Clotilda descendants mark anniversary of last slave ship

 Clotilda descendants mark anniversary of last slave ship

Descendants of the last African people abducted into slavery and brought to America's shores gathered to pay tribute to their ancestors

ByThe Associated Press

July 11, 2022, 6:20 AM

FILE - Crew members leave Mobile, Ala., on their way to the wreck of the last U.S. slave ship, the Clotilda, on May 2, 2020. Descendants of the last African people abducted into slavery and brought to American shores gathered on July 9...

The Associated Press

MOBILE, Ala. -- Descendants of the last African people abducted into slavery and brought to America's shores gathered over the weekend on the banks of an Alabama river to pay tribute to their ancestors.

The descendants of the 110 people aboard the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to bring enslaved African people to the United States, held a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the vessel's arrival.

Dressed in white and walking slowly to the beat of an African drum, the descendants made their way to the banks of the Mobile River near Alabama's coast. A wreath of white, yellow and red flowers was carried into the river by a kayaker and released into the waters.

The event marked the anniversary of the ship arriving 162 years ago with 110 enslaved people brought to the country against their will, Darron Patterson, president of the Clotilda Descendants Association, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

In 1860, the Clotilda illegally transported 110 people from what is now the west African nation of Benin to Mobile, Alabama. The voyage, which happened decades after the law banning the importation of slaves had taken effect, began as a bet when a wealthy plantation owner wagered he could import a shipload of slaves without being caught.

Sri Lankan parties agree to form all-party govt after President's resignation; New Delhi says, India stands with people of Sri Lanka

Jul 11, 2022 ,  8:24AM @DDIndialive Sri Lanka's main opposition parties have agreed to form an all-party interim government after the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday. Opposition parties held talks to seek ways to steer the country forward in the current unprecedented economic crisis after Rajapaksa's resignation. Wimal Weerawansa of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party's breakaway group said that this will be a government where all parties are represented. President Rajapaksa informed Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Saturday that he will resign on Wednesday after the country's opposition parties demanded his resignation. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has also offered to resign. The protesters who have occupied the key administration buildings since Saturday's mass protests said they would not leave until Rajapaksa resigns.   The cash-starved island nation witnessed a tumultuous day on Saturday when protesters broke into Rajapaksa's official residence in Colombo. Protesters did not spare Prime Minister Wickremesinghe despite his offer to resign and set on fire his private residence in an affluent neighborhood in the capital. Meanwhile, India has extended unprecedented support of over 3.8 billion US dollars this year itself for ameliorating the serious economic situation in Sri Lanka. In response to media queries on the situation in Sri Lanka, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, India will continue to follow closely the recent developments in Sri Lanka. He said, India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realize their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values.  Mr Bagchi said, India is Sri Lanka’s closest neighbour and the two countries share deep civilizational bonds. He said, India is aware of the many challenges that Sri Lanka and its people have been facing, and we have stood with the Sri Lankan people as they have tried to overcome this difficult period.

 Fed: Sharply higher rates may be needed to quell inflation

Federal Reserve officials were concerned at their meeting last month that consumers were starting to anticipate higher inflation, and they signaled that much higher interest rates could be needed to restrain it

ByChristopher Rugaber Ap Economics Writer

July 07, 2022, 1:23 AM

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testifies before the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday, June 23, 2022 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Federal Reserve officials were concerned at their meeting last month that consumers were increasingly anticipating higher inflation, and they signaled that much higher interest rates could be needed to restrain it.

The policymakers also acknowledged, in minutes from their June 14-15 meeting released Wednesday, that their rate hikes could weaken the economy. But they suggested that such steps were necessary to slow price increases back to the Fed's 2% annual target.

The officials agreed that the central bank needed to raise its benchmark interest rate to “restrictive” levels that would slow the economy’s growth and “recognized that an even more restrictive stance could be appropriate” if inflation persisted. After last month's meeting, the Fed raised its key rate by three-quarters of a point to a range of 1.5% to 1.75% — the biggest single increase in nearly three decades — and signaled that further large hikes would likely be needed.

