The nation in brief

Aaron Rey Ybarra, accused of killing one student and wounding two others at Seattle Pacific University on June 5, appears in King County Superior Court in Seattle on Monday, June 23, 2014. Ybarra pleaded not guilty to premeditated first-degree murder and other charges. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Erika Scultz)  SEATTLE OUT; USA TODAY OUT; MAGS OUT; TELEVISION OUT; NO SALES; MANDATORY CREDIT TO BOTH THE SEATTLE TIMES AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Aaron Rey Ybarra, accused of killing one student and wounding two others at Seattle Pacific University on June 5, appears in King County Superior Court in Seattle on Monday, June 23, 2014. Ybarra pleaded not guilty to premeditated first-degree murder and other charges. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Erika Scultz) SEATTLE OUT; USA TODAY OUT; MAGS OUT; TELEVISION OUT; NO SALES; MANDATORY CREDIT TO BOTH THE SEATTLE TIMES AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Gunman at Seattle school claims insanity

SEATTLE -- An attorney gave notice Monday that an insanity defense was being considered for a man charged with killing one student and wounding two others at a Seattle university.

The verbal disclosure came at a hearing where suspect Aaron Rey Ybarra pleaded innocent to premeditated first-degree murder and other charges in King County Superior Court.

His defense attorney, Ramona Brandes, has not disputed accounts of the shooting. She maintains Ybarra suffers from mental illness and was unaware of his actions "until he heard a girl screaming."

Ybarra, 26, is accused of fatally shooting a 19-year-old Seattle Pacific University student and wounding two others on June 5.

In addition to the shotgun, police say, Ybarra was armed with a hunting knife and carried more than 50 rounds of ammunition.

2 parties' mayors pass 'green' resolution

HOUSTON -- A bipartisan group of mayors from across the country unanimously approved a resolution Monday that calls on cities to use natural solutions to fight the effects of climate change.

Attendees of the U.S. Conference of Mayors voted in Dallas on the resolution that encourages cities to use nature to "protect freshwater supplies, defend coastlines, maintain a healthy tree and green space cover and protect air quality," sometimes by partnering with nonprofit organizations.

The resolution was backed by Democratic mayors from GOP-dominated states -- Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, Houston Mayor Annise Parker and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton.

"What's so significant is that there was a unanimous vote on an issue that can be so divisive," said Laura Huffman, director of The Nature Conservancy in Texas.

Mayors are looking for alternatives to traditional infrastructure projects that will be cost-effective and provide residents with amenities.

Iraqi gets 26 years for fatal wife beating

EL CAJON, Calif. -- A California judge sentenced an Iraqi immigrant Monday to 26 years to life in prison for the fatal beating of his wife -- an attack that initially drew international condemnation when authorities believed it was a hate crime.

Kassim Alhimidi, 50, entered the courtroom bound and surrounded by deputies due to his previous outbursts that repeatedly disrupted his trial in San Diego County Superior Court.

On Monday, he yelled out in English, "I swear I am not guilty!" and then shouted in Arabic to his son, before the judge ordered him to be briefly removed from courtroom.

The couple's oldest daughter, Fatima, found Shaima Alawadi, 32, in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor of their home in 2012 in El Cajon.

Investigators initially believed the killing was a hate crime because of a note found that read: "This is my country, go back to yours, you terrorist."

The slaying was condemned by Muslim community leaders in the United States and Iraq before laboratory tests determined the note was a photocopy of one found earlier outside the home, indicating it was planted.

2 friends of Tsarnaevs: Wrongly targeted

BOSTON -- Lawyers for two friends of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects argued Monday that the friends have been unfairly targeted because of their relationships with the men accused of carrying out the deadly attack.

Azamat Tazhayakov, 20, a college friend of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Khairullozhon Matanov, a Quincy cabdriver who was a friend of Tsarnaev's brother, Tamerlan, were in court for separate hearings on charges of impeding the investigation into the 2013 bombing.

Tazhayakov is accused of removing items from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's dorm room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth days after the bombing, while Matanov is accused for deleting files from his computer and lying to investigators.

Neither man is accused of participating in the attack or knowing about the bombings in advance.

-- COMPILED BY DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS

A Section on 06/24/2014

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