News in brief
By The Associated Press
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee fondly remembered
HOUSTON | Houston area residents are remembering longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas as an advocate for human rights and for her community. On Monday, residents, constituents and others paid their respects to the longtime lawmaker as she lay in state in the rotunda of Houston’s city hall.
Jackson Lee was 74 when she died on July 19. She had been treated for pancreatic cancer.
During her career, she helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday. The Democrat had represented her Houston-based district and the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1995.
The White House says President Joe Biden is scheduled to come to Houston on Monday evening to pay his respects.
Russia relying on unwitting Americans to spread election disinformation
WASHINGTON | The Kremlin is turning to unwitting Americans and commercial public relations firms in Russia to spread disinformation about the U.S. presidential race, top intelligence officials said Monday, detailing the latest efforts by America’s adversaries to shape public opinion ahead of the 2024 election.
The warning comes after a tumultuous few weeks in U.S. politics that have prompted Russia, Iran and China to revise their propaganda playbook rapidly. What hasn’t changed, intelligence officials said, is their determination to seed the internet with false and incendiary claims about American democracy to undermine faith in the election.
Two children dead, 11 people injured in stabbing rampage in England
LONDON | Police say two children have died and 11 other people have been injured in a stabbing in northwest England.
Merseyside Police said a 17-year-old boy was arrested and a knife seized after the bloody attack Monday in Southport, a seaside town near Liverpool. Police say the attack happened at a community center where a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event for primary school-aged children was held.
A nearby shop owner says he saw between seven and 10 bleeding children run from the building. Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls the attack “horrendous and deeply shocking.”
Judge hands former NRA head LaPierre 10 year ban
NEW YORK | A New York judge on Monday banned Wayne LaPierre, the former head of the National Rifle Association, from holding a paid position with the organization for a decade, but declined to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the gun rights group.
The split decision from Judge Joel Cohen came on the final day of arguments in the second stage of a civil trial brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The first phase of the trial, decided in February by a Manhattan jury, found LaPierre and another deputy liable for misspending millions of dollars on lavish trips and other personal expenses.
—From AP reports
