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Karen Read murder case: Judge denies ‘gag order’ motion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:30 GMT

Attorneys for Karen Read — charged with murder for allegedly striking and killing her boyfriend with her car in January of last year — will not be bound by a gag order in speaking outside the court on matters of the case.“The Commonwealth argues that defense counsel has made statements to the media that have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing the proceedings and that therefore a court order is necessarily (sic) to ensure compliance,” Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly J. Cannone wrote in her ruling, filed Monday. “The court disagrees.”“Although it is true that the statements by defendant’s counsel cited by the Commonwealth are arguably inflammatory and appear to have fueled much of the publicity in this case, the Court does not find, at this time, that there is a substantial likelihood that the statements will materially prejudice the proceedings,” she continued.It is the second motion she denied in a week, following her denial of a defense motion...

Charter school dodges public records requests, prompting AG lawsuit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:30 GMT

Following months of the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School claiming an exemption to the state’s Public Records Law and ignoring requests, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell filed an enforcement action against the school to make them turn over the withheld documents Monday.Mystic Valley received at least 10 public records requests between January 2022 and November 2022, a release from the AG’s office states, each time declining the requests.The Supervisor of Records then ordered the school to comply with the requests several times, the release states, which it again ignored.The Massachusetts Public Records Law allows anyone to request records from public entities, within set parameters. The release notes this is “essential to promoting transparency and public confidence in government, particularly with respect to matters involving public entities andpublic agents.”Like other Massachusetts charter schools, Mystic Valley is a public school financed through ...

Mike Pence condemns Trump’s actions surrounding Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot. Follow live updates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:30 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Follow along for live updates on the Justice Department’s indictment of former President Donald Trump over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The charges focus on schemes by Trump and his allies to subvert the transfer of power and keep him in office despite his loss to Joe Biden.___WHAT TO KNOW— Trump has now been indicted for the third time. Here’s where all the investigations stand— Trump also was indicted in June on charges that he illegally hoarded classified documents— Mar-a-Lago’s property manager is the latest Trump staffer ensnared in his legal turmoil— Special counsel Jack Smith has a long career of confronting corruptionFILE – Rioters wave flags on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)PENCE CONDEMNS TRUMP’S ACTIONS SURROUNDING JAN. 6 U.S. CAPITOL RIOTFormer Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday issued his strongest condemnation yet of ...

Body found in search for missing hiker on El Cajon Mountain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:30 GMT

LAKESIDE, Calif. -- The search for a man who went missing Monday while hiking in Lakeside has ended, authorities said.On Tuesday around 8:45 a.m., crews found a man's body in their search for a 34-year-old hiker near one of the hiking trails on El Cajon Mountain, Lt. Chris Katra with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said in a news release.The hiker was initially reported missing Monday after not returning from a hike on El Cajon Mountain, according to law enforcement. Three county parks close for month of August "The man had started his hike around 9:00 a.m. and was expected to return to his family around 2:00 p.m. When the man did not return, his family contacted the San Diego County Sheriff's Department," Katra said.Authorities deployed the Sheriff's Search and Rescue (SAR) Unit, which included SAR volunteers and a helicopter unit, to search throughout the night.The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will perform an autopsy to determine the identity of the man,...

Aid efforts for Haitians suffer new blow with kidnapping of American nurse and daughter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:30 GMT

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Aid efforts for Haitians enduring the gang violence ravaging their nation suffered a new blow with the kidnapping of an American nurse from New Hampshire and her young daughter, who were still missing Tuesday. Gang warfare has increasingly plagued Haiti since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. The killing worsened criminal control of Haiti and today the innocent are regularly killed, raped and held for ransom. A local nonprofit has documented 539 kidnappings since January, a significant rise over previous years. That number is almost certainly underreported in Haiti, where many people fear authorities in addition to the gangs. Hospitals and other aid organizations — often the only institutions in the country’s many lawless areas — have increasingly been criminals’ targets. Many service providers have been forced to close, leaving a growing number of people in this country of 11.45 million without access to healthcare, food, ed...

