.

The Louisiana suit says the law is unclear on when the ban takes effect and on medical exceptions. The attorney general’s application to the Supreme Court, filed over the holiday weekend and announced Tuesday, says the order blocking enforcement should be dissolved.

The north Louisiana clinic’s attorneys argued in a Tuesday afternoon brief that it’s premature for the high court to get the case before the district judge and an appellate court have had a chance to more fully consider the issues.

Mississippi was one of several states with a trigger law contingent on the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. The law passed in 2007 and has never been challenged in court. It says abortion will be legal only if the pregnant woman’s life is in danger or if a pregnancy is caused by a rape reported to law enforcement. It does not have an exception for pregnancies caused by incest.

The clinic’s lawsuit cited a 1998 Mississippi Supreme Court ruling that said the state constitution invokes a right to privacy that “includes an implied right to choose whether or not to have an abortion.”

The state attorney general’s office argued that the 1998 ruling was rooted in U.S. Supreme Court decisions in 1973 and 1992 that established or protected abortion rights but were overturned on June 24. But Rob McDuff, a Mississippi Center for Justice attorney representing the clinic, argued that state justices never said their ruling was made because of the federal Constitution.

“They never said it would evaporate if Roe was ever overruled,” McDuff said in court Tuesday.

The state attorney general’s office said the Mississippi Constitution does not recognize a right to abortion and the state has a long history of restricting the procedure.

“In the past two weeks, the state of the law has changed dramatically,” the state solicitor general, Scott Stewart, argued Tuesday in court.

The lawsuit was filed three days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in a case that originated in Mississippi. The clinic had continued to see patients, but owner Diane Derzis said it will close if the near-ban on abortions takes effect.

In rejecting the clinic’s request hours after the hearing, Halford wrote, “The plain wording of the Mississippi Constitution does not mention abortion.” She added that it is “more than doubtful” that the Mississippi Supreme Court would continue to uphold its 1998 ruling now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned its own previous abortion rulings.

McDuff told The Associated Press that clinic attorneys will review Halford’s decision and consider whether to appeal it to the state Supreme Court.

Outside the courthouse in Mississippi’s capital city, several women held signs supporting abortion rights while two men took turns using a microphone to tell abortion rights supporters that God would punish them for eternity.

“You’re bloodthirsty. Bloodthirsty, abominable filth in the eyes of God,” said one of the anti-abortion protesters, Allen Siders. “Consider your ways today, sinners. Consider your ways today. Shame on you.”

An abortion-rights supporter performed an improvised dance in front of Siders to mock him, and several women laughed.

____

Anthony Izaguirre reported from Tallahassee, Florida, and Kevin McGill reported from New Orleans.

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Judge OKs transfer plan for beagles from troubled facility https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/judge-oks-transfer-plan-for-beagles-from-troubled-facility/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/judge-oks-transfer-plan-for-beagles-from-troubled-facility/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:18:16 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4136189 CUMBERLAND, Va. (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday approved a plan that calls for transferring about 4,000 dogs currently housed at a troubled Virginia breeding facility to shelters where they can be adopted, according to court records.

The development came in a civil enforcement case the federal government initiated in May against Envigo RMS, which owns and operates the facility in Cumberland that breeds beagles for medical research.

After federal officials accused the company of a series of animal welfare violations, U.S. District Court Judge Norman Moon issued a restraining order imposing a series of restrictions on the facility. In June, company officials announced plans to close it.

On Friday, Envigo and the government jointly filed a transfer plan that called for the removal of “all” of the facility’s beagles by the Humane Society of the United States, which will transport the dogs to shelters where they can be adopted.

According to court documents, Envigo will cover a monetary fee for each dog to help defray the costs to the shelters of preparing the beagles for adoption.

Court records show Moon issued an oral order approving the transfer plan Tuesday. The removal process is expected to take about 60 days, according to the draft plan.

Hundreds of dogs determined to be in “acute distress” had already been seized from the facility.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Norfolk-based animal rights group that had investigated the facility, celebrated Tuesday’s development.

