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Governor eases lockdowns at Wisconsin prisons amid lawsuit, seeks to improve safety

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:36:09 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Lockdowns at two of Wisconsin’s oldest and most understaffed prisons are being eased, the governor announced in a move that comes less than a month after inmates filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the conditions at one of the prisons amount to cruel and unusual punishment.Gov. Tony Evers’ announcement Tuesday about the eased lockdowns at the Waupun and Green Bay prisons, as well as a host of other efforts meant to increase safety at all Wisconsin prisons, comes amid calls from advocates and families of inmates who say the current conditions are inhumane.The Waupun, Green Bay and Stanley prisons have been under lockdown for months as the state grapples with deteriorating buildings and a worker shortage. Waupun’s lockdown began in March, Green Bay’s began in June, and Stanley’s lockdown, although less restrictive, began in early 2023.The Wisconsin Department of Corrections has said the prisons are in “a state of modified movement.” Evers announced t...

Hunter Biden calls for a Trump subpoena, saying political pressure was put on his criminal case

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:36:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden asked a judge on Wednesday to approve subpoenas for documents from Donald Trump and former Justice Department officials, claiming the former president applied political pressure to a criminal investigation of him.Biden’s attorneys allege there were “certain instances that appear to suggest incessant, improper, and partisan pressure applied” by Trump to his then-Attorney General William Barr and two top deputies, Jeffrey Rosen and Richard Donoghue. While charges against President Joe Biden’s son were not brought until this year, the investigation into into his taxes and a gun purchase began in 2018, while Trump, a Republican, was still president. The court filing cites public comments made by Trump, information from the House panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and details from Barr’s book in which he described bubbling tension after Trump tried to pressure him over the status of the Hunter Biden probe....

13-year-old Texas boy sentenced to prison for murder in fatal shooting at a Sonic Drive-In

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:36:09 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — A 13-year-old Texas boy convicted of murder in the fatal shooting of a Sonic Drive-In employee has been sentenced to 12 years incarceration, authorities said.A judge issued the sentence Tuesday following days of evidentiary hearings over what punishment the boy should face in the rare murder case against a child, according to Amy Pardo of the Johnson County Attorney’s office. He will start the sentence in the custody of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and he may later be transferred to the state’s adult prison system.The boy, whom authorities have not identified by name, faced sentences ranging from probation to 40 years behind bars. In October, a jury found him to have engaged in delinquent conduct, the juvenile equivalent of a guilty verdict, in the murder case over the May shooting of a Sonic employee who had a fight with his uncle.The child’s lawyer did not immediately respond to an email and phone message seeking comment.Police have said the boy, then 12, sh...

Murder trial in killing of rising pro cyclist Anna ‘Mo’ Wilson nears end. What has happened so far?

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:36:09 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The murder trial of a Texas woman charged in the May 2022 shooting death of rising professional cyclist Anna “Mo” Wilson is nearing an end after almost two weeks of testimony about a suspect who fled to Central America and underwent plastic surgery to try to change her appearance after the killing.Kaitlin Armstrong, 35, has pleaded not guilty. She faces up to life in prison if convicted. Wilson, a 25-year Vermont native, was an emerging star in gravel and mountain bike riding. She was killed in a friend’s apartment in Austin while visiting ahead of a Texas race that she was among the favorites to win. In the hours before she was killed, Wilson went swimming and had a meal with Armstrong’s boyfriend, former pro cyclist Colin Strickland, with whom Wilson had a brief romantic relationship months earlier.Investigators say Armstrong gunned down Wilson in a jealous rage then used her sister’s passport to escape the U.S. before she was tracked down and arre...

EU moves closer to imposing a new set of sanctions on Russia for its war on Ukraine

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:36:09 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s executive said Wednesday it proposed to the member states a new package of sanctions targeting the Kremlin and its associates, seeking to tighten previous measures approved since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine as well as adding dozens of economic operators. The proposal sets in motion final talks between the 27 member states to reach the necessary unanimity on the issue and officials have said they hope to have the 12th package operational by the end of the year. Even though Wednesday’s statement did not go into details, preparatory talks centered on imposing export restrictions on Russia’s lucrative diamond industry. “The proposals for listings include actors from the Russian military, defense and IT sectors, as well as other important economic operators,” the EU Commission statement said. It said that the latest package would target more than 120 individuals and entities. Because the EU needs to get everyone on board, t...

