A sheriff’s deputy who lost his eye in a shootout outside the Salt Lake City area’s jail over the weekend has been released from the hospital. The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office says Deputy Leland Grossett underwent surgery Saturday after being shot in the eye. He was released from the hospital Monday afternoon. A second deputy was shot in the cheek and was released from the hospital Saturday. Officials say 31-year-old Joshua Michael Johnson was killed after opening fire on the deputies as they approached him outside the jail. Officials have not released a motive.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Michigan should “close things down” to help address surging coronavirus infections. Dr. Rochelle Walensky's statement Monday comes as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer instead urges people to voluntarily restrict certain activities. Whitmer wants the federal government to send additional doses to the state, but the administration of President Joe Biden has stuck with allocating proportionally by population. Walensky says shutting things down would help flatten the curve. Whitmer says this surge is different because of vaccines and, unlike a year ago, it's known that masks are effective and testing and protective equipment are adequate.

Arkansas lawmakers have sent the governor a stripped down alternative to hate crimes legislation that has been derided by longtime supporters of such laws who say it's not providing true protections. The majority-Republican House on Monday approved the “class protection" bill, sending it to GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson's desk. The governor has made enacting a hate crimes law a priority, and has said he supports the proposal. Unlike an earlier hate crimes bill, the measure does not specifically refer to categories such as race, sexual orientation or gender identity. Arkansas is one of three states without a hate crimes law.

Attorneys for the Boy Scouts of America are working on a new reorganization plan after gaining little support for a previous proposal roundly criticized by attorneys for child sex abuse victims. A BSA attorney said Monday that the new plan likely would be filed Tuesday. The revised proposal will allow for two scenarios. The first is a global resolution of abuse claims that includes financial contributions from BSA’s local councils in return for a release from further liability. The second is a BSA-only plan that would not involve contributions from or liability releases for local councils and sponsoring organizations.  

A lawyer representing one of two people arrested on charges of possessing a stolen Confederate monument removed from an Alabama cemetery says the pair had nothing to do with the theft. Attorney Michael Kennedy said Monday that the situation is a mistake. He said Jason Warnick and Kathryn Diionno had no role in taking the monument. Kennedy represents Warnick. The chair-shaped monument was recovered in New Orleans after it was swiped from a cemetery in Selma, Alabama. Someone later sent an email signed “White Lies Matter” claiming responsibility, and then sent fake photos pretending the chair had been turned into a toilet. 

A southern Missouri man has been arraigned on first-degree murder charges in a shooting that killed one person and critically injured three others. Oregon County authorities say the court entered a not guilty plea for 28-year-old Christopher Lindley, of Thayer, on Monday. He is accused of shooting the victims early Saturday at the Snappy Mart in Koshkonong. A probable cause statement released Monday said one victim, Paul Chavis, was shot outside the store. A deputy found Carlos Moreno, a truck driver from California, dead and two others, Melissa Rae Blaskiewicz and Jonah Bivens, injured inside the store. Authorities did not announce the victims' hometowns. 

Virginia’s attorney general has asked a small police department to release personnel records of two officers accused of pepper-spraying and pointing their guns at a Black Army lieutenant during a traffic stop. Mark Herring’s office said in a statement Monday that he is “deeply concerned" and believes the officers conducted themselves in a dangerous and unacceptable manner. Herring’s office is asking the Windsor Police Department to release records involving use-of-force and complaints over the past 10 years. U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Caron Nazario was pulled over in December about 70 miles southeast of Richmond. 

California has re-opened enrollment for its state health insurance exchange. People can now purchase health insurance plans from Covered California through the end of the year. Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee said Monday the goal is to get more people to buy health insurance. New federal subsidies are available that could lower monthly premiums for some people by $1,000 or more in some cases. To get the subsidies, people must be legal U.S. residents who can't get affordable health insurance from their job and meet certain income requirements. Most people who can't get coverage through their employer would be eligible for assistance. 

Two former soldiers have been indicted on charges including murder in the death of another soldier who was found stabbed to death in his room on a Georgia military base. An indictment unsealed Monday charges Byron Booker and Jordan Brown in the June 2020 death of Austin J. Hawk at the U.S. Army's Fort Stewart. A lawyer for Brown declined to comment. A lawyer for Booker didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. The indictment says the two men conspired to retaliate against Hawk for reporting Booker to Army leadership for “poor leadership, poor military performance, and maltreatment of subordinates” and for reporting Brown for using drugs. 

