A man who has held protests saying the Cleveland Indians’ Chief Wahoo mascot is racist faces federal charges over allegations he stole money from federal grants aimed at helping Native Americans.
Seventy-year-old Robert Roche, of Cleveland, was indicted Wednesday on one count of conspiracy to steal federal funds and two counts of theft from programs receiving federal funds.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cleveland says a lengthy investigation showed that Roche conspired to divert money from the American Indian Education Center in Cleveland where he served as executive director.

Manitoba RCMP say no charges will be laid after an investigation into two cases of babies switched at birth at a northern Manitoba hospital more than 40 years ago.
The four men went home with different parents from the federally run Norway House Indian Hospital in 1975. The RCMP and the federal government launched separate investigations after the men went public with the mix-ups following DNA tests.

Protests are escalating against Enbridge Energy’s plan to replace its Line 3 crude oil pipeline and against a separate aging Enbridge pipeline under the waterway linking Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas.
Six protesters were arrested this week near Superior, Wisconsin, where Enbridge began work in June to replace Line 3.
The pipeline carries Canadian tar sands crude from Alberta.
Protesters briefly shut down construction Tuesday. Opponents of both pipelines plan Labor Day weekend actions in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Members of two British Columbia First Nations say they have occupied a salmon farm on a small island on the province’s coast, the second such protest to be held in the past week.
A group of 16 indigenous protesters gathered at Wicklow Point salmon farm on Thursday afternoon.
Officials for the First Nation opposition say about five protesters plan to stay until the provincial and federal governments revoke permits for the facility.
Indigenous people say they have opposed the industry since it was first introduced and has never signed an agreement with any company operating in its traditional territories.
The province has disregarded the First Nation’s opposition when issuing permits.