Michigan State University gunman’s note had possible motive
Police say the man who shot eight students at Michigan State University, killing three, was found with two handguns and a note containing a possible motive for the attack. They described Anthony McRae as a loner whose father said he had no friends. Investigators are trying to determine if mental health played a role in the Monday shootings. The 43-year-old McRae was on foot when he killed himself miles from campus. One of the five wounded students is in stable condition while the others remain in critical condition with signs of improvement. Classes at Michigan State remain suspended through the weekend.
EPA chief at train derailment site: ‘Trust the government’
The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is trying to assure residents forced from their homes by a toxic train derailment in Ohio nearly two weeks ago that testing shows the air and water are now safe. EPA Administrator Michael Regan says he’s asking residents in eastern Ohio near the Pennsylvania line to trust the government. His visit came a day after residents of East Palestine packed a meeting and demanded to know if they’re safe. Regan said he’s confident that technology being used to clean up the mess would protect public health. Residents are frustrated by what they say is incomplete and vague information.
Kari Lake loses appeal of loss in Arizona governor’s race
An Arizona appeals court has rejected Republican Kari Lake’s challenge of her defeat in the Arizona governor’s race to Democrat Katie Hobbs. In a ruling Thursday, the Arizona Court of Appeals denied her request to throw out election results in the state’s most populous county and hold the election again. Lake claimed problems with ballot printers at some police places on Election Day were the result of intentional misconduct. But the appeals court said Lake presented no evidence that voters whose ballots were unreadable by tabulators at polling places were not able to vote. She has vowed to appeal the ruling.
Kentucky high court lets near-total abortion ban continue
Kentucky’s Supreme Court has refused to allow abortions to resume in the state. It rejected a request to halt enforcement of a near-total ban on abortion that has largely been in place since Roe v. Wade was overturned. The court, which was weighing challenges to the state’s near-total ban and a separate one that outlaws abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy, sent the case back to a lower court for further consideration of constitutional issues related to one of the bans. The court weighed in on the issue after Kentucky voters last year rejected a ballot measure that would have denied any constitutional protections for abortion.
Ruling Taliban display rare division in public over bans
A rare public show of division is emerging in the ranks of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban. A senior Taliban figure publicly criticized the group’s leadership in a speech, accusing some of monopolizing power. The comments by Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani were seen as directed at the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. The interior minister also said the Taliban need to be closer to the people and help ease their problems at a time of economic collapse. The reclusive supreme leader, Akhundzada, almost never appears in public but is behind restrictions imposed on women in recent months, including banning them from most levels of education. The bans raised an international uproar.
South Korea defense report revives ‘enemy’ label for North
South Korea has referred to North Korea as “our enemy” in its biennial defense document, reviving the label for its rival for the first time in six years. The defense white paper published Thursday says North Korea’s nuclear programs and provocations are serious threats to South Korea’s security. North Korea conducted a record number of missile tests last year. Descriptions of North Korea in South Korea’s defense documents reflect the changing rocky ties between the two Koreas. Past South Korean documents called North Korea its “main enemy,” “present enemy” or “enemy” in times of animosity. They avoided such references when relations were improved.
China sanctions Lockheed Martin, Raytheon for Taiwan sales
China has imposed trade and investment sanctions on United States military contractors Lockheed Martin and Raytheon for supplying weapons to Taiwan, stepping up efforts to isolate the island democracy claimed by the ruling Communist Party as part of its territory. The Ministry of Commerce announced Thursday the companies were barred from importing goods into China or making new investments in the country. It wasn’t clear what impact the penalties might have on Lockheed Martin or Raytheon. The United States bars most sales of military-related technology to China, but some military contractors also have civilian businesses in aerospace and other markets.
By wire sources