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Analysis: Trump hush-money case raises thorny legal issues

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The coverup is worse than the crime, the expression goes. And in the hush money case against former President Donald Trump, prosecutors say the coverup made the crime worse.In an indictment unsealed Tuesday, prosecutors say the 45th president falsified records about three hush-money payments in order to keep potentially damaging stories from coming to light as he campaigned for the presidency. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said it was his effort to cover up crimes related to the 2016 election that allowed prosecutors to elevate the charges to felonies. The indictment, however, raises many thorny issues about state and federal law that could provide openings for the defense to attack the charges to try to get them tossed before the case even gets to trial. “The bottom line is that it’s murky,” said Richard Hasen, an expert in election law and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles law school. “And the district attorney did not offer a d...

LIVE BLOG: Brandon Johnson elected Chicago mayor, defeating Paul Vallas, AP projects

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

CHICAGO — Former teacher and union organizer Brandon Johnson has been elected Chicago mayor, according to Associated Press projections.City Council seats, as well as suburban mayor and village presidents races, continue to be decided.The Chicago mayoral race pitted former Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas, a moderate Democrat endorsed by Chicago’s police union and several trade unions, against progressive Johnson, the Cook County Board Commissioner, who was backed by the Chicago Teachers Union and several public sector unions. All Chicago and Illinois Election ResultsTuesday's runoff election is due to no candidate receiving over 50% of the vote on the Feb. 28 election. On that day, Vallas, 69, was the majority frontrunner. Johnson, 46, followed and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot finished third in the polls. The soon-to-be-ousted Lightfoot was the first city mayor in 40 years to seek reelection and lose.WGN News’ special coverage begins at 7 p.m. and will include analysis and updates fr...

Thunderstorm Warning issued for parts of Chicago area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

Hours after storms rocked the Chicago area Tuesday's another round of severe weather is winding up.A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Northern Kendall County, Southeastern DeKalb County and Southern Kane County until 10 p.m.Hail and wind gusts of up to 60 mph are possible. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here WEDNESDAY: Warm through much of the morning. Scattered t-storms may grow severe in some areas for a time late morning. Then partial clearing, turning very windy and noticeably cooler in the afternoon and evening. Wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph. High 74—but falling to the mid 40s to low 50s by nightfall.WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Clouds scatter, breezy and colder. Low 36—low 30s inland.Latest warnings and watches from the National Weather Service.THURSDAY & FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and cooler. Wind shift off Lake Michigan Friday further cooling lakeshore areas. Highs both days 54—but 40s along the lake Friday.SATURDAY: Partly sunny, milder—especially away from Lake...

Liberal candidate Janet Protasiewicz wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz is projected to win the vacant seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, marking the first time in 15 years that the court will have a liberal majority, according to The Associated Press.Protasiewicz and her challenger, former state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly, were seeking to replace outgoing conservative Justice Patience Roggensack on the court. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has a 4-3 conservative majority, but with Roggensack’s retirement, the partisan lean of the court hung in the balance. The election will have clear consequences for a host of issues in the state, including a contested 1849 abortion ban that offers very limited exceptions, redistricting and even possible challenges to the 2024 election results.Though the judicial race is technically nonpartisan, Protasiewicz and Kelly were seen as the liberal and conservative contenders, respectively. The two made it into the Tuesday race after they became the tw...

When will the Chicago mayor race be called?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

CHICAGO -- Polls are closed in Chicago and now, ballots are being counted.But the question arises: Will the Chicago mayor's race be called Tuesday night? See the results for the Chicago mayoral race here The Associated Press called the election for Brandon Johnson just after 9:30 pm. Tuesday night.According to the Chicago Board of Elections, 530,382 total ballots have been cast as of 7 p.m. Tuesday. Chicago has 1,597,901 registered voters, but Tuesday's election saw only a 33% total citywide turnout.Mail-in ballots that were submitted on Election Day will not be counted until Wednesday. There's no way to know how many of those vote by mail ballots were returned Tuesday and not yet counted. As of Monday night, 91,000 people who had requested vote by mail ballots hadn't yet returned them; however many people requests ballots but don't actually vote.Final election results will not be officially certified until April 18, two weeks after election day. 2023 Chicago Runoff and Illinois...

