NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
➊ St. Louis violence: The shooting death of a woman in St. Louis marks the city’s 195th homicide this year, topping the 194 killings in all of 2019. The 24yearold woman was killed Thursday night in the city’s Benton Park West neighborhood. Police found the victim shot in the head, unconscious and not breathing. No further details were released. St. Louis has seen a spike in shootings, both fatal and nonfatal, since June, despite numerous efforts to curb the violence. St. Louis is among a handful of cities where federal agents were sent this summer to help fight gun violence, part of a program called Operation Legend.
➋ Portland protests: A man suspected of killing a rightwing protester in Portland, Ore., pointed a handgun at officers before he was shot to death by members of a federal task force trying to arrest him, authorities said. Michael Forest Reinoehl had a handgun when he was killed Sept. 3 near Lacey, Wash., according to the Thurston County Sheriff ’s Office, the agency investigating the shooting. Ballistics tests are being done to determine if the handgun he was carrying was the same weapon used in the Aug. 29 fatal shooting of Aaron Danielson in Portland. Reinhoehl, 48, was a selfdescribed antifascist and Black Lives Matter supporter. Danielson, 39, a supporter of the farright Patriot Prayer group, was killed after dueling protests in Portland.
➌ Pollution law: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law Friday a measure giving regulators power to deny development permits to businesses whose operations pollute predominantly Black and minority communities. Murphy, a Democrat, called the bill a “monumental reform” that puts New Jersey at the forefront nationally of environmental justice legislation. He signed the bill alongside lawmakers and Sen. Cory Booker, DN.J., who has introduced similar legislation in Washington.
➍ Ballot ruling: A judge on Friday cleared the way for more absentee ballots to be counted in Michigan, saying envelopes postmarked by the eve of the Nov. 3 election are eligible, even if they show up days later. The decision is significant in a state that is anticipating waves of absentee ballots this fall; about 2.3 million have already been requested. Judge Cynthia Stephens said there’s a crucial need for flexibility in November, especially after more than 6,400 ballots were disqualified in the state’s August primary election. “The evidence in this case stands uncontroverted and establishes that the mail system is currently fraught with delays and uncertainty in light of the COVID19 pandemic,” Stephens said. The state doesn’t plan to appeal the decision.
➎ Lasting marriage: Ralph and Dorothy Kohler this week celebrated their wedding anniversary — for the 85th time. Ralph Kohler was just 17 and Dorothy was 16 when they tied the knot on Sept. 17, 1935, in Tekamah, Neb. “Everybody said it would never last,” Ralph said. Ralph credits longevity in life and marriage to healthy habits — neither of them has ever had alcohol or smoked. “I cooked, and he liked to eat,” Dorothy said. Each grew to enjoy their spouse’s passions. Ralph took up ballroom dancing and Dorothy took up shooting clay targets.