FATAL SHOOTINGS-FAMILY

Police ID woman, two daughters slain in western Michigan

WYOMING, Mich. (AP) — Police have identified a Wyoming woman and her two children who were allegedly shot and killed by her boyfriend who then killed himself. The Grand Rapids Press reports police have identified 33-year-old Liliana Landa-Sanchez and her daughters, 13-year-old Joelin Hernandez-Landa and 11-yar-old Ayzy Hernandez-Landa. They were found slain early Tuesday in their home in Wyoming, just southwest of Grand Rapids. Police said they believe that Oscar Moran-Hernandez, 43, shot the three victims. Police say three other children, ages 2, 5, and 9, were in the house but not physically harmed, police said. Landa-Sanchez and Moran-Hernandez were parents to the younger two children. The killings were discovered around 4 a.m. Tuesday.

AP-US-ELECTION-2022-MICHIGAN-GOVERNOR

2 candidates for Michigan governor lose key ballot ruling

DETROIT (AP) — Two Republican candidates for Michigan governor have lost their bids to get on the Aug. 2 primary ballot. The Michigan appeals court first ruled against Perry Johnson, a wealthy businessman considered to be a leading candidate for the GOP nomination. Then it applied the decision to Michael Markey. The ruling would also seem to doom the chances of former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and entrepreneur Donna Brandenburg. There seems to be no dispute that fraudulent signatures were turned in by paid circulators. Johnson says he would meet the 15,000-signature threshold if the state elections bureau would examine each petition line by line.

AP-US-2020-CENSUS

Austin is largest US city to challenge 2020 census numbers

One of the most booming cities in the U.S. over the past decade thinks that it grew even bigger than the U.S. Census Bureau says it did. Austin, Texas, has become the largest U.S. city to challenge its 2020 census figures. It filed an appeal with the Census Bureau last week saying that it has more than the 961,855 residents tallied during the nation’s once-a-decade head count. Austin officials believe 7,000 housing units were missed. Among the 50 biggest U.S. cities, Austin had the second-largest growth rate in the nation: almost 22% between 2010 and 2020. Fort Worth, Texas, experienced the largest growth rate: 24%.

MICHIGAN COURTS-JUNETEENTH

Juneteenth becomes 13th Michigan court holiday

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court has declared Juneteenth a statewide court holiday. Two Republican justices objected, saying taxpayers will be shortchanged. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas. Congress and President Joe Biden created a federal holiday a year ago. Tom Boyd, state court administrator, says making Juneteenth a holiday sends a message that Michigan’s court system "values the life experiences of all who seek justice.” Juneteenth will be the 13th paid holiday when Michigan courts are closed. Justice David Viviano says courts slogging through a COVID-19 backlog of cases now will face another burden.

AP-US-BABY-FORMULA-SHORTAGE

Biden says he wasn't informed early on of baby formula woes

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says he wasn't briefed on the prospect of nationwide shortages of infant formula for about two months. And he's acknowledging the strain on families while his administration struggles to address the situation. Yet company executives at a meeting Biden hosted from the White House on Wednesday told the president they knew the substantial impact that the shutdown of a major production plant in February would have on the U.S. supply almost immediately. Biden's administration has imported foreign supplies and used a federal law to speed domestic production. But those steps didn't begin until mid-May, once retailers began rationing supplies and store shelves were emptying.

AP-US-FORD-AUTOMOBILE-PRICE-WAR

Ford CEO sees electric vehicle price war as EV costs decline

DETROIT (AP) — Ford’s chief executive says the global auto industry is headed for a huge price war in the coming years as electric vehicle costs drop and companies sell EVs priced around $25,000. CEO Jim Farley told the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference on Wednesday that the $25,000 electric vehicle will democratize EVs. Currently it costs way more to build an EV than one with a gas engine. But Farley said big cost reductions are coming with new battery chemistries that use fewer precious metals such as nickel and cobalt. Plus, he said EVs will take less time and labor to build, saving more money. Ford also plans to cut distribution and advertising costs.

GUN VIOLENCE-MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

After Uvalde, holiday weekend sees shootings nationwide

CHICAGO (AP) — Even as the United States reeled over the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas, multiple mass shootings happened elsewhere over the Memorial Day weekend. Single-death shootings still accounted for most gun fatalities, however. Police chiefs in Chicago and other cities cancelled days off to boost the numbers of officers over the holiday, hoping a heightened presence would be a deterrent. Some cities said they would strictly enforce curfews. The strategies may have worked in specific cases, but statistics from several cities didn’t indicate violence was kept at or below previous years' levels. At least nine people were killed over the weekend in Chicago, up from three a year ago.

FATAL SHOOTINGS-FAMILY

Police: Man kills girlfriend, 2 girls, self at Michigan home

Police say a man fatally shot his girlfriend and two of her daughters inside a western Michigan home before killing himself. Public Safety Chief Kimberly Koster told reporters that a relative of the victims who earlier spoke with the boyfriend and rushed to the home out of concern, found the bodies about 4 a.m. Tuesday in Wyoming, Michigan. Three other children — ages 9, 5, and 2 — were found unharmed inside the home. The two youngest children were shared by the couple. Names of the victims have not been released. Police said the gun used in the shootings has been found.

MISSING TEEN-LANDFILL

Landfill work begins in search for Detroit-area teenager

LENOX TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — An extraordinary search is underway as authorities at a landfill try to find the remains of a missing Detroit-area teenager. The first phase could last two weeks. It involves removing 20 feet of material, building a road and constructing a deck to inspect the waste. Zion Foster, a 17-year-old from Eastpointe, was last seen on Jan. 4. Investigators believe Zion is dead and that her body was put in a Dumpster, whose contents were dumped at a landfill in Macomb County. Zion’s cousin is in prison for lying to police during the investigation. He is a suspect in her disappearance.

OBIT-LUCAS

William Lucas dies at 94; Black Republican ran for governor

DETROIT (AP) — William Lucas has died at age 94. Lucas, who was Black, was Wayne County’s first elected executive who switched political parties to become the Republican nominee for Michigan governor in 1986. Lucas died of natural causes Monday. He was Wayne County sheriff and county executive before becoming a Republican in 1986. Republicans believed Lucas could get crucial votes in heavily populated southeastern Michigan, but Democratic Gov. Jim Blanchard won in a landslide. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says Lucas was a “fine public servant.” Lucas ended his public career as a Detroit-area judge.

News from © The Associated Press, 2022