AP National News

FACT FOCUS: False reports of serial killer in Atlanta area

By JEFF MARTIN and TERRENCE FRASER - Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — After two women were found dead in Atlanta-area parks last week, false reports spread on social media suggesting a serial killer was on the loose. Law enforcement say the killings are not related and there’s no reason to believe they are the work of one person. Here’s a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A serial killer…

Father in family murder plot case loses bid to withdraw plea

AP

A man serving decades in prison for conspiring with his daughter to kill her ex-husband has lost a bid to withdraw his guilty plea. Thomas Dorsett pleaded guilty to murder and arson for hire in the 2010 death of Stephen Moore. He admitted bludgeoning Moore behind the family’s house after Moore arrived to drop off the couple’s young daughter. Kathleen Dorsett also pleaded guilty and she and her mother admitted plotting to kill Moore’s mother to keep her from getting custody of the girl. On Monday an appeals court rejected Thomas Dorsett’s argument that he received ineffective assistance from his attorney in negotiating the plea deal.

Skipper: Docs show no coverup in submarine sinking

By DAVID SHARP - Associated Press

A retired Navy skipper who successfully petitioned for documents delving into the deadliest submarine disaster in U.S. history says he’s satisfied there was no coverup. But retired Capt. James Bryant said the documents show technology evolved faster than policies and procedures during the Cold War. Bryant believes the “World War II mindset” during the nuclear age contributed to failures that led to the sinking of the USS Thresher on April 10, 1963. Bryant successfully sued for the documents under the Freedom of Information Act. All 129 sailors and civilians died when the submarine imploded on a test dive in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Latest: Australia city extends lockdown as clusters grow

By The Associated Press

BRISBANE, Australia — A lockdown of Australia’s third-largest city Brisbane was extended until Sunday because of a growing COVID-19 outbreak. Brisbane and several surrounding municipalities in Queensland state were due to end a three-day lockdown on Tuesday. But the Queensland government on Monday announced the extension after 13 locally acquired infections of the highly contagious delta variant were detected in…

The Latest: Arizona reports over 2,000 new COVID-19 cases

By The Associated Press

PHOENIX — Health officials in Arizona on Sunday reported more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day. They say the 2,306 new cases and five additional deaths pushed the state’s totals to 929,541 cases and 18,251 known deaths since the pandemic began more than a year ago. Arizona had reported 2,066 new cases and 22 deaths on…