NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
1 Smog ruling: A federal judge in Oakland ruled Monday that the Trump administration violated federal law when it failed to meet a deadline to identify all parts of the U.S. with dangerous smog levels. U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to complete the designations by the end of April. He ruled in two lawsuits, including one filed by California, thirteen other states and the District of Columbia. The agency had until Oct. 1, 2017, to designate what parts of the country were in and out of compliance with smog standards adopted during the Obama administration. The designations trigger a process that forces polluted regions to take steps to improve air quality.
2 Storm evacuations: With heavy rains in the forecast, evacuation orders were issued Monday for areas of Santa Barbara County that were devastated by January’s deadly mudslides. A mandatory evacuation order was in effect for foothill neighborhoods in and around Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria that are at high risk for loss of life and property. Officials was ordered out by 8 p.m. A recommended evacuation warning was in effect for a wider area. Residents in that zone were not under orders to leave but were at risk for flooding. A storm coming Tuesday is expected to bring rain heavy enough to potentially cause mudslides in the fire-scarred area where debris flows killed more than 20 people earlier this year.
3 Roommate attack: A white former Connecticut university student accused of smearing body fluids on her black roommate’s belongings has been allowed into a probation program that could result in criminal charges being erased from her record. A state judge in Hartford on Monday granted 18-year-old Brianna Brochu’s request for accelerated rehabilitation. Misdemeanor criminal mischief and breach of peace charges will be erased if she successfully completes two years of probation and 200 hours of community service. The roommate, Chennel Rowe, attended the court hearing and did not oppose the probation program request, saying she hoped Brochu would “change her ways.” Civil rights advocates called for hate crime charges. 4 Deputy dies: A sheriff ’s deputy died in a crash during a chase in eastern North Carolina. Edgecombe County sheriff ’s Deputy David Manning, 24, was killed in the wreck Sunday night near the town of Tarboro. Investigators say Manning was pursuing a vehicle when he lost control on a curve and hit an oncoming pickup truck. Two people in the pickup truck suffered minor injuries. The vehicle Manning was chasing crashed farther down the road.
5 Emergency landing: A Dallasbound flight was diverted to the Albuquerque International Sunport after smoke filled the aircraft’s cabin. Southwest flight 3562 took off from Phoenix on Sunday night and was headed for Dallas, but the plane was forced to land in Albuquerque after what might have been an electrical fire. Two people were taken to local hospitals. Their conditions were not disclosed.