US News Roundup: Kamala Harris proposes equal pay measure; Morehouse students’ debt paid off

Kamala Harris proposes equal pay measure to close gender gap

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, one of two dozen Democrats vying for the 2020 presidential nomination, on Monday proposed closing the gender pay gap by requiring companies to disclose pay data and secure an "equal pay certification" or be fined. Harris' proposal aims to shift the burden from workers, who now must prove pay discrimination by employers, to corporations, which would have to show they eliminated pay disparities between men and women doing work of equal value.

Billionaire pledges to pay off Morehouse students' debt

Billionaire investor Robert Smith surprised graduating students at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, by using his speech at Sunday's commencement ceremony to pledge to pay off the student loan debt of the entire class of 2019. Video footage of Smith's remarks shows mouths falling agape before students rise to their feet to cheer and applaud as the pledge is made.

Suspect arrested in Detroit murder that sparked serial killer fears

A 50-year-old man was arrested on Saturday in the murder of a Detroit woman whose body was found in a trash dumpster, a crime that touched off what police called a "horrible rumor" that a serial killer was lurking in the Motor City. Detroit Police Chief James Craig told reporters at an impromptu afternoon news conference that minutes earlier detectives had taken the suspect, James Quill Cockerham, into custody in the death of 26-year-old Elizabeth Candice Nichole Laird.

Indiana abortion cases ripe for U.S. Supreme Court action

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday could act on appeals seeking to revive two Republican-enacted abortion restrictions from Indiana, even as debate rages over a new measure in Alabama that would ban the procedure almost entirely. If the nine-justice court takes up either case, it would give the conservative majority an opportunity to chip away at the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that found women have a constitutional right to terminate pregnancies.

Trump may pardon military men accused or convicted of war crimes: New York Times

U.S. President Donald Trump has asked for files to be prepared on pardoning several U.S. military members accused of or convicted of war crimes, including one slated to stand trial on charges of shooting unarmed civilians while in Iraq, the New York Times reported on Saturday. Trump requested the immediate preparation of paperwork needed, indicating he is considering pardons for the men around Memorial Day on May 27, the report said, citing two unnamed U.S. officials. Assembling pardon files normally takes months, but the Justice Department has pressed for the work to be completed before that holiday weekend, one of the officials said.

Bernie Sanders proposes U.S. education policy overhaul to appeal to black voters

Democratic U.S. presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders on Saturday announced an education policy proposal designed to pump billions of dollars into the public schools' system in a direct appeal to black voters who shunned the U.S. senator in his previous presidential bid. The 10-point plan Sanders will detail in a speech in South Carolina is designed to end racial disparities in the public education system. America's education policy debate has long been steeped in discussions of race and racial discrimination.

Detroit police deny 'serial killer' rumours sparked by woman's murder

Detroit police on Friday assured residents of the Motor City that despite rumours on social media they were not aware of a serial killer roaming the downtown streets that they had kept secret from the public. The whispers apparently stem from the murder of 26-year-old Elizabeth Candice Nichole Laird, whose body was found in a dumpster outside an apartment building on the city's east side on Wednesday.

One Alabama officer dead, another critical, manhunt underway for shooter

A manhunt was underway early Monday after an Alabama police officer was shot and killed, another critically wounded and a third injured at a trailer home park, officials said. Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said the three officers were shot around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday while on a "routine domestic call" at the trailer park in south Auburn.