Biggest news you missed this weekend
Philae comet lander awakes from hibernation
The European Space Agency's probe Philae has woken up and contacted Earth after about seven months in hibernation, the organization said Sunday. Scientists lost contact with the solar-powered probe after it was dropped on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by its mothership Rosetta on Nov. 15. Philae's battery ran out at about 60 hours after it landed next to a cliff that largely blocked sunlight from reaching its solar panels. The probe appears to have been awake for several days before it called home because some of the information scientists received contained historical data. At about 6:45 a.m. ET Philae, which has amassed more than 360,000 Twitter followers, tweeted: "Hello @ESA_Rosetta! I'm awake! How long have I been asleep? #Lifeonacomet"
Dallas gunman killed after attack on police headquarters
An unemployed mechanic was fatally shot Saturday after attacking Dallas police headquarters. James Boulware rolled up to the building in an armored van (more on how he got the vehicle here), strafing it with automatic weapons fire, shattering glass and sending officers scrambling for cover. Boulware also rammed a police car and planted pipe bombs packed with shrapnel before racing from the scene. A 10-mile chase ended with a brief cellphone negotiation with police. When talks broke down, a police sniper fatally shot Boulware through the van's windshield. No one else was injured. Boulware's father, Jim, told WFAA-TV his son had a troubled relationship with some family members. He said he resented law enforcement after losing custody of his son and had been pushed past his "breaking point."
Husband comes to Hope Solo's defense
Former NFL player Jerramy Stevens strongly defended his wife Hope Solo on Saturday, calling the domestic violence controversy surrounding the United States women's soccer goalkeeper a "witch hunt" and "unpatriotic." The ongoing saga has kept Solo in the spotlight and overshadowed the team's (1-0-1) start to the World Cup. Prosecutors have appealed to reopen the case in which Solo was charged in June 2014 with domestic violence in punching her 17-year-old nephew in the face and tackling him during an argument at Solo's half sister's.
'Black' NAACP leader's parents out her as white woman
The president of the NAACP chapter in Spokane who represented herself as a black woman even though her parents are biologically white has ignited a conversation about racial identities. Rachel Dolezal's parents claim she's been deceiving people. Ruthanne and Larry Dolezal said their daughter is Caucasian — specifically German and Czech — though their daughter always identified with the African-American culture and had black siblings who were adopted. "Rachel has wanted to be somebody she's not," said Ruthanne Dolezal. "She's chosen not to just be herself but to represent herself as an African-American woman or a biracial person. And that's simply not true." The couple said they do not have a problem with Rachel advocating for a civil rights group for African Americans, rather that she is being deceptive about it. In a statement released Friday, the Baltimore-based civil rights organization said: "One's racial identity is not a qualifying criteria or disqualifying standard for NAACP leadership."
Police swarm town in hunt for escaped killers
Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 35, remain on the run after their flight from Clinton Correctional Facility June 5 or 6. Hundreds of federal, state and local officers have swarmed Plattsburgh, N.Y, as authorities search for the two killers. The police presence has turned to a few square miles near the Canadian border into a virtual armed camp. And that's just fine with most residents, Mayor James Calnon says. "People are really grateful that there are 800 people out there doing their job and protecting all of us," Calnon told Paste BN on Sunday. Authorities are stressing that local people should keep doors and windows locked — and report any suspicious activity, Calnon said. Prison employee Joyce Mitchell, 51, faces a court appearance Monday on charges that she aided the escape.
Officer who shot Tamir Rice speaks out
The police officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice told investigators the boy reached for a gun just before the patrolman opened fire. "He gave me no choice; he reached for the gun and there was nothing I could do," Cleveland police Officer Timothy Loehmann told a fellow officer in the moments after he shot Tamir at a gazebo outside the a recreation center Nov. 22. The officer's words — released Saturday in a 224-page report from Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty — is the first time Loehmann's account of the shooting has been revealed. The report also notes Loehmann and his partner each refused to be interviewed by sheriff's investigators.
Zoo animals on loose in Georgia's capital after flooding
Severe flooding in the Georgian capital left at least 12 people dead Sunday and triggered a big-game hunt across the city for lions, tigers, a hippopotamus and other dangerous animals that escaped from Tbilisi's ravaged zoo. Residents were warned to stay indoors as police conducted the hunt, but fear deepened as night fell on the city of 1.1 million with some of the animals still on the loose. Residents in Tbilisi were warned to stay indoors. "Not all the animals who ran away from the zoo have been captured. Therefore, I want to ask the populace to refrain from moving about the city without" an urgent need to, Mayor David Narmania said.
Prince George makes palace balcony debut
Double treat for royal fans Saturday in London: Prince George of Cambridge joined his family for the first time on the Buckingham Palace balcony, greeting a thrilled crowd with a royal wave. It happened at the end of the annual Trooping the Color parade, as his mother, Duchess Kate of Cambridge, made her first appearance in public since Princess Charlotte was born.
Contributing: Associated Press