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BIDEN-POLICING

How Biden, cops and advocates forged deal on police and race

WASHINGTON (AP) — Negotiations that led to the executive order on race and policing signed last week by President Joe Biden had been in danger of breaking down. Earlier this year, law enforcement groups believed the order was shaping up as too harsh toward officers. Instead of seeing the effort fall apart, the White House and the Fraternal Order of Police agreed to start over. The final version brought together law enforcement leaders, civil rights activists, and families of people who had been killed by police. While no one seeking a policing overhaul thinks Biden’s order goes far enough, many consider it an important step forward.

AP-US-HEPATITIS-OUTBREAK-STRAWBERRIES

US, Canadian regulators tie hepatitis cases to strawberries

U.S. and Canadian regulators are investigating a hepatitis outbreak that may be linked to fresh organic strawberries. In a joint weekend statement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Public Health Agency of Canada say at least 27 illnesses in Minnesota, California and Canada occurred after people ate FreshKampo and H-E-B brand strawberries. The strawberries were purchased between March 5 and April 25 at various U.S. retailers, including Aldi, Kroger and Walmart and at Co-op stores in Canada. The strawberries are past their shelf life, but the FDA says consumers who froze them to eat later should throw them away.

OBIT-GLADNEY

Arizona Cardinals defensive back Jeff Gladney dies in crash

DALLAS (AP) — Jeff Gladney, a defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals, has died in a car crash in Dallas. He was 25. Gladney’s death was confirmed by the Cardinals and his agent, Brian Overstreet. Gladney played at TCU and was a 2020 first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings. He was released before the 2021 season after being charged with assaulting a woman. The Cardinals signed Gladney in March after he was found not guilty in Dallas County, Texas. He participated in team drills last week. The Cardinals say they’re “devastated” to learn about Gladney’s death.

GEORGE FLOYD-PROTESTS-SETTLEMENTS

Minneapolis agrees to pay $1.2M to people injured by police

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis City Council has approved $1.2 million in legal settlements with two people injured by police during protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of officers in 2020. Minnesota Public Radio reports that settlements with St. Paul resident Virgil Lee Jackson Jr. and Nashville freelance photographer Linda Tirado mean the city has agreed to pay a total of $5.4 million to people injured by police in May 2020. The council on Thursday approved a settlement of $645,000 for Jackson and $600,000 for Tirado. An officer shocked Jackson with a Taser in a parking lot. Tirado lost the sight in her left eye while covering a protest.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR-FREE NEWSPAPER

Publisher wants to give away newspaper, travel to Ukraine

LAFAYETTE, Minn. (AP) — The owner of a rural weekly newspaper in southern Minnesota is looking to give his publication away so he can join Americans helping in Ukraine. Minnesota Public Radio reports that Lafayette-Nicollet Ledger owner and publisher Lee Zion is willing to dig trenches, teach school or fight in Ukraine. Before he leaves, he wants to give the newspaper away for free. Zion produces the newspaper by himself for about 500 subscribers and wants to make sure a person committed to local journalism takes over. He says the towns he covers would suffer if the newspaper disappeared.

PROGRAM DROPPED

Minnesota Public Radio drops investigative program

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Public Radio has shut down its long-running investigative program “APM Reports.” The Star Tribune reports executives informed employees of the decision on Thursday. It wasn’t immediately clear how many members of the 18-member program might be reassigned and how many could be dismissed. The St. Paul-based “APM Reports” ran for nearly seven years. It specialized in long-form investigative journalism. Its podcast, “In the Dark,” won Peabody awards for its coverage of the kidnapping and murder of 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling and Curtis Flowers, who was tried six times for the same crime.

WAREHOUSE FIRE-PLEA

Man pleads guilty to starting St. Paul warehouse fire

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Golden Valley man has pleaded guilty to starting a fire that consumed four vacant warehouses in St. Paul last year. The Pioneer Press reports that 19-year-old Luis Adrian Rodriguez was sentenced Wednesday to three years of probation after entering his plea to a charge of starting a negligent fire-value of property $2,500 or more. Prosecutors dropped a felony arson charge against him. According to court documents, Rodriguez told police he and his friends were exploring the buildings and he used a lighter to set an envelope and a box on fire and the flames quickly spread out of control.

AP-US-SANFORD-INVESTIGATION

No state charge for billionaire Sanford in child porn probe

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota attorney general’s office is not charging billionaire and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford with any crimes following an investigation into the potential possession of child pornography. The state prosecutor’s decision was made public in a court filing Friday. Sanford is a philanthropist who made his fortune in banking, and has given billions to hospitals, universities and charities. South Dakota investigators in 2019 began searching his email account, as well as his cellular and internet service providers, for possible possession of child pornography. Sanford’s lawyer has said the investigation revealed that his client’s email accounts were hacked. The Department of Justice declined to comment when asked if Sanford remains under federal investigation.