Mistrial declared in trial of officer who killed immigrant

A judge declared a mistrial Thursday after a Michigan jury couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict in the second-degree-murder trial of a police officer who shot Patrick Lyoya, a Black man, in the back of the head after a traffic stop in 2022.

The result came at the start of the fourth day of deliberations and was a partial victory for Christopher Schurr, who still could face another trial. The killing of Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant and father of two, sparked weeks of protest in Grand Rapids, especially after the city’s police chief released video of the confrontation.

“It hurts my family, my wife. We are bleeding. We are in pain,” Lyoya’s father, Peter, said of the outcome, speaking through an interpreter.

“We’ll continue to fight until we get true justice for Patrick.”

Defense attorney Matthew Borgula said he talked to jurors and learned that most wanted to acquit Schurr.

Up to 1,000 trans troops are being moved out of military

The Pentagon immediately will begin moving as many as 1,000 openly identifying transgender service members out of the military and give others 30 days to self-identify under a new directive issued Thursday.

Buoyed by Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to enforce a ban on transgender individuals in the military, the Defense Department will begin going through medical records to identify others who haven’t come forward.

Department officials have said it’s difficult to determine exactly how many transgender service members there are, but medical records will show those who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, who show symptoms or are being treated.

Acting administrator is replaced a day after testimony

The Federal Emergency Management Agency faced fresh upheaval Thursday just weeks before the start of hurricane season when the acting administrator was pushed out and replaced by another official from the Department of Homeland Security.

The abrupt change came the day after Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL who held the job for the past few months, testified on Capitol Hill that he did not agree with proposals to dismantle an organization that helps plan for natural disasters and distributes financial assistance.

President Donald Trump has suggested that individual states, not the federal government, should take the lead on hurricanes, tornadoes and other crises. He has been sharply critical of FEMA’s performance, particularly in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.

David Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa, will run FEMA for the time being. He does not appear to have any experience in managing natural disasters. He currently serves as the Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for countering weapons of mass destruction.

Denmark summons diplomat over report on intel gathering

Denmark on Thursday summoned the top American diplomat in the country for an explanation after a Wall Street Journal report about the United States increasing intelligence gathering on Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory coveted by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Jennifer Hall Godfrey, acting head of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, met with high-ranking Danish diplomat Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen at the Danish Foreign Ministry over the Journal article published Tuesday, the ministry said in an email.

It provided no further details. The embassy declined to comment.

The Journal, citing two people familiar with the U.S. effort that it did not identify, reported that several high-ranking officials under the U.S. director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, had directed intelligence agency chiefs to learn more about Greenland’s independence movement and sentiment about U.S. resource extraction there.

Trump wants to end humanitarian parole for 500,000 people

President Donald Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow it to end humanitarian parole for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from four countries, setting them up for potential deportation.

The emergency appeal asks the justices to halt a lower-court order keeping in place temporary legal status for more than 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The Republican administration argues that the decision wrongly intrudes on the Department of Homeland Security’s authority.

“The district court has nullified one of the administration’s most consequential immigration policy decisions,” Solicitor General John Sauer wrote.

House votes to change name of body of water to Gulf of America

The Republican-led House passed a bill Thursday that would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and direct federal agencies to update their documents and maps to incorporate the new name.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order during his first day in office to rename the Gulf. House Republicans are looking to show their support, although it is unclear whether he Senate will go along. The bill passed by a vote of 211-206.

The body of water has shared borders between the United States and Mexico.

Lawyer blasts rape allegations against Smokey Robinson

Smokey Robinson’s lawyer said allegations of rape and sexual assault against him in a lawsuit from four former housekeepers are “vile” and “false.”

Attorney Christopher Frost said in a statement Wednesday that the evidence “will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon.”

The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday against the Motown music luminary seeks at least $50 million damages over the alleged assaults, which the women say took place between 2007 and 2024.

Robinson’s wife, Frances Robinson, also is named as a defendant for allegedly enabling his behavior and creating an abusive work environment.

The four women each allege that Smokey Robinson would wait until he was alone with them in his house and then sexually assault and rape them.

— Denver Post wire services