National Briefs
Jury finds Michigan school shooter’s mother guilty of manslaughter
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan jury has found a school shooter’s mother guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of four students in 2021. The verdict returned Tuesday makes Jennifer Crumbley the first parent in the U.S. to be held responsible for a child carrying out a mass school attack. Prosecutors said Crumbley was grossly negligent. She failed to tell Oxford High School officials that the family had a gun that her son, Ethan Crumbley, had used at a shooting range. Ethan was allowed to stay in school on Nov. 30, 2021, after school staff expressed concerns to his parents about his violent words and drawings.
FAA tells Congress not to raise the mandatory retirement for pilots
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration is warning against raising the mandatory retirement age for airline pilots. The FAA says it needs to study the safety implications before raising the age. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker told key senators about the agency’s view of the issue in a letter that was made public late Monday. The House voted last year to raise the retirement age from 65 to 67 as part of a larger bill covering FAA operations.
Not wearing a mask during COVID-19 isn’t a free speech right, appeals court says
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A federal appeals court has shot down claims that there’s a First Amendment right not to wear face masks during the COVID-19 outbreak. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling Monday in two related cases stemming from lawsuits against officials in Freehold and Cranford, New Jersey. The suits revolved around claims that school boards retaliated against the plaintiffs because they refused to wear masks during public meetings. In one of the suits, the court sent the case back to a lower court for consideration. In the other, it said the plaintiff failed to show she was retaliated against.
Honda is recalling more than 750,000 vehicles to fix faulty air bag sensor
DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling over 750,000 vehicles in the U.S. because a faulty sensor may cause the front passenger air bags to inflate when they’re not supposed to. The recall covers much of the Honda and Acura model lineup from 2020 to 2022. Documents posted Tuesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say that the front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit and fail to disable the air bag as intended. The sensors are required to turn off the air bags if children or small adults are in the seats. If that doesn’t happen, it increases the risk of injury. Dealers will replace the seat sensors at no cost to owners.
Los Angeles records more than 300 mudslides during storm
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles city officials says crews had responded to nearly 400 mudslides and that five buildings had been deemed uninhabitable since an atmospheric river-fueled storm moved into the region over the weekend. Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference Tuesday that despite the record-setting rain that has drenched the city and caused widespread flooding, there have been no storm-related deaths reported in Los Angeles.