News on the go: April 23, 2013

Maura Zurick

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 19-year-old Boston bombing suspect, was charged in his hospital room Monday with using a weapon of mass destruction to kill. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty. Tsarnaev was accused by federal prosecutors of joining with his older brother—who was killed in a shootout with police and FBI—to set off the two pressure-cooker bombs that shot shrapnel into the crowd at the finish line of the marathon last Monday, killing three people and wounding more than 180. Read the full story here.

A Washington man fatally shot his girlfriend inside their apartment south of Seattle. After killing her, he went on a killing spree that left three men dead, including a neighbor who had called 911 to report the incident. The shooting occurred Sunday night and when police arrived the suspect reached for a handgun and was shot and killed by the responding officers. Neither the suspect nor victims have been identified. Police are also still looking for a motive. Read the full story here.

The Supreme Court won’t stop some federal judges from getting cost-of-living increases promised to them by Congress but never paid. This move could end up increasing the salaries of all federal judges. The high court on Monday refused to hear an appeal of a decision ordering the money of six federal judges. In 1989, Congress limited the judges’ ability to earn money outside of their job but decided to give them cost-of-living increases. However, Congress withheld those increases in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2007 and 2010, despite giving other federal employees their promised money.

No one younger than 21 would be able to buy cigarettes in New York under a proposal presented Monday, which would make it the most populous place in America to set the minimum age that high. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said the proposal is an effort to crack down and stop young people from developing a habit that remains the leading preventable cause of death. She said 80 percent of the city’s smokers started before they were 21.

All information is in The Associated Press.

Contact Maura Zurick at [email protected].