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Nicholas Goldberg: Blasphemy laws are blasphemy to principles of freedom

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:53 GMT

It’s not nice to insult someone’s religion. It’s offensive to deny, denigrate or mock people’s gods or prophets, beliefs or rituals. I shouldn’t do it and neither should you.But let’s say we do. We should not be imprisoned, lashed or put to death for it.That seems like a pretty basic rule of thumb, built on established, widely accepted principles of human rights and freedom of expression.But try telling that to officials in Pakistan, who in mid-April arrested a Chinese man working on a dam project and imprisoned him on charges of “blasphemy” for insulting God and the prophet Muhammad. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death.That sounds utterly crazy to me. But in Pakistan, a Muslim country that has been growing more deeply conservative and religious in recent years, it has long been the law.Some reformers have sought to moderate that zeal. But instead, Pakistan recently toughened its rules.Under a new law passed in January by the ...

'It was huge': Capital Region cancer patient reacts to VT removing residency requirement for Medical Aid in Dying

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:53 GMT

CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Vermont has become the first state in the country to change its Medical Aid in Dying Law to allow terminally ill out-of-state residents to end their lives. Republican Governor Phil Scott signed the bill that removes the residency requirement on Tuesday. NEWS10’s Anya Tucker spoke with a Capital Region woman who says the option is giving her some peace of mind as she faces her own cancer diagnosis. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Cassandra Johnston says it was around the holidays when she got the news from her doctors. "So, the day after Thanksgiving last year, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. So, from there they came up with a very aggressive treatment plan.” She says that the plan includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. "The doctors are hopeful. They think that it’s being effective. But we don’t know for sure,” she said.Johnston, who lives in Rexford, New York says she fel...

Shooting in Central West End; victim dies at hospital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:53 GMT

ST. LOUIS – One man died at a local hospital after being shot Wednesday afternoon in the Central West End neighborhood. According to Sgt. Charles Wall, a spokesman for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting happened around 3:40 p.m. near the intersection of Laclede and North Taylor avenues.Officers found the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his chest. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.This is a developing news story. FOX 2 will have more information as it becomes available.

Colleagues mourn loss of St. Louis physician who drowned

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:53 GMT

ST. LOUIS – A local doctor who drowned in the Ozarks over the weekend is being remembered as a passionate doctor who cared about his patients, and loved fishing and music.Dr. Richard Brasington worked as a rheumatologist and professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He was a board member for the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis, and secretary for the Ozark Fly Fishers.An incident report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Brasington was wading in the North Fork River, upstream from the Sunburst landing, some time after 10 a.m. on Sunday when he drowned. He was pronounced dead at 2:15 p.m. by the Ozark County Coroner’s Office. Brasington was 71. As legal battles mount, Kim Gardner takes nursing classes Mark Gordon, executive and artistic director for the Chamber Music Society’s, said Brasington had been on the board for about five years. At one point, Gordon became his patient.“He actually treated me as a patient. I had some back surgeries. And so I go...

Illinois bill preventing library book bans passes Senate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:53 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) - Illinois is one step closer to ensuring none of the libraries in the state ban any books. The bill would make any municipal library who bans material based on partisan or doctrinal disproval ineligible to receiving any state-funded grants. Libraries have to show they follow the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights or issue a statement they will prohibit banning controversial library materials. Secretary of State files legislation to prevent book banning in Illinois libraries The bill is in contrast to states like Florida, Texas, Indiana and Missouri who have passed laws that restricted books based on discussion of race and LGBTQ identities. The ALA found in 2022 more than 1,200 public libraries and schools across the U.S. faced banned book challenges, with objections to more than 2,500 books. Book ban attempts hit record high in 2022, library org says "We feel we have to protect their bill of rights at this particular point in time...

15-year-old Alton boy gunned down; suspect in custody

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:53 GMT

ALTON, Ill. - Investigators with the Alton Police Department say the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy was "not a random act of violence," and that the victim and suspect knew one another.The shooting happened around 12:50 p.m. in the 2600 block of Maxey Street. The victim was shot in the chest and later died from his injuries.Police have not yet disclosed the identities of the victim or suspect.The victim's neighbors and friends were too distraught to go on camera, but they are devastated that this young life was taken.“I heard later it was a 15-year-old young man had been shot, and the police were talking to the other boy that was there and was saying, ‘Where is the shooter?’” a neighbor said. “Anyone that go through that type of tragedy, my heart goes out to them.” As legal battles mount, Kim Gardner takes nursing classes The victim's family said he enjoyed playing sports and was a caring young man as they try and deal with this tragic loss.“On and off the...

Second teen charged in deadly Collinsville shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:53 GMT

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. - Two teenagers face felony charges in connection with a deadly shooting last week in Collinsville, the latest charged Tuesday. Prosecutors have charged Jason Jerez-Hooker, 18, with two counts of first-degree murder and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in the investigation. His bond is set at $5 million in the case, per Illinois court records.Last week, prosecutors also charged Isaiah Jenkins, 16, with two counts of first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a stolen firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. He is jailed on a similar bond. As legal battles mount, Kim Gardner takes nursing classes The shooting happened around April 24 in a neighborhood on North Seminary Street, near the Collinsville Police Department. Police say Vaeden Hawkes, 19, died from his injuries.Following the gunfire, witnesses reported seeing four people running from the scene and were able to provide officers with descriptions. Police searched the area and quickly found thre...

Meet the team behind this 135-year-old local non-profit 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:53 GMT

Annie Malone Children and Family Services is known as a great refuge for many St. Louis children and families in need. Meet the team behind the scenes and what they do day in and out for the community. Known for their May Day Parade coming up on Sunday, May 21st join in and help raise funds for their many services by registering today at anniemalone.com

St. Louis police make notable change to non-emergency phone line

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:53 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department will soon make a notable change to its non-emergency phone line, one which police say will better serve the city. SLMPD will switch to a fully-automated non-emergency phone line Thursday. Police say the hotline number (314-231-1212) will serve as a routing system to forward callers to specific agencies within the city or police units. As legal battles mount, Kim Gardner takes nursing classes According to SLMPD, the change happens to alleviate the city's 911 communications center from non-urgent calls that could interfere with calls for emergencies, like shootings, robberies and other critical situations. “Our dispatchers work hard every day handling a high volume of 911 calls to our Communications Center,” said Lt. Adam Koeln, Commander of the Communications Division. “With the new automated non-emergency hotline, our goal is to provide better, more efficient services and response times to both emergency and non-emergency m...

Educators ‘outraged’ after attorneys argue 1st-grade teacher shot in school is ‘workplace injury’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:53 GMT

NEWPORT NEWS — The Newport News Education Association President condemned the premise of the school division’s motion to dismiss Abigail Zwerner’s pending $40 million lawsuit.The motion was filed last week by attorneys representing the School Board and argues that Zwerner, who was shot in her classroom at Richneck Elementary in January by a 6-year-old student, is only entitled to file a worker’s compensation claim because the injury she sustained from the shooting is a “workplace injury,” and that the shooting was a hazard of the job.James Graves, the president of the Newport News teachers union, says that argument is “ridiculous.”“This is not military, this is not the police department. This is an education system,” Graves said in an interview Wednesday.In a Facebook statement posted Tuesday, Graves said, “These lawyers have started a significant hurricane in our district by saying that being shot is part of what teachers signed up for.”Such statements, he said, are “a slap i...