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An Oklahoma judge could be removed from office for sending more than 500 texts during a murder trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:52 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A new Oklahoma judge could lose her job for sending more than 500 texts to her bailiff during a murder trial, including messages mocking the prosecutor, praising the defense attorney and calling a key witness a liar.The chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court recommended the removal of Lincoln County District Judge Traci Soderstrom in a court filing Tuesday following an investigation by the state’s Council on Judicial Complaints. Soderstrom has been under scrutiny since July after she was caught on camera scrolling through social media and texting during the trial of a man accused in the fatal beating of a 2-year-old. Soderstrom, who was sworn in on Jan. 9 after being elected in November, was suspended with pay pending the outcome of a hearing by the Court on the Judiciary, which will determine whether to remove her from the bench.“The pattern of conduct demonstrates Respondent’s (Soderstrom’s) gross neglect of duty, gross partiality and oppression,” C...

Kansas escapes postseason ban, major penalties as panel downgrades basketball violations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:52 GMT

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas men’s basketball program was put on probation and ordered to take down its 2018 Final Four banner but escaped a postseason ban Wednesday, when an independent panel created by the NCAA to handle complex cases downgraded five Level I violations lodged against the Jayhawks.The violations stem from a 2017 federal investigation into college basketball corruption, and hinged on whether representatives of the apparel company Adidas were considered boosters when two of them arranged payments to prospective recruits.Kansas officials never disputed that payments were made, only that they had any knowledge of them, and they appealed the violations through the Independent Accountability Resolution Process. Their hearing took place in April and the ruling was announced less than a month before the start of the season, in which the powerhouse Jayhawks will be a national championship contender.“Today’s decision by the Independent Resolution Panel confirms wha...

Train derailment in India leaves at least 4 dead and 50 injured

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:52 GMT

PATNA, India (AP) — A train derailed in eastern India Wednesday night, killing at least four people and injuring 50 other passengers, a government official and news reports said.Six of the 23 coaches of the North-East Express train, on its way to Assam state from New Delhi, derailed near Raghunathpur railroad station in Buxar district of Bihar state.The Press Trust of India news agency cited police officer Manish Kumar as saying that four people died in the accident.The injured were rushed to hospital and rescue work was in progress though hampered by darkness, Kumar told reporters. Medical teams with ambulances rushed to the scene and hospitals were alerted to receive injured passengers, another police officer, Deepak Kumar, said.D.K. Pathak, a railroad official who was on the train at the time of the accident, said most injuries were reported from one of the derailed coaches.Other details were not immediately available.In June, India had one of the country’s deadliest rail crashes...

Appeals court says California’s higher-capacity magazine ban can remain in effect amid legal fight

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:52 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California’s ban on higher-capacity magazines can remain in effect while the state fights a lower court’s ruling last month that the law is unconstitutional.The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday granted state Attorney General Rob Bonta’s request that the law banning detachable magazines that hold more than 10 rounds remain in effect as the state appeals last month’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez.The appeals court also wrote that the state’s case is likely to succeed against the challenge by the federal judge in San Diego. The September ruling marked the second time Benitez struck down the law and was in response to legal action filed by five individuals and the California Rifle & Pistol Association challenging the law’s constitutionality under the Second Amendment. Benitez also struck down the law in 2017, but an appeals court ended up reversing that decision.The Supreme Court ordered the case to be heard agai...

Transgender North Carolinians file federal lawsuit challenging gender-affirming care ban for minors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:52 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The family of a transgender boy in North Carolina is suing state health officials to block implementation of gender-affirming care restrictions that they say will force their son to undergo a traumatic wrong-gender puberty.A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court alleges the new state law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment by denying treatment access to transgender youths and undercuts parents’ rights to make medical decisions for their children. The North Carolina lawsuit closely follows the playbook of other successful court challenges to gender-affirming care bans that have swept Republican-controlled states this year. At least 22 states have enacted laws restricting or banning common treatments for transgender minors, and legal challenges have delivered mixed results. But court victories in states like Arkansas, where a federal judge struck down a state ban as unconstitutional, mapped out what Lambda Legal attorn...

