NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
_1 ”Insufficient briefing”: House Democrats returning from a briefing at the White House Tuesday said they still have many questions about explosive allegations that Russia offered bounties to Talibanlinked militants for killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan and questioned why President Trump won’t condemn Vladimir Putin over the issue. House Democrats met with White House officials as Trump downplayed the allegations and the White House said he had not been briefed on them. The Democrats said their briefing was insufficient and they need to hear from the intelligence community.
_2 Mississippi flag:With a stroke of the governor’s pen, Mississippi is retiring the last state flag in the U.S. with the Confederate battle emblem — a symbol that’s widely condemned as racist. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves on Tuesday signed the historic bill that takes the 126yearold state flag out of law, immediately removing official status for the banner that has been a source of division for generations. Mississippi has faced increasing pressure to change its flag since protests against racial injustice have focused attention on Confederate symbols.
_3 Tulsa shooting: One of the two Tulsa, Okla., police officers who were shot during a traffic stop has died, authorities said Tuesday. Police Chief Wendell Franklin said Sgt. Craig Johnson died Tuesday. He said Johnson was shot multiple times during the Monday attack, including one shot that was “critical.” Johnson and rookie officer Aurash Zarkeshan were shot at about 3:30 a.m. Monday during a traffic stop. The suspected gunman, 32yearold David Anthony Ware, was arrested following a search that lasted more than seven hours. A motive for the shooting was unclear. Tulsa police Capt. Richard Meulenberg said Ware had no known bias against police.
_4 Biden slams Trump: Joe Biden took aggressive aim Tuesday at President Trump’s fitness for the Oval Office, suggesting he has abdicated his duty to protect U.S. troops facing Russian threats abroad and American citizens facing a pandemic and economic calamity at home. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, told reporters in Wilmington, Del., that Trump has “a lot to answer for” concerning news reports that he was advised as early as March 2019 of intelligence that suggested Russia was offering bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans. And, in prepared remarks, Biden accused Trump of “waving the white flag” as coronavirus cases spike nationwide and the death toll surpasses 125,000.
_5 Atlanta officer: The former Atlanta police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks can be free on bond while his case is pending, a judge ruled Tuesday. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jane Barwick set a bond of $500,000 for Garrett Rolfe, who faces charges including felony murder in the killing of Brooks, a 27yearold Black man. The shooting by the white officer happened against the backdrop of demonstrations nationwide over police brutality and systemic racism after George Floyd died under a Minneapolis officer’s knee. Brooks was shot twice in the back.
Chronicle News Services