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Oklahoma judge dismisses case of man who spent 30 years in prison for Ada rape

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:14:59 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma judge on Tuesday exonerated a man who spent 30 years in prison for a 1987 rape and burglary, after post-conviction DNA testing from a rape kit showed he did not commit the crime.Pontotoc County District Judge Steven Kessinger issued a final order that vacates Perry Lott’s conviction and permanently dismisses the case. “I have never lost hope that this day would come,” Lott, 61, said in a statement. “I had faith that the truth would prevail, even after 35 long years.“I can finally shut this door and move on with my life.”Lott was released from prison in 2018 after the DNA results first came to light, but only after agreeing to a deal with former District Attorney Paul Smith to modify his sentence. The agreement allowed Lott to leave prison and remain free while his motion to vacate was litigated. At the time, Smith said the DNA evidence did not exclude Lott as a suspect.But earlier this year, the Innocence Project, which helped to free Lot...

Utah sues TikTok, alleging it lures children into addictive, destructive social media habits

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:14:59 GMT

Utah became the latest state Tuesday to file a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging the company is “baiting” children into addictive and unhealthy social media habits.TikTok lures children into hours of social media use, misrepresents the app’s safety and deceptively portrays itself as independent of its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, Utah claims in the lawsuit.“We will not stand by while these companies fail to take adequate, meaningful action to protect our children. We will prevail in holding social media companies accountable by any means necessary,” Republican Gov. Spencer Cox said at a news conference announcing the lawsuit, which was filed in state court in Salt Lake City.Arkansas and Indiana have filed similar lawsuits while the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to decide whether state attempts to regulate social media platforms such as Facebook, X and TikTok violate the Constitution.Public health concerns are cited in the Utah lawsuit. Research has shown that children who spend m...

Mateo Askaripour’s ‘This Great Hemisphere’ is a novel about power set 500 years from now

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:14:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Mateo Askaripour’s follow-up to his acclaimed debut novel “Black Buck” is a look into the distant future. Dutton, a Penguin Random House imprint, announced Tuesday that Askaripour’s “This Great Hemisphere” is scheduled for release next summer. The novel is set 500 years from now and tells of a society in which some people are born invisible and consigned to second-class citizenship. One invisible person, Sweetmint, embarks on a quest to find her missing brother. ”’This Great Hemisphere’ is a novel about the nature of power, the lengths people will go to in order to gain and maintain it, as well as the almost biological compulsion we all possess to protect those we love,” Askaripour said in a statement. “It is a call to arms for the unseen, a rallying cry for those who are tired of being ignored and forgotten. And, of course, it’s a hell of an adventure.” Askaripour’s “Black Buck,” released in 2021, was a widely pr...

Chicago suburb ranked safest in US for trick-or-treating

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:14:59 GMT

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Naperville is the safest city in the nation for trick-or-treating, according to a new study. ChamberofCommerce.org analyzed key safety metrics across 300 cities, including pedestrian fatalities, violent crime, property crime, number of registered sex offenders, and number of law enforcement employees.SEE ALSO: Tunnel of Terror: Haunted car wash returning to IllinoisHighlights for Naperville include:Low number of registered sex offenders: 2.1 per 10,000Violent crime incidents: 3.6 per 10,000Property crime incidents: 47.4 per 10,000Average annual pedestrian fatalities: 1.67 (or 0.11 per 10,000)Law enforcement employees: 16.8 per 10,000Rounding out the top 5 are Gilbert, Arizona (No. 2); Frisco, Texas (No. 3); Sugar Land, Texas (No. 4) and Cary, North Carolina (No. 5).   SEE ALSO: See the Haunted Houses in the Chicago area in 2023Naperville is Illinois' third-largest city, with nearly 150,000 residents. The complete study can be accessed here.WGN’s Larry Hawley recen...

Hundreds gather to show support, solidarity in wake of Gaza attacks

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:14:59 GMT

GLENCOE, Ill. — As the war between Israel and Hamas continues community members in Chicagoland are coming together in a showing of solidarity.Several prayer vigils were held Monday night and another gathering was held Tuesday morning in Glencoe. Hundreds of people came together for the community-wide solidarity event hosted by the Jewish United Fund (JUF) of Chicago.Governor JB Pritzker addressed the crowd and condemned the actions against Israel, while calling for solidarity and prayer for impacted families and the men and women of the Israeli defense forces.“Today we come together in solidarity to mourn and grieve for the victims of the horrific violence against Israel,” Pritzker said. “Prayers are called for, but they are not enough, not nearly enough. Children, students, elderly, mothers and fathers, innocents are dead and injured at the hands of Hamas.” Biden condemns Hamas brutality in attack on Israel and calls out rape and torture by militants “We are here at a synagogue w...

