Experts point to challenges in probe of Alex Pretti shooting

MINNEAPOLIS — Several use-of-force experts who examined videos of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti questioned the actions of federal agents leading up to the 37-year-old’s death on a south Minneapolis street.

But determining whether the fatal shooting of Pretti, who top officials in the federal government say was in possession of a firearm when he encountered immigration agents on Saturday, cannot be accomplished through bystander cellphone footage alone.

Four use-of-force experts who spoke to the Minnesota Star Tribune said videos of the encounter did not definitively prove whether federal agents acted lawfully in shooting Pretti, and that it requires more investigation. That’s complicated by the growing fissure between Minnesota and federal officials over immigration enforcement in the state and their differing interpretations of what happened between Pretti and federal agents.

It is unclear whether a credible investigation is possible. Federal forces departed the scene after Pretti was killed, leaving an unsecured area where protesters descended and likely compromised evidence. Following Pretti’s death, investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, or BCA, were physically blocked from accessing the shooting scene.

—Star Tribune

Pennsylvania Democrats line up to defend Gov. Josh Shapiro amid some criticism tied to book, ambition

PITTSBURGH — Several Pennsylvania Democrats expressed support for Gov. Josh Shapiro Sunday and Monday as his upcoming book and rising national profile reportedly rankle some members of his own party.

State Sen. Jay Costa of Allegheny County and other Democratic leaders across the state released statements Sunday evening pushing back against anonymous Democratic complaints about the governor's personal political ambitions as reported by Axios. Republicans' endorsed candidate for governor, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, openly claims Shapiro is too focused on a potential 2028 White House run.

"No one works harder for Pennsylvania Democrats than Governor Shapiro," the party chairman, Eugene DePasquale, said on X. "From local races to winning back Congress he's all-in, and we're fully united behind him."

The statements of support come as Shapiro's book, "Where We Keep the Light," releases Tuesday after already ruffling some party feathers over his description of being vetted as a potential running mate by then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.

—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

American Academy of Pediatrics releases childhood vaccine schedule that is at odds with federal recommendations

As an alternative to new federal vaccine recommendations, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its own childhood vaccine schedule Monday with the backing of a dozen of the nation’s most prominent medical groups and associations.

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ vaccine schedule differs from the new federal one in a number of ways, largely sticking to previous recommendations. For example, it continues to recommend routine flu vaccinations, hepatitis B vaccinations for all infants and COVID-19 vaccines for all children from the ages of 6 to 23 months, whereas the new federal schedule does not, instead leaving it up to parents and doctors whether to vaccinate individual children, in most cases.

“The recommendations from the CDC, I think, are confusing for parents and for pediatricians,” said Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and a member of the Academy’s committee on infectious diseases.

“These recommendations ... are very different from what CDC recommended a year ago or two years ago or five years ago. It’s not that the science has changed. It’s that the people running CDC have changed.”

—Chicago Tribune

Dozens missing, 18 dead, after ferry sinks in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — A ferry carrying more than 359 people capsized in the southern Philippines on Monday, leaving at least 18 people dead and 24 missing, the coast guard and local officials said.

At least 317 people have been rescued after the MV Trisha Kerstin 3 sank, said commander Romel Dua, an operations officer from a regional office of the coast guard. There were 332 passengers and 27 crew members on board.

Dua said the cause of the accident was still unknown, but the ferry was traveling from Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines to Jolo island, when it sank off Basilan province, about 900 kilometers south of Manila.

“We are still determining the cause of the accident,” he said. “Our focus right now is the search and rescue operations.” Dua noted that the ferry was not overloaded.

—dpa