EC finds its Voice: Nessa Whidbee wins singing competition

As mass shootings are again drawing public attention, states across the U.S. seem to be deepening their political divide on gun policies. A series of recent mass shootings in California come after a third straight year in which U.S. states recorded more than 600 mass shootings involving at least four deaths or injuries. Democratic-led states that already have restrictive gun laws have responded to home-state tragedies by enacting or proposing even more limits on guns. Many states with Republican-led legislatures appear unlikely to adopt any new gun policies after last year's local mass shootings. They're pinning the problem on violent individuals, not their weapons.

The families of five passengers killed in a plane crash off the North Carolina coast have settled wrongful death lawsuits for $15 million. Their attorneys told the court the companies that owned the plane and employed the pilot paid the money. The suits claimed the pilot failed to properly fly the single-engine plane in weather conditions with limited visibility. All eight people aboard died off the Outer Banks. The passengers included four teenagers and two adults, returning from a hunting trip. The founder of the company that owned the plane was killed, and his family wasn't involved in the lawsuits.

The University of Wisconsin System has joined a number of universities across the country in banning the popular social media app TikTok on school devicies. UW System officials made the announcement Tuesday. A number of other universities have banned TikTok in recent weeks, including Auburn, Arkansas State and Oklahoma. Nearly half the states have banned the app on state-owned devices, including Wisconsin, North Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and South Dakota. Congress also recently banned TikTok from most U.S. government-issued devices over bipartisan concerns about security. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020. Critics say the Chinese government could access user data.

The family of Tyre Nichols plans speak about the latest developments in the case, including the suspension of two officers and the firing of three emergency responders. The family will gather with the Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Ben Crump at the historic Mason Temple in Memphis. That's where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech. Five Black officers were fired and charged last week with second-degree murder and other offenses. Six officers were in a now-disbanded unit that focused on high-crime areas. Crump says other Memphis residents who say they also were “brutalized” by officers in the unit will speak.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A political newcomer who lost his bid for the New Mexico statehouse has been indicted on charges of allegedly orchestrating a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of Democratic officials.

Former U.S. Senator David Durenberger has died at age 88. Durenberger was a Minnesota Republican who espoused a progressive brand of politics. His longtime spokesperson says his health has declined in recent months and he died Tuesday morning at his St. Paul home. Durenberger won a U.S. Senate seat in 1978 and served three terms. He was a champion of health care reform. He was unanimously censured by the Senate in 1990 following an ethics investigation into payments he received for book royalties and federal reimbursements for stays in a Minneapolis condo. In 1995, he pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges related to the condo payments. He became a critic of the Republican Party as it tilted toward fiscal conservatives focused on slashing government programs.

The U.S. Justice Department has requested documents from Tesla  related to its Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving” features. The electric vehicle maker cautioned in a regulatory filing Tuesday that if the government decides to pursue an enforcement action, it could possibly have a material adverse impact on its business. Despite their names, Tesla still says on its website that the cars can’t drive themselves. Teslas using “Full Self-Driving” can navigate roads in many cases, but experts say the system can make mistakes, which even CEO Elon Musk acknowledges. A message was left Tuesday seeking comment from the Justice Department.