NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
_1
Politician criticized: Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, was criticized for a tweet that ascribed Republicans’ fierce opposition to boycotting Israel to the power of the pro-Israel lobby in Washington. “It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” Omar tweeted Sunday in reference to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The tweet came in response to reports that Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, had condemned Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, DMich., for their support of the Palestinian-led boycott movement. Critics of the tweet included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members of Congress from both parties. On Monday, Omar tweeted, “I unequivocally apologize.”
_2
Police shooting: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Monday asked the state Supreme Court to order a new sentence for the white Chicago police officer who fatally shot black teenager Laquan McDonald. It’s a rare move for prosecutors, who believe the judge misapplied the law in sentencing Jason Van Dyke to six years and nine months for second-degree murder. The prosecutor had asked for a sentence of between 18 and 20 years. Dashcam video of the shooting released by the city in 2015 led to massive protests.
_3
LGBTQ rant: The head of the West Virginia Republican Party has denounced comments from a GOP member of the House of Delegates about the gay community. State GOP chairwoman Melody Potter said Mercer County Delegate Eric Porterfield’s comments “do not reflect the values of our country, our state, and the Republican Party.” Porterfield said last week he thinks LGBTQ groups are “socialists,” and he called the gay community a “terrorist group.” Porterfield says he received threats after earlier remarks in support of an amendment that would overrule local ordinances that protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination. The amendment failed.
_4
Teens arrested: Two girls ages 14 and 15 have been arrested in Arizona in connection with the killing of a man found shot in Southern California. The San Bernardino County Sheriff ’s Department said deputies looking for a 14-year-old runaway on Friday found Reuben Franco, 24, dead at a home in Yucaipa. Detectives determined a 15-year-old girl was missing from the home and believed to be with the 14-year-old. Franco’s car was also gone. Police in Buckeye, Ariz., detained the girls after they crashed the car. They were returned to California and could each face a murder charge.
_5
Icy rescue: Firefighters in suburban St. Louis gave up on using an ambulance after roads became dangerously icy and instead used a stretcher to carry a patient about a mile to a hospital. Maryland Heights Firefighter Shaylor Taetz rushed to Interstate 270 with his partner Sunday after a crash. As they approached, their ambulance slid on the ice and struck a guardrail. The firefighters put the driver on a stretcher and walked to the hospital as traffic went around them. Chronicle News Services