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Stanford University employee charged with lying about rapes

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:21:47 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A 25-year-old Stanford University employee was arrested Wednesday and charged with felony perjury for allegedly lying about being raped twice last year on campus, authorities said. Jennifer Ann Gries, of Santa Clara, first reported a false sexual attack in August when she told a nurse at Valley Medical Center in San Jose that a man grabbed her while she was at a campus parking lot, dragged her to a restroom and sexually assaulted her, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office said. In October, she went to Stanford Hospital to get another rape examination and told the nurse conducting the exam that she was returning to her office from lunch when an unknown male grabbed her arm, forced her into a basement storage closet and raped her, prosecutors said. She again declined to speak with police, they said. Both of Gries’ sexual assault examination kits were analyzed quickly “given the extreme public safety risk of a potential sex offender,” prosecutors ...

Tennessee GOP advance new narrow abortion exemption bill

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:21:47 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Republican lawmakers on Wednesday took another swing at adding a narrow exemption to one of the strictest abortion bans in the United States. Nearly a month ago, a Republican legislative panel defied political threats made by the state’s influential anti-abortion lobbying group and advanced legislation clarifying situations where abortion could be allowed in Tennessee.However, despite the committee’s endorsement, the legislation was almost immediately considered doomed inside the GOP-dominant Statehouse, owing to the reluctance of the members to support efforts to loosen the strict abortion ban. After weeks of political negotiating, Tennessee Right to Life announced on Monday they would support a newly crafted proposal that’s even much more narrowly focused than the original version. The House Health Committee then advanced the proposal Wednesday.Currently, Tennessee has no explicit exemptions in its abortion ban. Instead the law i...

Minnesota meat processing firm accused of employing minors

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:21:47 GMT

A meat processing company in Minnesota employed children as young as 13 to work in hazardous conditions, such as operating meat grinders, while they worked overnight shifts and longer hours than allowed by law, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry said Wednesday.The state agency is asking a district court to issue a temporary restraining order against Tony Downs Food Company, based in Mankato, while it investigates the allegations.According to the complaint, the meat processing company employed at least eight children ranging from 14 to 17 at its plant in Madelia. Investigators also have identified other employees who were hired before they were 18 years old, the department said.The young employees, one of whom was 13 years old when hired, operated meat grinders, ovens and forklifts on overnight shifts and also worked in areas where meat products are flash frozen with carbon monoxide and ammonia, according to the complaint. They also allegedly worked longer hours than perm...

N. Carolina justices could revive voter ID previously tossed

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:21:47 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A photo voter identification mandate first sought over a decade ago by North Carolina Republicans could be revived after the state Supreme Court reheard on Wednesday a case that led a different combination of justices a few months ago to strike down a voter ID law. The justices agreed last month to take a second look at the court’s December ruling that upheld a trial court ruling that declared a 2018 voter ID law was unconstitutional, tainted by racial bias and designed to help Republicans retain their grip on power at the General Assembly. That ruling was penned by the 4-3 Democratic majority on the court. But Republicans have held a 5-2 seat advantage since January, the result of two associate justice election victories in November by GOP candidates. This latest edition of the court soon granted requests by Republican legislative leaders to rehear separate voter ID litigation and redistricting litigation decisions. Rehearing a case is an option for the c...

Review: New ‘Shazam!’ has more everything, but less charm

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:21:47 GMT

Sequels, by nature, are more. Whatever the original had, just add more, the rule seems to be. Even more words in the title — how often is a sequel’s title shorter than the original?And so, exactly four years after the original DC superhero pic “Shazam!” surprised with its clever blend of innocence and silliness, and enough wit to blunt the inevitable ridiculousness of plot, we have “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” It brings five times the title wordage, more action, more villains, more monsters and more star wattage — Oscar winner Helen Mirren, for example.But not more charm. The sequel, again directed by David F. Sandberg, feels less breezily funny, less fresh, less fleet of foot. (At two hours and 10 minutes, it’s actually two minutes shorter than the original, but doesn’t feel shorter).In its favor, though, are some elements that lent the original its pleasures, especially Zachary Levi and his goofy efforts (if perhaps more frenetic) to play a youngster in an adult superhero body, and...

