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Florida man guilty in 2017 serial killings of 4 people
(AP) --A Florida man pleaded guilty Monday to randomly shooting four people in a 2017 killing rampage that set a Tampa neighborhood on edge for weeks. Howell Donaldson III entered the guilty pleas to four counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole, according to court records. The surprise plea deal means that Donaldson will avoid the death penalty, prosecutors said. Donaldson, 30, admitted to the shooting deaths between Oct. 9 and Nov. 14, 2017, of Benjamin Mitchell, Monica Hoffa, Anthony Naiboa and Ronald Felton.
DeSantis board approves suing Disney in latest tug-of-war
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Days after Disney sued Florida's governor in federal court for what it described as retaliation for opposing the state's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, members of Disney World's governing board -- made up of Gov. Ron DeSantis appointees -- authorized a lawsuit Monday against the entertainment giant. Members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District voted unanimously to sue Disney in state court in the Orlando area, as well as defend itself in federal court in Tallahassee where the entertainment company filed its lawsuit last Wednesday.
US readies second attempt at speedy border asylum screenings
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- President Joe Biden scrapped expedited asylum screenings during his first month in office as part of a gutting of Trump administration border polices that included building a wall with Mexico. Now he's preparing his own version. Donald Trump's fast-track reviews drew sharp criticism from internal government watchdog agencies as the percentage of people who passed those "credible fear interviews" plummeted. But the Biden administration has insisted its speedy screening for asylum-seekers is different: Interviews will be done exclusively by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, not by Border Patrol agents, and everyone will have access to legal counsel.
US says 20,000 Russians killed in Ukraine war since December
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House said Monday it now estimates that just since December Russia has suffered 100,000 casualties, including more than 20,000 killed, as Ukraine has rebuffed a heavy assault by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine. In what has become a grinding war of attrition, the fiercest battles have been in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia is struggling to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the face of dogged Ukrainian defense. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. estimate is based on newly declassified American intelligence.
Ex-Wisconsin student gets 17 years for school officer attack
OSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) -- A judge on Monday sentenced a former Wisconsin student who attacked his high school's police officer with a barbecue fork to 17 years in prison. A jury convicted Grant Fuhrman, now 20, in February of attempted first-degree homicide in connection with the 2019 incident at Oshkosh West High School. He faced a maximum sentence of 60 years in the state prison system. In addition to the 17 years, Winnebago County Circuit Judge Daniel Bissett sentenced him to 10 years on extended supervision.