SUNSET OVER HONG KONG
Body of missing Missouri student found in Tennessee river
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The body of missing University of Missouri student Riley Strain was discovered Friday morning in the Cumberland River in West Nashville, Tennessee, about 8 miles from downtown Nashville.
Metro Nashville police and Nashville firefighters responded after a work crew spotted a body shortly before 7:30 a.m. in the river, Police Chief John Drake said at a news conference Friday morning. Strain still had on the same shirt and watch he was wearing when he went missing, Drake said, which helped authorities identify him.
Metro Nashville police said in a post on social media its investigators did not observe foul play-related trauma.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’connell shared his condolences on social media to Strain’s family on Friday morning.
“This is not the outcome that anyone hoped for – especially his parents and everyone who loved him,” O’connell wrote. “We will continue to work toward improvements in safety in a variety of ways. I hope people will support the family, including by respecting their privacy.”
Wisconsin joins states requiring transparency for AI content
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin became the latest state addressing the use of artificial intelligence ahead of the 2024 election when Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday signed into law a bipartisan bill that requires political ads with content generated by AI to include disclaimers.
“AI technology is accessible, and can make it nearly impossible to distinguish between fact and fiction in advertisements. By requiring transparency in campaign communications, we can ensure Wisconsin residents remain informed,” state Rep. Adam Neylon, a Republican author of the bill, said in a statement.
The bill carries a $1,000 fine for each violation. California, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Washington, New Mexico and Indiana have similar laws, and three other states have bills ready to be
signed into law. Family of California teenager killed by deputies files claim
The family of Ryan Gainer, a 15-yearold boy with autism who was fatally shot by California sheriff’s deputies on March 9, has filed a wrongful death claim against San Bernardino County, the family’s attorneys announced Thursday.
The wrongful death claim, a predecessor to a lawsuit, includes allegations against sheriff’s personnel such as assault, battery, false imprisonment, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Gainer was killed after the county sheriff’s department responded to a call reporting the teen was assaulting family members and damaging property. Body camera footage shows deputies firing at Gainer after he ran at them with a bladed garden tool.
Under state law, county representatives have 30 days to respond to the claim, which sought unspecified damages.
Texan arrested, accused of using another passenger’s plane ticket
AUSTIN, Texas – A Texas man was arrested on Sunday when he boarded a Delta Air Lines flight in Utah using a photo of another passenger’s ticket.
According to the complaint, Wicliff Yves Fleurizard, 26, of George, Texas, faces a charge of stowaway after he boarded an Austin-bound Delta flight at Salt Lake City International Airport, after the flight he originally booked was full. He was reassigned to a later flight, but instead headed to Delta gates, where he was seen on surveillance footage taking photos of passenger’s phones and boarding passes while they weren’t looking, the complaint says.
Fleurizard boarded Delta 1683 using a picture from his phone and entered the lavatory in the front of the aircraft, where he spent a “significant amount of time,” the complaint alleged. As he exited, a flight attendant verified that his seat belonged to another passenger. The aircraft returned to the gate, where Fleurizard disembarked and was met by law enforcement. Delta stated its cooperation with law enforcement and federal agencies in the investigation.
Event planned for anniversary of Tennessee school shooting
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Thousands are expected to form a human chain across midtown Nashville on Wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly Covenant School shooting.
The shooting, which killed three children and three adult staff members, captured international attention and drove weeks of protests and demonstrations in and around the Tennessee Capitol.
Nonpartisan group Voices for a Safer Tennessee hopes to draw 13,000 people to the event, dubbed “Linking Arms for Change,” to form a 4-mile human chain stretching from the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to the Tennessee state Capitol.
“This event will demonstrate the hope felt by Tennesseans that together we can strengthen policies that will lead to safer communities across our state,” the group stated.
27 endangered Amazon parrots seized at Us-mexico border
PHOENIX – More than two dozen endangered exotic birds were seized at Area Port of Nogales by border agents, according to a Monday news release by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The 27 Amazon parrots being smuggled into the U.S. through the Mariposa Crossing were found in a passenger vehicle by port personnel, the agency said. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora protects these birds, the agency noted.
There were 25 white-fronted Amazon parrots and two lilac-crowned Amazon parrots — each valued between $800 and $3,000 — concealed inside a crate and covered by a dark cloth, according to the agency. It was unclear when the seizure of the birds happened.
“Parrots and other birds can also be a source of various animal diseases, some of which are transmittable to humans,” the press release read.