Viral video at day care leads to charges

ST. LOUIS — Charges have been filed against two Missouri day care center workers after surveillance video showing a 3-year-old girl being thrown against a cabinet went viral.

The woman accused of throwing the girl, 27-yearold Wilma Brown, was charged with felony child abuse on Thursday in St. Louis County. Relatives said the girl suffered a head gash that required seven stiches during the incident on Feb. 1 at Brighter Day Care and Preschool.

Prosecutors also charged 22-year-old Ariana Silver for a separate incident on Feb. 27 that also was allegedly captured by surveillance video. Charging documents allege Ms. Silver squeezed a 4-year-old girl’s arm and punctured her skin, and then carried the girl by her foot.

Southwest sues union

Southwest is suing its mechanics union over what it claims is an illegal work slowdown that is grounding planes and disrupting flights.

It is Southwest’s second lawsuit in three years against the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association and the result of raw feelings on both sides after more than six years of fruitless contract negotiations.

The airline filed the lawsuit late Thursday in federal district court in Dallas.

Southwest charges that some workers are pulling planes out of service for minor mechanical items to gain leverage in contract talks.

Pilot dies in crash

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A pilot died Friday when a yellow plane towing a banner crashed into a Fort Lauderdale high-rise condominium and fell onto a pool deck several floors below.

It was about 11:42 a.m. when calls came that a small plane had crashed into an 18-story condominium building, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Stephan Gollan said.

The exterior of the condo was being renovated and those living inside were safely evacuated, Chief Gollan said.

Manafort seeks leniency

Paul Manafort asked a federal judge in Virginia to give him a prison term “significantly below” the 19 to 24 years called for under sentencing guidelines, calling that range “clearly disproportionate to” his crimes of bank and tax fraud.

This is the former Trump campaign chairman’s second bid for leniency as he faces punishment in two cases prosecuted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. He is set to be sentenced in Virginia at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

Manafort has been jailed since last June, when he was charged with witness tampering after contacting associates and encouraging them to lie about his lobbying work. He developed gout during his incarceration, his attorneys say.

Justices and budget

WASHINGTON — Two Supreme Court justices plan to testify before Congress next week about the high court’s budget for the first time in four years, amid legislative efforts to overhaul ethics and transparency policies of the judicial branch.

Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Elena Kagan are set to appear at a public hearing Thursday before the House Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee.

The Supreme Court received $84.7 million in discretionary spending for salaries and expenses in the fiscal 2019 omnibus signed last month.