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Judge tosses 40th conviction tied to disgraced ex-CPD detective

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:32 GMT

CHICAGO – After 24 years, a man who has spent nearly a quarter of a century in prison for a murder he insisted he did not commit will soon be freed.Richard Kwil saw a Cook County judge overturn his conviction in court on Thursday, the latest in a series of reversed judgments linked to disgraced former Chicago police detective Reynaldo Guevara.Kwil's daughter, 25-year-old Aixa Hernandez, applauded her father's impending release from prison. New lawsuits filed against former Chicago cop bring old allegations to light "Really happy," she said. "He was away a really long time. I’m just glad we get to build a relationship finally."Hernandez said she has only known her father through short visits, letters and phone calls. It made the moment a judge tossed out her father's murder conviction more profound."It didn’t feel real but it’s really exciting," she said. "Just glad it’s all over."Undated booking photo of Richard Kwil. (Photo: Pontiac Correctional Center)Kwil says not only was he ...

Former CEO of ComEd takes stand in bribery trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:32 GMT

CHICAGO -- The ongoing ComEd bribery trial continued Thursday as jurors heard witness testimony from the former CEO.The four defendants, charged in November 2020, are former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore; former ComEd Vice President and lobbyist John Hooker; Jay Doherty, a former ComEd lobbying contractor and President of the City Club of Chicago; and Michael McClain, another former ComEd lobbying contractor and consultant who, for decades, has been a close confidant of Madigan. All have pleaded not guilty.Madigan was charged in 2022 with racketeering, bribery and other crimes. He’s denied wrongdoing. A year earlier, he resigned from the Legislature as the longest-serving House speaker in modern U.S. history amid speculation that he was a federal target.The indictment accused Madigan, among other things, of reaping the benefits of private legal work illegally steered to his law firm.In 2020, ComEd admitted to the bribery scheme and paid $200 million fine. The defendants' lawy...

RECALL: A/V carts sold since 1980s have killed 3 kids

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:32 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — About 84,700 audiovisual carts that have been sold at various retailers since at least the 1980s are being recalled by their maker, Luxor Workspaces. Three children died between 2006 and 2016 after the A/V carts carrying TVs tipped over and fell on them, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports. Luxor Workspaces, based in Waukegan, Illinois, says the carts being recalled are three base models: WT42 "Tuffy" plastic carts; W42/AVJ42/SS-AVJ42 metal carts; and LP-DUO/TPDUOEQ plastic carts. Taco Bell to resurrect discontinued item after fans vote to bring it back Since these base models have many variations, there are at least 325 cart model numbers affected. For a complete list of all affected models and ways to identify them, visit USCPSC.All facilities that may be using these carts are advised to stop using them immediately. In addition to the three child deaths, the cart is also known to have injured another child, according to the recall announcement.Recall...

Biden admin. vows to continue to fight for use of abortion drug

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- The legal battle over whether an abortion pill should be banned in the U.S. continues."We believe that the law is on our side and that we will prevail," said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.The Biden administration says it will ask the Supreme Court for emergency relief after a federal appeals court upheld several restrictions on the use of the abortion drug mifepristone around the country."We are going to continue to fight in the courts," Jean-Pierre said.While allowing doctors to keep prescribing the medication, the appeals court said the drug can not be delivered by mail. It also shortened when mifepristone can be used, cutting it down to seven from the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.The ruling also denied the Justice Department's request for the new restrictions not to take effect unit the appeals process is completed."The court system is going to play out. We're going to let that evolve. I think this will likely go to the Supreme Court," said...

Supreme Court won't block $6B student debt relief settlement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed a roughly $6 billion legal settlement to go forward that will cancel student loans for hundreds of thousands of borrowers who say they were misled by their schools.The justices did not comment in rejecting an emergency plea from Everglades College, Lincoln Educational Services Corp. and American National University. The schools had argued that they were unfairly included on a list of more than 150 institutions, most of them for-profit, linked with alleged misconduct. Lincoln and American are for-profit institutions; Everglades is a not-for-profit.The justices' action comes as the high court is weighing what to do with the Biden administration's plan to wipe away $400 billion in student debt held by more than 40 million people. A decision on that plan is expected by late June.The legal challenges have some similarities but the administration is relying on different laws in the two programs.The class-action settlement was approve...