“Envigo’s surviving victims will soon be given the opportunity to have what every dog deserves — the freedom to enjoy life, love, and respect for their individuality as members of a family home,” PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch said in a statement.

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North Carolina man pleads guilty in police officer’s death https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/north-carolina-man-pleads-guilty-in-police-officers-death/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/north-carolina-man-pleads-guilty-in-police-officers-death/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:13:13 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4136179 MOIUNT HOLLY, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges stemming from the fatal shooting of a police officer in 2020, authorities said.

During his hearing, Joshua Tyler Funk, 24, of Mount Holly, entered a guilty plea for murder, news outlets reported. In exchange for his plea, the other charges filed against him were dropped. Funk was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Mount Holly police officer Tyler Herndon was one of several officers to respond to a call at Mount Holly Car Wash and Arcade on Dec. 11, 2020, according to a news release at the time from Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.

Herndon was shot during a shootout between Funk and the responding officers, officials said.

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Suns re-sign center Biyombo after successful 2022 stint https://federalnewsnetwork.com/sports-news/2022/07/suns-re-sign-center-biyombo-after-successful-2022-stint/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/sports-news/2022/07/suns-re-sign-center-biyombo-after-successful-2022-stint/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:11:59 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4136181 PHOENIX (AP) — Bismack Biyombo is staying in the desert.

The Phoenix Suns re-signed Biyombo on Tuesday after the veteran center gave them a lift off the bench last season. Terms of the deal were not announced.

Biyombo signed with the Suns on Jan. 1 and he averaged 5.8 points on 59% shooting while grabbing 4.6 rebounds in 36 games. The Congo native has played 11 NBA seasons with Charlotte, Toronto, Orlando and Phoenix.

The 29-year-old has averaged 5.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots since being selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft by Sacramento. He played two years professionally in Spain before joining the NBA.

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NHL Draft: Teams weigh risks of selecting Russian prospects https://federalnewsnetwork.com/sports-news/2022/07/nhl-draft-teams-weigh-risks-of-selecting-russian-prospects/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/sports-news/2022/07/nhl-draft-teams-weigh-risks-of-selecting-russian-prospects/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:07:10 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4136024 The war in Ukraine has added an increasing level of uncertainty for NHL teams interested in drafting Russia-born prospects because of questions regarding their availability to play in North America.

While no team has openly stated it would avoid selecting Russians altogether in the two-day draft in Montreal that opens Thursday, there is the potential of Russia being shut out in the first round for the first time since 2005.

“I don’t know if anybody has the answer,” said Seattle general manager Ron Francis, whose team currently has 12 picks over seven rounds, including No. 4 overall. “It’s certainly unknown right now so it makes it, I think, a little more riskier than years past.”

While there has always been a risk of Russian prospects deciding to stay home to play, the concerns are greater now with travel restrictions in place during the war for anyone wishing to travel to or from Russia and Belarus. NHL executives are left to wonder if a pick will actually be allowed out.

It doesn’t help that NHL and its Russian-based counterpart, the Kontinental Hockey League, do not have a transfer agreement in place. That prevents NHL teams from buying out KHL contracts, a consistent hurdle for any GM hoping to raid the second-best league in the world.

Without disclosing the Canadiens’ strategy, Montreal GM Kent Hughes said it will be up to each team to weigh the risks of selecting a Russian player.

“It’s simple enough to say that the war in Russia creates a level of complexity or probably more uncertainty,” Hughes told The Associated Press. “Any team picking has to balance the uncertainty of it with the potential of the player.”

Last week, Philadelphia Flyers goalie prospect Ivan Fedotov was suddenly assigned to a remote military base in northern Russia, according to the player’s agent, J.P. Barry. Selected in the seventh round of the 2015 draft, Fedotov signed with the Flyers in May after completing his contract with CSKA Moscow in the KHL.

“I think in years past, there’s probably a little bit of concern — just is the guy going to come over?” Francis said before specifically referencing Fedotov. “This is probably on a different magnitude.”

While the NHL has not issued any directives regarding drafting Russian players, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the uncertainty could lead to teams being more hesitant.

