NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
1 Slave ship: Alabama’s state historical commission will retain control of the last U.S. slave ship, the Clotilda. Friday was the deadline for any potential owners to claim the wreckage of the wooden schooner, which was burned near Mobile after illegally bringing about 110 captives to Alabama from Africa in 1860. Because no one claimed the ship’s remains, the state can now move forward in federal court to take permanent possession. Researchers identified the wreckage of the ship earlier this year. It’s unclear what might be done with the wreckage or whether it can be raised.
2 No custody: A Florida judge has ruled that a 4yearold boy is in imminent danger of neglect if he stays with his parents because of their desire to treat his leukemia with natural remedies instead of chemotherapy. Judge Thomas Palermo ruled last week in Tampa that Joshua McAdams and Taylor BlandBall will be required to undergo a psychological evaluation after which they may be able to be reunified with their child. The Tampa Bay Times reports Noah Adams is in the custody of his grandparents for now. If the parents fail to comply, Noah’s outofhome placement may become permanent. Earlier this year, when the parents failed to show up for a scheduled chemotherapy treatment, Florida authorities issued an endangered child alert. The family was tracked down in Kentucky.
3 Teen sentenced: A Texas teenager has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for recruiting fighters on behalf of a Pakistanbased terrorist organization. Michael Kyle Sewell, 18, was sentenced this week in federal court in Fort Worth after pleading guilty in May to a charge of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Authorities say Sewell tried to recruit a fellow American to join Lashkare-Taiba, the militant group behind a 2008 attack in India’s financial capital of Mumbai that killed 166. Sewell put the person in contact with someone he thought would facilitate travel to join the terror group. But authorities say that person was an undercover FBI agent.
4 Green Beret killed: A 41yearold Green Beret who was on his fourth combat deployment has been killed by small arms fire in Afghanistan. U.S. Army Special Operations Command spokesman Loren Bymer at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., said in a statement that Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy W. Griffin died Monday. Griffin was from Greenbrier, Tenn. Bymer said that Griffin was engaged in combat operations in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province.
5 ECigarette ban: New York became the first state to ban the sale of flavored ecigarettes Tuesday, a move that comes as federal health officials investigate a mysterious surge of severe breathing illnesses linked to vaping. The vote by the state Public Health and Health Planning Council means the ban, which covers all flavored cigarettes and other vaping products except for menthol and tobacco flavors, goes into effect immediately.