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In the Nation

MISSISSIPPI

Missing man found hanging from tree

The FBI is investigating the death of a black man who was found Thursday hanging in a tree in rural Mississippi, officials confirmed.

The man, identified by his family as Otis Byrd, 54, a riverboat employee, was found in a wooded area near his home in Claiborne County, southwest of Jackson, law enforcement officials said.

At this point, "we don't know if it's suicide or homicide," said Jason Pack, supervisory special agent for the FBI in Mississippi. He said the federal agency and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation were on the scene. Earlier in the day, Pack said, several agencies conducted a search.

"The man was last seen March 2, and his family filed a missing-persons report with the Claiborne County Sheriff's Department March 8. Sheriff's Department officials reported the man missing to MBI March 13," Pack said. - L.A. Times
WASHINGTON

Parents plead guilty

A couple pleaded guilty Thursday to misdemeanor charges after authorities said they left their children - 2 and 3 at the time - in a car for an hour in January while they attended a wine tasting. Christopher Lucas, 41, and his wife, Jennie Chang, 46, pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted cruelty to children. Prosecutors agreed to drop the case after nine months. - AP
TEXAS

Stickers call for bias

Employees at several Austin businesses have found stickers saying "exclusively for white people" on their windows, sparking an investigation into their origin. Mayor Steve Adler said the stickers discovered Wednesday morning were "an appalling and offensive display of ignorance in our city." The stickers featured a city logo and claimed to be "sponsored by the City of Austin Contemporary Partition and Restoration Program," though no such program exists. The city has said the use of its logo was unauthorized. - AP