“Would it surprise me if some slip in where they’re projected to go based on the inability to access them? Potentially,” Daly said.

This year’s draft class includes several Russian prospects with first-round potential under normal circumstances.

Defenseman Pavel Mintyukov is ranked sixth among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting because he played in the Ontario Hockey League last season. Wingers Danila Yurov and Ivan Miroshnichenko, who played in Russia, are among the top 10-ranked European skaters.

Miroshnichenko’s situation is more complicated because he was unable to complete his season after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in March. He has since completed his treatments and plans to attend the draft.

Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman said the Red Wings are evaluating top Russian prospects as usual.

“We’re preparing our lists or organizing our lists as we normally would,” Yzerman said. “Ultimately, we’re going to want to draft really good prospects, and make sure they’re good kids.”

Central Scouting chief Dan Marr is confident Russian players will be selected but won’t guess how long they might have to wait.

“I wouldn’t even want to try and guess as to what the NHL clubs are thinking,” Marr said. “If you’re sitting there and you’ve got a solid prospect for the NHL, are you going to go by him or do you want to step up and take him, and cross your fingers and hope that the world is in a different place a couple of years from now.”

Marr said he and his staff conducted a mock draft in which the first Russian player wasn’t selected until the second round.

Last year, 29 Russian players were drafted — the most since 2003 — with Fedor Svechkov, selected No. 19 by Nashville, the only one going in the first round.

A year after drafting four Russians, Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams isn’t ruling out the possibility of selecting more this year. In putting together the Sabres’ draft board, Adams told his staff to rank each player as usual before placing an asterisk next to the Russian prospects to allow for further discussion.

“If we get to a spot in the draft where we feel that there’s real value there, then we’re going to talk about that,” Adams said, referring to selecting a Russian player. “So, we’re open to that.”

With three first-round selections and four in the top 41, Adams acknowledged the Sabres have more draft capital than other teams to take a risk on a Russian player.

“I think it’s a unique spot for us,” Adams said.

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AP Hockey Writers Stephen Whyno, Larry Lage and AP Sports Writer Tim Booth contributed to this story.

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White House: Biden has read Griner letter pleading for help https://federalnewsnetwork.com/sports-news/2022/07/griner-sends-letter-to-president-biden-pleading-for-his-help/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/sports-news/2022/07/griner-sends-letter-to-president-biden-pleading-for-his-help/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:06:52 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4134692 Brittney Griner’s appeal to President Joe Biden in a handwritten letter continued to garner reaction Tuesday after the WNBA All-Star acknowledged she feared never returning home and asked Biden not “ forget about me and the other American Detainees.”

Griner’s letter was delivered through her representatives to the White House on Monday and officials say the president has read it. However Griner’s wife, Cherelle, said Tuesday on a morning talk show that she hadn’t heard from Biden.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked repeatedly about Griner on Tuesday during the regular briefing. She said Biden read the letter, but she did not detail his reaction.

“This is very personal to him.”

Jean-Pierre did not say whether there were plans for Biden to speak with Griner’s family, but did say that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken both spoke to Griner’s wife recently.

Jean-Pierre said Biden wanted to get Griner and other Americans home.

“We are going to use every tool we possibly can to make that happen,” Jean-Pierre said.

Griner is in the midst of a trial in Russia that began last week after she was arrested on Feb. 17 on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play for her Russian team. The trial will resume Thursday.

Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in U.S. courts, acquittals can be overturned.

Griner’s representatives Monday shared a few excerpts from her letter to the president.

″…As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” Griner wrote.

“On the 4th of July, our family normally honors the service of those who fought for our freedom, including my father who is a Vietnam War Veteran,” the Phoenix Mercury center added. “It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year.”

Cherelle Griner was disappointed not to have any direct communication with the White House since the letter was delivered.

“I still have not heard from him and honestly, it’s very disheartening,” Cherelle Griner said on CBS Mornings.

Cherelle Griner said for Brittney to reach out directly to Biden is an indication of just how afraid her wife is about what’s next.

