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Audit finds Tennessee prisons severely understaffed, officers worried about safety

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:55:55 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee prisons are severely understaffed, with a vacancy rate at one prison of 61%, leading to unsafe conditions for both inmates and guards, a state audit of the prison system found. The audit by the state comptroller’s office also found a shortage of such prisoner services as therapy, substance abuse treatment, education and re-entry assistance. It also found problems safeguarding against sexual assault that included housing potential predators with potential victims, as well as a shortage of medical and behavioral health staff. Some problems have surfaced repeatedly, including in audits from 2017 and 2020.Auditors surveyed correctional officers at prisons operated by both the Tennessee Department of Correction and private contractor CoreCivic about how the staffing affects them. “(W)e have no help and really if you get assaulted, you’re going to get assaulted until the inmates get tired of beating you because there are really no (correctional offi...

Louisiana State Police reinstate trooper accused of withholding video in Black man’s deadly arrest

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:55:55 GMT

The Louisiana State Police have reinstated a veteran trooper who had been accused of withholding graphic body-camera video showing another officer dragging Black motorist Ronald Greene by his ankle shackles during his deadly 2019 arrest.Lt. John Clary, the ranking trooper at the scene of Greene’s arrest, will return to active duty this week, state police spokesman Capt. Nick Manale said in an email to The Associated Press on Monday. The development comes weeks after state prosecutors dismissed an obstruction of justice charge against Clary after he agreed to testify in the negligent homicide trial of Kory York, a trooper accused of forcing Greene to lie facedown and handcuffed on a northeast Louisiana roadside for more than nine minutes. Use-of-force experts have said that tactic likely restricted Greene’s breathing.Clary, 59, had been among five officers indicted a year ago in the May 10, 2019, death that authorities initially blamed on a car crash. An AP investigation ...

Chileans eschew extremes in quest for new constitution and end up with the old one

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:55:55 GMT

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Despite a boom in conservative populism in various parts of the world, Chileans closed an exhausting constitutional cycle by separating themselves from the extremes.They voted Sunday to stick with the same constitution, a holdover from the dictatorship, that they had wanted to rewrite four years ago. The decision sent a clear message to the country’s politicians: get to work on the country’s most pressing collective needs within the existing legal framework.Voters rejected a more conservative proposed constitution drafted by the right with 55.7% of the votes.Barely a year earlier, 62% of Chilean voters had resoundingly rejected a proposed constitution from the other end of the ideological spectrum. Drafted by leftist sectors and supported by President Gabriel Boric, it was considered one of the most progressive constitutional initiatives in the world.No one took to the streets to celebrate Sunday’s result. Chile will continue to be ruled by a constitution born...

Texas governor signs bill that lets police arrest migrants who enter the US illegally

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:55:55 GMT

Testing the limits of how far Texas can go to keep migrants out of the U.S., Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday signed into law sweeping new powers that allow police to arrest migrants who cross the border illegally and give local judges authority to order them to leave the country. Opponents have called the measure the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since a 2010 Arizona law — denounced by critics as the “Show Me Your Papers” bill — that was largely struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Texas’ law is also likely to face swift legal challenges. 5-year-old child living at migrant shelter in Pilsen dies: Mayor's office Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility. But Texas Republicans have increasingly blurred those boundaries under President Joe Biden, saying his administration isn’t doing enough to stop people from entering the country illegally. Texas has bused more than 65,000 migrants to cities across America and installed razor wire along the...

Aurora police launch new system to report non-emergency incidents and crashes online

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:55:55 GMT

AURORA, Ill. — A new online system will allow citizens in Aurora to report non-emergency incidents and crashes online, without the help of a police officer. A spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department announced the new Desk Officer Reporting System (DORS) on Monday and said the department hopes the new tool will "enhance service to the community while also better-allocating resources and personnel." 2 Chicago men accused of killing man to leverage power in South Side street gang With the new system, users will be able to file non-emergency incident reports or vehicle crash reports without having to visit the police department or have an officer dispatched to the location of the incident.The department says the system will be available in English and Spanish and users only need internet access and an e-mail address to file.According to Aurora police, examples of qualifying reports include "burglary to a motor vehicle, identity theft, lost property, retail theft, and minor ...