The Fed has been ramping up its drive to tighten credit and slow growth with inflation having reached a four-decade high of 8.6%, spreading to more areas of the economy. Americans are also starting to expect high inflation to last longer than they had before — a sentiment that could embed an inflationary psychology and make it harder to slow price increases.

And with midterm elections nearing, high inflation has surged to the top of Americans’ concerns, posing a threat to President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress.

 Investigator: DNA could identify 2 Tulsa massacre victims

Investigators seeking to identify victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre have found enough usable DNA for testing on two of the 14 sets of remains removed from a local cemetery a year ago

ByKen Miller Associated Press

June 23, 2022, 1:09 AM

3:31

On Location: June 22, 2022

Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.

Investigators seeking to identify victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre have found enough usable DNA for testing on two of the 14 sets of remains removed from a local cemetery a year ago, a forensic scientist said Wednesday.

Danny Hellwig with Intermountain Forensics in Salt Lake City, which is examining the remains, told The Associated Press that it's a promising step toward identifying the people whose remains were removed from Oaklawn Cemetery.

“We have two (sets) that we’re very excited about,” Hellwig said. “It doesn’t guarantee us a result, but it gives us hope” for learning the names.

The key, Hellwig said, is having descendants of those individuals provide DNA to a database so a match can be made when DNA sequencing is complete.

The sequencing is expected to begin in July or August, Hellwig said. A match to a family member could be made within days if the descendant is in Intermountain Forensics' DNA database.

4 inmates who escaped federal prison camp back in custody

 4 inmates who escaped federal prison camp back in custody

The U.S. Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Prisons say all four inmates who escaped a minimum-security prison satellite camp in Virginia over the weekend are now back in custody

ByThe Associated Press

June 23, 2022, 12:52 AM

3:31

On Location: June 22, 2022

Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.

HOPEWELL, Va. -- All four inmates who escaped a minimum-security prison satellite camp in Virginia over the weekend are now back in custody, the U.S. Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Prisons announced Wednesday.

The inmates were discovered missing from the satellite camp of the Federal Correctional Complex Petersburg in Hopewell, Virginia, around 1:45 a.m. Saturday, the bureau said in a news release Saturday.

Tavaraes Lajuane Graham, Corey Branch, Lamonte Rashawn Willis and Kareem Allen Shaw left the minimum security camp around 10 p.m. Friday and it was a couple of hours before their absence was detected, Senior Inspector Kevin Connolly of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force said.

Graham returned to the camp and surrendered early Sunday and Branch and Shaw surrendered Tuesday, officials said. Willis surrendered at Petersburg’s medium security facility on Wednesday, officials said.

Bureau officials did not release any details about the escape but said Saturday that an internal investigation has been initiated. According to the bureau's website, its minimum-security satellite camps have dormitory housing and limited or no perimeter fencing. They provide inmate labor to the main institution and to off-site work programs.

The U.S. Marshals Service and the bureau continue to investigate and will relay findings to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Richmond, Connolly said in a statement.

Graham, 44, was sentenced in the Eastern District of North Carolina to 10 years for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Branch, 41, was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia to more than 13 years for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm.

Willis, 30, was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia to 18 years for possessing and concealing a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Shaw, 46, was sentenced in the Western District of Virginia to more than 16 years for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a measurable quantity of heroin.

Jury: Construction company retaliated against immigrant

 Jury: Construction company retaliated against immigrant

A federal jury has awarded $650,000 in damages to a Massachusetts construction worker who said his employer retaliated against him after he was injured on the job by sparking an immigration investigation that led to his arrest

ByThe Associated Press

June 23, 2022, 1:12 AM

BOSTON -- A federal jury has awarded $650,000 in damages to a Massachusetts construction worker who said his employer retaliated against him after he was injured on the job by sparking an immigration investigation that led to his arrest.

The jury on Tuesday ordered Tara Construction to pay $50,000 in compensatory damages for emotional distress and the company and its owner to pay a total of $600,000 in punitive damages to José Martin Paz Flores, who is referred to as Paz in court documents.

The U.S. Department of Labor sued on behalf of Paz in March 2019, alleging the company and owner Pedro Pirez retaliated against him in violation of federal law.