“BG is probably the strongest person that I know. So she doesn’t say words like that lightly,” Cherelle said. “That means she truly is terrified that she may never see us again. And you know I share those same sentiments. … I’m sure she was like, ‘I’m gonna write him now because … my family has tried and to no avail. So I’m going do it myself.'”

Griner pleaded with Biden in the letter to use his powers to ensure her return.

“Please do all you can to bring us home. I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore,” Griner said “I miss my wife! I miss my family! I miss my teammates! It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me home.”

Griner has been able to have sporadic communications with family, friends and WNBA players through an email account her agent set up. The emails are printed out and delivered in bunches to Griner by her lawyer after they are vetted by Russian officials. Once the lawyers get back to their office, they’ll scan any responses from Griner and pass them back to the U.S. to send along.

She was supposed to have a phone call with her wife on their anniversary but it failed because of an “unfortunate mistake,” Biden administration officials.

Griner’s supporters have encouraged a prisoner swap like the one in April that brought home Marine veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy. The State Department in May designated her as wrongfully detained, moving her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator.

Griner isn’t the only American being wrongfully detained in Russia. Paul Whelan, a former Marine and security director is serving a 16-year sentence on an espionage conviction.

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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.”

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Federal appeals court greenlights federal deportation policy https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/federal-appeals-court-greenlights-federal-deportation-policy/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/federal-appeals-court-greenlights-federal-deportation-policy/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:06:22 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4136114 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Federal guidance prioritizing the deportation of people in the country illegally who pose the greatest public safety risk can be implemented, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

At issue is a September directive from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that paused deportation unless individuals had committed acts of terrorism, espionage or “egregious threats to public safety.” The guidance of President Joe Biden’s administration updated the policy under the administration of then-President Donald Trump, which removed people in the country illegally regardless of criminal history or community ties.

A federal judge put the Biden policy on hold after Arizona, Ohio and Montana sued to stop it, arguing it would lead to an increase in crime and strain law enforcement resources. After the government appealed, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the judge’s preliminary injunction.

The appeals court said states couldn’t prove the injuries they alleged, and said the guidance only instructs federal agents on how to enforce a law the national government has considerable authority over.

The Homeland Security guidance “does not impose any direct costs on the States or threaten the loss of any federal funding,” wrote chief circuit Judge Jeff Sutton.

Emilee Cantrell, press secretary for Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, said in a statement the court’s “decision unfortunately allows President Biden to continue his dangerous immigration policies.”

“The border crisis has devastating impacts in Montana and states across the nation,” Cantrell said. “Attorney General Knudsen will continue to use every available tool to make the Biden administration do its job and secure the border.”

Messages were left with the Arizona and Ohio attorneys general seeking comment.

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Western states could settle feud over beleaguered Rio Grande https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/western-states-could-settle-feud-over-beleaguered-rio-grande/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-news/2022/07/western-states-could-settle-feud-over-beleaguered-rio-grande/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:02:42 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4136116 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The fight between Texas and New Mexico over the management of one of the longest rivers in North America could be nearing an end as a date to resume the trial has been put off pending negotiations aimed at settling the years-long case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced Tuesday that a special master appointed by the court cleared the way for ongoing negotiations and set a date in July for a status update.

The Supreme Court would have to approve any agreement reached by the states. In the case of an impasse, the trial would continue later this year.

“We assembled the best legal and scientific team in the nation to disprove that our farmers and our communities owed billions in damages to Texas, and we are now on the cusp of an exciting historic settlement agreement that will protect New Mexico water for generations to come,” Balderas said in a statement.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office did not immediately respond to questions about the negotiations or a possible settlement.

The battle over the Rio Grande has become a multimillion-dollar case in a region where water supplies are dwindling due to increased demand along with drought and warmer temperatures brought on by climate change.

The river through stretches of New Mexico marked record low flows again this year, resulting in some farmers voluntarily fallowing fields to help the state meet downstream obligations mandated by water-sharing compacts that date back decades.

Texas has argued that groundwater pumping in southern New Mexico is reducing the river’s flow and cutting into how much water makes it across the border. New Mexico argues that it has been shorted on its share of the river.

