Good morning, and happy Monday. Here are some of the stories we’re following today:
1. Jury selection begins in trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
Tsarnaev, 21, is charged with 30 criminal counts in the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, which killed three people and injured 260 others. He is also charged with the murder of an MIT campus police officer, Sean Collier, a few days after the attack. Despite repeated requests for a change of location or delay of the trial, a judge has ruled that jury selection will begin Monday in Boston. A pool of 3,000 people have been summoned — an unusually large jury pool — but potential jurors need to be "death-qualified" because the government has said it will seek the death penalty if Tsarnaev is convicted. He has pleaded not guilty. Read more in NEWS.
2. Slain NYPD officer honored by thousands
Thousands of police officers, loved ones and New Yorkers gathered Sunday to honor slain NYPD Detective Wenjian Liu, who was gunned down alongside his partner, Rafael Ramos, more than two weeks ago. New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke at the funeral, while officers watched from screens outside the church. Some officers who believe De Blasio has shown insufficient support to the NYPD turned their backs on the mayor, as many did at the funeral for Ramos. Liu's father spoke in Chinese and his wife eulogized her husband of two months in English. "A loving husband and a loyal friend — you are an amazing man," she said. Read more in NEWS.
3. NTSB begins investigation into plane crash with young survivor
Four of the five passengers of a small plane that crashed in Kentucky on Friday night died in the tragedy — but a 7-year-old girl climbed out of the plane and trekked through dark woods in an effort to find help for her father, mother, sister and cousin. Sailor Gutzler found her way to a home about three-quarters of a mile from the plane's wreckage and was later treated at a nearby hospital for broken bones. National Transportation Safety Board investigators arrived at the scene of the crash Sunday and said having a living witness to the horrific crash would aid the investigation. Read more in NEWS.
4. Bitterly cold temperatures are on the way
Frigid temperatures will sweep the country this week, with the first arctic mass set to target the Plains and Great Lakes region and last through Monday. An even colder blast midweek will stretch through the Midwest, the Southeast and the Northeast, with temperatures predicted to fall 10 to 35 degrees below average. From there, the southeast will feel the chill, with wind chills predicted to drop into the single digits on Wednesday. Read more in WEATHER.
5. AirAsia crash prompts crackdown on aviation in Indonesia
Some officials involved with the decision to let AirAsia Flight 8501 to take off without proper permits were suspended Monday, and licenses and schedules of all airlines flying in the country will be examined to see if rules are being violated. Indonesia also announced it banned all AirAsia flights between Surabaya and Singapore, the route that Flight 8501 was on when it crashed over the Java Sea with 162 people on board. Officials have since said its permit for the route was only for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, but the plane went down on a Sunday. Read more in NEWS.
6. ESPN anchor Stuart Scott dies at 49
Stuart Scott, the longtime "SportsCenter" anchor and ESPN personality, died Sunday at the age of 49. Scott had battled cancer since 2007. He accepted the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYs ceremony in July. During his speech, he told his teenage daughters: "Taelor and Sydni, I love you guys more than I will ever be able to express. You two are my heartbeat. I am standing on this stage here tonight because of you." Read more in SPORTS.