Immigrant charged in Iowa student slaying

MONTEZUMA, Iowa — A man from Mexico living in the U.S. illegally has confessed to kidnapping college student Mollie Tibbetts while she was running in her small Iowa hometown, killing her and dumping her body in a cornfield, authorities said Tuesday.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24,was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in thedeath of Ms. Tibbetts, whose July 18 disappearance setoff a massive search in volving state and federal authorities.

Mr. Rivera led investigators early Tuesday to a body believed to be Ms. Tibbetts in a cornfield about 12 miles southeast of Brooklyn, Iowa.

Warren’s ethics proposal

WASHINGTON— If Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has her way, federal judges will face steep new ethics standards, high-ranking government officials will be banned from ever becoming lobbyists — and any candidate for president will have to release at least eight years of past tax returns.

Ms. Warren’s speech Tuesday, focusing on the Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act that she’s introducing this week, highlighted a set of transparency reforms that would affect everything from how lobbyists have to report meeting swith members of Congress to what would be accessible in Freedom of Information Act requests.

Victim’s dad weeps in court

FREDERICK,Colo. — The fatherof a murdered pregnant woman openly wept in court asa judge announced murder charges against her husband Tuesday afternoon.

Frank Rzucek struggled to contain his emotions as his son-in-law, Christopher Watts, appeared in court for his arraignment, exactly one week after the suspect spoke with local news stations pleading for the safe return of his missing family.

Mr. Watts on Monday was chargedwith murder in the slaying of his wife, Shanann, and their children, 4-year-old Bella and Celeste, 3. He faces a total of nine felony counts, including unlawful termination ofa pregnancy and tampering with dead bodies.

UNC responds to protest

CHAPELHILL, N.C. — UNC system officials issued a statement Tuesday about the pro testers’ removal of UNC’s Silent Sam Confederate monument, saying “mob rule” won’t be tolerated.

The statement did not address what might happen to any protesters identified or what will ultimately become ofthe fallen statue, which was hauled away late Monday.

Silent Sam, which was erected105 years ago, was meantto honor alumni who fought in the Civil War. It was funded by alumni and Daughters of the Confederacy.