The nation in brief

SpaceX crew capsule passes test flight 3rd Homeland Security adviser leaving Shoppers scramble as robbery thwarted 2 police officers shot dead in Honolulu

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Sunday.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Sunday.


SpaceX crew capsule passes test flight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- SpaceX completed the last big test of its crew capsule before launching astronauts in the next few months, mimicking an emergency escape shortly after liftoff Sunday.

No one was aboard for the wild ride in the skies above Cape Canaveral, just two mannequins.

The nine-minute flight ended with the Dragon crew capsule parachuting safely into the Atlantic Ocean, after separating and speeding away from the exploding rocket.

"I'm super fired up," Elon Musk, the company's founder and chief executive, told reporters. "It's just going to be wonderful to get astronauts back into orbit from American soil after almost a decade of not being able to do so. That's just super exciting."

NASA astronauts have not launched from the U.S. since the space shuttle program ended in 2011. Musk and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said the next Crew Dragon could launch with a pair of NASA astronauts in the second quarter of this year -- as early as April.

The Falcon 9 rocket blasted off as normal, but just over a minute into its supersonic flight, the Dragon crew capsule catapulted off the top 12 miles above the Atlantic. Powerful thrusters on the capsule propelled it up and out of harm's way, as the rocket engines deliberately shut down and the booster tumbled out of control and exploded in a giant fireball.

The capsule reached an altitude of about 27 miles before parachuting into the ocean just offshore to bring the test flight to a close. Everything appeared to go well despite the choppy seas and overcast skies. Within minutes, a recovery ship was alongside the capsule.

3rd homeland security adviser leaving

Rear Admiral Peter Brown, President Donald Trump's third homeland security and counter-terrorism adviser, is being moved out of his role after about six months, said four people familiar with the issue.

It's the latest turnover in an office that's seen its responsibilities narrow.

Brown replaced Doug Fears, who departed in July, after being tapped by then-national security adviser John Bolton, who departed the White House in September. Fears returned to the Coast Guard, where Brown had served.

The White House didn't immediately comment.

Brown played a prominent role during the 2019 hurricane season. He was one of Trump's staunchest defenders after the president claimed that Hurricane Dorian might hit Alabama, despite National Weather Service statements to the contrary. Brown released a lengthy statement in September, supporting the president.

Thomas Bossert was Trump's original homeland security adviser, serving from January 2017 to April 2018.

The people said Brown was moved out of the White House's West Wing a couple of weeks ago and is likely to take on a new role overseeing Puerto Rico's recovery from hurricane damage and recent earthquakes.

Shoppers scramble as robbery thwarted

ATLANTA -- A police sergeant foiled an armed robbery and shot one of the suspects outside one of Atlanta's largest malls, authorities said Saturday night.

Two suspects were arrested after they tried to rob someone in a parking garage at Lenox Square Mall, Atlanta police said in a statement.

A witness who saw the robbery occurring had flagged down a police sergeant, Deputy Chief Jeff Glazier told news outlets. The sergeant then shot one of the suspects who twice refused to drop his gun, the police statement said. The suspect was in serious but stable condition.

Even though the altercation occurred in a parking garage, social media footage showed terrified shoppers scrambling for cover inside the mall.

No officers were injured and the robbery victim was unharmed, police said.

Police did not release the names of the two suspects, but said they appeared to be in their early 20s.

2 police officers shot dead in Honolulu

HONOLULU -- Hawaii's governor said two police officers died after a shooting in Honolulu on Sunday.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that officers had responded to an assault call when they encountered a male with a firearm, who then opened fire, striking two officers.

"Our entire state mourns the loss of two Honolulu Police officers killed in the line of duty this morning," Gov. David Ige said in a statement.

The neighborhood where the shooting occurred is at the far end of Waikiki Beach between the Honolulu Zoo and the famed Diamond Head State Monument. The area would be packed with tourists and locals, especially on a weekend.

"It sounded like a lot of shots, or a lot of popping, loud noises going on," Honolulu resident Peter Murray said. "So hope everybody is all right. Some people got hurt today."

Council Member Kymberly Marcos Pine said, "We grieve with HPD and other first-responders who put their lives on the line to keep us safe."

A home the suspected gunman was believed to be inside caught fire and was quickly engulfed by flames. The fire spread to several neighboring homes and a police vehicle.

-- COMPILED BY DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS

photo

AP/Marco Garcia

A police officer directs traffic Sunday near the scene of the shooting and house fire in Honolulu.


A Section on 01/20/2020

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