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A26 u.s. news
Dialuna 5 Juli 2021

11 people in custody after hourslong armed standoff on I-95

and is not consistent with the fire- the group, but it was not unusual for
arms laws that we have in Massachu- the state police to encounter people
setts,” Mason said. who have “sovereign citizen ideol-
ogy,” although he did not know if
In a video posted to social media Sat- the people involved in the Wakefield
urday morning, a man who did not standoff was a part of that.
give his name, but said he was from
a group called Rise of the Moors, The men refused to put down their
broadcast from Interstate 95 in Wake- weapons or comply with authorities’
field near exit 57. orders, claiming to be from a group
“that does not recognize our laws”
“We are not antigovernment. We are before taking off into a wooded area,
not anti-police, we are not sovereign police said.
citizens, we’re not Black identity ex-
tremists,” said the man who appeared Mason said the suspects surrendered
to be wearing military-style equip- after police tactical teams used ar-
ment. “As specified multiple times to mored vehicles to tighten the perim-
the police that we are abiding by the eter around them.
peaceful journey laws of the United
States.” Police initially reported nine suspects
(AP) — An hourslong standoff when police noticed two cars pulled were taken into custody, but two
with a group of heavily armed over on I-95 with hazard lights on The website for the group says they more were taken into custody in their
men that partially shut down In- after they had apparently run out of are “Moorish Americans dedicated to vehicle later Saturday morning. Two
terstate 95 ended Saturday with fuel, authorities said at a Saturday educating new Moors and influenc- suspects were hospitalized, but po-
11 suspects in custody, Massachu- press briefing. ing our Elders.” lice said it was for preexisting condi-
setts state police said. tions that had nothing to do with the
At least some of the suspects were clad Mason said he understood the sus- standoff.
The standoff shut down a portion of in military-style gear with long guns pects, who did not have firearms li-
I-95 for much of the morning, caus- and pistols, Mass State Police Col. censes, have a different perspective Police and prosecutors are working to
ing major traffic problems during Christopher Mason said. He added on the law. determine what charges the members
the Fourth of July holiday weekend. that they were headed to Maine from of the group will face.
Authorities said the interstate is now Rhode Island for “training.” “I appreciate that perspective,” he
reopened and the shelter-in-place or- said “I disagree with that perspective The suspects were expected to ap-
ders for Wakefield and Reading were “You can imagine 11 armed individu- at the end of the day, but I recognize pear in court in Woburn on Tuesday,
lifted. als standing with long guns slung that it’s there.” Middlesex County District Attorney
on an interstate highway at 2 in the Marian Ryan said.
The standoff began around 2 a.m. morning certainly raises concerns Mason said he had no knowledge of

National Spelling Bee stalwarts persevere through 2-year gap

(AP) - When the Scripps guage skills, learning Spanish The disappointment of 2020
National Spelling Bee was and Sanskrit.” was most sorely felt by that J. Michael Durnil, a longtime But the pandemic and last
canceled last year because year’s eighth-graders, who nonprofit leader, took over year’s cancellation have put
of the pandemic, Avani The restless minds of Avani were robbed of their last and shepherded the bee’s re- such minor changes in per-
Joshi didn’t lament her and other top spellers got les- and best opportunity to win turn in a mostly virtual for- spective.
lost year of preparation. sons in patience and perse- the Scripps trophy and un- mat, while adding vocabulary
She immediately pivoted verance as COVID-19 forced successfully petitioned the questions and a lightning- “The knowledge, the expe-
to studying for competi- them into lockdown. Spell- Cincinnati-based media round tiebreaker to ensure rience and the learning that
tions in her other favorite ers prepare for the bee year- company to host a virtual or the bee would conclude with I’ve gained from the pan-
discipline: geography. round, drilling for hours a limited-participation bee. a single winner. demic, it’s definitely taught
day, often with the help of me to adapt better,” Vayun
Then, about six months later, pricey study guides and pri- Those who competed two Only the 11 finalists will Krishna, a 14-year-old from
the 2020-21 geography bee vate coaches. Their competi- years ago but were still eli- compete in person because Sunnyvale, California, said
season was canceled, so she tive window is small: Spellers gible this year struggled with the ongoing threat of CO- before he was eliminated in
returned to spelling, confi- can’t compete after the eighth a different challenge: lack of VID-19 made it too risky to the semifinals. “If this didn’t
dent that Scripps would bring grade, and it’s rare for kids to motivation. plan months in advance for happen, if they’d introduced
back the biggest academic have more than one real shot a large in-person gathering vocab I’d be in more of a
competition on the calendar. at winning. “I pushed through it,” said during the bee’s traditional panic, but now I feel like I’m
Akshita Balaji, a 14-year-old spot on the calendar, the taking it in stride.”
Avani also competes in Sci- The two-year gap between semifinalist from Herndon, week before Memorial Day.
ence Olympiad and quiz bees only strengthened the Virginia. “My passion kind The early rounds of the bee The in-person bee is more
bowl. What if all of it had resolve of many spellers — of went down a little bit. I were stretched over a few than just a competition, of
been wiped out? including Avani, who will was a little de-motivated and weeks, concluding with last course. It’s a weeklong cel-
be competing in the finals everything, but I was still Sunday’s semifinals. ebration — wholesome and
“I would immerse myself in Thursday night at an ESPN studying.” unapologetically nerdy —
books, obviously. Books are campus in Florida — to max- Changes to the rules and for- that brings together a few
always going to be there, so I imize their potential. The bee itself underwent mat of the bee often provoke hundred ambitious kids who
have that guarantee that I can major changes since the strong reactions within the share a peculiar passion.
rely on books,” the 13-year- “My love for spelling is what last in-person competition, spelling community. Vocabu-
old from Roscoe, Illinois, has kept me going. If you which ended in an eight-way lary questions, for example, Akshainie learned invaluable
said. “I also like coding, so don’t truly have a passion tie because Scripps’ word list had only been included on lessons from her fellow spell-
I also have that. I would try for spelling, the quarantine wasn’t strong enough to chal- written tests before this year, ers in 2019, and she laments
to learn a new language. could be really, really hard for lenge the champion spellers. and some believe they detract the loss of those social op-
My goal is actually to learn you,” said another finalist, Last December, bee execu- from the singular skill of fig- portunities. Nonetheless, she
C++ this year, and, let’s see, 13-year-old Akshainie Kam- tive director Paige Kimble — uring out on the fly how to thinks she benefited from
I would immerse myself in ma of Round Rock, Texas. herself a former champion — spell an unfamiliar, crazy- isolation.
other things, honing my lan- stepped down. sounding word.