Man arrested after climbing Chicago's Accenture Tower

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:14:59 GMT

CHICAGO (WGN) — A man was arrested Tuesday after scaling the Accenture Tower in Chicago's West Loop.The 42-story building, located at 500 West Madison Street, houses the Consul General of Israel, as well as other companies and various restaurants.Tenants on the south side of the building were told to stay away from windows as the man managed to scale up the length of the high-rise.The man reached the rooftop and was immediately taken into police custody. Charges are pending. 104-year-old Chicago woman who became oldest person to tandem skydive dies Maison Des Champs has been identified as an alleged anti-abortion activist who goes by the name "Pro-life Spider-Man" on social media. A video of him climbing the Accenture Tower was livestreamed on his Instagram account.He was arrested in Oklahoma last year after climbing Oklahoma City's Devon Tower. He has also scaled the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco and the New York Times Building, as well as buildings in Detroit and Las Ve...

Illinois' first hospital-based donor care center to open in 2024

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:14:59 GMT

CHICAGO — A new way to handle organ donation is coming to RUSH University Medical Center. A first in Illinois, the hospital-based donor care center will see deceased donors be taken to RUSH to ensure organs remain viable and the donor's wishes are honored. Andrea Collins, the fiancée of donor Alphonso Parker, spoke about the importance of honoring the wishes of fallen loved ones. More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch "When it was determined that Alphonso would not make it, I was kind of comforted to know that his gifts went on to save so many lives. To date, it's been 114 lives that his gifts have touched."Scheduled to open in July 2024, the Gift of Hope Organ Donor Care Center at RUSH will have six ICUs, two dedicated operating rooms, a family lounge and specialized 24-hour staff. Sign up for our Medical Watch newsletter. This daily update includes important information from WGN's Dina Bair and the Med Watch team including latest updates from health organizations, in-depth reportin...

Eating your way to better health — and more

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:14:59 GMT

For Tuesday, Oct. 10, WGN’s Dina Bair has new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch Specialized diet to fight 'long Covid'Certain foods may be able to help patients suffering from long Covid. USC investigators are studying a low-carb diet that lowers blood sugar levels to relieve symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, headaches, chest pain and heart palpitations associated with a long-term reaction to a Covid infection. The symptoms are believed to be caused by inflammation and the nutritional intervention appears to aid patients. A large study is now planned which also includes a food to raise blood ketone levels. There is currently no medication or treatment to relieve symptoms in long covid sufferers.  Approximately 7% of Americans have ongoing post-pandemic health complications dubbed long Covid. Kids close to their parents tend to be more social Want your children to grow up to be kind, empathetic and generous? Develop a close, loving...

Man shot dead after he attacked another man, police say

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:14:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man killed in Austin's 51st homicide of the year was shot after he attacked another man, police said.Curtis Caldwell, 71, was shot in the 10100 block of Middle Fiskville Road on Friday, according to the Austin Police Department. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.Police initially responded to the call, near Interstate 35 and E. Rundberg Lane around 3:30 p.m. Friday. Officers found Caldwell suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, according to police. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2023? Detectives learned during their investigation that Caldwell allegedly attacked a man he knew, and that man shot him.No charges have been filed at this time, police added.

Texas Senate committee passes expanded ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:14:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A key Texas Senate committee approved legislation Tuesday afternoon that would expand the ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates to apply to all private employers and would not include an exemption for health care facilities. It now moves to the full chamber for consideration, advancing one of the governor's handpicked priorities. Members of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services are limited on what bills they can consider during the third special legislative session, which officially began Monday. Gov. Greg Abbott narrowed the scope of their work when he identified his four agenda items for this 30-day session. Those included banning private employers in Texas from requiring their workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Texas Senate unveils its priority school voucher-like legislation Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, introduced Senate Bill 7 during Tuesday's hearing and laid out what it would do. His legislation would bar employers from adopting or enforcin...