The first phase of trial was completed last fall, with testimony from farmers, hydrologists, irrigation managers and others. More technical testimony was expected to be part of the next phase.

A robust start to the monsoon season has given the Rio Grande somewhat of a reprieve after state and federal water managers had warned that stretches of the river closer to Albuquerque would likely go dry this summer as New Mexico’s mega-drought continues.

Tricia Snyder, the interim wild rivers program director for the group WildEarth Guardians, said policymakers need to fundamentally rethink how to manage and value river systems.

“Like many river basins throughout the American West, we are approaching a crisis point,” she said. “Climate change is throwing into sharp relief the cracks in western water management and policy and the unsustainable water allocation included in that.”

Snyder and others have said that status quo has resulted in water resources being tapped out in the West and that all users — from cities and industry to farmers and Native American tribes — will need a seat at the table during future discussions on how to live within a river’s means.

The latest federal map shows about three-quarters of the western U.S. are dealing with some level of drought. That is less than three months ago. But federal agriculture officials reported Tuesday that weekly rainfall accumulations for several locations were still well below average.

In New Mexico, the driest areas were on the eastern side of the state, where precipitation has totaled 25% of normal or less. That has affected cotton and hay crops as well as cattle and sheep herds.

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Colorado funeral home owner pleads guilty in body sales case https://federalnewsnetwork.com/u-s-news/2022/07/colorado-funeral-home-owner-pleads-guilty-in-body-sales-case/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/u-s-news/2022/07/colorado-funeral-home-owner-pleads-guilty-in-body-sales-case/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:01:50 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4136154 GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado funeral home operator accused of illegally selling body parts and giving clients fake ashes has pleaded guilty to mail fraud in federal court.

The Daily Sentinel reports that Megan Hess faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison after entering the plea Tuesday in Grand Junction. Other charges against Hess will be dropped under a plea agreement, the Sentinel said.

Hess, 45, and her mother, Shirley Koch, operated the Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose. They were arrested in 2020 and charged with six counts of mail fraud and three counts of illegal transportation of hazardous materials.

A grand jury indictment said that from 2010 through 2018, Hess and Koch offered to cremate bodies and provide the remains to families at a cost of $1,000 or more, but many of the cremations never occurred.

Hess had created a nonprofit organization in 2009 called Sunset Mesa Funeral Foundation as a body-broker service doing business as Donor Services, authorities said.

On dozens of occasions, Hess and Koch transferred bodies or body parts to third parties for research without families’ knowledge, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The transfers were done through Sunset Mesa Funeral Foundation and Donor Services, authorities said.

Hess and Koch also shipped bodies and body parts that tested positive for, or belonged to people who died from, infectious diseases including Hepatitis B and C, and HIV, despite certifying to buyers that the remains were disease-free, authorities said.

Both Hess and Koch originally had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Hess is tentatively set to be sentenced in January. A change of plea hearing for Koch is scheduled for July 12.

Prosecutors recommended a sentence for Hess of 12 to 15 years.

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Sports Betting Line https://federalnewsnetwork.com/sports-news/2022/07/sports-betting-line-298/ https://federalnewsnetwork.com/sports-news/2022/07/sports-betting-line-298/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:00:14 +0000 https://federalnewsnetwork.com/?p=4136156 MLB Wednesday National League FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG Line at MILWAUKEE -134 Chicago Cubs +114 N.Y Mets -161 at CINCINNATI +138 at PHILADELPHIA -205 Washington +175 at ATLANTA -188 St. Louis +158 San Francisco -142 at ARIZONA +121 at LA DODGERS OFF Colorado OFF American League Cleveland -165 at DETROIT +140 at CHICAGO WHITE SOX -132 Minnesota +112 Toronto -180 at OAKLAND +152 Texas -115 at BALTIMORE -105 at BOSTON -113 Tampa Bay -107 at HOUSTON -258 Kansas City +210 Interleague LA Angels -156 at MIAMI +133 at PITTSBURGH OFF N.Y Yankees OFF

For the latest odds, go to FanDuel Sportsbook, https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/

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