AP-US-AMTRAK-TRAIN-DERAILS

Investigators probe deadly Amtrak derailment in Montana

JOPLIN, Mont. (AP) — Federal officials sent a team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board to the site of an Amtrak derailment in north-central Montana that killed three people and left seven hospitalized Sunday. The westbound Empire Builder was en route to Seattle from Chicago, with two locomotives and 10 cars, when it left the tracks about 4 p.m. Saturday near Joplin, about 30 miles south of the Canadian border. Amtrak said the train was carrying about 141 passengers and 16 crew members. Eight cars derailed. Five of the injured were taken to a hospital in Great Falls and another two were in a hospital in Kalispell.

AFGHAN REFUGEES-WISCONSIN

Democratic leaders: Conditions improving for Afghan refugees

FORT McCOY, Wis. (AP) — Democratic congresswomen from Wisconsin and Minnesota said they are encouraged about conditions for Afghans currently housed at an western Wisconsin base. However, some of the refugees raised question about trauma-based care and cultural issues. Rep. Gwen Moore of Milwaukee and Ilhan Omar of Minneapolis met Saturday with Afghan women currently housed at Fort McCoy. In addition to the need for trauma-based treatment, the evacuees suggested more emphasis cultural competency when it comes to the traditions of the Afghan evacuees, such as providing food that aligns with their beliefs. Republicans have raised concerns that Afghan refugees at U.S. military bases are not being properly vetted. Moore said those complaints are unfounded.

FATAL SHOOTING

1 dead, 1 wounded in shooting on St. Paul’s East Side

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — St. Paul police are investigating a shooting that killed one man and wounded another on the city’s East Side. Police say about 7 p.m. Friday, several 911 callers reported shots fired at a small apartment building in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood. Officers found the victim there, unresponsive. Emergency medics arrived and pronounced him dead. A short time later, officers learned that a second man shot in the same incident had been taken to a hospital by a private party. The second victim suffered life-threatening wounds. Police say they believe the victims were targeted and that the shootings were not random.

AMTRAK TRAIN DERAILS-GLANCE

A look at recent Amtrak accidents

The deadly Amtrak derailment in north-central Montana of the Empire Builder, traveling from Chicago to Seattle, is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. Authorities say there were 141 passengers and 16 crew members aboard when the train left the tracks about 4 p.m. Saturday near Joplin, Montana, a town of some 200 people about 30 miles south of the Canadian border. The NTSB said the derailment on a BNSF Railway main track involved no other trains or equipment. Amtrak said the train consisted of two locomotives and 10 cars, eight of which derailed.

CHILD KILLED-CHARGE

Felon pleads guilty to owning gun that killed 6-year-old

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — A man with a felony record has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a gun that he left with four unsupervised children in his Moorhead home, where one of the children accidentally shot and killed the man’s 6-year-old cousin. Phillip N. Jones, Jr., 34, entered his plea Thursday in St. Paul in connection with the death of Marcellus Dixon, who was shot and killed on March 21 at an apartment. The plea deal seeks a prison term of up to 4 years and nine months. Jones has felony convictions that include attempted drive-by shooting, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

WALZ-DROUGHT AID

Walz proposes $10 million drought relief package for farmers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz has proposed a $10 million relief package farmers who suffered losses due to the drought that has struck most of Minnesota. His proposal includes $5 million in rapid response grants for livestock producers and specialty crop farmers. It also includes $5 million for zero-interest disaster recovery loans. But it requires a special legislative session for approval. Walz said he’s still insisting that Senate Republicans drop a threat to fire Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm if he calls a special session that was already in the works for a $250 million bonus package for frontline workers in the pandemic.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MINNESOTA

Minnesota to administer COVID-19 boosters to those eligible

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — COVID-19 booster shots are being made available to Minnesotans who are eligible to receive them under the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Minnesotans who got the Pfizer vaccine can get a booster shot at least six months after their initial series if they fall into certain categories, including those 65 and older and others with underlying medical conditions. Numbers released Friday show the state is still in the grips of COVID-19. Nearly 3,000 new cases were reported Friday, and 27 new deaths were reported. St. Cloud Hospital has had to expand its intensive care unit to care for a surge in COVID-19 patients.

SLAIN STUDENT-APPEAL-EXPLAINER

EXPLAINER: What’s next in Dru Sjodin death penalty case

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s first and only federal capital punishment case is on hold after a federal judge threw out the death sentence given to Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. in 2006 in the death of college student Dru Sjodin. Judge Ralph Erickson cited what he called misleading testimony from a medical examiner and failures by defense attorneys to say a new sentencing phase would be warranted. Prosecutors have to decide whether they will appeal first. That’s a question that comes as President Joe Biden personally opposes capital punishment and executions nationwide are on hold. Sjodin’s family has said they support the death penalty for Rodriguez.