Llano County library will stay open, commissioners decide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:32 GMT

LLANO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Llano County will keep its library after a commissioner vote to remove an item about its future from their agenda.In a special meeting Thursday, the Llano County Commissioners Court planned to discuss whether to "continue or cease operations of the current physical Llano County Library System," according to the agenda. Llano County ordered to return removed books to its library system by federal court "The library will remain open. We will try this in the courts, not through social media or through news media," Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham said.The decision came after hearing more than half an hour of public comment, in which those who wanted to keep and close the facility testified.In a civil court case against Llano County, a federal court partially granted a preliminary injunction, ordering the return of books previously removed from the county’s library system in March.According to court documents, the county must also update the library sys...

After 10-year hiatus, art will start to appear along hike and bike trail, Council votes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:32 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – After nearly a decades-long moratorium on artwork along the 10-mile trail that goes through Austin's downtown, the Austin City Council approved Thursday a plan to integrate art and culture into the area again.In 2014, a controversial proposed public art installation prompted the City Council at the time to impose a temporary ban on commissioned and donated public art to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, according to the Trail Conservancy. The entity said the moratorium was lifted, but that it has been informally followed ever since.But not any longer. Austin City Council approved on consent Thursday an extensive arts and cultures plan authored by the Trail Conservancy so joggers and strollers will start to see art pop up along Austin’s iconic loop.The Trail Conservancy said arts and culture projects around the area will fall into six categories: Permanent Artworks, Temporary Artworks,  Performance Artworks, Artist Residences, Artists in Community Engagement...

MnDOT announces more than 200 construction projects for this year, including Highway 52

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:32 GMT

Dakota County’s U.S. Highway 52 between Rosemount and Hampton is one of the state’s construction projects slated for this year.More than 200 construction projects will be underway this season to maintain the state’s roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure, the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.“After a long winter with record-setting snowfalls, MnDOT joins many Minnesotans in welcoming the arrival of spring,” said Nancy Daubenberger, commissioner of transportation, in a news release. “Warmer weather also means drivers can expect to see more orange cones and work zones around the state, as well as more people working on and around highway projects.”The construction on Highway 52, which runs between Rosemount’s County Road 42 and Hampton’s County Road 86, is a multi-year project that hopes to improve the smoothness of the ride for motorists and restore the structure of the pavement, according to MnDOT.The project, which began last summer and plans to ...

Gophers gain commitment from Virginia prep safety Zahir Rainer — son of an NFL alum Wali Rainer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:32 GMT

The Gophers football program added Virginia prep safety Zahir Rainer to its 2024 recruiting class on Thursday.Rainer, who plays at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, Va., has pedigree and received plenty of interest.Rainer had more than 30 scholarship offers and this week narrowed it down to a top seven schools, Minnesota and also Virginia, Stanford, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Duke. Rainer, who has received a three-star rating, had his latest visit to the U two weeks ago, followed by UNC and Stanford.“Getting an opportunity to play with some of the best people in the world,” Rainer said of his commitment on the 247sports recruiting show. “Coach (P.J.) Fleck’s culture at Minnesota is amazing. Coach (Joe) Rossi and coach (Danny) Collins, I know under their tutelage I can be the best player I can be on and off the field.”Rainer’s father Wali played at Virginia in the 1990s and then in the NFL for seven seasons. He played three season...

Vikings leadership offers little on futures of Dalvin Cook, Za’Darius Smith

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:32 GMT

Vikings fans looking for clarity on whether Dalvin Cook and Za’Darius Smith might still find a fit on the 2023 roster didn’t get any from general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell on Thursday.No real surprise there. Minnesota started the offseason with salary cap issues and only five picks in the April 27-29 NFL Draft, which was still the case on Thursday when the top of the Vikings’ food chain addressed reporters for the team’s official pre-draft access.Both Cook (shoulder) and Smith (knee) played through injuries last season, both earned guaranteed roster bonuses last month, and both know the Vikings spent serious money this offseason on players to take their roles in 2023. And despite the fact both players are signed for next season and owed guaranteed money, the team appears to be in some sort of negotiation mode with each.“We’re in ongoing communication with him and his representatives,” Adofo-Mensah said of Smith, on the books next season for $9.45 million w...