Fox Corp. is standing behind Tucker Carlson after the Anti-Defamation League called for the company to fire the opinion host for defending the white-supremacist “great replacement” theory. Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch says in a letter that Carlson's on-air complaints weren't about replacement theory but rather voting rights. The ADL argues that Carlson used white-supremacist language even if he claims he didn’t. The replacement conspiracy theory holds that people of color are replacing white people in the West, enabled by Jews and progressive politicians. 

Police in Minnesota say an officer who fatally shot a Black man during a traffic stop accidentally drew her firearm instead of her stun gun. Experts say such cases are rare, but they do happen occasionally. Similar cases have been reported in recent years in California, Oklahoma and Missouri. Bill Lewinski studies police psychology and has used the phrase “slip and capture” errors to describe the phenomenon. Lewinski says officers sometimes perform the direct opposite of their intended actions under stress. Their actions “slip” and are “captured” by a stronger response. Other experts disagree and say a major factor in why officers mistakenly draw their firearm is that stun guns typically look and feel like a firearm.

Former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said Monday that she would not seek her party’s nomination for president if former President Donald Trump opts to run a second time. Haley is often mentioned as a possible 2024 GOP presidential contender. She spoke Monday after touring the campus of South Carolina State University, an HBCU in Orangeburg where current President James E. Clark showed her campus improvements including a revamped student center and state-of-the-art cancer research and cybersecurity facilities. The visit was one of Haley’s first public events in months in her home state.

Microsoft, on an accelerated growth push, is buying speech recognition company Nuance in a cash deal worth $16 billion. Including debt, the companies value the transaction at $19.7 billion. Microsoft’s acquisition comes after the companies formed a partnership in 2019. Nuance's products are used by the majority of U.S. physicians, radiologists and hospitals. It has been a pioneer in voice-based artificial intelligence technology and was instrumental in helping to power Apple’s digital assistant Siri. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella called artificial intelligence technology's most important priority and health care its most urgent application. The transaction is expected to close this year. 

Authorities have charged a man accused of leaving harassing and vulgar voicemails at the Pennsylvania district office of U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean as she worked as an impeachment manager in the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Stephen M. Cilurso, of Aldan, Pennsylvania, was arraigned last week on a misdemeanor and summary charge of harassment. Authorities say Montgomery County detectives traced 19 voicemails to Cilurso’s number. In a transcript of the voicemails, Cilurso used vulgar, graphic and sexually explicit language, repeatedly talks about rape, Dean’s role as an impeachment manager, Dean’s granddaughter and the far-right group the Proud Boys. Court papers didn't list a lawyer.

A federal judge has granted a Nebraska prisoner’s request for an abortion and ordered state officials to transport her to a clinic so she can get the procedure, but the inmate will have to pay for the procedure herself and cover the state’s costs to transport and guard her. Prison officials had previously rejected the woman’s request for an abortion, prompting her to file a civil rights lawsuit on Friday with with support from the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bataillon ordered prison officials to transport the inmate to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Lincoln for “informed consent” counseling on Monday, as required by state law, and back to the clinic on Tuesday to have the procedure done.

Authorities have identified the three young children who were killed in a gruesome slaying in Los Angeles over the weekend. Their mother is the suspect in the killings and was being held Monday in a central California jail. The autopsies of a 3-year-old girl, her 2-year-old brother, and a 6-month-old sister were pending on Monday. The children’s grandmother returned home from work Saturday morning and found their bodies in their apartment in the Reseda neighborhood. The children’s mother is Liliana Carrillo and was later arrested. It was not immediately clear if she had an attorney who could speak for her. Police have not disclosed a motive or how the children were killed.

Police say multiple people including an officer have been shot at a high school in the east Tennessee city of Knoxville. The Knoxville Police Department tweeted that authorities were on the scene of the shooting Monday at Austin-East Magnet High School. The online posting said a Knoxville Police Department officer was reported among the victims. Police urged people to avoid the area. Details remained sketchy and news outlets showed numerous police and emergency vehicles at the scene.

The murder trial of eccentric New York real estate heir Robert Durst will resume next month after more than a yearlong hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Judge Mark Windham on Monday told lawyers to return to court May 17 for trial. The judge denied a renewed motion by Durst’s lawyers for a mistrial due to the “extreme delay” and ongoing concerns of mutations of COVID-19 that could pose a health threat to jurors and trial participants. The trial was postponed March 12 last year after six days as the virus outbreak led to court closures and a statewide stay-home order.

A lawyer for convicted movie producer Harvey Weinstein is challenging Weinstein’s extradition to California to face charges of assaulting five women. At a hearing Monday, Weinstein's lawyer cited a paperwork technicality after his requests for a “humanitarian” delay to attend to Weinstein’s medical needs were rejected. The 69-year-old Weinstein appeared via video before an Erie County Court judge in Buffalo from the maximum security Wende Correctional Facility. He is charged in California with assaulting five women in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from 2004 to 2013. The judge scheduled a hearing on the extradition challenge for April 30.