Chicago's top cop checks out early

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:21:47 GMT

It was an unceremonious end for police superintendent David Brown.  WGN Investigates has learned Chicago’s top cop checked-out earlier than his announced exit, originally scheduled for Thursday. Sources say Brown cleaned-out his corner office and is leaving town without the usual pomp and circumstance usually afforded a police leader.  He declined all interview requests.  The early departure comes after Brown also missed the final police graduation and promotion ceremony of his tenure on March 7.Mayor Lori Lightfoot brought Brown to Chicago in 2020 from Dallas where he had previously served as police chief.  He began in the early weeks of the pandemic which proved to be a defining fixture of his time here.“When I’m talking to you in a couple of years for your exit interview, what does success look like?” WGN Investigates’ Ben Bradley asked Brown in May of 2020.  “Historical lows in violent crime and trust in the community not seen in Chicago,” Brown answered...

Elmwood Park school district expects 100+ at school board meeting after boy brought loaded gun to school

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:21:47 GMT

ELMWOOD PARK, Ill. — Elmwood Park High School is expecting more than one hundred parents, students, staff and teachers to be in attendance of a school board meeting tonight after the school faced backlash from the community on how they handled a crisis situation last week.The school district (CUSD #401), sent a letter to families Wednesday ahead of the meeting, saying in part:"We want to assure you that it is everyone’s top priority to provide a safe school environment that protects our students and staff. Our goal in such situations is to de-escalate any threat, protect the well-being of all students and staff, and prevent panic.”The full letter can be read below.On Friday, students at the school held a walkout where they demanded changes to the school's safety policy, citing they no longer felt safe after, according to police, a 17-year-old boy was arrested last Monday following reports he left the school's property with a loaded gun in his backpack. The boy was arrested and no on...

Nike announces it'll stop using kangaroo leather for its soccer cleats

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:21:47 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After Oregon lawmakers introduced a bill banning the sale of kangaroo parts, Nike has announced that it will no longer be using kangaroo leather for any of its products by the end of 2023.According to ESPN, Nike confirmed its move away from kangaroo products in a statement on Monday.ESPN reported that Nike’s Tiempo soccer cleats, which are typically made with kangaroo leather, will “debut with a new Nike-only, proprietary synthetic upper, [with] a new material that is a better performance solution.” Shop at IKEA? You may be entitled to part of a $24M class action settlement Prior to this announcement, the athletic apparel company had been criticized for its use of kangaroo products by animal activists across the world.In March 2022, organizers joined the Global Day of Action to protest the brand’s soccer cleats outside of a Nike store in downtown Portland, Oregon. Groups in New York and Australian cities led their own protests as well.More recently, Oregon ...

Kennedy Expressway construction project to begin Monday

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:21:47 GMT

CHICAGO — Starting Monday, a three-year construction project will start on the Kennedy Expressway and is expected to cause major delays for drivers.During the first phase of the $150 million project, the Illinois Department of Transportation will be doing deck overlay repairs on every bridge structure between the Edens and Ohio Street. FULL DETAILS: Kennedy Expressway construction project to last 3 years, cost $150M Overnight Monday into Tuesday morning, IDOT will close the two left-hand inbound lanes of the Kennedy. It will take about a week for the full configuration to get in place.The express lanes will stay open to inbound traffic around the clock until this year's repairs are done."If they want to get on and off the Kennedy, it's best that they stay to the right-hand side and use the local lanes," Jon Schumacher, the bureau chief of construction for IDOT District 1, said. "If they're going all the way downtown or going through, it'll be best for them to use the reversible." ...

Sox fan facing 3rd cancer battle has support system of major league proportions

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:21:47 GMT

CHICAGO — They may look like just ordinary MLB cleats but by the time Bianca Frustaci gets done with them, they will be All-Star material just like the feet they belong to — White Sox closer Liam Hendricks. Describing her not-so-accidental encounter with Hendricks, his wife Kristi and representatives from the Andrew Weishar Foundation, Frustaci told WGN News that the meeting, while nerve-wracking, was fulfilling."I was at a loss for words that I was able to meet him and talk to him about his journey and things like that," she said. "It’s a different type of connection to where it’s good to know there are other people who are struggling but also fighting." ‘Incredibly genuine’: How Liam Hendriks & family have helped the Lymphoma Research Foundation Liam Hendricks (Photo: Provided)Frustaci is fighting Hodgkin's lymphoma for a third time. Her original diagnosis was in 2017. Always on the move, either working or volunteering at Valentine Boy's and Girl's Club, she wrote it of...