Nation

Kansas girl at center of 1954 school segregation ruling dies

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Linda Brown, the Kansas girl at the center of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down racial segregation in schools, has died at age 76.

Topeka's former Sumner School was all-white when her father, Oliver, tried to enroll the family. He became lead plaintiff in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision by the Supreme Court that ended school segregation.

Peaceful Rest Funeral Chapel of Topeka confirmed that Linda Brown died Sunday afternoon. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Mar. 27 Only in America ...

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Cat-and-mouse game: Cougar roams CA backyards

Mattis says he can play nice with Bolton

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis acknowledged on Tuesday that he and President Donald Trump's incoming national security adviser, John Bolton, have different world views but predicted they will develop a working partnership.

"I look forward to working with him -- no reservations, no concerns at all," Mattis told reporters at an impromptu news conference. "Last time I checked he's an American. I'm not in the least bit concerned."

Judge: Less mining must be studied for No. 1 US coal region

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CHEYENNE, Wyo. — U.S. government officials who engage in regional planning for an area of Wyoming and Montana that supplies 40 percent of the nation's coal must consider reducing coal mining as a way to fight climate change, a judge has ruled.

Friday's ruling by U.S. District Judge Brian Morris in Great Falls, Montana, applies to the Powder River Basin, where house-sized dump trucks haul loads mined around the clock from openpit coal mines. Some of the mines measure more than a mile wide.

Retired justice urges repeal of Second Amendment

WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is calling for the repeal of the Second Amendment to allow for significant gun control legislation.

The 97-year-old Stevens says in an essay on The New York Times website that repeal would weaken the National Rifle Association's ability to "block constructive gun control legislation."

Decision to add citizenship question to 2020 U.S. Census is drawing fire

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 2020 U.S. Census will include a question about citizenship status, a move that brought swift condemnation from Democrats, who said it would intimidate immigrants and discouraging them from responding.

The population count taken every 10 years is more than an academic exercise. It's required by the Constitution and used to determine the number of seats each state has in the House as well as how federal funds are distributed to local communities. It helps communities determine where to build everything from schools and grocery stores to hospitals.

New vehicles are getting equipped with self-driving safety features

DETROIT — Autonomous vehicles get all the headlines, but automakers are gradually adding advanced electronic safety features to humandriven cars as they step toward a world of self-driving vehicles.

Car and tech companies are rolling out laser sensors, artificial intelligence, larger viewing screens that show more of the road, cameras that can read speed limit signs, and systems that slow cars ahead of curves and construction zones.

‘60 Minutes,’ Stormy Daniels get big ratings, pushback

Avenatti responded that Daniels' account of being threatened to keep quiet about the affair represents a "big, big accusation" and a "critical" fact. In other TV interviews, Avenatti said he was holding back certain details of the alleged affair, including the contents of a CD or DVD he tweeted a picture of last week, for strategic reasons.

Jeff Fager, executive producer of "60 Minutes," said the report included meaningful aspects of Daniels' story, including what the $130,000 payment to her by Trump attorney Michael Cohen might mean in the context of federal campaign rules.

Closure of Seattle Russian consulate frustrates travelers

SEATTLE (AP) — The Trump administration’s decision to shutter the Russian consulate in Seattle displeased many Russian immigrants Monday, some of whom rushed to its offices in hopes of securing passports, visas and other important documents.

Mar. 27 News Briefs

US home prices post 6.2 percent annual gain in January

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices posted another big gain in January, pushed higher by a shortage of homes for sale.

Standard & Poor’s says its S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index climbed 6.2 percent in January from a year earlier. That nearly matches December’s 6.3 percent gain, which had been the fastest 12-month growth in nearly three years. The price of houses is easily outpacing wage growth and inflation.