Tuesday morning news - June 16, 2020

Protesters, Brooks’ family call for justice after fatal police shooting in Atlanta » Protesters took to Atlanta streets again on Monday after police fatally shot a black man who resisted arrest. 

The family of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks is demanding changes in law enforcement. Brooks’ widow, Tomika Miller, told reporters…

MILLER: There’s no justice that can ever make me feel happy about what’s been done. I can never get my husband back. I can never get my best friend. I can never tell my daughter, oh he’s coming to take you skating. 

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said the shooting in a Wendy’s parking lot angered and saddened her.

BOTTOMS: On Friday evening, we saw the murder of Rayshard Brooks, and as I’ve said before, I’m often reminded of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: There is a fierce urgency of now in our communities.

But the President of the Cobb County, Georgia Fraternal Order of Police, Steve Gaynor said the incident was not one-sided.

GAYNOR: Mr. Brooks is the one that took the taser. Mr. Brooks is the one that fired over his shoulder at the officer directly behind him. Mr. Brooks caused a lot of the situation to occur. 

Officer Garrett Rolfe kept his gun holstered until Brooks fired the stolen police taser at him. 

But after firing the taser, Brooks was beginning to turn away from the officer when Rolfe retrieved his sidearm. And the medical examiner’s office said the fatal rounds struck Brooks in his back.   

President Trump on Monday said he found the shooting “disturbing” and plans to announce an executive order regarding police today. 

U.S. fighter jet pilot found dead near wreckage » Rescuers have recovered the body of a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who crashed into the North Sea near the coast of England. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports. 

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: The pilot of an F-15 Eagle was on a routine training mission near Suffolk, England when the jet plunged into the sea at 9:40 a.m. on Monday. The cause of the crash wasn’t clear.

The fighter jet was flying out of Royal Air Force Lakenheath. The base, about 80 miles northeast of London, hosts the U.S. Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing.

The British Coastguard recovered the pilot’s remains hours after locating the wreckage of the fighter jet off the Yorkshire coast. 

The Pentagon did not immediately release the name of the service member killed, pending notification of family. 

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin. 

Russian court sentences former U.S. Marine to 16 years in prison » A Russian court sentenced an American corporate security executive Monday to 16 years hard labor. The Russian government accused him of espionage in a closed trial that U.S. officials denounced as a sham. 

U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan…

SULLIVAN: I’ve described these proceedings as a mockery of justice and today just confirmed it. An American citizen has just been sentenced to a term of 16 years for a crime for which we have not seen evidence. 

Paul Whelan is a former Marine from Michigan. He maintains his innocence and insists he was set up when he was arrested in Moscow in December 2018 while visiting Russia to attend a friend’s wedding.

The 50-year-old Whelan also holds British, Irish, and Canadian citizenship. He has publicly complained of poor prison conditions and said his life is in danger.

His twin brother, David, said Paul recently underwent hernia surgery. 

WHELAN: He obviously had emergency surgery two weeks ago, which is never a good sign, so hopefully his recuperation has been going alright. 

David Whelan also said he’s worried about coronavirus infections in the Moscow prison where his brother is being held.

He said the case is clearly political and he hopes the U.S. government can help secure his brother’s freedom.

Doctors Without Borders leaving Kabul following deadly attack » Doctors Without Borders is pulling out of Afghanistan’s capital after a deadly attack last month. WORLD’s Anna Johansen has that story. 

ANNA JOHANSEN, REPORTER: The medical humanitarian group announced the decision to withdraw from a hospital in Kabul on Monday. On May 12th, terrorists stormed a Doctors Without Borders maternity clinic and opened fire. 

The attackers murdered two-dozen people, including 15 mothers and two young children. More than a month later, no group has claimed responsibility. 

The clinic largely served members of the ethnic minority Hazara community. The group has been historically marginalized and affected by poverty and displacement. 

Doctors Without Borders’ general director Thierry Allafort-Duverger said he was aware that the group’s presence in the area “carried risks.” But he said “We just couldn’t believe that someone would take advantage of the absolute vulnerability of women about to give birth to exterminate them and their babies.”

The withdrawal will leave Hazara women and children without access to essential medical care. But Duverger said the organization has no choice, adding, “Higher walls and thicker security doors won’t prevent such horrific assaults from happening again.” 

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen. 

WNBA slated to start season in July » The WNBA on Monday announced plans to tip off its season next month with a shortened 22-game schedule. 

The league is still finalizing a partnership to play all the games at a sports training facility near Tampa.

The WNBA is aiming to start play on July 24th, one week earlier than the NBA hopes to resume its season in Orlando.

(Steve Schaefer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) A crowd of demonstrators march to the Capitol Monday, June 15, 2020 in Atlanta. 

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.