“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda joined New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at the grand opening of a Times Square COVID-19 vaccination site intended to jump-start the city’s entertainment industry. Miranda said getting vaccinated will help the theater community feel safe. Broadway theaters have been shuttered since the coronavirus pandemic struck in March of last year. De Blasio has said he hopes dedicated vaccination sites will help the industry reopen by September. The new Times Square vaccine site will be open to workers in theater, film and TV. The site will be run by Susan Sampliner, the company manager for the musical “Wicked.” 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is attacking YouTube for its decision to remove from its website a video of a pandemic panel discussion he recently held that it considered disinformation. DeSantis on Monday accused the tech giant of censorship.  The video was of a coronavirus discussion the governor organized where his panel criticized lockdowns and some mask wearing as ineffective. The tech giant said the video violated its rules against pandemic disinformation because some panelists contended children should not wear masks. They said the masks were of little benefit to children and could be dangerous. Federal officials say children over 2 should wear masks in public. 

Luke Bryan says he’s tested positive for COVID-19. The diagnosis sidelined him from the season’s first live “American Idol” episode, airing Monday night on ABC. In a tweet, the country star says he tested positive for COVID but is doing well and look forward to being back soon. Paula Abdul was announced as Bryan’s replacement for tonight's show on ABC, joining Lionel Richie and Katy Perry on the judges' panel. Abdul was among the original “American Idol” judge when the singing content aired on Fox.  “American Idol” is winnowing its field of 16 performers down to the top 12 in the live broadcast. 

Distance runner Maggie Montoya called her mom and dad to say she loved them from a locked room as she waited out the Boulder shooting ordeal. The Olympic hopeful was working in the pharmacy at the King Soopers supermarket in Colorado on March 22 when 10 people were killed in the mass shooting. Montoya was escorted to safety by the SWAT team after the shooter was arrested. The next day, Montoya was picked up by her dad and taken home to Arkansas. It was a chance to be with family and remember those who lost their lives. It was a way to escape on long runs with her boyfriend as she trains for the 10,000 meters at the Olympic Trials in June. It was a way to forget that harrowing hour she spent taking shelter behind a metal door.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — George Floyd's brother sheds tears on the stand as he is shown a picture of a young Floyd and his mother.

Officials believe equipment from a marijuana grow in a Los Angeles home’s garage may have caused an explosion that shattered the structures, trapping one man in the debris and sending another to the hospital with critical burn injuries. More than a dozen nearby homes were evacuated after the explosion Sunday night in the San Fernando Valley and several were damaged. Firefighters discovered a 59-year-old man with critical burn injuries outside the home and rescued another man buried in rubble. Two other adults and three children in the home were not injured. Authorities on Monday say an inspection of the home and garage wreckage found evidence of a marijuana grow. 

The Oscars are aiming to be more like a movie than a television show and enlisting A-list stars like Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Halle Berry and Reese Witherspoon to help. They’ll be joined at the April 25 broadcast by the likes of Regina King, Joaquin Phoenix, Rita Moreno, Laura Dern, Zendaya, Marlee Matlin and last year’s best director winner Bong Joon Ho, the show’s producers said Monday.  After delaying two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Oscars are forging ahead with an in-person show at Los Angeles’ Union Station. The 93rd Oscars will be broadcast live on ABC on April 25 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

ACE is not only hiring for adventure activities, but also retail, food and beverage, landscaping, and more

A historic drought in a massive agricultural region straddling Northern California and southern Oregon could mean steep cuts to the water provided to hundreds of farmers to sustain endangered fish species. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation oversees water allocations in the Klamath Project. It's expected to announce this week how much water farmers will get this season, if any, after delaying the decision a month amid severe drought. The Klamath and Yurok tribes have treaties guaranteeing the protection of their fisheries. They want water for federally listed fish species, the sucker fish and coho salmon. 

A North Carolina man who survived a shooting in front of his house two weeks ago was shot to death while he sat on his porch last weekend. The Winston-Salem Journal reports police say 27-year-old Demar Marquis Floyd was sitting on his porch Saturday night when the suspects drove by his house and opened fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene. On March 26, someone drove past Floyd's house and opened fire, hitting him in the torso. Winston-Salem police are investigating, but so far, no arrests have been made.

