Karen Read seeks delay in wrongful death lawsuit until her trial on murder and other charges is done

BOSTON (AP) — Karen Read is seeking to delay a wrongful death lawsuit until her criminal trial in connection with the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend is done. The lawsuit filed last month by the family of John O’Keefe blames his death on Read, and also on what the lawsuit describes as negligence by bars that continued to serve drinks to her despite signs she was drunk. It says the first bar served her seven alcoholic drinks in about 90 minutes the night of Jan. 28, 2022, and that Read carried the last drink into the second bar, where she was served more alcohol.

Sheriff says rescuers ‘will not rest’ as search for Helene’s victims drags into second week

PENSACOLA, N.C. (AP) — The search for victims of Hurricane Helene has dragged into its second week. With at least 215 dead, phone service and electricity outages continued to hinder efforts to contact the unaccounted for Friday. That means search crews must trudge through the mountains to learn whether residents listed as missing are safe. Exhausted rescue crews and volunteers continue to work long days — navigating past washed out roads, downed power lines and mudslides. Sheriff Quentin Miller of Buncombe County, North Carolina, has a message for those still waiting: “We’re coming to get you. We’re coming to pick up our people.”

Retired New Jersey State Police trooper who stormed Capitol is sentenced to probation

WASHINGTON (AP) — A retired New Jersey State Police trooper who stormed the U.S. Capitol with a mob of Donald Trump supporters has been sentenced to probation instead of prison. Videos captured Michael Daniele, 61, yelling and flashing a middle finger near police officers guarding the Capitol before he entered the building on Jan. 6, 2021. Daniele expressed his regret for his role in the attack before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced him on Friday to two years of probation, including 30 days of home confinement.

Judge denies order Black student punished over hair had sought to return to Texas school

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge has denied a request by a Black high school student in Texas for a court order that the student’s lawyers say would have allowed him to return to his high school without fear of having his previous punishment over his hairstyle resume. Darryl George had sought the order to reenroll at his Houston-area high school in the Barbers Hill school district after leaving at the start of his senior year in August because district officials were set to continue punishing him for not cutting his hair. In a ruling issued Friday, a federal judge denied George’s request, saying the student and his lawyers had waited too long to ask for the order.