Even though Paz was allegedly in the U.S. illegally, federal labor law prohibits retaliation against employees for exercising their workplace rights, regardless of immigration status, the agency said.

Paz, a drywall taper, broke his leg when he fell off a ladder in March 2017, according to court records.

Pirez contacted Boston police, who with the help of federal immigration officials, initiated an investigation into Paz. About two months after the injury, Pirez asked Paz to come to his office to pick up some money, where he was arrested, according to court records.

Pirez was concerned because there was some confusion over Paz's name and didn't envision the arrest, his lawyer said Wednesday, noting that his client is also a Latino immigrant who “cares deeply for people in Mr. Paz’s situation.”

“He needed to know Paz’s real name because the hospital was pressing for information, and he never foresaw what would ensue,” Daniel Dwyer said in a statement. “Later, ICE discovered information on its own that led to its decision to arrest.”

Pirez feels he was “misjudged” by the jury and is considering an appeal, Dwyer said.

Tundra wildfire creeps closer toward Alaska Native community

A tundra wildfire has moved closer to an Alaska Native community in southwest Alaska, but mandatory evacuations have not been ordered

ByMark Thiessen Associated Press

June 13, 2022, 1:42 AM

A tundra wildfire continued to creep closer to an Alaska Native community in southwest Alaska, but mandatory evacuations have not been ordered, fire officials said Sunday.

The East Fork fire was within 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) of St. Mary’s, a statement from Alaska Wildland Fire Information said.

Even though it had moved 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) closer to the Yup’ik community since Saturday, fire managers said the progress has slowed somewhat because of favorable weather conditions. The temperatures were slightly cooler with rising humidity, which could help moderate fire conditions. However, winds are expected to remain steady out of the north, helping move the fire toward populated areas.

The fire is burning in dry grass and shrubs like alder and willow in the mostly treeless tundra in southwest Alaska. The fire was started by lightning May 31.

Firefighters are working to strengthen primary and secondary fire lines protecting St. Mary’s and the nearby communities of Pitkas Point and Mountain Village and properties, including cabins, between them. No structures have been lost in the fire.

The fire is also 10 miles (16 kilometers) from another community, Pilot Station. Firefighters were expected to evaluate options of opening a preexisting fire line around that community.

Another fire northwest of the East Fork fire is growing, but it still about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Mountain Village.

There are 204 personnel working the East Fork fire, which has grown to 190 square miles (492 square kilometers). Additional personnel are expected to arrive Monday, when even more favorable weather conditions are also expected, including increased cloud cover, higher humidity and cooler temperatures. Officials also said the front may switch the wind direction to the southwest, which would help push the fire away from villages.

Even though there are no mandatory evacuations, the combined 700 residents of St. Mary’s and Pitkas Point, located about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south, have been on alert since Friday to prepare for possible evacuation.

Nearly 150 residents from the affected communities have already temporarily relocated to the southwest Alaska hub community of Bethel.

St. Mary’s is located about 450 miles (724 kilometers) west of Anchorage.

 Texas prisons resume inmate transport with tougher security

Texas prison system officials say they're resuming inmate transportation with tougher security after a convicted murderer escaped a prison van and killed five people

ByThe Associated Press

June 13, 2022, 4:00 AM

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Texas prison system officials will resume inmate transportation Monday with tougher security after a convicted murderer escaped a prison van and killed five people, officials said.

In a statement, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said inmate transportation would resume with three corrections officers for each transport instead of the previous two and other new security measures.

Prison officials had suspended non-emergency trips after Gonzalo Lopez slipped his restraints and cage, stabbed the driver, and escaped a prison van last month. He went on to kill five members of a Houston-area family before law enforcement officers killed him in South Texas, authorities said.

Other new security measures for transporting inmates from prisons include enhanced searches of inmates before they board prison vans. Inmates had previously been strip-searched before they boarded prison vehicles, prison system spokesman Jason Clark said Sunday. He declined to say what form the enhanced searches would take.

Prison officials would install new video surveillance equipment in transport vehicles, transport inmates determined to pose the highest risk by themselves and enhance onsite medical capabilities to reduce the need for offsite transport.

Meanwhile, a previously announced independent security review of what allowed Lopez to escape would continue by an outside party, according to the TDCJ statement.