Doctors say that a drug that boosts the immune system may help before lung cancer surgery. It gave dramatic results when used with chemotherapy in patients with operable lung tumors. The study of about 350 people tested chemo and the Bristol Meyers Squibb drug Opdivo. About a quarter of the patients given the combo had no signs of cancer remaining once they ultimately had surgery.  Drugs like these are often used after surgery and many studies are testing them before as well. Results were reported over the weekend at a cancer conference. 

The former top FBI agent in Albany, New York, was a “skilled predator” who harassed eight women in one of the bureau's most egregious known sexual misconduct cases. That’s according to a federal report obtained by The Associated Press detailing allegations that James Hendricks made unwelcome advances, touched women inappropriately and asked at least one to have sex in a conference room. Hendricks retired last year and did not respond to requests for comment. He was among several senior FBI officials highlighted in an AP investigation last year that found a pattern of supervisors avoiding discipline in sexual misconduct cases. 

The judge overseeing the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer in the death of George Floyd says he’ll leave it up to the jury to sort out whether Floyd yelled “I ate too many drugs” or “I ain’t do no drugs” as three officers pinned him to the ground. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill made the ruling as attorneys argued over whether to allow the testimony of a prosecution use-of-force expert. The state wanted the expert to tell the jury about his separate analysis of what Floyd said in the disputed clip, and his conclusion that he couldn't tell what Floyd said. But the judge agreed with the defense that it should be up jurors to decide what Floyd actually said.

Inspired by the racial justice protests of 2020, Jahm Najafi is ready to shed his normally low profile to make some headlines for his partnerships and philanthropy. In February, Najafi, a billionaire who runs the Phoenix-based investment firm Najafi Cos., joined former NFL star Colin Kaepernick to form a special purpose acquisition company that they hope to merge with a private company that shares their commitment to diversity and equity. Najafi, vice chairman of the Phoenix Suns and a member of the NBA’s Board of Governors, is also getting involved with the NBA Foundation.

The former police chief of Connecticut’s largest city has been sentenced to one year in prison for rigging the hiring process that led to his appointment in 2018. A federal judge in Bridgeport handed down the punishment Monday to Armando “A.J.” Perez, who rose through the ranks of Bridgeport police over a nearly four-decade career to become the department's first Hispanic chief. He and the city’s former acting personnel director, David Dunn, resigned in September and pleaded guilty the following month in connection with the hiring scheme. Prosecutors say Perez received confidential information about the police chief’s examination stolen by Dunn. Dunn is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday.

New versions of COVID-19 vaccines are now being tested in case they ever are needed to protect against mutated versions of the virus. The vaccines being rolled out across the U.S. offer strong protection, even against some of the variants becoming more common. But viruses constantly evolve, and the world is in a race to vaccinate millions and tamp down the coronavirus before even more mutants emerge. Researchers, hoping to stay ahead of these changes, are seeing whether tweaked versions of vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer can protect against one worrisome type that emerged in South Africa.  

A New Hampshire prosecutors says a former youth center counselor accused of raping one boy and groping another in the 1990s denied the allegations when questioned by police but acknowledged being reprimanded for “wrestling with children.” A judge set bail at $3,000 Monday for 79-year-old Frank Davis, of Hopkinton, one of seven men arrested last week in connection with a broad criminal investigation into the Sununu Youth Services Center, formerly known as the Youth Development Center, in Manchester. A prosecutor says Davis was reprimanded and transferred because of his habit of wrestling with teens. Davis’ attorney says he denies the criminal allegations. 

Testimony released Monday says the driver of an SUV packed with migrants stopped or slowed before getting slammed by a tractor-trailer in one of the deadliest border-related crashes. Results of the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary investigation include the first published account of the driver of a tractor-trailer, who survived the March 2 crash in California’s Imperial Valley that killed 13 of 25 people inside the 1997 Ford Expedition, including the driver. The driver of the big rig suffered moderate injuries. The deceased are from Mexico and Guatemala.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is set to sign legislation that will legalize recreational marijuana use and sales in the state. The Democratic governor has scheduled a signing ceremony and a news conference for Monday. Her decision will make New Mexico the seventh state since last November to legalize adult possession and sales of cannabis for recreational use. Lujan Grisham has supported marijuana reform as way to create jobs and boost state revenue. The bill gives the governor a strong hand of recreational marijuana oversight through her appointed superintendent of the Regulation and Licensing Department. New Mexico's recreational pot sales are expected to begin next year in April.

