Nation & World Glance
AUSTIN, Texas — Two package bomb blasts a few miles apart killed a teenager and wounded two women in Austin on Monday, less than two weeks after a similar attack left a man dead in another part of the Texas capital.
Investigators said the bombings are probably connected, and they are looking into whether race was a factor because all of the victims were minorities. The blasts unfolded just as the city was swelling with visitors to the South By Southwest music festival.
The first of Monday’s attacks killed a 17-year-old boy and wounded a 40-yearold woman, both of them black. As Police Chief Brian Manley held a news conference to discuss that attack, authorities were called to the scene of another explosion that injured a 75-yearold Hispanic woman. She was taken to a hospital with potentially life-threatening wounds. Authorities suspect that both of Monday’s explosions were linked to a March 2 attack that killed a 39-year-old black man. All three blasts happened as the packages were opened, and officials urged the public to call police if they receive any unexpected packages.
Porn actress offers to repay $130K so she can discuss Trump
LOS ANGELES — An adult film actress who said she had sex with President Donald Trump offered Monday to return the $130,000 she was paid for agreeing not to discuss the alleged relationship.
Stormy Daniels — whose real name is Stephanie Clifford — is willing to repay the money she received as part of a 2016 agreement, as long as she can speak openly about the situation, according to a copy of a letter from Clifford’s attorney obtained by The Associated Press.
The letter sent to Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen and his attorney, Lawrence Rosen, said the non-disclosure agreement would be considered “null and void” after she returned the money, and that would allow Clifford to speak about the relationship and the attempt to silence her while she publishes any text messages, photos and videos she may have.
“Mr. Cohen and the president should accept this proposal and allow Ms. Clifford to tell her side,” her attorney Michael Avenatti said. “The American people can then decide who was telling the truth.” The offer is valid until Tuesday the letter said. afternoon,
49 dead from plane that crashed in Nepal
KATHMANDU, Nepal — A plane crash at Nepal’s main airport killed 49 people among the 71 on board, police said Tuesday, and an investigation was ordered into the cause of the crash, which occurred after seeming confusion over the landing direction before the plane, flying low and erratically, struck the ground and erupted in flames.
The pilot did not follow the control tower’s instructions and approached the one runway from the wrong direction, the Kathmandu airport’s general manager said.