World/Nation
Fox News shapes debate, early GOP presidential race
NEW YORK - Iowa and New Hampshire are still on the horizon - but first there's the Fox primary, and the buildup to this week's first Republican presidential debate shows that the influence of Fox News Channel on the GOP selection process is stronger than ever.
The musical chairs-like rules for participation in Thursday's televised debate required candidates to reach a certain threshold in opinion polls, making national exposure to an interested audience vital at a stage in the campaign when candidates are usually shaking hands in early primary states. And where better to find that audience than on Fox News Channel?
The 17 candidates - only 10 of whom are invited to the prime-time debate - made a total of 273 separate appearances on Fox News in May, June and July, according to a count by liberal-leaning group Media Matters for America. Six hopefuls - Donald Trump, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina and Rick Perry - have appeared 20 times or more each on Fox or Fox Business Channel, the network said. Besides interviews, candidates have joined the panel of talk shows like "Outnumbered" or "The Five."
"It is the most important forum for a Republican running for president," said Matthew Dowd, chief strategist for President George W. Bush's 2004 campaign and now an ABC News analyst.
Fox announced Tuesday afternoon that Trump, Paul, Huckabee, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker and Chris Christie were included in the prime-time debate. The remaining candidates will be in a secondary forum that starts four hours earlier.
Family of woman found dead in Texas jail sues
HOUSTON - The family of a black woman found dead in a Texas jail three days after a confrontation with a white state trooper filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Tuesday against the officer and other officials, saying it was a last resort after being unable to get enough information about the case.
Sandra Bland, a Chicago-area woman, died by what authorities say was suicide in her Waller County jail cell on July 13. Her family and others previously questioned that, and criticized the trooper who stopped her for failing to signal a lane change.
"The bottom line is she never should have been inside the jail cell. Period," Bland's mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, said at a news conference. Reed-Veal, her Bible within reach, said she was confident Bland "knew enough about Jesus" that she wouldn't hang herself, and her feelings as a mother say her daughter didn't. But "anything is possible," she said.
Bland's death came after nearly a year of heightened national scrutiny of police and their dealings with black suspects, especially those who have been killed by officers or die in police custody.
Experts: Pieces of missing flight may still be afloat
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - If a wing fragment found in the western Indian Ocean turns out to be part of missing Flight 370, experts say, there are probably other pieces of the aircraft that floated off rather than sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Finding them remains the hard part.
John Page, an aircraft design expert at the University of New South Wales in Australia, said the discovery of the fragment last week on Reunion Island leads him to conclude the missing Boeing 777 broke up, most likely when it hit the water nearly 17 months ago.
He said that while the main body of the plane is likely to have sunk, he thinks other small, lightweight parts attached to the wings and tail may have floated free and could still be afloat - pieces like the flaps, elevators, ailerons and rudders.
"I'm certain other bits floated," he said. "But whether they've washed up anywhere is another question. The chances of hitting an island are pretty low."
He said there's plenty of trash in the ocean, and even if somebody sailing past spotted something in the water, he or she may have no clue it was from the plane.
Slain police officer was strong ex-Marine
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Slain police officer Sean Bolton's physical strength and powerful, melon-sized hands served him well in tight situations, like when he subdued two suspects at one time. Still, friends say he avoided confrontation whenever possible, and dedicated his life to protecting others.
Bolton, 33, was shot multiple times and killed Saturday night during a struggle with an ex-convict, police said. Bolton had interrupted a drug deal in a neighborhood in Memphis, a city long listed as one of America's most violent, and was confronted by Tremaine Wilbourn, a 29-year-old convicted armed bank robber, police said.
After a two-day manhunt, Wilbourn turned himself in to authorities to face a first-degree murder charge. He has a court appearance Wednesday.
Friends say Bolton overcame a financially troubled childhood - during which he sometimes had no bed and slept on the floor. He attended the University of Memphis, spoke multiple languages and served in the Marines in Iraq.
- The Associated Press