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U.S. Supreme Court case could delay Madigan trial, ComEd sentencing

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:31:00 GMT

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear a case about "what constitutes bribery" could delay the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan.Madigan is charged with using his unrivaled political power to obtain work for his private law practice. He was indicted by federal prosecutors in March 2022 on 22 counts for his alleged role in a racketeering conspiracy linked to lobbying practices during his time in politics. Madigan pleaded not guilty on federal racketeering, bribery, wire fraud and extortion charges. There was also the separate scheme that saw the power company ComEd admit to hiring Madigan allies as ghost payrollers, with the hope of winning his support on key legislation.Four people – including ComEd’s former CEO and Madigan’s top lieutenant, Tim Mapes – have already been convicted. Mapes faces up to 20 years in prison for obstruction of justice and up to five years for perjury. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 10, 2024.Now, Mapes and the three others conv...

GOP voters like Trump because he won't compromise: Pew poll

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:31:00 GMT

(The Hill) — Trump-supporting Republicans are less likely than voters who support other GOP presidential candidates to favor political compromise on issues, according to a Pew Research Center poll published Thursday.About 63 percent of former President Trump’s supporters want their candidate to focus on pushing for GOP policy in office rather than working with Democrats, more than supporters for any other GOP primary candidate. Republican voters are split overall, with exactly half of respondents emphasizing compromise.Among other GOP candidates, supporters of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley support compromise the most, with 72 percent of respondents saying they want the GOP candidate to work across the aisle. Just more than half of supporters for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) back compromise over partisanship, the poll found.Trump’s support makes up a significantly larger proportion of GOP voters than support for other candidates because he holds a wide lead in national primar...

Daily aspirin may do more harm than good for heart patients — and more

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:31:00 GMT

For Thursday, Dec. 14, WGN’s Dina Bair has new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch No daily aspirin for heart health Daily aspirin may do more harm than good for heart patients. US doctors typically recommend taking aspirin every day to prevent heart attacks. But Canadian heart doctors have reversed course. The Canadian Cardiovascular Society now advises against routinely taking aspirin, citing recent evidence revealing that bleeding risks outweigh the benefits. For certain high-risk heart patients, they say aspirin may be appropriate, but they are urging against routine daily use for most people. Menstrual cycles & daily suicide risksWomen may be more at risk for dangerous emotional slides in and around their menstrual cycle.The University of Illinois Chicago researchers found female patients with a history of suicidal thoughts experience an increased risk of suicidal ideation and planning in the days before and after their p...

City Council approves Downtown Austin Community Court extension to help more access critical services

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:31:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Austin City Council approved on consent Thursday to expand the jurisdiction of the Downtown Austin Community Court so it can help low-level defendants access critical throughout the city. The Downtown Austin Community Court opened its doors in 1999, becoming the first court of its kind in Texas. The mission of the court is to “administer justice equitably and compassionately and to utilize a client-centered and housing-focused intensive case management model to help individuals experiencing homelessness achieve long-term stability,” according to its website. “We've really evolved our operations at the cour. Just like the community of Austin has changed over the last 25 years, we have become much more hands-on with individuals that are coming through the court, connecting them on-site to our integrated housing, case manager services, basic needs, and connection to other resources that exist in the community,” said Robert Kingham, Court Administrator for ...

Happy ending! Stuffed toy left at AUS returned to owner

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:31:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A lost toy left at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) was reunited with its owner Thursday afternoon."2-year-old toddler Lucas is overjoyed to have his best plushy friend, Kopus (Ka-poosh), back in his arms," AUS said.On Wednesday evening, the airport said it was searching for the owner of a lost puppy friend found at one of the airport's garages.“We are trying to get him home for the holidays,” AUS said.(AUS photo)(AUS photo)(AUS photo)(AUS photo)(AUS photo)(AUS photo)When the owners were not found overnight, AUS said staff began an interview process to find “Puppy Friend” a position at the airport.“Puppy Friend hasn’t found his owner yet, but he’s taken an interest in how we do things around AUS,” the airport said. “This morning, he interviewed for a pawsition with our Planning & Development team.”

