NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
1 Overfishing: The first-ever assessment of Hawaii’s reef fish shows that 11 of 27 species are experiencing some level of overfishing. Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center said in a statement Monday that 11 species including ulua, five surgeon-fishes, two goat-fishes, and three parrotfishes are being overfished. Reef fish support local tourism and fishing economies and are important to Native Hawaiian culture and the health of the overall ocean ecosystem.
2 Spouse slain: A man in Schenectady, N.Y., threw gasoline on his wife and set her on fire during an argument, killing her, police said. A fire was reported Saturday at the home of Elizabeth Gonzales and Antonio Bargallo. A neighbor woken by her screams used a blanket to put out the flames on her burning clothes. Gonzales, 48, told police her husband threw gasoline on her and set her ablaze. She was airlifted to a hospital, where she died Sunday. Bargallo, 69, is being held in the county jail without bail.
3 Inauguration crowds: The National Park Service on Monday released dozens of photographs of President Trump’s inauguration that appear to counter his claim that up to 1.5 million attended the event in Washington. The photos were released in response to news media requests made through the Freedom of Information Act. The park service also released photos from President Barack Obama’s two inaugurations. The photos show the 2009 event far outstripped the number of people who attended Trump’s inauguration.
4 Detained family: An Afghan family of five who traveled to the United States on special visas and were detained by immigration officials at the Los Angeles airport were released from custody Monday, officials said. The mother, father and their three young sons arrived Thursday for a connecting flight to Washington state, where they planned to resettle. Instead, immigration officials detained them. Homeland Security officials haven’t said why the family was held, while immigrant advocates asserted in a court petition there was “absolutely no justification whatsoever.” The father obtained special immigrant visas because he had worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan.
5 Overdose fines: An Ohio community is trying to fight the heroin epidemic by bringing a misdemeanor charge against drug users who are revived by emergency responders using an overdose antidote. Authorities began using the strategy last month in Washington Court House, a community halfway between Cincinnati and Columbus. They’re citing people with inducing panic if responders revive them with naloxone, police Chief Brian Hottinger said. The misdemeanor is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. City Attorney Mark Pitstick said the strategy is aimed not at locking people up, but at giving authorities a way to track who has overdosed and to try to offer assistance.
Chronicle News Services