Hate crime probe after group disrupts Drag Queen Story Hour

 Hate crime probe after group disrupts Drag Queen Story Hour

Authorities are investigating a possible hate crime after a group of men allegedly shouted homophobic and anti-LGBTQ slurs during a weekend Drag Queen Story Hour at a San Francisco Bay Area library

ByThe Associated Press

June 13, 2022, 4:54 AM

SAN LORENZO, Calif. -- Authorities were investigating a possible hate crime after a group of men allegedly shouted homophobic and anti-LGBTQ slurs during a Drag Queen Story Hour at a San Francisco Bay Area library, a sheriff's official said.

Deputies responded to the San Lorenzo Library Saturday afternoon following reports of a disturbance during the reading for preschool-aged children in celebration of Pride Month, said Lt. Ray Kelly with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.

The host of the children’s story program, Bay Area drag queen Panda Dulce, said on Instagram that the group disrupted the event, shouting “tranny” and “pedophile." The disruption “totally freaked out all of the kids” and the group “attempted to escalate to violence," he wrote.

No arrests have been made, no one was physically harmed, and sheriff's officials are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime and harassment of children, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

“It appears the group of men may be affiliated with the Proud Boys organization,” said Kelly, adding that the five men involved were wearing the black and yellow colors associated with the far-right group.

Kelly said the sheriff’s office plans to post deputies at future story-hour events at the library “to deal with any disruptors."

The incident was first reported by KQED.

In Idaho, more than two dozen members of a white supremacist group were arrested near a pride event. Police say the 31 Patriot Front members had riot gear and were seen loading people into a U-Haul at a hotel parking lot in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Among those arrested was Thomas Rousseau of Grapevine, Texas, who has been identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as the 23-year-old who founded the group.

Flagstaff wildfire forces evacuations, steadily grows

Authorities say firefighters are responding to a wildfire about six miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona, that has forced evacuations

ByFelicia Fonseca Associated Press

June 13, 2022, 9:16 AM

Darren King watches as smoke from a wildfire rises above the trees Sunday, June 12, 2022, on the outskirts of Flagstaff, Ariz. Evacuations are in effect in parts of northern Arizona as a wildfire about 6 miles (9 kilometers) north of Flagstaff st...

The Associated Press

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Evacuations are in effect in parts of northern Arizona as a wildfire about 6 miles (9 kilometers) north of Flagstaff steadily grew Sunday, authorities said.

Coconino National Forest officials said the Pipeline Fire was reported at 10:15 a.m. by a fire lookout and had burned approximately 4,000-5,000 acres by late Sunday, pushing about 15 miles (24 kilometers).

In connection with the fire, Forest Service law enforcement said they have arrested and charged a 57-year-old man with natural resource violations. The cause of the wildfire wasn’t immediately known.

Coconino County Sheriff’s officials said the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort and people living in the area of the west Schultz Pass Road must evacuate. People living in Doney Park and the area near Mt. Elden should be prepared.

Euelda King and her family evacuated their home for the second time this year because of wildfires. She hadn’t settled back in from a springtime blaze before leaving again Sunday, this time able to grab photographs and clothing she didn’t get earlier.

“Here we go again,” she said.

The family of 11 is planning to stay at the Navajo Nation casino, which is offering assistance to tribal members who evacuated.

The family was waiting in a parking lot ahead of road closure signs, watching smoke billow through the air and aircraft flying overhead.

“The winds are high, and I think they’re going to have a little bit of a battle with it,” King said.

Wind gusts were sweeping the smoke through Schultz Pass toward Doney Park and authorities said recreationists were being told to leave immediately, especially those in the Schultz Pass area.

The American Red Cross Arizona opened a shelter at Sinagua Middle School for residents who evacuated.

“With this thing going as fast as it is, it could get much closer, of course hoping it doesn’t,” King said.

Authorities said 13 engines, nine crews, six prevention patrol units, three bulldozers and one water tender were involved in the fighting the fire. An Incident Management Team is scheduled to arrive Monday.

The Arizona Department of Transportation has closed U.S. Route 89. The department said in a Twitter post that there is no estimated time to reopen the road.