Arizona
The wife of fallen Hotshot firefighter Sean Misner has welcomed the couple’s son into the world. Before his death, Sean, 26, and his wife Amanda Misner picked the name Jaxon for their little boy, but after all that happened, Amanda had a change of heart. She named her son Sean Jaxon Herbert Misner after his dad and grandfather. She said the little guy will go by the name Jaxon. Sean died on June 30 with 18 fellow Prescott Granite Mountain Hotshots while battling the Yarnell Hill Fire near Prescott. On April 9, he started his first day with the Granite Mountain Hotshots. The night before Sean lost his life he lay next to his son and spoke to him just so that his son could hear his voice, because he feared his son would not know him, due to his being out on fires.
Colorado
Victims of the July 2012 shooting in a movie theater in suburban Denver can watch the trial of the defendant, James Holmes, even if they are to be called to testify, a judge has ruled. Every victim “shall have the right to be present at all critical stages of these proceedings,” wrote Arapahoe County District Judge Carlos A. Samour Jr. in a 30-page order issued Wednesday. Holmes faces 166 charges in connection with the shooting of 82 theatergoers who were among more than 400 attending a showing of a Batman movie in Aurora, Colorado. Twelve people died and 70 were wounded in the midnight rampage. Holmes’ lawyers in the capital case had called for witnesses to be excluded from pretrial hearings and from the trial to ensure their testimony would not be influenced by others’ testimony. But Samour noted that Colorado’s Constitution provides crime victims the right to be present “at all critical stages of the criminal justice process” unless their presence would interfere with the defendant’s right to a fair trial.
Connecticut
During a ceremony at the White House on Thursday morning to swear-in Todd Jones as the new director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Vice President Joe Biden announced two new executive actions intended to address the problem of gun violence. Gun violence legislation—including increasing background checks, limiting gun magazines and mental health provisions—pushed by the White House after the Newtown elementary school shooting failed on Capitol Hill earlier this year. Even as that effort failed, President Barack Obama and Biden hit the road for a series of campaign-style events making their case for reforms.
Florida
A Florida man accused of shooting his wife and then posting a photo of her dead body on Facebook pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder Thursday. Derek Medina, 31, has also been charged with, and pleaded not guilty to, child neglect and the discharge of a deadly missile. Prosecutors may also seek a first-degree murder charge against Medina after a grand jury is available to evaluate the case, according to HLN affiliate WSVN. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Yvonne Colodny set a preliminary trial date of Nov. 4. A picture of Jennifer Alfonso’s bloodstained body—collapsed and contorted on a kitchen floor—was posted to Medina’s Facebook timeline on Aug. 8 with a note, according to authorities. “I’m going to prison or death sentence for killing my wife love you guys miss you guys take care Facebook people you will see me in the news,” he purportedly wrote. The note also accuses Alfonso, 26, of being abusive.
Georgia
The new head coach of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks was arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence, the Georgia State Patrol said. A state trooper pulled over Michael Budenholzer in Atlanta because the taillights of his car weren’t on, the arrest report says. The trooper reported that Budenholzer “had bloodshot and watery eyes and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath.” Budenholzer declined to take a breath test but consented to field sobriety tests, the trooper reported. Budenholzer was arrested after failing those tests, the report says.
Louisiana
Thursday marked the 8-year anniversary of the storm that flooded New Orleans, killed 1,577 people from Louisiana and 238 people in Mississippi, and devastated the region. Hurricane Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29, 2005 at Buras with sustained winds of 127 mph. It hit landfall again near the Louisiana-Mississippi border with winds of 120 mph creating a 27-foot storm surge that went inland 6 miles. More than 80 percent of New Orleans was submerged in flood waters after the levees failed. The largest and third strongest hurricane to make landfall in the U.S., Katrina caused roughly $81 billion in property damage. It is considered the costliest hurricane ever in U.S. history. More than 70 countries pledged monetary donations and other assistance following the disaster. Kuwait made the largest pledge of $500 million.
Michigan
Gov. Rick Snyder announced that Detroit will get $52.3 million in federal funds for blight removal and approximately $37.4 million will go to four other Michigan cities to fund large-scale projects to stabilize neighborhoods, preserve property values and fight crime. The governor announced in June that the U.S. Department of the Treasury approved $100 million for anti-blight efforts in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Pontiac and Saginaw through the Hardest Hit Fund. While Detroit will get about half of the funds, Flint will get $20.1 million; Grand Rapids $2.5 million; Pontiac $3.7 million, and Saginaw $11.2 million. About $10.2 million is being held in reserve to tear down additional abandoned properties that may become eligible for demolition during the pilot program and for unanticipated project costs. The targeted demolitions represent a major expansion of an ongoing effort by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and other state partners to aggressively address blight in Michigan.
Missouri
Authorities are investigating the death of an infant at a Kansas City, Kan. daycare. The child’s family said he is an 11-month-old boy named Giovanni Jaraleno and that he had no major health issues when he was dropped off at daycare. The boy’s mother said she got the call at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department Deputy Chief Craig Duke said staff at Advantage Child Care Center at 55th Street and Metropolitan Avenue were waking the children from a nap when they noticed one child was unresponsive. Paramedics rushed the boy to the University of Kansas Hospital where sources tell KCTV5 that he later died. Police on scene refused comment but investigators were seen loading several items, including a pack-n-play crib, into their evidence van. Police said they haven’t responded to any calls from the daycare recently.
National
Fast food workers were out in droves Thursday, walking off their jobs in a protest over what they call low wages. They have had strikes before, but this time workers planned to strike in 50 cities across the nation. They are calling it a National Day of Strikes. Workers say the jobs at fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s just don’t pay enough to survive on. Many make $7.25 an hour or about $15,000 a year. They would like to see that doubled. Owners say they can’t pay $15 an hour because they would have to raise prices to cover the costs and that would hurt the economy. This strike was aimed at 1,000 restaurants nationwide.
Compiled By Juliana Norwood. CNN News Wire contributed to this report.
