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In 370 days, Supreme Court conservatives dash decades of abortion and affirmative action precedents

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:18:20 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Overturning Roe v. Wade and eliminating affirmative action in higher education had been leading goals of the conservative legal movement for decades.In a span of 370 days, a Supreme Court reshaped by three justices nominated by President Donald Trump made both a reality.Last June, the court ended nationwide protections for abortion rights. This past week, the court’s conservative majority decided that race-conscious admissions programs at the oldest private and public colleges in the country, Harvard and the University of North Carolina, were unlawful.Precedents that had stood since the 1970s were overturned, explicitly in the case of abortion and effectively in the affirmative action context.“That is what is notable about this court. It’s making huge changes in highly salient areas in a very short period of time,” said Tara Leigh Grove, a law professor at the University of Texas.As ethical questions swirled around the court and public trust in the institution had ...

Satellite photos, reports suggest Belarus building army camp for Wagner fighters

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:18:20 GMT

Satellite images analyzed by the Associated Press on Saturday showed what appeared to be a newly built military-style camp in Belarus, with statements from a Belarusian guerrilla group and officials suggesting it may be used to house fighters from the Wagner mercenary group.The images provided by Planet Labs PLC suggest that dozens of tents have been erected within the past two weeks at a former military base outside Osipovichi, a town 230 kilometers (142 miles) north of the Ukrainian border. A satellite photo taken on Jun. 15 shows no sign of the rows of white and green structures that are clearly visible in a later image, dated Jun. 30.Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his fighters escaped prosecution and were offered refuge in Belarus last week after Minsk helped broker a deal to end what appeared to be an armed insurrection by the mercenary group. The abortive revolt saw Wagner troops capture a military headquarters in southern Russia and march hundreds of kilometers (miles) to...

1 woman dead in early morning house fire in Brampton

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:18:20 GMT

Police are investigating after one person was pronounced dead in an early morning house fire in Brampton. Fire crews were called to a home on Devonshire Drive in the area of Balmoral Drive and Bramalea Road just before 4 a.m. for a two-alarm blaze. Police say a woman was pronounced dead at the scene. A man was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police would not comment further on the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death. The Office of the Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate.

What is a salvage title? What buyers should know about flood-damaged cars

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:18:20 GMT

(iSeeCars) -- A car title is a legal document that proves you own a vehicle, much like a deed to a house.  Every vehicle sold in the United States comes with a title, and although the exact information on the document varies by state, car titles always include a vehicle’s VIN and year, make, and model of a vehicle as well as its odometer reading. Regardless of whether you buy a new or used car from a dealer or from a private seller, you’ll receive a car title.Along with showing proof of ownership, a car title also lets you know if a vehicle is damaged or defective. If you’re shopping for a used car, you may come across a vehicle with a salvage title that indicates water damage. And as we approach peak hurricane season, thousands of flood-damaged cars will likely enter the market in the coming months. What does that mean, and should you avoid salvage title and flood-damaged vehicles?  We have the answers.Salvage Title Vehicle: What it MeansThere are two categories of titles...

Weekend Break: Edgebrook Farmers Market

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:18:20 GMT

Tis' the season. Join WGN's Weekend Break where we visit the Edgebrook Farmer's Market to kick off the summer season. Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Indiana woman, 61, found dead in a Utah national park

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:18:20 GMT

MOAB, Utah (WXIN) – A 61-year-old Indiana woman was found dead this week at a campground inside a national park in Utah, officials said.The U.S. National Park Service said communication operators at Utah's Grand County Dispatch got a report Wednesday of an unresponsive woman at the Willow Flat Campground in Canyonlands National Park.No official cause of death was provided by NPS officials after a 61-year-old woman was found unresponsive at Canyonlands National Park in Utah on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mickey Krakowski, File)National Park Service rangers, Grand County EMS and San Juan County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to find the unresponsive woman. She was pronounced dead at the scene. These are America’s deadliest national parks: data The National Park Service did not share the woman's identity, but have notified next-of-kin."San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and the National Park Service are conducting a cooperative investigation into the manner and cause of death," NPS said ...

Indiana road rage shooter sentenced to 80 years after trying to hire hitman to kill witnesses

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:18:20 GMT

FISHERS, Ind. (WXIN) — An Indiana man who was triggered into a fit of violence over a honk was sentenced to 80 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder during a road rage shooting in the city of Fishers. Trevor Dahl, 25, has a history of rage behind the wheel, one that reportedly spiked into violence at the mildest of occurrences. Dahl's attempted murder charges stem from a Nov. 2022 incident during which Dahl fired a gun at least three times at a driver who honked at him for idling in a parking lot lane. One of the bullets struck the driver near the right knee, causing the victim to crash his car. Trevor Dahl, 25, was sentenced to two consecutive 40-year terms after pleading guilty to attempted murder. (Fishers Police Department)A previous incident, only days before the attempted murder, occurred in Noblesville, Indiana, where Dahl reportedly fired his gun and shouted "I'll f---ing kill you!" at a salt truck driver who was turning into a parking lot. The salt truck...

APD investigating homicide in north Austin

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:18:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating a homicide that happened overnight in a north Austin apartment complex. APD responded to a call at 11:18 p.m. Friday at 8807 Redfield Lane in north Austin. When officers arrived, APD said they found a person with trauma to the body. Life-saving measures were attempted, but the person died at the scene. A homicide investigation is underway, APD said. APD said there was no suspect in custody at the time of the briefing. There was also no victim information available.

Texas French Bread: Plans underway to reopen after 2022 fire

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:18:20 GMT

Editor’s Note: The above video shows previous coverage from the day of the fire at Texas French Bread Bakery.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas French Bread Bakery and Bistro said it was securing a building permit and expected to break ground for "(re)construction" later in 2023.In January 2022, a fire broke out at the original bakery location, which was established in 1981 off Rio Grande Street in central Austin. The Austin Fire Department said the fire was accidental and caused by a “mechanical failure.”The fire caused an estimated $1.1 million in damage to the building and $500,000 to what was inside.  PAST COVERAGE: Fire causes more than $1M in damage to central Austin bakery Texas French Bread said all indications pointed toward the city treating its situation as a type of remodel rather than as new construction, which would allow the bakery to put back roughly the same amount of square feet on the same footprint.“Our plan calls for keeping the south and west brick walls, which ...

Austin kids learn chess with free lessons

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:18:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Young Austinites are getting a chance to learn the classic game of chess at the George Washington Carver Museum.The chess program is part of an Austin Parks and Recreation program with Joyous Tutoring, encouraging the game to improve creativity, intellectual ability, memory and reading skills, according to the city. Austin kids learn chess at George Washington Carver Museum (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)Austin kids learn chess at George Washington Carver Museum (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)Austin kids learn chess at George Washington Carver Museum (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)The free lessons are held on the last Thursday of the month through September.Over 20 students ages 7 to 18 take part in the program each week for chess instruction from coach Gabe Reid."When things seem kinda out of place or when things go in motion, it causes us to raise questions," Reid said. "So what I want to do is illuminate it in chess and transfer it to reading."