Alberta MP accuses premier of ‘baseless,’ ‘ludicrous’ statements on electricity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:52 GMT

CALGARY — The fuse is lit for fireworks in Ottawa after a Liberal member of Parliament accused Alberta Premier Danielle Smith of making false claims days before Smith is slated to appear before a federal environmental committee.Calgary MP George Chahal said Wednesday that Smith is spreading misinformation about the federal Liberal government’s plans to bring Canada’s electricity grid to net-zero. “Over the past several months, the premier has actively worked to undermine and misinform Albertans,” Chahal said in a press conference.He pointed to Smith’s claim that her decision to suspend new approvals for renewable power in the province was done at the request of rural counties, but Rural Municipalities Alberta has said it made no such request.Chahal added that Smith’s United Conservative Party government is keeping secret its own report on the costs of decarbonizing the electrical grid.He called an $8-million ad campaign to sway Ontario voters agai...

Spin Master bets on nostalgic wooden toys in US$950M deal for Melissa & Doug

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:52 GMT

TORONTO — The company best known for the kids’ cartoon “Paw Patrol” is betting its acquisition of a U.S. toymaker specializing in wooden games and toys will broaden its appeal with parents limiting their children’s screen time. Toronto-based Spin Master Corp. announced on Wednesday it has signed a US$950 million deal to buy Wilton, Conn.-based Melissa & Doug, which is known for its nostalgic, pretend-play toys for preschoolers.“The acquisition of Melissa & Doug represents a significant step forward in our growth strategy and will help support our vision to reimagine everyday play,” Spin Master chief executive Max Rangel said during a news conference. He said the acquisition will be an important new brand within Spin Master’s infant and preschool toddler group.Doug Stephens, the founder of Retail Prophet, said Spin Master may be sensing resistance from parents toward digital toys and games, and felt the need to diversify.“There&...

Judge gives $725M Facebook settlement final approval

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:52 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – A judge in San Francisco gave final approval to the massive Facebook privacy settlement on Tuesday. The social media company has agreed to pay $725 million to settle claims it violated users’ privacy by sharing their data with third parties. While Meta agreed to the payout, it denies wrongdoing. After months of court proceedings, Judge Vince Chhabria overruled several objections to the settlement Tuesday and granted the settlement his final approval. There's one more key step before payments can go out: a window for appeals to be filed. How big will Facebook settlement checks be? Lawyers reveal estimated payment per person A representative for Angeion, the settlement administrator tasked with processing and paying out claims in this case, told Nexstar it's still uncertain whether any appeals will be filed in the next 30 days. If there are no appeals filed, the company is prepared to send out payments "soon" after the window closes, the representative said. An exact da...

What you need to know about pneumonia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:52 GMT

Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton is in the intensive care unit battling what her daughter calls a rare form of pneumonia.How can someone so seemingly healthy as a 55-year-old world class gymnast spiral into intensive care from pneumonia? Related: Olympic legend Mary Lou Retton ‘fighting for her life’ in ICU: daughter Dr Catherine Myers is a pulmonologist at Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute.She joined the WGN Evening News to talk about the risk, when to seek medical attention and how to protect ourselves against pneumonia.Sign up for our Medical Watch newsletter. This daily update includes important information from WGN's Dina Bair and the Med Watch team including latest updates from health organizations, in-depth reporting on advancements in medical technology and treatments as well as personal features related to people in the medical field. Sign up here.

Olympic champion gymnast Mary Lou Retton remains in intensive care as donations pour in

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:52 GMT

Olympic gymnastics champion Mary Lou Retton remained in intensive care on Wednesday while dealing with a rare form of pneumonia.Retton's daughters posted a message on Instagram saying their mother “continues to fight” and thanked the thousands who have donated money to help take care of Retton's medical bills.Shayla Kelley Schrepfer, the oldest of Retton's four daughters, said in a video update on Instagram that the family was “overwhelmed” by the outpouring of support for Retton, 55.“We didn’t even realize that there are so many people out there that love her just as much as we do,” Schrepfer said. "And it’s been a really hard time for our family. And so just seeing that people love her like that and showing her that support has just meant the world to us and to her, so thank you.” D.J. Moore gets an NFL award after a unique performance Nearly 5,000 people had donated over $275,000 in the 24 hours since her family launched an online fundraiser on Tuesday. The family said Retton d...