Rare mammoth fossil found by coal miners in North Dakota

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:55:55 GMT

BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) -- Coal miners in North Dakota made an incredibly rare find earlier this year: a well-preserved, seven-foot-long tusk of an ancient mammoth.The North Dakota Geological Survey (NDGS) said in a press release on Monday, Dec. 18, that the miners discovered the fossil at the Freedom Mine near Beulah over the Memorial Day weekend. A team led by paleontologists from the NDGS recovered more than twenty bones from the mammoth skeleton, including ribs, a shoulder blade, a tooth, and parts of the hips. The team spent 12 days excavating the old streambed where the skeleton was buried. “Most of the mammoth fossils known from North Dakota are isolated bones and teeth,” said Clint Boyd, a senior paleontologist for the NDGS. “This specimen is one of the most complete mammoth skeletons discovered in North Dakota, making it an exciting and scientifically important discovery."Photo courtesy of the North Dakota Geological SurveyAfter being stabilized in protective plaster jackets, ...

Keto Diet may protect against epileptic seizures — and more

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:55:55 GMT

Medical Watch Digest for Dec 18Keto Diet & Protecting Against Epileptic SeizuresUCLA researchers say a high fat, low carbohydrate diet protects against epileptic seizures.The ketogenic diet is often adopted to shed pounds but now doctors say the way it alters the human gut microbiome helps control seizure activity in the brain.The Keto Diet can have certain negative implications like low blood pressure, nutrient deficiencies and kidney stones. So doctors say instead they hope to harness the knowledge of the improved gut microbiome, through the Keto Diet, to develop better therapies to incorporate beneficial gut changes helpful for epilepsy management while avoiding the drawbacksOpioids and cancerRelieving cancer pain is a top priority for patients but the current regiment may not work.Currently doctors prescribe opioids to those battling cancer to minimize painful episodes. But a new study by University of Warwick, including the world's largest review of opioid medications, reve...

Marvel, Disney drop actor Jonathan Majors after he's convicted of assault

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:55:55 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Jonathan Majors was convicted Monday of assaulting his former girlfriend after a two-week trial that he hoped would restore his status as an emerging Hollywood star, but did just the opposite with Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Co. dropping him immediately after his conviction.A Manhattan jury found Majors, 34, guilty of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation. He was acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment.Majors, who was asked to stand and face the jurors as the verdict was read, showed no immediate reaction, looking slightly downward. He declined to comment as he left the courthouse.Marvel and Disney immediately dropped Majors from all upcoming projects following the conviction, said a person close to the studio who was granted anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.Majors had earlier planned to be a central figure throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing the antagonist r...

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke hip ahead of tribute to vocal group: business partner

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:55:55 GMT

(KTLA) – Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was on his way to pay tribute to the Manhattan Transfer at a concert in Los Angeles when he fell and broke his hip Friday, Variety reported Sunday night.The 76-year-old NBA Hall of Famer, now recovering from surgery, was supposed to speak about the vocal group at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday during what was billed as their final concert, according to Variety. Instead, he ended up releasing a statement to the outlet (via his business partner Deborah Morales) on his connection to the group. Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski crash trial is being adapted into a musical “The Manhattan Transfer first took the stage the same year I first took the NBA court. I’ve been listening to their unique blend of R&B, jazz, blues and pop ever since. Their artistry has lifted me when I needed lifting, soothed me when I needed soothing, and gave me joy when I needed to be joyful. I couldn’t ask for anything more,” the statement read.In 2009, the...

Austin Police say 47-year-old woman found safe

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:55:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department said a 47-year-old woman was found safe after she previously reported missing Sunday.The woman was last seen in northwest Austin and was previously believed to be endangered. However, APD said on social media Monday that she was found safe.No other details were released Monday.