Drug deal led to stabbing in northwest Austin, court records say

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:31:00 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — An affidavit obtained by KXAN revealed that a drug deal led to the deadly stabbing of a man in northwest Austin earlier this month.Around 8:30 p.m., Dec. 3, Austin Police responded to a convenience store at 10800 Research Blvd. in reference to a man who walked into the store and fell to the ground, according to APD. Police identify man killed in stabbing near 7-Eleven That man was later identified as Chad Barron, 48.When first responders arrived on the scene, they found Barron with a stab wound, which was found on the left side of his back, according to the affidavit. He was taken to St. David's Hospital in Round Rock where he was later pronounced dead at 9:35 p.m.The investigationAPD officers and detectives later responded to the store and were able to track a blood trail to the northwest corner of the southbound intersection of U.S. Highway 183 and westbound lanes of Braker Lane, court documents said.According to the affidavit, Barron was known to s...

St. Paul teen receives 15-year prison sentence for role in Michael Brasel slaying

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:31:00 GMT

A St. Paul teen who Michael Brasel tried to stop from rummaging through his wife’s car before he was fatally shot was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday for his role in the slaying.Ta Mla, 18, had pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder in connection with the May 6 killing of Brasel, a 44-year-old husband, father of two boys and youth hockey coach who was shot by Ta Mla’s friend, Kle Swee. In exchange for the plea, a charge of second-degree murder with intent was dismissed Thursday.Ta Mla (Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)In October, Kle Swee was given a 25½-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree intentional murder. He was 17 at the time of the killing.Before Ramsey County District Judge Timothy Carey issued Ta Mla’s sentence, the courtroom heard emotional victim impact statements from Brasel’s wife, Hilary Brasel, and his father-in-law, Kent Peterson, and several friends. Hilary an...

Reliving the night Bengals’ Jake Browning was the only quarterback the Vikings had available

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:31:00 GMT

Never mind the recent success of Jake Browning as he quarterbacks the Bengals into Saturday’s game against the Vikings at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.Some Vikings players aren’t at all surprised by the fact that he seems to have taken the NFL by storm. Not after what they saw out of him on July 31, 2021.“He was balling,” fullback C.J. Ham said of his 2021 game with the Vikings. “That seemed like the Jake Browning coming-out party right there. I remember the crowd was going nuts. He was on fire.”He had to be. He was the only quarterback the Vikings had available.Since he was vaccinated, Browning was not considered a close contact when rookie high-draft-pick Kellen Mond tested positive for COVID leading up to the now-infamous night practice at TCO Stadium. The Vikings’ two other quarterbacks, Kirk Cousins and Nate Stanley, were considered close contacts, and thus, not allowed to participate.Though he wouldn’t go into detail about each p...

David French: What the university presidents got right and wrong about antisemitic speech

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:31:00 GMT

As I watched the presidents of Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania struggle last week to respond to harsh congressional questioning about the prevalence of antisemitism on their campuses, I had a singular thought: Censorship helped put these presidents in their predicament, and censorship will not help them escape.To understand what I mean, we have to understand what, exactly, was wrong — and right — with their responses in the now-viral exchange with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. The key moment occurred when Stefanik asked whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate school policies. The answers the presidents gave were lawyerly versions of “it depends” or “context matters.”There was an immediate explosion of outrage, and the president of Penn, Elizabeth Magill, resigned Saturday. But this is genocide we’re talking about! How can “context” matter in that context? If that’s not harassment and bullying, then what is?B...

Man who confronted alleged temple shooter speaks

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:31:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Good Samaritan who confronted the man who allegedly fired shots outside of Temple Israel in Albany shared his account of what happened.On December 7, Anthony Moriterato, a medical transportation driver for Safe Care Mobility Services, had just dropped off a client at St. Peter's Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Hackett Boulevard in Albany. It is a place he knows well. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! "My mother used to work at 301 Hackett as a receptionist," explained Moriterato. "Barb was a friend of my mother's."Barbara Medley was the receptionist at the facility that day."After knowing Anthony for so many years, he goes above and beyond for lots of people," said Medley.Little did Moriterato know, not too far away, Albany Police were notified of a shots fired incident near Temple Israel, just hours before the first night of Hanukkah.As Moriterato was getting ready to leave the parking lot, he noticed a ...