WASHINGTON, D.C.

US jets intercept Russian bombers

Two Russian long-range bombers were intercepted off the coast of Alaska by a pair of F-22 Raptor fighter jets in a routine contact, the US military said. The Tu-95 bombers were flying Friday over the Bering Sea north of the Aleutian Islands. They were visually identified and shadowed by the US jets, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said. The bombers did not enter US airspace. A similar incident occurred off of Alaskan waters in April 2017. (Washington Post)

NEW YORK

Former lawmaker guilty of corruption

NEW YORK — A jury convicted former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver of public corruption charges, dashing the 74-year-old Democrat’s second attempt to avoid years in prison after a decadeslong career as one of the most powerful politicians in state government. The verdict, which came on the first full-day of deliberations Friday, was a repeat of the outcome in Silver’s first trial in 2015. That conviction and a 12-year prison sentence were tossed out by an appeals court. (AP)

Bloomberg warns of dishonesty crisis

NEW YORK — Americans are facing an ‘‘epidemic of dishonesty’’ in Washington that’s more dangerous than terrorism or communism, according to former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. He said in a commencement speech Saturday at Rice University in Texas that ‘‘an endless barrage of lies’’ and a trend toward ‘‘alternate realities’’ in national politics pose a dire threat to US democracy. The 76-year-old billionaire did not mention any politicians by name. (AP)

OKLAHOMA

Governor’s moves spark controversy

OKLAHOMA CITY — Republican Governor Mary Fallin vetoed a bill that would have allowed adults to carry handguns without a permit and signed another that permits religious organizations to exclude same sex couples from adoptions, angering both gun and gay rights groups on the same day. The twin actions Friday were among more than a dozen decisions on legislation that were taken by the term-limited governor as she clears the decks in her waning months in office. (AP)

Man dies, 4 officers hurt in house siege

TALIHINA — Four Oklahoma troopers were struck by gunfire or shrapnel while serving a warrant at a man’s home that may have been booby-trapped to spark a large fire. The Friday blaze consumed several buildings in downtown Talihina, about 150 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. The suspect was shot and killed. The four injured troopers were treated at a hospital and released. The name of the suspect has not been made public. (AP)