Nation in brief: Marine sanctuary created in Hawaii
President Bush created a vast new marine sanctuary on Thursday, extending stronger federal protections to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the surrounding waters with their endangered monk seals, nesting green sea turtles and other rare species.
The nation’s newest national monument covers an archipelago 1,400 miles long and 100 miles wide in the Pacific Ocean. It’s home to more than 7,000 species, at least one-fourth of them found nowhere else.
“To put this area in context, this national monument is more than 100 times larger than Yosemite National Park,” Bush said in his anticipated announcement. “It’s larger than 46 of our 50 states, and more than seven times larger than all our national marine sanctuaries combined. This is a big deal.”
DENVER
Teens can enter common-law union
A 15-year-old girl can enter into a common-law marriage in Colorado, and younger girls and boys possibly can, too, a state appeals court ruled Thursday.
While the three-judge panel stopped short of setting a specific minimum age for such marriages, it said they could be legal for girls at 12 and boys at 14 under English common law, which Colorado recognizes.
Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald said she was appalled by the ruling and said lawmakers need to look at the issue next year when the Legislature reconvenes.
For traditional ceremonial marriage, Colorado law sets the minimum age at 18, or 16 with parental or judicial approval.
NEW YORK
Stabbing suspect explains motives
A man accused of wounding four people during a stabbing rampage confessed to the attacks and gave his reasons for them, a prosecutor said Thursday.
Kenny Alexis, 20, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on attempted murder, assault, robbery and attempted robbery. He entered no plea during the proceeding.
Alexis lives in Boston with his family, said Assistant District Attorney Christopher Ryan. Authorities had previously said Alexis was homeless.
Alexis is accused of stabbing Christopher McCarthy, 21, in the chest on a train Tuesday. Alexis stabbed him “because he was in his way,” Ryan told the court. He also is accused of stabbing Ambrosio Castro, 30, on a subway platform. Ryan said Alexis demanded Castro’s cell phone. Castro, not understanding what Alexis was saying, failed to hand it over and Alexis stabbed him.
Early Wednesday, two Canadian women, Melanie Carrier, 22, and Audrey Perrier, 25, were crossing a street when Alexis allegedly stabbed each in the back before fleeing. Ryan said Alexis tried to chat with the women and when they declined to speak with him he stabbed them.