National News at a Glance

Collins and Manchin Will Vote for Kavanaugh, Ensuring His Confirmation

Judge Brett Kavanaugh headed for final confirmation to the court after two key undecided senators announced Friday that they would back him, despite allegations of sexual assault and deep-seated Democratic opposition. The announcements by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., capped an emotional and deeply divisive confirmation process that, in the end, turned as much on questions about Kavanaugh’s honesty, temperament and treatment of women as it did on his jurisprudence. A final vote is expected Saturday. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska became the lone Republican to break with her party in voting to block the judge’s confirmation.

Artisanal DIY Ammunition Meets 3D Technology

Millions of weapons aficionados reload their own ammunition and cast their own bullets. But Michael Crumling, a 29-year-old gunsmith, has created something else in his garage that distinguishes him from his peers, a potential solution to a problem that has long vexed creators of 3D printed guns: a bullet that won’t ruin the plastic firearms. Crumling says he has no plans to sell or mass produce the designer round, even though it represents the next step in making printable guns more reliable, and the next front in an ongoing regulatory fight over homemade weaponry.

Guilty Verdict Brings Relief to City on Edge Over Police Relations

For three years, Chicago was racked by the political, legal and emotional impact of a chilling video: A black teenager could be seen collapsing onto a street as a white police officer shot him over and over, 16 times in the end. On Friday, the officer, Jason Van Dyke, was found guilty of second-degree murder, a decision this city had anxiously awaited for months. Van Dyke was also convicted of 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm — one for each bullet that struck Laquan McDonald. No Chicago police officer had been convicted of murder in an on-duty shooting in nearly 50 years.

Growth Has Lifted Counties That Voted for Trump. Mostly, It’s the Wealthy Ones.

President Donald Trump rode to office in part by promising economic revival to sputtering towns across America. Economic growth has accelerated since he took office, from the final year of President Barack Obama’s administration, and Trump frequently claims credit for it. But the growth under Trump has not helped everywhere. It has lifted wealthy areas, like St. Charles County in Missouri, which were already growing before he took office. And it has left the most economically troubled swaths of the country, the ones that Trump promised to revitalize, waiting for their share of the good times.

Hunted for Months, Reputed Mobster Is Gunned Down at a McDonald’s

For months, Sylvester Zottola has been pursued by someone who wanted him dead. On Thursday evening, as night fell outside a McDonald’s in New York City, it appears that someone caught up with him. Zottola, a reputed associate of New York’s Bonanno crime family, was believed to have been waiting to pick up his order at the drive-through window when he was shot dead. In what a law enforcement official described as a mafia-style assassination, Zottola was shot once in the head and four times in the torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His assassin fled and remains at large.

HPV Vaccine Is Approved for People Ages 27 to 45

The HPV vaccine, which prevents cervical cancer and other malignancies, is now approved for men and women 27 to 45 years old, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The vaccine is Gardasil 9, made by Merck, and had been previously approved for minors and people up to age 26. It works against the human papillomavirus, HPV, which can also cause genital warts and cancers of the vulva, anus, penis and parts of the throat. The virus has many strains and is sexually transmitted. The vaccine protects against nine strains.

Cleveland Judge Refuses to Send Low-Level Defendants to Jail After Inmate Deaths

A judge in Cleveland is refusing to send people accused of low-level crimes into the county jail system, citing safety concerns after six inmate deaths in four months. Judge Michael Nelson of Cleveland Municipal Court said this week that he would release people charged with such crimes until their next court appearance, rather than holding them on bail, which many defendants cannot afford. Defendants who are released must still agree to any conditions imposed, which could include electronic monitoring or regular check-ins. The cause of death has yet to be determined in two of the cases, the most recent of which occurred Tuesday.