Missouri man executed for 2002 abduction and killing of 6-year-old girl

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:30 GMT

BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — A man who abducted a 6-year-old Missouri girl and beat her to death at an abandoned factory decades ago was put to death Tuesday evening, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request to block the lethal injection over arguments he was mentally incompetent.Johnny Johnson, 45, received a a lethal dose of pentobarbital at a state prison in Bonne Terre and was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m. CDT, authorities said. He was convicted of the July 2002 killing of Casey Williamson in the small St. Louis area suburb of Valley Park.Johnson had expressed remorse in a brief handwritten statement released by the Department of Corrections hours before the execution. “God Bless. Sorry to the people and family I hurt,” Johnson’s statement said.The U.S. Supreme Court, with three justices dissenting, said earlier in an emailed statement that it was rejecting the request to stay the execution plans. Justice Sonia Sotomayor was joined by two other justices in the dissent.I...

Son of Colombia’s president is charged with money laundering

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:30 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The son of Colombia’s president was charged Tuesday with money laundering and illicit enrichment at a hearing where prosecutors said he took thousands of dollars from drug traffickers and used it to buy luxurious homes and expensive cars.Nicolás Petro, 36, pleaded innocent to the charges, which have raised questions about the financing of President Gustavo Petro’s 2022 presidential campaign. But towards the end of the hearing he appeared to change his stance, saying he was willing to “collaborate” with prosecutors who are also trying to investigate President Petro’s campaign. “I will do this for my family and for my baby who is about to be born,” said the younger Petro, who could face up to 30 years in prison if he is found guilty of money laundering. The investigation against Nicolás Petro stems from a shocking declaration made by his ex-wife Daysuris Vásquez to local news magazine Semana in March.It comes at a time when President Petro is losing popul...

Bidens head to summer blockbuster ‘Oppenheimer’ during beach vacation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:30 GMT

REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware (AP) — President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden took a break from their Delaware beach vacation to see the summer blockbuster “Oppenheimer.”The Bidens after a quick dinner at Matt’s Fish Camp in nearby Lewes went to an early evening showing of the three-hour movie about the life of Manhattan Project mastermind J. Robert Oppenheimer.The Bidens for their dinner-and-date chose “Oppenheimer” over the even bigger blockbuster “Barbie,” which was showing at the same time at Movies at Midway theater. The total box office in U.S. and Canadian theaters on the opening weekend was more than $300 million, the fourth highest ever. Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” grossed $162 million domestically, the best opening of the year. Universal’s “Oppenheimer” took in $82.4 million. Director Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” tells the story of the man who changed the course of the world’s history by shepherding the development of the first atomic bombAamer Madhani, The Ass...

Here’s a look at some of Louisiana’s new 2023 laws

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:30 GMT

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A slew of new Louisiana laws, recently passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature and signed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, went into effect Tuesday. Among the laws are those that increase punishments for fentanyl-related crimes, require every public school classroom to display the phrase “In God We Trust,” and add to the state’s age verification law about access to pornography websites.During this legislative session, a package of anti-LGBTQ+ bills drew the most debate. Lawmakers passed a “ Don’t Say Gay ” bill that broadly bars public school teachers from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in the classroom, and a measure requiring them to use the pronouns and names that align with those assigned to their students at birth. Both bills were vetoed by the governor and blocked from becoming law.In addition, a ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors is set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2024. In the meantime, a...

UAW to show list of economic demands to automakers this week, will seek worker pay if plants close

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:30 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union will present a long list to General Motors, Ford and Stellantis when it delivers economic demands to the companies this week, the union’s president says.And the message from newly elected chief Shawn Fain is that the companies are making big profits and can afford to pay up.“Record profits mean record contracts,” Fain told members in a Facebook Live presentation Tuesday evening.He reiterated potentially costly demands to end different wage tiers among workers, double-digit pay raises and restoration of cost-of-living pay, defined benefit pensions for all workers, and restoring retiree health coverage.In addition, Fain said the UAW will ask that companies pay workers for doing community service or other work if their plants are closed, an apparent restoration of the much maligned jobs bank that was eliminated in 2009. He also proposed a 32-hour work week so union members could spend more time with families and enjoying life.“I know t...