Stories from June 27, 2021

Grandmother of boy critically injured by gunfire pleads with community to provide tips on case
The grandmother of a 10-year-old boy critically injured by gunfire in Minneapolis earlier this year pleaded Sunday for anyone with information on the shooting — and the fatal shootings of two other children this spring — to come forward.
Johnson County, Iowa, renames itself after a different Johnson
The county was first named after a slave-owning former vice president who had no connection to Iowa. Now it will be named for Lulu Merle Johnson: the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in the state.
Unprecedented Northwest heat wave builds, records fall
Portland, Oregon, reached 112 degrees on Sunday, breaking the all-time temperature record of 108 F, which was set just a day earlier. In British Columbia, the village of Lytton reached 115 F — a new all-time record high for Canada.
Town official told residents their building was safe, despite engineer's warning
An engineering report in October 2018 warned of "major structural damage" in the Florida building that collapsed last week. The next month, a town inspector said the building was in "very good shape."
Minnesota lawmakers reach tentative deal on police accountability measures
The bipartisan agreement includes restrictions on no-knock warrants, on confidential informants and jailhouse witnesses, and on the ability of police to seize suspects’ property. But the bill doesn’t contain the far-reaching changes that many activists had demanded.
Families of the missing visit site of Florida condo collapse
Families of the missing visited the scene of the Florida condo building collapse Sunday as rescuers kept digging through the mound of rubble and clinging to hope that someone could yet be alive somewhere under the broken concrete and twisted metal.
Scattered rain and possible thunder here; record heat in Seattle
Temps are near-normal here, while there is record heat in much of Washington and Oregon. We have the details, plus a look at our rain chances and temperature trends.
Alzheimer's drug stirs hope for patients, worry for doctors
Doctors are trying to figure out who should get a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease which, at best, slows the fatal disease marginally. The drug's recent approval by the Food and Drug Administration has sparked both excitement and skepticism.
Mike Gravel, former U.S. senator for Alaska, dies at 91
Mike Gravel, a former U.S. senator from Alaska who read the Pentagon Papers into the Congressional Record and confronted Barack Obama about nuclear weapons during a later presidential run, has died. He was 91.
Good luck finding fireworks. Sales are booming but a shortage looms
After production disruptions and shipping delays, fireworks are expensive and in short supply. Some retailers have shut down, and others are warning customers their stock might be gone before July 4.
Young love shines in the dark in this new story collection
Six best-selling Black YA authors pooled their talents for “Blackout,” a collection of linked stories about teens navigating life, love, and just getting to a party during a New York City blackout.
Coronavirus FAQ: I've been vaccinated. Do I need to worry about variants?
Here's what we know about the effectiveness of vaccines against variants of concern — notably the delta variant, first identified in India and now responsible for more than 20 percent of new U.S. cases.
Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $230 million to New York state to settle claims that the pharmaceutical giant helped fuel the opioid crisis, Attorney General Letitia James said on Saturday.