Although weddings and other big celebrations are going back on the calendar in the U.S., business owners who make those events happen expect a slow recovery from the impact of COVID-19. Owners say inquiries and bookings are picking up, but no one knows yet what kind of restrictions there'll be on the size of gatherings, and whether traditions like cocktail hours and dancing will be be limited. Event planners and venue operators say it’s not just government restrictions _ many people are still uneasy about large gatherings. Even bridal shop owners see caution _ couples aren't planning weddings with 10 bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Uber is offering sign-up bonuses and other incentives for drivers as it faces record demand for rides and meal delivery. The San Francisco ride-hailing company said Monday that total monthly bookings, including food delivery and passenger service, reached an all-time high in March. In a government filing, the company said demand for ride-hailing, which plunged during coronavirus lockdowns last year, has recovered more quickly than expected as daily COVID-19 vaccinations exceed 3 million per day in the U.S. Passenger bookings reached the highest level since last March, when spiking infection rates began to shut the country down. 

Democrat Charles Booker says he’s forming an exploratory committee as he weighs a follow-up Senate race in 2022 against Republican incumbent Rand Paul in Kentucky. Booker's progressive campaign came up just short in last year's Democratic primary. Booker is a Black former state lawmaker from Louisville. In his announcement Monday, he continued to tout themes from his campaign last year. Those themes include racial and economic justice, universal access to health care and environmental activism. He would face an uphill challenge against Paul. The incumbent is a libertarian-leaning conservative and ally of former President Donald Trump.

Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua have pulled production of their runaway slave drama “Emancipation” from Georgia over the state’s recently enacted law restricting voting access. The film is the largest and most high profile Hollywood production to depart the state since Georgia’s Republican-controlled state Legislature passed a law that introduced stiffer voter identification requirements for absentee balloting, limited drop boxes and gave the State Election Board new powers to intervene in county election offices and to remove and replace local election officials. Opponents have said the law is designed to reduce the impact of minority voters. 

West Virginia is joining the growing list of places recruiting remote workers — with a thrill-seeking twist. A program launched Monday will try to lure outdoor enthusiasts to live in the rural state with enticements of cash and free passes for recreational destinations. The goal is to leverage one of West Virginia’s most appealing assets, its natural beauty, to stem a population loss in the only state that has fewer residents now than in 1950. Program participants will receive $12,000 cash. They'll also get passes for a year for adventures such as whitewater rafting and golf. The program is now accepting applications for the first 50 openings in Morgantown.

Authorities say a Tennessee rapper was among a caravan of at least two dozen people who were arrested in connection to a highway shooting in Mississippi. News outlets report Big Boogie was taken into custody Thursday along with 20 others who were with the Memphis-based rapper on their way to a performance in Biloxi. Big Boogie's real name is John Lotts. Senatobia police say one person was wounded in the shooting that took place on Interstate 55 near Coldwater. Police say multiple vehicles were involved in the shooting. Three additional people were arrested after police found a gun and drugs inside the victim’s vehicle. No charges were immediately announced.

PHILADELPHIA, April 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Partners for Sacred Places is pleased to announce the 2021 folk art grant recipients of The Nordic Churches Project. The cultural heritage grants offer churches and nonprofit organizations that participated in the initial phase of The Nordic Churc…

VILLA RICA, Ga. (AP) — Sheriff: 3 Georgia officers wounded, 1 suspect dead, 1 suspect in custody after police chase.

Television producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers will be honored for their wardrobe efforts on hit TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Bridgerton” at Tuesday's Costume Designers Guild Awards. The Costume Designers Guild announced Monday that Rhimes and Beers will be given the Distinguished Collaborator Award. The longtime producing partners will receive the award during the guild's 23rd ceremony, which will be shown on Twitter. Rhimes and Beers both gave credit to costume designers who have worked with them. The award honors individuals who demonstrate support of costume design and creative partnerships with designers. Past recipients include Meryl Streep, Quentin Tarantino, Judd Apatow, Clint Eastwood and Guillermo Del Toro.

Authorities in Georgia say multiple officers were injured in a police chase that ended in a shooting Monday morning. Carroll County sheriff’s spokesperson Investigator Ashley Hulsey told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the chase was initiated by the Georgia State Patrol in Bremen and ended in the area of state highway 61 near Flat Rock Road. It’s unclear how many officers were injured and Hulsey said she was not aware of the officers’ conditions. Additional details weren’t immediately released. Police activity is blocking Georgia 61 at Flat Rock Road south of Interstate 20. 

A Democratic state lawmaker is mounting a bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott. State Rep. Krystle Matthews told The Associated Press that she will try to register 150,000 new voters across South Carolina to tighten the margin Democrats have struggled to close in statewide elections. Matthews was elected to her second term in the state House last year. Scott has said 2022 would be his last Senate race. He has already been endorsed by former President Donald Trump and has $8 million in his campaign funds.

For a limited time, the company is offering a free demo disinfection service to highlight its medical-grade UV technology known as the Dimer UVHammer