The Associated Press

Chrysler expected to formally refuse Jeep recall today

The Associated Press — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:06:28 +0000

DETROIT (AP) - Chrysler is expected to file papers Tuesday explaining its refusal to recall 2.7 million older Jeep SUVs.

The U.S. government asked Chrysler earlier this month to recall Grand Cherokees and Libertys because the position of the fuel tank leaves it susceptible to rupture in a rear-end crash. The ruptured tank can spill gasoline, which can ignite if an ignition source is present.

The agency says 51 people have been killed in accidents involving the older Jeeps.

But on June 4, Chrysler publicly rejected the recall, saying the Jeeps are safe and the government is creating a new standard for gas tank strength. Tuesday is the deadline for Chrysler to file its formal response to the government's request.

Palisades nuke plant restarts after 43-day outage

The Associated Press — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:15:38 +0000

COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - Operators have restarted the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in southwestern Michigan after finishing repairs to a water tank that leaked slightly radioactive water into Lake Michigan.

New Orleans-based Entergy Corp. idled the plant May 5 after operators found a tank leaking faster than regulations allow. Company spokeswoman Lindsay Rose says it returned to service about 2:10 p.m. Monday.

The plant is in Van Buren County's Covert Township, about 80 miles east-northeast of Chicago,

Deliberations continue today in Aiyana Stanley-Jones case

The Associated Press — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:34:12 +0000

DETROIT (AP) — A jury has resumed deliberations in the trial of a Detroit police officer blamed for the fatal shooting of a 7-year-old girl.

The jury met for about five hours Friday before going home for the weekend. Deliberations started again Monday around 9:30 a.m. in Wayne County court.

Joseph Weekley is charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony.

Aiyana Stanley-Jones was shot in the head while she slept on a couch near the front door of a Detroit home. Weekley was leading a pack of officers into the home to search for a murder suspect in 2010.

Weekley claims he accidentally pulled the trigger when Aiyana's grandmother struck his gun. Mertilla Jones denies any interference.

The jury could acquit Weekley or convict him of a lesser crime.

Diving into the search for lost 17th-century ship in Lake Michigan

The Associated Press — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 15:43:04 +0000

ON LAKE MICHIGAN NEAR POVERTY ISLAND, Mich. (AP) - In a remote part of northern Lake Michigan, divers have started looking at an underwater pit, hoping to find the resting place of the Griffin, a ship commanded by the 17th century French explorer La Salle.

Jury to decide fate of Detroit cop who shot Aiyana Stanley-Jones

The Associated Press — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:53:22 +0000

Jurors will get instructions from a judge and then start deliberations in the trial of a Detroit police officer charged in the fatal shooting of a 7-year-old girl.

Joseph Weekley told jurors Thursday that he wasn't reckless when he accidentally fired his gun during a raid, killing Aiyana Stanley-Jones three years ago. He says he was struggling with Aiyana's grandmother over the gun.

The jury is returning to court Friday. Weekley is charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony, but the jury also can consider it a misdemeanor crime.

Prosecutor Rob Moran says there was no interference from grandmother Mertilla Jones. But defense attorney Steve Fishman says Jones has no credibility because she's told different stories about what happened.

Aiyana was killed when police raided a house to capture a murder suspect.