NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
1 Tariffs threaten newspapers: About a dozen members of Congress are warning that newspapers in their home states are in danger of cutting coverage or going out of business if the U.S. maintains recently imposed tariffs on Canadian newsprint. The Trump administration ordered the tariffs in response to a complaint from a paper producer in Washington state. It argues that Canadian competitors take advantage of government subsidies to sell their product at unfairly low prices. Newsprint is generally the second-largest expense for local papers. The tariffs have increased prices by 25 to 30 percent.
2 Lava policy: Hawaii tour boat operators plan to continue taking visitors to see lava, but will follow the Coast Guard’s revised policy and stay farther away after an explosion caused molten rock to barrel through the roof of a vessel, injuring 23 people. The Coast Guard prohibits vessels from getting closer than 984 feet from where Kilauea volcano’s lava oozes into the sea. The agency had been allowing experienced boat operators to apply for a special license to get closer up to 164 feet, but it stopped allowing those exceptions this week. A woman in her 20s was in serious condition with a broken thigh bone. The 22 others injured were treated for minor burns and scrapes.
3 Manafort case: Special counsel Robert Mueller asked a judge to give immunity to five people who may testify at the bank fraud trial starting next week against Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman. Mueller didn’t identify the witnesses, who haven’t been charged. The five would invoke their constitutional right against self-incrimination and remain silent unless Judge T.S. Ellis III grants them immunity, prosecutors said Tuesday in a court filing in federal court in Alexandria, Va. Their names will be made public only if they are called to testify.
4 Enraged over disinheritance: A Florida woman is accused of beating her 85-year-old mother to death after learning she wouldn’t be receiving an inheritance from her. Gabriela Perero told investigators she’d become enraged after learning that her siblings would receive an inheritance and she would not, even though she’d been taking care of their mother, Luisa Perero, the Sun Sentinel reported. 5 Bribery convictions: A former New York state Senate leader and his son were convicted on Tuesday of extortion, wire fraud and bribery charges of pressuring businesses to give the son no-show jobs or else risk losing the powerful Republican’s political support. A jury in federal court in Manhattan deliberated four days before reaching the guilty verdict at the trial of Dean Skelos and his son, Adam. The top count against the pair, extortion, carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison but they are likely to receive far less time at sentencing on Oct. 24.