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Harvard body parts trafficking case: Scandal plaintiffs disappointed with report

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:50:02 GMT

Harvard’s commissioned report on how to improve its Anatomical Gifts Program that is at the heart of an alleged national human body parts trafficking ring has drawn more flack from plaintiffs in the lawsuit over the grisly ordeal.The university on Thursday released a summary report with 19 pages of substantive content in which a panel of three experts made a series of recommendations from operating procedure, enhanced bookkeeping and more robust security protocols. As the introduction to the report noted, they were working under directions not to look into the specifics of the alleged criminal matter but just how to fix the program itself.The lead attorney, Kathryn Barnett, in the class-action suit lodged against the university in Suffolk Superior Court expressed dissatisfaction when she spoke with the Herald Thursday, summarizing that “this entire situation is absolutely devastating for the families involved and they want some answers,” which she said the report didn’t include.On F...

Red Sox trading for two-time Gold Glove outfielder Tyler O’Neill

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:50:02 GMT

Two days after trading away an outfielder, the Red Sox are acquiring a new one.On Friday night, the club announced that they acquired outfielder Tyler O’Neill in exchange for right-hander Nick Robertson and minor league righty Victor Santos.O’Neill, 28, has spent his entire Major League career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s a career .248 average, .776 OPS hitter who walks at an above-average clip most seasons, but aside from his 34-homer performance in ’21, doesn’t hit for too much power. He has, however, homered on each of the last four Opening Days.Though not typically an everyday player – he’s played 72 games or less in four of his six big-league seasons – the addition of O’Neill improves Boston’s defense. He won back-to-back Gold Glove and Fielding Bible awards in the ’20 and ’21 seasons, and finished eighth in National League MVP voting in the latter. He’s a career plus-12 Outs Above Average defender with abo...

Arkansas man sentenced to 5 1/2 years for firebombing police cars during 2020 protests

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:50:02 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The ringleader of a group who admitted to firebombing several police cars in Arkansas during the 2020 protests over the killing of George Floyd has been sentenced to five and a half years in federal prison, while three of his co-defendants were sentenced to 18 months each.A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Mujera Benjamin Lung’aho, a North Little Rock community organizer and activist who pleaded guilty in August to one count of malicious destruction of a vehicle by means of fire, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported Friday. Emily Nowlin, Aline Espinosa-Villegas and Renea Goddard were also sentenced in the case on Thursday. A fourth defendant, Brittany Dawn Jeffrey, was sentenced last year to time served after 17 months in pre-trial detention for her involvement.The defendants were charged in the firebombing and attempted firebombing of police cars in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Shannon Hills and the Arkansas State Police headquarters, and with defac...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom advances water tunnel project amid opposition from environmental groups

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:50:02 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A long-sought and disputed project in drought-prone California aimed at capturing more water during heavy rain storms reached a key milestone on Friday when Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration finished an environmental review for an underground tunnel.The tunnel would be about 45 miles (72 kilometers) long and 36 feet (10.9 meters) wide, or large enough to carry more than 161 million gallons of water per hour. The tunnel would be another way to get water from Northern California, where most of the state’s water is, to Southern California, where most of the people live.The Newsom administration says the tunnel is a necessary upgrade of the state’s aging infrastructure because it will protect the water supply from earthquakes and capture more water from rainstorms known as atmospheric rivers that scientists say have been increasing because of climate change. But environmental groups, Native American tribes and other opponents say the project ...

Unifor ratifies agreement establishing pattern for energy workers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:50:02 GMT

CALGARY — Unifor says representatives from its energy locals have ratified a tentative agreement that sets a pattern for more than 7,500 workers.The workers are part of the union’s National Energy Program.In a press release Friday, Unifor says it reached the three-year agreement with Suncor.To complete the process, local unions will supplement the national pattern by negotiating over specific local issues. These locals include multiple terminals and refineries across the country. Unifor national president Lana Payne says it was a difficult round of bargaining. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:SU)The Canadian Press

New Mexico’s delegation outraged at removal of expand nuclear radiation compensation from proposal

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:50:02 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — All members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation expressed outrage with the U.S. House leadership’s move to block compensation for people sickened by exposure to radiation during nuclear weapons testing and the mining of uranium during the Cold War.Originally, the bill expanded eligibility for compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, offering up tens of thousands of dollars in compensation to residents of New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Guam and Missouri — as well as those in some parts of Arizona, Nevada and Utah — who suffered the effects of nuclear testing or uranium mines and who are not covered under the current program.The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that the compensation was included in a massive defense spending bill that won Senate approval in July. But the GOP-controlled House removed those provisions from the act Wednesday, rendering New Mexicans — including those stricken with ailments from the radioactive fallout of the firs...

