Suspect charged in Ferguson attack
CLAYTON, Mo. – The man accused of shooting two police officers last week in Ferguson appeared in court Monday, a day after his arrest on charges that he fired on the men during a late-night protest.
Jeffrey Williams, 20, did not make any statements during the brief hearing. St. Louis television station KTVI said a judge read the charges – felony assault, armed criminal action and a weapons offense – and gave Williams a list of possible private attorneys. His next appearance was set for March 31.
Williams is accused of shooting the two officers Thursday outside Ferguson’s police station, which has been the scene of protests since last summer’s fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
Williams told investigators he was not targeting law enforcement and had been aiming instead at someone with whom he was in dispute, authorities said.
Obama officials note health-coverage gains
WASHINGTON – More than 16 million Americans have gained coverage since President Barack Obama’s health-care law took effect five years ago, the administration said Monday.
But measuring a different way, an independent expert who took into account insurance losses during some of those years had a much lower estimate: 9.7 million.
The Department of Health and Human Services estimated that 16.4 million adults have gained health insurance since the law’s major coverage provisions began taking effect in 2010.
The lower independent estimate is based on a large daily survey called the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.
Iraqi offensive for Tikrit stalls
NAJAF, Iraq – The Iraqi forces’ operation to retake the city of Tikrit has stalled as troops suffer heavy casualties at the hands of Islamic State militants, raising concerns over whether the pro-government fighters are ready for major offensives.
After two days of little activity on the battlefield, Iraq’s interior minister, Mohammed al-Ghabban, confirmed on Monday that the offensive has “temporarily stopped.” The steady flow of caskets arriving in Iraq’s Shiite holy city of Najaf suggests a reason for the pause; cemetery workers say as many as 60 war dead have been arriving each day.
Since last week, Iraqi forces have hemmed in the Sunni militants in Tikrit, claiming control of the majority of the former Islamic State stronghold. But the operation has come at a cost, with soldiers saying the fight has been tougher than expected. As the momentum has slowed, some Iraqi officials have begun to publicly call for U.S.-led air support.
Washington Post and Associated Press
