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2 ex-LA sheriff’s deputies face federal civil rights charges

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:04:31 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies are accused of violating the civil rights of a skateboarder in 2020 and perpetrating a coverup, federal prosecutors said Thursday.A grand jury handed down the indictment last month, and both ex-deputies surrendered to authorities Thursday when it was unsealed. Miguel Vega and Christopher Hernandez allegedly threw the skateboarder — identified as “J.A.” in court papers — in the back of their cruiser and detained him without cause April 13, 2020, in Compton. He was still in the patrol vehicle when they then engaged in a pursuit and crashed the car, injuring the skateboarder. Prosecutors say the duo then conspired to coverup the then-23-year-old man’s unlawful detention.Vega, 32, and Hernandez, 37, are charged with conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, witness tampering and falsification of records. Vega is charged with another falsification of records count. Their attorneys did not respond to an ...

Mini hydro company raises $18M to generate power in canals

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:04:31 GMT

A startup business that places small turbines in irrigation canals to generate electricity has raised $18.4 million to scale up its technology and generate carbon-free hydropower.Emily Morris, CEO and founder of Emrgy, said her inspiration for making electricity in places that some people might find unlikely was seeing the vast network of U.S. irrigation infrastructure, with water swiftly flowing through it. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation alone operates 1,600 miles of main canals. In the same way that putting solar on rooftops avoids disturbing the land, making use of existing canals means the hydropower turbines don’t have to be installed in the natural environment.“Our infrastructure represents a new sector of renewable energy real estate,” Morris said in an interview.Irrigation canals in the U.S. are made of concrete or stone and transport water from main sources to fields. Emrgy units look something like a propeller with blades rotating parallel to the ground. Water in the...

UNC students protest decision to ban ‘Cop City’ activist

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:04:31 GMT

Students at North Carolina’s flagship public university walked out of class Thursday to protest school officials’ decision to ban a law school student from campus after she was charged with domestic terrorism last month following a violent protest over a planned Atlanta-area police and firefighter training center that activists derisively call “Cop City.”University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill law school student Jamie Marsicano, 30, was one of 23 people arrested on domestic terrorism charges March 5 after a large group of masked activists stormed a Georgia construction site and proceeded to bash equipment, torch a bulldozer and throw rocks and fireworks at retreating law enforcement officers, according to police surveillance footage. Since being released on bond last month, Marsicano has been barred from attending class in person. On Thursday, more than 100 protesters marched across UNC’s campus chanting, “Jamie’s not in class! We are not in class!” The demo...

School bus damaged by gunfire during attempted carjacking on West Side

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:04:31 GMT

CHICAGO — A school bus was damaged Thursday afternoon after shots were fired during an attempted carjacking on the West Side of Chicago, according to police. Around 1:45 p.m., a man was approached by someone with a firearm who was demanding his vehicle in the 2400 block of West Taylor Street, according to information from the Chicago Police Department. Northwestern criticizes its own response to deadly shooting steps from campus The driver pulled out his own firearm and the two exchanged gunshots, police said. A nearby school bus was damaged and no injuries were reported.The driver has a valid FOID and CCL, police said. No one is in custody and the incident is still under investigation by Area Three detectives.

Judge tosses 40th conviction tied to disgraced ex-CPD detective

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:04:31 GMT

CHICAGO – After 24 years, a man who has spent nearly a quarter of a century in prison for a murder he insisted he did not commit will soon be freed.Richard Kwil saw a Cook County judge overturn his conviction in court on Thursday, the latest in a series of reversed judgments linked to disgraced former Chicago police detective Reynaldo Guevara.Kwil's daughter, 25-year-old Aixa Hernandez, applauded her father's impending release from prison. New lawsuits filed against former Chicago cop bring old allegations to light "Really happy," she said. "He was away a really long time. I’m just glad we get to build a relationship finally."Hernandez said she has only known her father through short visits, letters and phone calls. It made the moment a judge tossed out her father's murder conviction more profound."It didn’t feel real but it’s really exciting," she said. "Just glad it’s all over."Undated booking photo of Richard Kwil. (Photo: Pontiac Correctional Center)Kwil says not only was he ...