Kevin McCarthy endorses Trump for president and would consider serving in his Cabinet

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:50:02 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Retiring Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the ousted former House speaker, said he is endorsing Donald Trump for president and would consider serving in his Cabinet if the GOP front-runner were to win back the White House.McCarthy had a rocky relationship with the former president, notably when he declined to publicly support Trump’s bid for a second term, despite being one of his earliest and most loyal allies. But they always seem to patch things up, and as McCarthy prepares to leave Congress he gave his nod.“I will support the president. I will support President Trump,” McCarthy said in excerpts of an interview to air this weekend on “CBS News Sunday Morning.”McCarthy has not disclosed his post-Congress plans, but asked if he would willing to serve in a Trump cabinet, he said, “In the right position, look, if, if I’m the best person for the job, yes.”“Look, I worked with President Trump on a lot of policies. I, we, worked together to win the majority,” he t...

Mexico raids and closes 31 pharmacies in Ensenada that were selling fentanyl-laced pills

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:50:02 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities said Friday they have raided and closed 31 pharmacies in Baja California’s coastal city of Ensenada, after they were detected selling fake or fentanyl-laced pills.Marines and health inspection authorities seized 4,681 boxes of medications that may have been offered for sale without proper safeguards, may have been faked and may contain fentanyl.“This measure was taken due to the irregular sales of medications contaminated with fentanyl, which represents a serious public health risk,” the Navy said in a press statement.Mexico’s health authorities are conducting tests on the seized merchandise. Ensenada is located about 60 miles (100 kms) south of the border city of Tijuana.The announcement represents one of the first times Mexican authorities have acknowledged what U.S. researchers pointed out almost a year ago: that Mexican pharmacies were offering controlled medications like Oxycodone, Xanax or Adderall, but the pills were often fentanyl...

Family, friends 'outraged' after mother shot dead during mental health call in Morris; body cam released

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:50:02 GMT

Editor's note: Viewer discretion advised above.MORRIS, Ill. — Family and friends are “outraged” after a mother of three was shot and killed by Morris police responding to a mental health call in late September. WGN News obtained the body cam footage of the incident.It had been nine days since Alivia Schwab, 40, transitioned out of Bourbonnais Terrace, a mental health facility on Sept. 29.The mother who "lived for her kids" had been battling schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder for several years, according to family and friends. That morning while at her new apartment, 911 was called after Schwab informed a case manager in a phone call that she had a knife and was going to hurt herself. That information was relayed to the 911 center, according to the state's attorney's office.The case manager stayed on the phone with Schwab as police were dispatched to the complex in the 1800 block of Anne Lane. Two officers arrived at the scene at around 10:53 a.m.The officer who ended up firing thei...

Logan Square resident faces eviction over display of Palestinian flag

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:50:02 GMT

CHICAGO — Controversy is brewing over a flag flying outside of a Northwest Side apartment that could lead to a woman's eviction if she doesn't remove the flag, or the property manager doesn't rescind their eviction notice.The flag in question has hung outside of Manal Farhan's Logan Square apartment since October, the Chicago resident told WGN News.It's a Palestinian flag, which Farhan said she has displayed in support of the people of Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas War.The building's property management company — M. Fishman and Co. — said the flag must go, and is in violation of their lease agreement, which states, "Lessee shall not place nor permit any article or antenna outside of the windows, or on the exterior walls, or on the roof of the building." More from Kelly: Court denies Jussie Smollett’s request to toss conviction According to a company spokesperson, the phrase "any article" is intended to include everything — from a Chicago Cubs flag to Halloween decorations. The s...