MONROE, La. (AP) — Federal prosecutors are investigating whether Louisiana State Police brass obstructed justice to protect the troopers seen on long-withheld body camera video punching, dragging and stunning Black motorist Ronald Greene during his fatal 2019 arrest. It marks a significant expansion of the federal inquiry that began as a blow-by-blow examination of the troopers’ violence against Greene and their apparent efforts to cover it up. Investigators are now moving up the chain of command, probing allegations that supervisors disregarded the video evidence, quashed a recommendation to arrest one of the troopers and recently pressed a state prosecutor not to bring any charges, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and a half dozen people familiar with the case. “Their investigation is far beyond just use of force,” said Ron Haley, an attorney for Greene’s family, who met with federal authorities at length last month. “They’re casting a very wide net.” …
United states
U.S. services sector growth accelerates despite supply constraints
Summary Services sector activity index hits record high in July Private payrolls increase 330,000 in July Leisure and hospitality accounts for bulk of job gains Construction, manufacturing payrolls growth slows WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - A measure of U.S. services industry activity jumped to a record high in July, boosted by the shift in spending to services from goods, but businesses continued to pay higher prices for inputs because of supply constraints. The Institute for Supply Management survey on Wednesday also showed a rebound in a gauge of services industry employment last month. That eased worries of a sharp slowdown in job growth, which had been stoked by the ADP Employment Report showing the smallest gain in private payrolls in five months in July. The bounce back in the ISM services employment index followed a similar reading for the manufacturing sector. The economy is pushing ahead after fully recovering in the second quarter the sharp loss in …
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British holidaymakers could be forced to pay to travel to Europe, Home Secretary admits
British holidaymakers could be forced to pay for visas to travel to Europe as a trade-off for the Brexit vote, the Home Secretary has admitted. Amber Rudd said she could not "rule out" the introduction of a scheme which would force those from outside the EU to pay for visas. The plan, currently being considered by EU nations, emerged over the weekend and on Sunday Ms Rudd suggested that Britain could be prepared to accept visas as a price worth paying during the Brexit negotiations. But she warned that the UK could retaliate and create a similar system if British citizens were hit with a charge to travel to countries like France and Spain. Critics have branded the scheme, which could cost around £10 per person, a "holiday tax" and called on Theresa May to rule it out. But asked about plans for a European Union visa yesterday the Home Secretary said the British people would be "surprised" at being forced to pay. She added: "I don’t think it’s particularly desirable but …
Britons may need to apply for online clearance to visit Europe post-Brexit
British tourists could be required to register for a Europe-wide visa after 2020 following a European Union plan to introduce an American-style visa-waiver scheme. The proposals, which have been backed in the past by Britain, will require all non-EU citizens to pay 5 euros (£4.30) and fill out an online form to obtain clearance to travel within Europe's 26-nation ID check-free area. The checks, which will see applicants cross-checked against visa, criminal and stolen document databases, will apply to people from 60 countries, including the US, who are currently granted visa-free travel to the EU for business and tourism. Whether or not Britain is exempted from the scheme would depend on the outcome of the forthcoming Brexit negotiations with Europe, British officials said, but conceded it would logically apply once the UK has become a third country, outside the EU. Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, said in a BBC interview last September that she could not rule out that Britons …
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Tunisia leader fires ambassador to US in rash of dismissals
A day after naming a new economy minister, President Kais Saied on Tuesday added Tunisia s ambassador to the United States to a rash of dismissals, but he has yet to say who will replace the prime minister he fired less than two weeks ago or when. Saied, who took on executive powers July 25 and began ruling by decree, has also undertaken globe-spanning consultations, meeting Tuesday with the foreign minister of Egypt a critical ally in the Middle East Local polls say there is large support for Saied’s controversial actions, which importantly included freezing Tunisia's parliament, The North African country has been cementing its democracy since chasing out its former autocratic ruler a decade ago, triggering the Arab Spring. Tunisia is the only success story to emerge from those chaotic times, and allies, from the United States to Europe and the Middle East, have worried about what comes next. Tunisia is coping with economic, social and health crises, with the …
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US trade deficit rises 1.9% in January
