NEWS OF THE DAY
_1 White supremacy remarks: The White House described comments by Republican Rep. Steve King about white supremacy as “abhorrent.” Presidential press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders praised the move by House Republicans to strip the nine-term Iowa lawmaker of his committee assignments. King was quoted last week by The New York Times as saying: “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” Those comments were widely denounced as racist. The House on Tuesday approved a Democratic measure rebuking King. In addition, a member of the Republican leadership suggested that King leave Congress. At the White House, Sanders says King’s comments were, in her words, “abhorrent.”When President Trump was asked on Monday about King’s remarks, he said: “I haven’t been following it.”
_2 Police officer sued: A black man who was shot in the back while fleeing a burglary scene is suing the white Virginia police officer who shot him in an incident captured on video. The Virginian-Pilot reports 19-yearold Deontrace Ward this week sued Portsmouth police Officer Jeremy Durocher, who has been indicted on two felonies related to the 2017 shooting. Ward’s lawsuit asserts gross negligence and battery, and says Durocher never identified himself as police or ordered him to drop his weapon. Ward, who has pleaded guilty in the burglary, has denied pulling a weapon, although one was found in his pant leg. Ward’s attorney, S.W. Dawson, says Durocher acted as “judge, jury and nearly executioner” and his client wants “personal justice.”
_3 Wrongful deaths: An attorney says a second wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against an Ohio doctor accused of ordering that near-death hospital patients get potentially fatal doses of pain medicine. The Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System announced this week it has fired the doctor, notified authorities and removed 20 employees from patient care pending review. The new lawsuit alleges 64-yearold Bonnie Austin, of Columbus, was killed negligently or intentionally in September when she was given the painkiller fentanyl and a powerful sedative ordered by a doctor who said she was brain-dead. The lawsuit was filed against Dr. William Husel, Mount Carmel, a pharmacist and a nurse.
_4 Sunscreen ban: Officials in Key West, Fla., took the initial steps toward banning the sale of sunscreens containing two ingredients that could be harmful to coral reefs. The Miami Herald reports the Key West City Commission approved the measure 7-0 on Tuesday night. Commissioners now must review the ordinance a second time and pass it again on Feb. 5 before it can become law. It would ban products containing oxybenzone and octinoxate. Some studies have shown that the chemicals encourage coral bleaching. Last year, Hawaii banned the sale or distribution of sunscreens containing the ingredients beginning in 2021.
Chronicle News Services