Former CEO of ComEd takes stand in bribery trial

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:04:31 GMT

CHICAGO -- The ongoing ComEd bribery trial continued Thursday as jurors heard witness testimony from the former CEO.The four defendants, charged in November 2020, are former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore; former ComEd Vice President and lobbyist John Hooker; Jay Doherty, a former ComEd lobbying contractor and President of the City Club of Chicago; and Michael McClain, another former ComEd lobbying contractor and consultant who, for decades, has been a close confidant of Madigan. All have pleaded not guilty.Madigan was charged in 2022 with racketeering, bribery and other crimes. He’s denied wrongdoing. A year earlier, he resigned from the Legislature as the longest-serving House speaker in modern U.S. history amid speculation that he was a federal target.The indictment accused Madigan, among other things, of reaping the benefits of private legal work illegally steered to his law firm.In 2020, ComEd admitted to the bribery scheme and paid $200 million fine. The defendants' lawy...

RECALL: A/V carts sold since 1980s have killed 3 kids

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:04:31 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — About 84,700 audiovisual carts that have been sold at various retailers since at least the 1980s are being recalled by their maker, Luxor Workspaces. Three children died between 2006 and 2016 after the A/V carts carrying TVs tipped over and fell on them, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports. Luxor Workspaces, based in Waukegan, Illinois, says the carts being recalled are three base models: WT42 "Tuffy" plastic carts; W42/AVJ42/SS-AVJ42 metal carts; and LP-DUO/TPDUOEQ plastic carts. Taco Bell to resurrect discontinued item after fans vote to bring it back Since these base models have many variations, there are at least 325 cart model numbers affected. For a complete list of all affected models and ways to identify them, visit USCPSC.All facilities that may be using these carts are advised to stop using them immediately. In addition to the three child deaths, the cart is also known to have injured another child, according to the recall announcement.Recall...

Biden admin. vows to continue to fight for use of abortion drug

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:04:31 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- The legal battle over whether an abortion pill should be banned in the U.S. continues."We believe that the law is on our side and that we will prevail," said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.The Biden administration says it will ask the Supreme Court for emergency relief after a federal appeals court upheld several restrictions on the use of the abortion drug mifepristone around the country."We are going to continue to fight in the courts," Jean-Pierre said.While allowing doctors to keep prescribing the medication, the appeals court said the drug can not be delivered by mail. It also shortened when mifepristone can be used, cutting it down to seven from the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.The ruling also denied the Justice Department's request for the new restrictions not to take effect unit the appeals process is completed."The court system is going to play out. We're going to let that evolve. I think this will likely go to the Supreme Court," said...

Supreme Court won't block $6B student debt relief settlement

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:04:31 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed a roughly $6 billion legal settlement to go forward that will cancel student loans for hundreds of thousands of borrowers who say they were misled by their schools.The justices did not comment in rejecting an emergency plea from Everglades College, Lincoln Educational Services Corp. and American National University. The schools had argued that they were unfairly included on a list of more than 150 institutions, most of them for-profit, linked with alleged misconduct. Lincoln and American are for-profit institutions; Everglades is a not-for-profit.The justices' action comes as the high court is weighing what to do with the Biden administration's plan to wipe away $400 billion in student debt held by more than 40 million people. A decision on that plan is expected by late June.The legal challenges have some similarities but the administration is relying on different laws in the two programs.The class-action settlement was approve...

Llano County library will stay open, commissioners decide

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:04:31 GMT

LLANO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Llano County will keep its library after a commissioner vote to remove an item about its future from their agenda.In a special meeting Thursday, the Llano County Commissioners Court planned to discuss whether to "continue or cease operations of the current physical Llano County Library System," according to the agenda. Llano County ordered to return removed books to its library system by federal court "The library will remain open. We will try this in the courts, not through social media or through news media," Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham said.The decision came after hearing more than half an hour of public comment, in which those who wanted to keep and close the facility testified.In a civil court case against Llano County, a federal court partially granted a preliminary injunction, ordering the return of books previously removed from the county’s library system in March.According to court documents, the county must also update the library sys...