The U.S. trade deficit rose 1.9% in January as the coronavirus pandemic continued to disrupt global commerce. The gap between the goods and services the United States sold and what it bought abroad rose to $68.2 billion from $67 billion in December, the Commerce Department reported Friday. Exports rose 1% to $191.9 billion, while imports increased 1.2% to $260.2 billion. The politically sensitive trade gap with China fell 3.2% to $27.2 billion. The trade deficit with Mexico rose $1.6 billion to $11.9 billion in January. The coronavirus has upended trade in services such as education and travel, sections of the economy in which the United States runs persistent surpluses. Measured in dollars, monthly exports of U.S. services have declined by nearly one-fourth since the virus outbreak about a year ago. Year-over-year, the goods and services deficit climbed to $23.8 billion, or 53.7%, from January 2020. …
American commissioner Mike Aresco denies any collusion to add Big 12 teams
American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco denied allegations that his conference and ESPN had "strategically aligned or plotted to influence conference structures," adding that any suggestion otherwise was "a completely unfounded and grossly irresponsible accusation." Last week, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby suggested that ESPN and an unnamed conference had gone after several remaining Big 12 teams and told CBS Sports the American had pursued three to five teams from his conference. Aresco vehemently fired back at that assertion Wednesday. "Our conference has never strategically aligned or plotted with ESPN to influence conference structures," Aresco said during a virtual media day event. "We wouldn't do that, ESPN has never done that and would not do it. We do consult with our television and business partners on issues related to our conference; everyone does. But any suggestions or statements that we colluded with ESPN with regard to the structure of any …
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Mexico sues several gunmakers, alleges company practices increase illegal guns from U.S.
The Mexican government sued several U.S. gun manufacturers Wednesday, accusing the companies of illegal practices that lead to increased gun violence and bloodshed in its country, the Associated Press reported. Among those being sued are big names in gun manufacturing, such as Smith & Wesson Brands, Barret Firearms Manufacturing, Beretta U.S.A. Corp., Colt's Manufacturing Co. and Glock. The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Boston. It names as another defendant Interstate Arms, a Boston-area wholesaler that sells guns from all but one of the named manufacturers to U.S. dealers, the AP said. For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below: The Mexican government argues that the companies know that their practices contribute to the trafficking of guns to Mexico and facilitate it. Mexico wants compensation for the havoc the guns have wrought in its country. The Mexican government "brings this action to put an end to the massive damage that the Defendants …
Man killed by lightning day after news site says there were no deaths this year
People claim The Washington Post "tempted fate" after revealing no one had been killed by a lightning strike in 2021, only for a man to die the next day. The news site shared an article entitled "The United States has yet to see a lightning fatality this year, a record to date," published on Tuesday. They uploaded the story on their Twitter page the following day, captioned: "Nobody has been killed by lightning in the United States this year, the first time the nation has made it this far into the year without a lightning death." But just hours after it was shared, a man died after being struck by lightning in New Jersey. Accuweather cited a report from the National Weather Service (NWS), confirming a man died on Wednesday after being struck at around 3.45 p.m. EDT. Action News later revealed the man, who hasn't been identified, was playing golf at the Burlington Country Club in Westampton Township. The site claimed officials revealed the man was struck between the …
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Man who allegedly chased woman naked through woods says it was misunderstanding
A man who allegedly pursued a female hiker through the Sam Houston National Forest in the nude claims that he was only naked because he had to defecate, according to The Houston Chronicle . The man, identified as 53-year-old Scott Alexander Stephens, has been charged with disorderly conduct. If convicted, he could potentially be on the hook for a significant amount of money. Such Class C misdemeanors, per the Texas penal code, are punishable by a fine of up to $500. The victim called the Montgomery County sheriff's office on Friday evening to report that a naked man was chasing her on Lone Star Hiking Trail's Trailhead No. 3 in Sam Houston. Located 50 miles away from the city that partially shares its name, the forest spans 163,037 acres, according to the Forest Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. When deputies arrived to take the woman's statement, she told a patrol sergeant that she had seen the man emerge from a nearby stand of trees and begin to walk in …
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