NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
1 Drug kingpin: Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman wants his U.S. conspiracy conviction thrown out. His lawyers filed an appeal arguing the trial judge in New York City made rulings allowing a jury to hear faulty evidence. It also cites reports that some jurors sought out news accounts about sex abuse allegations against him that were barred from the trial. Guzman was sentenced last year to life behind bars in for a major drug conspiracy that spread murder and mayhem for more than two decades. Before the federal case, he had attained nearmythical status by escaping from prison twice in Mexico.
2 Portland protests: Hundreds of people gathered for rallies and marches against police violence and racial injustice Saturday in Portland, Ore., as often violent nightly demonstrations that have happened for 100 days showed no signs of ceasing. Police arrested 59 people. Demonstrations in Portland started in late May after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. During the clashes, some have broken windows, set small fires and pelted police with rocks and other objects.
3 Activists arrested: More than a dozen demonstrators have been released from jail in Florida’s capital city, after being arrested during a protest over the exoneration of police by a grand jury in the deaths of three Black suspects in separate incidents this year. Tallahassee police said protest organizers did not have permits for a Saturday march that drew dozens and turned raucous. Jail records showed most were taken into custody for resisting officers and assembling unlawfully. The grand jury declined to issue indictments against officers involved in the shooting deaths of Mychael Johnson, Tony McDade and Wilbon Woodard — all of whom were Black. Jurors concluded the use of deadly force was justified.
4 Police shooting: Jacob Blake has spoken publicly for the first time since a Kenosha, Wis., police officer shot him seven times in the back, saying he’s in constant pain from the shooting, which doctors fear will leave him paralyzed from the waist down. “Every 24 hours it’s pain, nothing but pain. It hurts to breathe, it hurts to sleep, it hurts to move from sidetoside, it hurts to eat,” Blake said from his hospital bed in a video posted Saturday night by his family’s lawyer. Blake, who is Black, was shot by a white officer on Aug. 23 after walking away from the officer and two others who were trying to arrest him. The officer, Rusten Sheskey, and the other officers were placed on administrative leave. None of them have been charged.
5 Interstate pursuit: A suspect is in custody after a highspeed police chase began Saturday in North Carolina and ended in Virginia, injuring a deputy and two other people. The Nash County Sheriff ’s Office in North Carolina said officers responded around 7 p.m. to a report of someone firing gunshots at random cars on Interstate 95. The pursuit ended near Emporia, Va., after reaching speeds as high as 110 mph. A woman was hit in the shoulder. Another woman was hurt by shattered glass. A Nash County deputy suffered injuries that weren’t life threatening.