Drug cartel suspected in massacre of 72 migrants
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A wounded migrant stumbled into a military checkpoint and led marines to a gruesome scene, what may be the biggest massacre so far in Mexico’s bloody drug war: a room strewn with the bodies of 72 fellow travelers, some piled on top of each other, just 100 miles from their goal, the U.S. border.
The 58 men and 14 women were killed by the Zetas gang, the migrant told investigators Wednesday. The gang, started by former Mexican army special forces soldiers, is known to extort money from migrants who pass through its territory.
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116 elephant tusks seized in Congo after crash
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Police in northeastern Congo have seized 116 elephant tusks and arrested two men following a truck crash.
Col. Sylvain Tshikez said Wednesday that the ivory was found inside jerry cans that tumbled off a truck involved in a crash.
The discovery took place near the town of Kisangani in the northeastern Orientale province following the accident. The owner of the vehicle was seriously injured but was also expected to face charges.
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Man shot in head felt bullet only 4 years later
BERLIN (AP) — A 35-year-old man who walked around for five years with a bullet lodged in the back of his head says he knew something was there but only went to doctors after he started getting headaches.
Robert Chojecki was partying on New Years Eve five years ago when he was hit with the .22-caliber bullet. Doctors removed it this week from between his skin and skull.
The Polish-born Chojecki said Wednesday he thought he’d been hit by fireworks, but later forgot about it.
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Obama to address nation to mark end of Iraq combat
VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass. (AP) — President Barack Obama will address the nation from the Oval Office and visit troops at Fort Bliss, Texas, on Tuesday to mark the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq.
The speech will mark only the second address Obama has made from the Oval Office. He first spoke to the nation on June 15 about the Gulf oil spill.
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Nevada man gets 20 years for shaking baby
RENO, Nev. (AP) — A man who prosecutors say shook his infant daughter so hard that she suffered massive brain injuries because her cries interrupted his video game has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
At the sentencing Wednesday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Dan Greco said Gerardo Espinosa condemned the girl to a life of misery, unable to see or hear and with limited mobility.
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Four apply for La. higher ed commissioner job
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Four candidates have applied so far to be Louisiana’s new higher education commissioner, but the Board of Regents hasn’t yet worked out a salary range for the job with lawmakers, who must approve the amount.
The board, which governs public higher education in Louisiana, hopes to select a national firm by mid-September to conduct the search.
Members of the board suggested Wednesday that they should discuss with lawmakers how much they could pay a new commissioner, after the Legislature enacted a new requirement that the commissioner’s salary package must get their approval.
“We need to determine early on what our budget can afford and then go out and find the best and brightest in that range,” said Regent Joseph Wiley of Baton Rouge.
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Tropical Storm Earl forms in the open Atlantic
MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Earl has formed in the open Atlantic Ocean, but the system is far from land.
Earl has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and is expected to become a hurricane by Friday.
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Saints sign new linebacker Asiodu, release Evans
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Sean Payton says poor kick and punt coverage had nothing to do with the release of former special teams captain and veteran linebacker Troy Evans.
Evans was one of five players cut Tuesday night, and by Wednesday, second-year linebacker K.C. Asiodu was added to the roster.
While Asiodu does not expect to replace Evans’ leadership role on special teams, he figures his best shot to win a roster spot with the defending Super Bowl champions is to shine on kick coverage.
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