NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
1 Biker shootout: Prosecutors in Texas have dismissed 15 more cases relating to the 2015 shootout in Waco involving rival biker gangs that left nine dead and 20 others injured. McLennan County prosecutors said they’re dismissing the cases while focusing on others with “a higher level of culpability.” More than a dozen other cases were dismissed in February and officials said last week that only about 25 cases will be prosecuted out of the more than 150 people indicted on felony charges of engaging in organized criminal activity. Police arrested 177 bikers following the mayhem at a restaurant involving members of the Bandidos and Cossacks motorcycle clubs. Law enforcement officers monitoring the gathering also fired on the bikers.
2 Impeachment: Missouri lawmakers will convene in an historic special session later this month in the capital, Jefferson City, to consider impeaching Republican Gov. Eric Greitens following allegations of sexual misconduct and misuse of charity resources for his campaign. Republican House and Senate leaders said they had gathered more than the constitutionally required signatures of three-fourths of the members of each chamber to call a special session that will start on May 18. The petition tells lawmakers to consider the upcoming recommendations of an investigatory committee on potential disciplinary actions against the governor, which also could include lesser reprimands than impeachment.
3 Teacher protests: Most Arizona schools closed during a six-day teacher walkout over pay raises and education funding reopened on Friday. Teachers back at work at a high school in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa lined up to greet students with cheers and handshakes. Strike organizers called for an end to the walkout Thursday after an all-night legislative session resulted in a 20 percent pay raise by 2020.
4 Abortion bill: Iowa GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a six-week abortion ban into law on Friday, marking the strictest abortion regulation in the nation but setting the state up for a lengthy court fight. The legislation has pushed Iowa to the front of a drive among conservatives jockeying to enact restrictive regulations. Mississippi passed a law this year banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy; it’s on hold after a court challenge. The Iowa bill bans most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around six weeks of pregnancy. There are some exemptions.
5 Georgia execution: Georgia executed a man convicted of robbing and killing an offduty prison guard 22 years ago. Authorities say the death sentence of 40-year-old Robert Earl Butts Jr. was carried out Friday evening. Butts and Marion Wilson Jr. were sentenced to death in the 1996 slaying of Donovan Corey Parks. Prosecutors say Butts and Wilson asked Parks for a ride outside a Walmart store in Milledgeville, and fatally shot him a short distance away. Wilson’s case is still pending.