Harry and Meghan’s daughter christened, will use royal title

LONDON (AP):

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan announced yesterday that their daughter had been christened in a private ceremony in California, publicly calling her a princess and revealing for the first time that they will use royal titles for their children.

Princess Lilibet Diana, who turns two in June, was baptised on Friday by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev John Taylor, Harry and Meghan said in a statement. Lilibet's title and that of her brother, Archie, who will be four in May, will be updated on the Buckingham Palace website later.

The announcement marked the first time that the children's titles had been used in public.

The question of the children's titles took centre stage two years ago during Harry and Meghan's television interview with Oprah Winfrey. Meghan, who is biracial, said that when she was pregnant with Archie "they" -- presumably the palace -- "were saying they didn't want him to be a prince ... which would be different from protocol".

Meghan suggested that this was because Archie was the royal family's "first member of colour" and would have marked the first time a royal grandchild wasn't given the same title as the other grandchildren.

At the time, royal experts said Meghan's comments appeared to be based on a misunderstanding of the way royal titles are conferred.

Titles are conferred in line with a decree issued by King George V in 1917 that limits the titles of prince and princess to the male-line grandchildren of the sovereign.

As long as the late Queen Elizabeth II was alive, Harry and his older brother, Prince William, were the sovereign's grandchildren. Harry and William's children, as great- grandchildren, didn't receive the titles automatically. But Elizabeth had the power to amend the rules, and in 2012 she decreed that the children of Prince William and his wife, Catherine, would be princes and princesses. This decree didn't apply to Harry and Meghan.

However, the situation changed when King Charles III ascended the throne on the death of his mother last September. William and Harry are the king's sons, meaning their offspring are now royal grandchildren and so entitled to be known as prince and princess.

Nonetheless, they have remained a plain 'master' and 'miss' on the Buckingham Palace website for the past six months.

After Taylor shooting, Feds find pattern of violations

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP):

The US Justice Department found that the Louisville police have engaged in a pattern of violating constitutional rights and discrimination against the black community, following an investigation prompted by the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor.

Attorney General Merrick Garland made the announcement yesterday. A Justice Department report found the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government and Louisville Metro Police Department "engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law".

The report said the Louisville Police Department "discriminates against black people in its enforcement activities", uses excessive force, and conducts searches based on invalid warrants. It also said the department violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech, like the street protests in the city in the summer of 2020 after Taylor's death.

Garland said some officers have assaulted people with disabilities and called black people disparaging names.

"This conduct is unacceptable, it is heartbreaking," Garland said. "It erodes the community trust necessary for effective policing, and it is an affront to the vast majority of officers who put their lives on the line every day to serve Louisville with honour."

Oklahoma voters reject legalising recreational marijuana

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP):

Oklahoma voters on Tuesday rejected the legalisation of recreational marijuana, following a late blitz of opposition from faith leaders, law enforcement and prosecutors.

Oklahoma would have become the 22nd state to legalise adult use of cannabis and join conservative states like Montana and Missouri that have approved similar proposals in recent years. Many conservative states have also rejected the idea, including Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota last year.

Republican Governor Kevin Stitt and many of the state's GOP legislators, including nearly every Republican senator, opposed the idea. Former Republican Governor Frank Keating, an ex-FBI agent, and Terri White, the former head of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, led the 'no' campaign.

"We're pleased the voters have spoken," said Pat McFerron, a Republican political strategist who ran the opposition campaign. "We think this sends a clear signal that voters are not happy with the recreational nature of our medicinal system. We also think it shows voters recognise the criminal aspects, as well as the need for addressing mental health needs of the state."