American, Italian hostages killed in US drone strike
WASHINGTON (AP) — Blaming the “fog of war,” President Barack Obama revealed Thursday that U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan inadvertently killed an American and an Italian, two hostages held by al-Qaida, as well as two other Americans who had leadership roles with the terror network. Obama somberly said he took full responsibility for the January CIA strikes and regretted the deaths of hostages Warren Weinstein of Rockville, Maryland, and Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian aid worker. The president cast the incident as a tragic consequence of the special difficulties of the fight against terrorists.
Loretta Lynch wins confirmation as attorney general
WASHINGTON (AP) — Loretta Lynch won confirmation as the nation’s first black female attorney general Thursday from a Senate that forced her to wait more than five months for the title and remained divided to the end. The 56-43 vote installs Lynch, now U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, at the Justice Department to replace Eric Holder. Holder has served in the job throughout the Obama administration, becoming a lightning rod for conservatives who perceived him as overly political and liberal, and even getting held in contempt of Congress.
EU leaders commit ships, aid to address migrant crisis
BRUSSELS (AP) — Late to the rescue, European leaders came through Thursday with pledges of big ships, aircraft and a tripling in funds to save lives in the Mediterranean after the deaths at sea of more than 1,300 migrants over the past three weeks, and agreed to lay the groundwork for military action against traffickers. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, whose country has been faced with almost daily tragedy as rescuers plucked bodies from frigid waters, called it “a giant step forward.”
Rough ride? Lawyer says fatally injured arrestee lacked belt
BALTIMORE (AP) — No video captured what happened to Freddie Gray inside the police van where officers heaved him into a metal compartment after pinning him to a sidewalk. The cause of his fatal spine injury has not been revealed. But a troubling detail emerged as hundreds of protesters converged on City Hall again Thursday: He was not only handcuffed and put in leg irons, but left without a seat belt during his trip to the station.
Police: Stage collapses at Indiana school; more than 12 hurt
WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — More than a dozen people were injured after a stage filled with students collapsed during a musical performance at a central Indiana high school Thursday night, authorities said. Capt. Charles Hollowell of the Westfield Police Department said authorities didn’t have an exact number of injuries but were certain more than 12 were hurt. At least one person was critically injured after the stage gave way at Westfield High School, he said.
Clinton gives glimpse of how she plans to run as a woman
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton’s passionate speech Thursday appealing for expanded rights and opportunities for women in the U.S. and around the world wasn’t supposed to be a campaign event. But it might as well have been. Addressing the annual Women in the World summit, Clinton made a forceful case for protecting women’s health care choices and expanding paid family leave. The front runner for the Democratic nomination, Clinton criticized “those who offer themselves as leaders” but oppose equal pay for women or want to defund Planned Parenthood — a veiled reference to some of her Republican rivals.
Prosecution rests in penalty phase of Boston bomber’s trial
BOSTON (AP) — A video played Thursday at the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev showed a mother crouched over her 8-year-old son as he lay dying on the sidewalk, a scene prosecutors hoped would linger in jurors’ minds while they determine whether Tsarnaev lives or dies. Prosecutors rested their case after playing the video during the testimony of a man who lost his leg in the bombings, and jurors watched as the mother pleaded with her little boy.
Petraeus sentenced to 2 years’ probation for military leak
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Former CIA Director David Petraeus, whose career was destroyed by an extramarital affair with his biographer, was sentenced Thursday to two years’ probation and fined $100,000 for giving her classified material while she was working on the book. The sentencing came two months after he agreed to plead guilty to a federal misdemeanor count of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material.
James scores 31, Cavs beat Celts 103-95 for 3-0 series lead
BOSTON (AP) — LeBron James got to the arena early. When he left the Cleveland Cavaliers had a chance to put an early end to the series. James scored 31 points in his first playoff game in Boston since a masterful performance in the 2012 postseason. And Cleveland moved one win away from a sweep in its first playoff series in five years with a 103-95 victory Thursday night.
Nasdaq Record: Then and Now
NEW YORK (AP) — Fifteen years after peaking during the dot-com boom, the Nasdaq composite has reached a new all-time high. But this isn’t the Nasdaq of Pets.com and Webvan, when companies were valued on “cash burn rates” and “eyeballs.”
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