Medina

Lawyer: Philly female officers who sued will be protected

Two female police officers whose sexual harassment lawsuit led Philadelphia's police commissioner to resign have received promises from the city they won't be retaliated against or endure more transfers while the case plays out. Audra McCowan and Patrol Officer Jennifer Allen say their complaints of being physically and verbally harassed by supervisors and colleagues were ignored for years by department brass. McCowan accuses outgoing Commissioner Richard Ross of failing to help because she had broken off a romantic relationship with him in 2011.

Atlanta college students fear for safety day after 4 shot

The first day of fall semester brought fear to Clark Atlanta University, where students worried about their safety the day after gunshots were fired into a crowd of 200 people outside the school's library. Four students were wounded by gunfire after an argument broke out between two groups at a block party shortly after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Atlanta police said. The shooter escaped in the chaos outside the library that serves students from Clark Atlanta and other nearby historically black colleges, and no arrests had been made by late Wednesday, Atlanta police said.

Video of fatal shooting in dispute over parking space takes center stage at trial

A Florida jury heard two vastly different interpretations of a security video at the start of the trial of a man who fatally shot an unarmed father in front of his family during a confrontation over a handicapped parking space. Drejka, 47, is charged with manslaughter in the July 19, 2018 killing of McGlockton, 28, in front of McGlockton's then-pregnant girlfriend and their three young children. Among the first witnesses prosecutors called on Wednesday was McGlockton's girlfriend, Britany Jacobs, who testified about seeing McGlockton getting shot by Drejka and then watching the man she called her "soulmate" fighting for his life.

Jet catches fire in Northern California; 10 aboard unhurt

All 10 people aboard a small jet escaped injury Wednesday after the aircraft aborted its takeoff at a small Northern California airport, went off the runway and burst into flames, officials said. The pilot of the twin-engine Cessna Citation jet aborted its takeoff at Oroville Municipal Airport for unknown reasons shortly before noon, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said. The plane was carrying two pilots and eight passengers, and "all were accounted for, no injuries," said Joe Deal, Oroville's fire and police chief.

Trial begins for man accused of killing, eating parts of ex

A prosecutor has told jurors that a southern Indiana man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and eating parts of her body told police he had gone to her home "to talk some sense into her" after a breakup days earlier. Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull said in his opening statement Wednesday that the evidence will show 38-year-old Joseph Oberhansley kicked in the door of 46-year-old Tammy Jo Blanton's Jeffersonville home in September 2014 and stabbed her to death before removing and consuming parts of several of her organs.

Where Garner died, changes in policing win little applause

A police cruiser constantly sits a few feet from a small floral memorial to Eric Garner on the Staten Island sidewalk where he spent his dying moments five years ago. Tompkinsville Park, which police were targeting for patrols when they encountered Garner selling loose, untaxed cigarettes, remains a gathering place for desperate people. It was the day after Police Commissioner James O'Neill announced his decision to fire the white officer who put Garner in a chokehold, hastening his death and making the man's dying words, "I can't breathe," a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Louisiana university urges vigilance after false gun alarm

Louisiana State University President F. King Alexander is encouraging the college community to continue reporting anything suspicious even though a previous report of a man with a gun turned out to be a false alarm. On Tuesday, someone in Coates Hall saw a man with a gun and reported it. LSU police locked down the campus and conducted a room-by-room search of the building before declaring an all-clear.

U.S. lawmakers say tariffs on EU olive oil pit Trump trade policy against demand

U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday urged the U.S. Trade Representative's Office not to impose new import tariffs on European olive oil, warning they could lead to an olive oil shortage and higher prices in the United States. European olive oil could face 100% tariffs as Washington prepares retaliatory tariffs against the European Union, part of the 15-year-long dispute over subsidies to planemakers Boeing and Airbus that has pitted the United States and EU against each other in a case in arbitration with the World Trade Organization. "Without European imports of olive oil, the United States cannot meet current consumer demand," said the group of 14 Democratic and five Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives led by Democrat Bill Pascrell and Republican Jodey Arrington.