Brandon Johnson elected as Chicago Mayor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

CHICAGO -- 35 days after the February election, Chicago has finally elected their next mayor.Brandon Johnson, 47, the current Cook County Commissioner, has been elected as the next mayor of the City of Chicago.The Associated Press called the election for Johnson just after 9:30 pm. Tuesday night. See all City of Chicago election results from April 4 here Before being elected to be a Cook County Commissioner in 2018, Johnson has touted his work eliminating Cook County’s version of a gang database and his work combating housing discrimination in Chicago.Before public office, Johnson was a CPS teacher and paid organizer with the Chicago Teachers’ Union, through which he helped organize the 2019 CPS teachers strike.Johnson jumped into the Chicago mayor’s race early and got the backing of several unions and sitting lawmakers. Of note, the CTU, American Federation of Teachers, and SEIU have put nearly $3 million into his campaign so far.One of his sticking points during his campaign whe...

$20,000 reward offered for info on California mother missing since 2015

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

(KTLA) - Monique Figueroa was last seen leaving her Littlerock, California home to visit the Florence area on May 19, 2015, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Her father watched her drive away from their home around 4 a.m. that day. Authorities say she hasn't been seen since.Now, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is offering a $20,000 reward as the search for Figueroa, 27 at the time of her disappearance, continues nearly eight years later.Her disappearance is being investigated as “suspicious” and as a possible kidnapping, the sheriff's department said. Investigators also note a strong likelihood that foul play was involved.Monique Figueroa is seen in photos provided by her family.Monique Figueroa is seen in photos provided by her family.Monique Figueroa is seen in a flyer distributed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.Monique Figueroa is seen in photos provided by her family.Monique's daughter was 2 years old at the time and family memb...

'Record number' of new apartment units coming to Austin market in 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Popular west campus bar Cain & Abel's is turning into a new housing high rise after a new demolition permit was filed with the City of Austin. "It's kind of sad. You would think places like this would stay here forever," said University of Texas student Jimmy Lahey. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Popular UT West Campus bar Cain & Abel’s moving to new location soon It's just another example of more apartments coming to the area. While the demand for housing in Austin continues to grow, students like Lahey worry more high rises on UT's campus will change the area. "Everything old is getting torn down and going straight up," Lahey said. How many apartment units are coming?"Growth is taking place right now at a level that, that that we haven't really seen before, in the Austin Metro," said Senior Research Associate Rob Warnock. Warnock works with Apartment List, an online apartment rental site. He said in 2022 Austin permitted a total of 43,000 new housing units. "A littl...

Ryan Mountcastle’s 3-run blast, Kyle Gibson’s efficient start lead Orioles to 7-2 win over Rangers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

Ryan Mountcastle’s first at-bat Tuesday was similar to many from his 2022 season.The first baseman put an excellent swing on the ball, roping the pitch 102.3 mph to the warning track in center field, only for it to be caught by Texas Rangers center fielder Adolis García. The unlucky out — Statcast had the batted ball with an expected batting average of .670 — was an all-too-common occurrence for Mountcastle during his average 2022 campaign.That type of at-bat didn’t define Mountcastle’s night, though, as the Orioles’ No. 3 batter hit a three-run blast in the second inning to propel Baltimore to a 7-2 win over the Rangers.The homer came on a fastball at the top of the zone from Rangers left-handed starter Andrew Heaney, as Mountcastle roped the pitch off the right field foul pole.Mountcastle recorded an exit velocity of 91.8 mph or faster in each of his five at-bats. He also doubled, grounded out and lined out, ending his night 2-for-5 at the ...

St. Paul man charged with murder in fatal 2019 shooting outside Johnny Baby’s bar

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:50 GMT

A St. Paul man who is currently incarcerated on a firearms conviction is accused of fatally shooting another man outside a former University Avenue bar nearly four years ago.Devante Lattrele Jennings, 28, was charged Monday with two counts of second-degree murder in the May 2019 death of 33-year-old Michael Gray of St. Paul, according to a criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County district court.Jennings, who was convicted in 2021 of illegally possessing a firearm, is serving a prison sentence in a Minnesota Department of Corrections facility, the complaint said.No attorney was listed for Jennings in court documents.Devante Lattrele Jennings (Courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Corrections)St. Paul police responded to reports of a shooting outside Johnny Baby’s bar about 2 a.m. on May 4, 2019, where they found Gray lying in the parking lot with a gunshot wound to his head, according to the complaint. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Investigators learned a Kia sedan wit...