San Francisco
Strike over: Union and transit officials reached a tentative deal to end a four-day Bay Area Rapid Transit strike that caused travel mayhem for more than 400,000 commuters this week. The strike—BART’s second in four months—crippled the nation’s fifth-largest rail system, leading to jammed roadways and long lines for buses and ferries, as workers looked for alternative ways to travel. The agreement came after more than six months of talks between union officials, BART management, and local politicians, and included a wage increase that would push union workers’ pay up from an average of $76,500 annually to $88,300 by 2017. “We think it’s a good deal and expect it to be ratified,” said union leader Pete Castelli. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the deaths of two BART workers who were run over while checking tracks during the strike.
Sparks, Nev.
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School shooting: A 12-year-old boy shot and killed a teacher and wounded two other students at his school this week before turning the gun on himself. The unnamed seventh-grader used his parents’ Ruger 9 mm semi-automatic handgun to carry out the shooting, which fellow students suggested may have been motivated by bullying. “He was yelling a bunch of things while we were running,” said classmate Kyle Nucum, 13. “Stuff like, ‘Why are you laughing at me? Why are you doing this to me?’” The first shots quickly drew the attention of math teacher Michael Landsberry, 45, who was killed while apparently trying to convince the boy to give up the gun. Students said his heroism may have prevented more deaths. “That was the kind of person Michael was,” said his brother, Reggie. “If somebody needed help he would be there.”
Maryville, Mo.
Rape case reopened: Intense public pressure prompted local officials this week to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate a controversial rape case involving a 14-year-old girl. Daisy Coleman alleges that in 2012, high school football player Matthew Barnett, then 17, plied her with alcohol, sexually assaulted her while a fellow football player video-recorded the attack, and left her on her front porch in freezing weather wearing only a T-shirt and sweatpants. The players were originally charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation, but Nodaway County Prosecutor Robert Rice later dropped the charges, claiming witnesses had refused to cooperate with the investigation. Critics, however, speculated that the case was closed amid pressure from Barnett’s politically prominent family. The allegations have triggered an uproar in the town of 12,000. In April a mysterious fire burned down the Colemans’ home, which was vacant after the family moved away to escape harassment.
Tallahassee
Prison break: The Florida Corrections Department has been forced to tighten its release policy after two convicted murderers used forged paperwork to walk out of a maximum-security prison. Joseph Jenkins and Charles Walker were released from jail on two separate days in late September and early October, having submitted fake documents that reduced their life sentences to 15 years. Authorities didn’t even realize the two had been released until they were alerted by a relative of Jenkins’s murder victim. The pair were found last week in a Panama City motel and placed in maximum-security cells. Since their escape, at least seven inmates have been found to have used forged documents to try to escape from prison; this was Jenkins’s second attempt. The state is offering $10,000 rewards for evidence leading to others involved in the forgeries.
Washington, D.C.
Johnson nominated: President Obama nominated former Pentagon official Jeh Johnson last week to replace Janet Napolitano as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Johnson served as the Defense Department’s general counsel from 2009 to 2012, overseeing thorny issues like the repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and the legality of drone strikes. His conclusion that the Obama administration had the authority to carry out strikes on U.S. citizens has prompted speculation that his nomination signals a continuation of a strong drone policy. If confirmed by the Senate, Johnson will be responsible for a sprawling, 240,000-person department that oversees counterterrorism, immigration, disaster relief, and cybersecurity. The New Yorker said he accepted the nomination to help prevent another 9/11. “When I received the call, I could not refuse it,” he said.
Trenton, N.J.
Same-sex marriage: Gov. Chris Christie announced this week that he was dropping his long fight against same-sex marriage, days after the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that gay couples could immediately begin marrying in the state. The Republican governor vetoed legislation legalizing the practice in 2012, calling for a referendum to decide the matter. Six gay couples appealed his decision, claiming they were being denied access to federal benefits provided after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The state Supreme Court backed the couples late last week, saying it could find no “public interest” in depriving them of their “constitutional right to equal protection.” Newly elected Sen. Cory Booker used his last days as Newark mayor this week to officiate at several weddings, saying that he had waited seven years for the opportunity to marry gay couples and calling the experience “one of the most magical moments” of his life.
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