Judge tells jail to improve conditions for Epstein cellmate

A judge ordered a federal jail on Wednesday to improve housing conditions for one of Jeffrey Epstein's former cellmates. Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer awaiting trial in a quadruple murder case, was sharing a cell with Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan in July when the financier was placed on a suicide watch after being discovered with bruises on his neck. Several weeks later, Epstein hanged himself in his cell.

Newark man faces child sex charges; mummified remains found

Police responding to a call about child sexual abuse said they found mummified remains and an altar to an unknown deity in the home of a man who is now facing multiple charges. Robert Williams is scheduled for an initial court appearance Friday. According to the Essex County prosecutor's office, Newark police investigated after receiving reports that the 53-year-old Williams had been abusing a 13-year-old child for several months.

State officials sue EPA, seeking more Hudson River cleanup

New York officials who are pushing for additional cleanup of the Hudson River followed through Wednesday on their promise of a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The federal lawsuit seeks to vacate the EPA's decision in April not to compel General Electric Co. to restart dredging for polychlorinated biphenyls from the upper river. Agency officials had said more time and testing are needed to fully assess the $1.7 billion Superfund cleanup.

California mother suspected of killing 2 daughters

An infant and her teenage sister found dead at their California home are believed to have been killed by their mother, who left two suicide notes and was unresponsive in a hospital Wednesday, police said. Among the evidence is a "suicide note by the mother indicating that she intended to kill the children and to kill herself," police Sgt. Bill Russell told reporters.

U.S. judge allows Trump to appeal key 'emoluments' rulings

A federal judge on Wednesday allowed President Donald Trump to appeal key preliminary rulings in a lawsuit accusing him of violating anti-corruption provisions of the U.S. Constitution with his private business dealings, likely freezing the case for months. The written order by U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington was a setback for a group of about 200 Democratic lawmakers, led by Senator Richard Blumenthal and including members of the House of Representatives and Senate, who brought the case in 2017. Sullivan previously declined such an appeal, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit urged him last month to reconsider the president's request.

Watchdog warns of 'alarming' conditions in Nebraska prison

Nebraska's largest prison faces "alarming" conditions driven by staffing shortages, record overtime and inmates who are secretly using synthetic drugs and contraband cellphones, according to the state's watchdog for correctional services. The state's Inspector General of Corrections Doug Koebernick issued the warning in a memo to lawmakers this week. The eight-page report identified several ongoing problems within the state prison system but singled out the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln as the facility with the most serious issues.

The Latest: Lawyer: Officers who sued will be protected

A lawyer for two police officers whose sexual harassment lawsuit led Philadelphia's police commissioner to resign says the city has promised both women they won't be retaliated against or endure more transfers. Audra McCowan and Patrol Officer Jennifer Allen say they've been harassed throughout the year after filing internal complaints. Lawyer Ian Bryson says the women filed suit after years of inaction by the department.

Trial starts in case of fatal shooting over parking spot

A prosecutor told jurors Wednesday that a white Florida man who fatally shot an unarmed black man during a dispute over a parking space had initiated a similar confrontation just months before, while his defense attorney said the shooting was in self-defense. Prosecutor Fred Schaub said during opening statements of Michael Drejka's manslaughter trial in Clearwater that five months before he fatally shot Markeis McGlockton in July 2018, the defendant had threatened another driver about parking in a handicapped parking spot at the same convenience store. Five months later, Drejka confronted McGlockton's girlfriend for parking in a handicapped space.

Iceland's leader won't be around to welcome Pence

Iceland's leader has announced that she will skip U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's visit to her Nordic nation, opting instead to keep "prior commitments" by attending a trade union conference and meetings in Sweden. Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir said that she's planned for months to give the keynote speech for the Council of Nordic Trade Unions' annual meeting in Malmo, Sweden, on Sept. 3 — the day before Pence's arrival.

Massive juniper tree-cutting project aims to aid sage grouse

The largest-ever project in the U.S. to remove thousands of juniper trees to help imperiled sage grouse has started in Idaho. Junipers provide perches for raptors that attack and kill sage grouse. Junipers also force out sagebrush and other plants that produce bugs that sage grouse eat.