News Wrap: Prosecutors recommend resentencing for Menendez brothers

In our news wrap Thursday, prosecutors in Los Angeles are recommending the Menendez brothers be resentenced for the 1989 killing of their parents, the owner of the ship that caused the Baltimore bridge collapse agreed to pay more than $100 million to settle a lawsuit and the Biden administration is strengthening requirements on removing lead paint dust from older homes and childcare facilities.
Amna Nawaz:
We start the day’s other headlines with a major development in a legal case that gripped the nation. Prosecutors in Los Angeles are recommending that the Menendez brothers be resentenced for the 1989 killing of their parents.
It’s the first step in what could lead to their eventual release. Lyle and Erik Menendez admitted to fatally shooting their mother and father in the family’s Beverly Hills mansion. After an initial mistrial, a second trial was held in which evidence of their father’s sexual abuse was largely excluded. The brothers received life without parole. They are now in their 50s and many family and friends have pleaded for their release.
L.A. District attorney George Gascon told reporters today that the matter should be put before a parole board.
George Gascon (D), Los Angeles County District Attorney: I believe that they have paid their debt to society. And the system provides a vehicle for their case to be reviewed by a parole board. And if the parole concurs with my assessment, and it will be their decision, they will be released accordingly.
Amna Nawaz:
The Menendez case has received increased public attention thanks in part to a and a popular Netflix drama series.
The owner and operator of the cargo ship that caused the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse has agreed to pay more than $100 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice. That comes a month after U.S. officials sued the Singapore-based companies in an effort to recover the money spent to clear the debris and reopen the port.
The DOJ had alleged that the ship’s electrical systems were not properly maintained, causing it to lose power and slam into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. Six construction workers were killed and traffic in the port was held up for months.
The Biden administration is strengthening requirements on removing lead paint dust from older homes and childcare facilities. Paint that contains lead was banned in 1978, but an estimated 30 million American homes still have it. That includes nearly four million households with children under the age of 6.
The new rule is projected to reduce lead exposures for up to 1.2 million people per year, including hundreds of thousands of kids. It’s set to take effect early next year and comes two weeks after the EPA imposed a nationwide deadline for the removal of lead pipes.
The White House laid out new rules today on the use of artificial intelligence by U.S. national security and spy agencies. The framework tells agencies to expand their use of certain A.I. systems. It also puts guardrails on other uses, like applications that would violate civil rights or automatically deploy nuclear weapons.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told students at the National Defense University that the U.S. has an obligation to ensure the ethical use of A.I. technology.
Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Adviser:
We have to carry out this effort with respect to information warfare as a democracy that doesn’t do state-run propaganda and have just arms of misinformation spread everywhere. We have got to do a consistent with our values in our ways.
Amna Nawaz:
Sullivan also called the speed of change in A.I. breathtaking, making regulation difficult. And many of the deadlines that come with this order will expire after President Biden leaves office, meaning it would be up to the next president to decide whether to stick to the guidelines or change them.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Qatar today for the latest leg of his Middle East trip. While there, he said he expects cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas to resume in the coming days. Blinken visited with Qatari officials in Doha today, who have been key mediators for Hamas. He said that Israel has succeeded in dismantling Hamas’ military wing and now is the time to end the war.
Blinken also announced additional humanitarian funding for Palestinians, while urging Israel to allow more aid into Gaza.
Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: Today, we’re announcing an additional $135 million in humanitarian assistance. We all know that it’s not enough to provide funding. It’s not even enough to get the assistance to the borders of Gaza. What’s so critical is that the aid gets to the people who need it.
Amna Nawaz:
On the ground, Palestinian officials say an Israeli airstrike today on a school-turned-shelter in Central Gaza killed at least 17 people. The hospital that received the victims reported that women and children were among the dead and that at least 42 others were wounded. Israel says that Hamas militants were hiding inside the school.
In the Philippines, at least 24 people have died amid massive flooding and landslides caused by Tropical Storm Trami. It hit the northeastern province of Isabela shortly after midnight local time today. Flash floods drenched towns and villages. Soldiers passed out food and supplies to evacuees and used boats to rescue stranded people.
The government closed schools and offices for the entire island of Luzon for a second day. Stormy weather has continued, making relief work difficult, and the death toll is expected to rise.
On Wall Street today, stocks ended mixed after recent losses this week. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 140 points, or about a third of 1 percent. The Nasdaq added nearly 140 points on the day. The S&P 500 managed to snap a three-session losing streak, gaining about 12 points.
And New York has been show year’s WNBA champions with love, gratitude and ticker tape today. Series MVP Jonquel Jones led the Liberty’s parade down Manhattan’s Canyon of Heroes this morning. The team won their first ever championship in thrilling style on Sunday, defeating the Minnesota Lynx in overtime in a deciding game five.
New York has hosted more than 200 ticker tape parades over the years, but this was only the third time a women’s sports team has been honored following parades for the U.S. women’s national soccer team in 2015 and again in 2019.