Father of accused Highland Park parade shooter to report to Lake County Jail

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:36:09 GMT

WAUKEGAN, Ill. — The father of the accused Highland Park parade shooter is set to report to the Lake County Jail Wednesday.Robert Crimo Jr. was given a two-month sentence for reckless conduct.Crimo Jr. signed the papers that allowed his son Robert Crimo III to obtain a FOID card. Some of the guns Crime III bought were allegedly used in the shooting rampage last year during a Fourth of July Parade in Highland Park.Seven people were killed in the attack. Father of Highland Park parade shooting suspect receives jail time, probation in guilty plea agreement Crimo III is due back in court on December 11.

Flight returns to JFK airport after horse gets loose in cargo hold

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:36:09 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) – A cargo plane bound for Belgium was forced to return to John F. Kennedy International Airport last week after a horse got loose, according to a call between pilots and air traffic control posted to YouTube.The Boeing 747-400, operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic, had taken off from JFK on the afternoon of Nov. 9. It was in the air for less than an hour before a pilot radioed air traffic controllers to report the issue, according to the audio."We have a live animal, horse onboard the plane, and the horse managed to escape the stall," the pilot can be heard telling an air traffic controller. "We don't have a problem as of flying-wise, but we need to return … back to New York. We cannot get the horse back secured." New math formula aims to prevent child tantrums on airplanes The pilot also requests a veterinarian to meet the aircraft at JFK upon return.Air traffic controllers later give the crew clearance to dump fuel before re-landing, according to the audio. The plan...

Frontier Airlines offers $499 'all-you-can-fly' annual pass

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:36:09 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The latest Frontier Airlines annual pass is taking flight — and at its lowest price ever, the airline announced Wednesday. The "GoWild! All-You-Can-Fly" pass allows travelers to take an unlimited number of flights from May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025, for $499. The offer includes access to any location Frontier flies, including international destinations.Passholders can book their flights the day before departure for domestic travel and 10 days before departure for international travel, according to the airline. Passholders, though, are not guaranteed seats on their preferred flights. "Seats available to pass holders are capacity controlled, limited in quantity and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last," the airline wrote in a news release. The best airlines for 2023 holiday travel on points Passholders can now plan ahead and book select flights early, but they may be charged an "early booking fee." The following blackout date...

Austin police officer's murder trial ends in hung jury, mistrial

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:36:09 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After a more than two-week trial, and four full days of deliberation, a Travis County jury could not unanimously decide whether or not Austin Police Officer Christopher Taylor is guilty of murder in the 2020 shooting death of Michael Ramos. It's the second time a mistrial has been declared in this case. Prosecutors will determine whether Taylor will be retried.The mistrial came after Judge Dayna Blazey issued what is referred to as an "Allen charge" earlier in the week, asking the jurors who were holding out to consider the majority's side. Blazey said jurors announced Monday they had not changed their minds over the weekend and could not come to a unanimous decision. Jury hears closing arguments Tuesday in APD officer’s murder trial During the trial, state prosecutors worked to show that Ramos was driving away from officers -- and that nobody was in danger of being hit by his vehicle -- when Taylor shot and killed him. Meanwhile, the overall message from Ta...

Craig Ross Jr. to be arraigned Friday

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:36:09 GMT

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The man accused of kidnapping a 9-year-old girl in Moreau Lake State Park will be arraigned in Saratoga County Court on Nov. 17 at 10:30 a.m., according to the Saratoga County Court Clerk's office. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Craig Ross Jr. was initially charged with kidnapping in Milton Town Court after police located the 9-year-old girl alive in a trailer. A sprawling search, that included an Amber Alert, took place for nearly two days as multiple law enforcement agencies searched the surrounding area. Ross Jr. was identified by police after they analyzed a ransom note left in the mailbox of the girl's home, demanding money for her return. He is currently being held in Saratoga County Jail.