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New York governor vetoes bill that would make it easier for people to challenge their convictions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill days before Christmas that would have made it easier for people who have pleaded guilty to crimes to challenge their convictions, a measure that was favored by criminal justice reformers but fiercely opposed by prosecutors.The Democrat said the bill’s “sweeping expansion of eligibility for post-conviction relief” would “up-end the judicial system and create an unjustifiable risk of flooding the courts with frivolous claims,” in a veto letter released Saturday.Under existing state law, criminal defendants who plead guilty are usually barred from trying to get their cases reopened based on a new claim of innocence, except in certain circumstances involving new DNA evidence. The bill passed by the Legislature in June would have expanded the types of evidence that could be considered proof of innocence, including video footage or evidence of someone else confessing to a crime. Arguments that a person was coerced in...

Tampa settles lawsuit with feds over parental leave for male workers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The city of Tampa has reached an agreement with the federal government to resolve a discrimination lawsuit alleging that male workers didn’t receive the same parental leave as female workers.Under the proposed settlement reached Thursday, Tampa will pay $300,000 and credit 240 hours of additional leave time to male workers who were denied the same amount of parental leave as female workers in 2017 and 2018.According to the lawsuit, female workers were allowed up to 320 hours of leave time for the purpose of serving as the primary caregiver for a new child, while male workers were permitted only 80 hours as “secondary” caregivers, even if they were the primary caregiver.At least 10 male workers requested primary caregiver leave and were denied because of their sex, and as many as 150 male workers were discouraged from applying for primary caregiver leave by their supervisors or human resources officials, according to the complaint.The proposed consent decree,...

Woman who was shot in the head during pursuit sues Missississippi’s Capitol Police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A woman who was shot in the head while she was a passenger in a car fleeing from police has filed a federal lawsuit against a state-run department in Mississippi’s capital city. Sherita Harris was shot in the head during an August 2022 pursuit that began after a traffic stop in Jackson, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. Southern District of Mississippi. Two officers from the Capitol Police, who patrol an area home to many government buildings, stopped a car driven by Harris’ friend for running a red light. The lawsuit, which alleges excessive force, says an officer began firing into the car after the traffic stop. A spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Capitol Police, did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment. Police have not confirmed whether Harris was shot by an officer, NBCNews.com reported.The officers have said the car Harris was in fled after they exited their patro...

Man suspected of trying to steal items in Alaska shot by resident, authorities say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A man suspected of trying to steal items from a garage in a south-central Alaska community was shot after being confronted by a resident, authorities said, the second such case in the region in recent days.Alaska State Troopers said a 30-year-old man was shot Wednesday night in Houston, which is about 57 miles (91.7 kilometers) north of Anchorage. The man entered a garage and was going through items when residents saw tracks leading to the building and confronted him, Troopers spokesperson Tim DeSpain said. The man grabbed a lamp and “attempted to use it as a blunt weapon,” DeSpain said. Troopers said the man tried to grab a gun from a resident and was shot twice, the Anchorage Daily News reported. The man was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, troopers said, and the residents were not harmed.On Dec. 17, troopers said another man was found inside a Wasilla home by two residents. A fight ensued, and the man was fatally shot by one of...

Moneris payment machines down for second time in as many days during holiday shopping rush

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

For the second day in a row, Moneris debit and credit machines are down.The company initially posted a statement on X that was identical to the one they issued Friday, saying it is suffering “intermittent processing issues,” but that post was deleted and replaced with one saying it is experiencing “intermittent network slowness that may impact transactions.”CityNews reached out to Moneris to get a better understanding of what’s going on, but Moneris says a spokesperson isn’t available. Related: Moneris service outage affects card payments on busy shopping, travel day “We are currently experiencing some network slowness but all systems are operational and our teams are monitoring all systems closely,” Moneris communications director Darren Leroux told CityNews.“As you can imagine, we’re busy focusing on our merchants.”Moneris describes itself on its website as “Canada’s #1 payment processor&#...

