In the news today: Dozens of recruits have died nationwide while training to become police officers; Trump suggests that Ukraine was to blame for the war with Russia; and Brazil’s former president is charged over an alleged coup. Also, a record crop of new millers keep the Netherlands’ iconic windmills spinning.
A combination image of police recruits.
U.S. NEWS
Dozens of recruits have died nationwide while training to become police officers
At least 29 recruits have died during basic training at law enforcement academies nationwide in the last decade. That's according to an AP investigation based on a review of lists of law enforcement deaths in every state, workplace safety records, and news reports. Read more.
Key points:
The investigation shows most recruits died of exertion, dehydration, heatstroke and other conditions tied to intense exercise. Many deaths occurred on the first day of physical training, which is famously tough at some academies.
Experts and police advocates were surprised by AP findings and said many deaths were preventable. No federal agency or outside organization comprehensively tracks recruit deaths, unlike those of officers who die in the line of duty.
Black recruits represented nearly 60% of those who died, a striking disparity given that federal data show Black officers make up 12% of local police forces. Many carried the sickle cell trait, a condition that increases the risk of serious injury following extreme exertion. Unlike the military and the NCAA, many police departments do not screen recruits for the condition before hiring them. And many adults do not know whether they carry the trait.
Trump is living in a ‘Russian disinformation space,’ Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump is living in a Russian “disinformation space” regarding his previous day’s comments about the Ukrainian leader’s approval rating. Trump said Zelenskyy’s rating stood at 4%. Public opinion polls and approval ratings haven’t been reliable in Ukraine because of the fighting. Read more.
Why this matters:
Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday after Trump told reporters that Ukraine “should have never started” the war and “could have made a deal” to prevent it.
Brazil’s former President Bolsonaro charged over alleged coup that included a plan to poison President Lula
Brazil’s prosecutor-general on Tuesday formally charged former President Jair Bolsonaro with attempting a coup to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat, in a plot that included a plan to poison his successor and current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Read more.
What to know:
Bolsonaro’s defense team said it met the accusations with “dismay and indignation.” The far-right leader denies wrongdoing. “I have no concerns about the accusations, zero,” Bolsonaro told journalists earlier on Tuesday.
In November, Brazil’s Federal Police filed a 884-page report with Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet detailing the scheme. They allege a systematic effort to sow distrust in the electoral system, drafting a decree to provide legal cover for the plot, pressuring top military brass to go along with the plan, and inciting a riot in the capital.
Nicole Bakker puts the brake on her windmill in Edam, Netherlands, on Thursday. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
The Netherlands has a record crop of new millers to keep windmill sails spinning The age-old craft of using windmills to drain lowlands, saw lumber or grind grain is enjoying a renaissance in the Netherlands. A record crop of 110 people recently qualified as millers. Most graduates become volunteers at one of the Netherlands' 1,200 windmills, which need to keep turning to prevent them from falling into disrepair.
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Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Sarah
