Demands for justice, then an investigation

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
·6 min read

After demands for justice led to an investigation, five Aurora, Colorado, police officers and medics were indicted in the death of Elijah McClain. A controversial abortion ban has gone into effect in Texas. And millions in Louisiana are still without power amid stifling heat after Hurricane Ida.

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Police officers, medics indicted for death of Elijah McClain

Five suburban Denver police officers and medics have been indicted by a Colorado grand jury in the death two years ago of a young Black man walking home from a store. Elijah McClain, 23, died after being thrown to the ground, put into a now-banned carotid artery chokehold, and being injected with the tranquilizer ketamine by Aurora police and medics on Aug. 24, 2019, responding to a 911 call that he had worn a face mask into a convenience store to buy iced tea. He was not accused of a crime by the caller. "I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe, please stop," McClain begged officers in body-worn camera footage. Frustrated by the internal police investigation into McClain's death, Gov. Jared Polis ordered a state investigation. The defendants face charges that include manslaughter and assault. Two of the officers remain employed by the department, while the third was fired after sending text messages mocking McClain's death. The two Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics remain on duty. It was unclear Wednesday whether the five would be taken into custody.

Demonstrators carry a giant placard during a rally and march over the death of Elijah McClain outside the police department in Aurora, Colo., on June 27, 2020. Colorado’s attorney general said Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021 that a grand jury indicted three officers and two paramedics in the death of Elijah McClain, a Black man who was put in a chokehold and injected with a powerful sedative two years ago in suburban Denver.

Texas abortion ban now in effect

One of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation went into effect Wednesday in Texas. The law, which prohibits the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy, effectively bans most abortions in the state. Abortion rights advocates filed an emergency appeal to put the law on hold, but the Supreme Court has yet to act. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the legislation, known as the "fetal heartbeat" bill, into law in May. It bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy and before many people realize they are pregnant. There are no exemptions in cases of rape or incest. What makes the Texas law different is its unusual enforcement scheme: Rather than have officials responsible for enforcing the law, private citizens are authorized to sue abortion providers and anyone who aids or abets abortions. The law is one of the most direct challenges on the boundaries of the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. Similar six-week abortion laws in Georgia, Kentucky and other states have been blocked by federal courts. What happens next? Here's what you need to know.

Abortion rights demonstrators including Jaylene Solache, of Dallas, Texas, right, rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2020.
Abortion rights demonstrators including Jaylene Solache, of Dallas, Texas, right, rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2020.

What everyone's talking about

Millions in Louisiana still without power

Two million Louisianans remained without power for a fourth day Wednesday as the impact of Hurricane Ida's devastating romp through the Southeast grew more dire amid oppressive heat. Though no longer a hurricane, Ida was continuing to menace much of the Northeast. The potential for life-threatening and damaging flooding reached into New England – more than 50 million residents of the Northeast were under a flash flood watch Wednesday. In New Orleans, lines for gasoline extended for blocks at stations that had any. Grocery stores saw similar struggles. Authorities, warning that full recovery could take months, scrambled to provide cooling centers, ready-made meals and water, while urging evacuees to stay away.

In this aerial photo from a rescue flight provided by MedicCorps.org, sand on the road from storm flooding, and destruction in Grand Isle, La. is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021.
In this aerial photo from a rescue flight provided by MedicCorps.org, sand on the road from storm flooding, and destruction in Grand Isle, La. is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021.

Growing Caldor Fire pushes east, looms near Lake Tahoe

A raging wildfire that is encroaching upon Lake Tahoe threatens to mar the pristine alpine lake that draws 15 million visitors a year. Flames from the growing Caldor Fire marched east Wednesday, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes as it descended into the Lake Tahoe basin in California. On Tuesday, the fire spread toward the Nevada state line, prompting evacuation orders there. The fire has grown to nearly 320 square miles, with only 20% containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and has destroyed nearly 550 homes and more than 180 other structures, with more than 34,800 other buildings threatened. And while winds were active, firefighters made overnight progress on slowing the fire's growth, Cal Fire said.

An empty beach is seen after a mandatory evacuation was ordered due to the Caldor Fire in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. A huge firefighting force gathered Tuesday to defend Lake Tahoe from the wildfire that forced the evacuation of California communities on the south end of the alpine resort and put others across the state line in Nevada on notice to be ready to flee.

Real quick

27 students stuck in Afghanistan

A school district in Sacramento County, California, said 27 students are stuck in Afghanistan after U.S. military evacuation efforts ended Monday. The San Juan Unified School District said the students come from 19 families, though the number of students left in Afghanistan continues to fluctuate as more information comes in. The students and their families were in Afghanistan for personal reasons, such as visiting family members during the summer break. Sacramento's metro area has one of the largest populations of Afghan immigrants in the United States. The district has been contacted by congressional offices to coordinate help, and is working with state officials to provide information received from the families and students. There are between 100 and 200 Americans left in Afghanistan, and President Joe Biden vowed the ones who want to evacuate would be able to do so.

August 31, 2021: Families evacuated from Kabul, Afghanistan, sit onboard a bus after they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport, in Chantilly, Va.
August 31, 2021: Families evacuated from Kabul, Afghanistan, sit onboard a bus after they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport, in Chantilly, Va.

A break from the news

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Elijah McClain, Texas abortion law, Hurricane Ida, Caldor Fire, Afghanistan. It's Wednesday's news.