Michigan State basketball player, Chicago-native recovering after Joliet shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

JOLIET, Ill. — Chicago-native, Joliet West High School alum and Michigan State University basketball player Jeremy Fears Jr. is recovering from surgery after being shot in the leg, according to the Detroit Free Press's Chris Solari.The Joliet Police Department said officers were sent to the 300 block of St Jude Avenue around 3:45 a.m. Saturday on reports of two people being shot. When police arrived, they found an 18-year-old male who was shot in his left thigh and a 19-year-old female who was shot in the pelvis.According to Joliet PD, their preliminary investigation showed both victims were inside a residence with others when it is believed that a male suspect armed with a handgun entered through the front door of the residence and opened fire, hitting both victims.The 18-year-old male and the 19-year-old female were both transported to Ascension St. Joseph Medical Center by the Joliet Fire Department and are listed as being in stable condition with injuries that are non-life-threa...

Obama shares his favorite books of 2023 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

(The Hill) — Former President Obama shared his favorite books of this year in a Friday post on X, formerly known as Twitter.“As I usually do during this time of year, I wanted to share my favorite books, movies, and music of 2023,” Obama said in his post.“First up, here are the books I've enjoyed reading,” the former president continued. “If you’re looking for a new book over the holidays, give one of them a try. And if you can, shop at an independent bookstore or check them out at your local library.”The former president’s list included books like “The Covenant of Water” by Abraham Verghese, “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory,” by Tim Alberta and “The Vaster Wilds” by Lauren Groff. Obama has insisted in the past that his annual book, music and movie lists are “stuff” he “actually” likes. “People, they believe the books and the movies, but the playlists, they somehow think — and this is mostly coming from young people like you — somehow you all think you invented rock ...

How rich was the McCallister family in 'Home Alone'?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

CHICAGO (WGN-TV/NEXSTAR) — It's been 33 years since Macaulay Culkin first slapped his face with aftershave in the Christmas classic "Home Alone" — and the Chris Columbus-directed comedy has only gotten more popular with age.And while the film remains a constant holiday tradition, it's also spawned many burning questions. Just weeks ago, TikTok users were wondering how much Kevin McCallister's grocery order would cost today. But something else money-related keeps standing out to "Home Alone" watchers: was Kevin's family rich? Which grocery stores will be open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2023? Questions about the McCallister family's finances are based on a few details in the movie, including that the entire family was flying to Paris over the holidays. But mostly, people tend to focus on the size and condition of the family's Chicago suburb home.The New York Times recently talked to experts with the Federal Reserve who compared the home to similar ones in Chicago in the ear...

Sources: Woman killed in crash outside El Paso was founding member of Dixie Chicks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) -- A 65-year-old woman from Fort Worth who is being identified as a founding member of The Dixie Chicks was killed and another person was hurt in a head-on collision Friday night, Dec. 22 along U.S. Highway 62 in Hudspeth County. The woman was identified as Laura Caroline Lynch by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The New York Post and CBS Network are both reporting that Lynch was a founding member of The Dixie Chicks musical group and was the woman who was killed in the crash outside of El Paso on Friday night. TMZ is also reporting Lynch, a founding member of the band, was killed in the crash.The band has since been renamed The Chicks.The crash happened at about 5:45 p.m. about 25 miles west of Dell City and about 8 miles west of Cornudas, according to DPS. DPS: 1 dead, 1 hurt in head-on collision on US 62/180 According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a pickup truck was traveling westbound on U.S. 62 when the driver tried to pass another vehi...

Former Texas QB Maalik Murphy transfers to Duke

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:10 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Maalik Murphy, Texas' backup quarterback who stepped in to lead the Longhorns to two Big 12 Conference wins this season, will transfer to Duke University.He announced his decision Saturday on social media. He will try to get the starting job for the Blue Devils after previous quarterback Riley Leonard transferred to Notre Dame. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: QB Maalik Murphy to transfer from Texas Murphy has three years of eligibility remaining after finishing his redshirt freshman season with the Longhorns. Duke (8-5) defeated Troy 17-10 in the Birmingham Bowl on Saturday with true freshman Grayson Loftis taking the snaps. He threw for 183 yards with an interception against the Trojans (11-3), the 2023 Sun Belt Conference champions.Murphy stepped in for starter Quinn Ewers and led the Longhorns to wins over BYU and Kansas State. Murphy finished the season 40 of 71 passing for 477 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions, appearing in seven games including his two s...