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California man who spent 28 years in prison is found innocent of 1995 rape, robbery and kidnapping

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:09 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man who spent nearly 30 years in prison for kidnapping, robbery and rape has been declared innocent and freed, Los Angeles County prosecutors announced Tuesday.DNA testing helped exonerate Gerardo Cabanillas in a 1995 attack on a couple sitting in a parked car in the city of South Gate, the county district attorney’s office said in a statement.Cabanillas’ case was reexamined by the Conviction Integrity Unit of the DA’s office, and last week a judge reversed his conviction, found him factually innocent and ordered his permanent release.“I extend my deepest apologies to Mr. Cabanillas for the miscarriage of justice and the failure of our criminal legal system,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement.Cabanillas was convicted in 1996 and spent 28 years in prison. He confessed to being one of two armed men who approached the couple, forced the man out and drove the woman to an abandoned house where both raped her. Another couple in a car in t...

California education chief Tony Thurmond says he’s running for governor in 2026

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:09 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s top education official, Tony Thurmond, on Tuesday announced his bid for governor in 2026, a move that comes amid debates about the rights of students and parents, and what role the state should play as school boards approve class materials.If elected, Thurmond, the state superintendent of public instruction, would be the first Black person to become California’s governor. He says he wants to address income inequality, ensure schools are better funded and speed up the state’s transition to renewable energy.“Our campaign isn’t about any one person. It’s about people who are struggling across our state,” the Democrat said in an advertisement announcing his campaign. “California should be a place where everyone has a chance to succeed.”He joins an already crowded race for governor, though the election is more than three years away. California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and former state Controller Betty Yee, both Democrats, ha...

Brooks Robinson, Orioles third baseman with 16 Gold Gloves, has died. He was 86

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:09 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, whose deft glovework and folksy manner made him one of the most beloved and accomplished athletes in Baltimore history, has died. He was 86.The Orioles announced his death in a joint statement with Robinson’s family Tuesday. The statement did not say how Robinson died.The Orioles held a moment of silence before their game against the Washington Nationals, and the teams lined up outside their dugouts to pay their respects. Also before the game, fans gathered around the 9-foot bronze statue of Robinson inside Camden Yards.“Great player, great guy on the field, great guy off,” said fellow Orioles Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, who was overcome with emotion. “Respectful, kind. And you don’t meet too many guys like that. Brooks was a genuine person. There was no acting. Brooks was just a genuine person.”Coming of age before the free agent era, Robinson spent his entire 23-year career with the Orioles. He almost single-handedly...

As mental health worsens among Afghanistan’s women, the UN is asked to declare ‘gender apartheid’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:09 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N.’s most powerful body must support governments seeking to legally declare the intensifying crackdown by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers on women and girls “gender apartheid,” the head of the U.N. agency promoting gender equality said Tuesday.Sima Bahous, executive director of UN Women, told the Security Council that more than 50 increasingly dire Taliban edicts are being enforced with more severity including by male family members. That is exacerbating mental health issues and suicidal thoughts especially among young women and is shrinking women’s decision-making even in their own homes.“They tell us that they are prisoners living in darkness, confined to their homes without hope or future,” she said. Under international law, apartheid is defined as a system of legalized racial segregation that originated in South Africa. But a growing consensus among international experts, officials and activists says apartheid can also apply to gender in cases like...

Oregon man convicted of murder in fatal shooting of sheriff’s deputy in Washington state

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:09 GMT

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — A jury has convicted an Oregon man of murder in the fatal shooting of a sheriff’s deputy in Washington state. The Clark County Superior Court jury found 28-year-old Guillermo Raya Leon guilty Tuesday of aggravated first-degree murder in the death of Clark County sheriff’s Sgt. Jeremy Brown, The Columbian reported. Raya Leon was also convicted on charges of trafficking in stolen property, burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and two counts of having a stolen gun. The jury also found in favor of the aggravating factor that Raya Leon knew Brown was a law enforcement officer, along with a firearm enhancement on four of the counts.Aggravated murder carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison. Raya Leon’s sentencing was set for early October.Brown was shot on July 23, 2021, as he was doing surveillance in his unmarked SUV at an east Vancouver apartment complex. Law enforcement officers were investigating Raya Leon, his brother and his brother’s wife ...

Senate votes to advance short-term funding bill to avoid government shutdown 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:09 GMT

The Senate voted Tuesday to advance a short-term funding measure to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the week. The Senate voted 77 to 19 to advance the legislative vehicle they will use for a continuing resolution funding government until Nov. 17. The vote puts the Senate on a path to pass a continuing resolution (CR) later this week that it could then send to the House to avoid a shutdown on Oct. 1. The House has been stuck on how to move forward with funding the government amid disputes among Republicans in the majority. If the Senate does approve a CR, it could put pressure on the House to bring it to the floor and avoid a shutdown, particularly in the lower chamber has not made much progress on its own. The Senate legislation will fund the federal government until Nov. 17, the week before Thanksgiving, and provide approximately $6.15 billion in funding for Ukraine and $5.99 billion in disaster assistance.  The legislation will also temporarily extend the expiring a...

Highland Park City Council to discuss remembrance committee to help develop memorial for mass shooting victims

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:09 GMT

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — City officials in Highland Park are trying to move forward with a plan to remember and honor those killed in a mass shooting during a Fourth of July parade in 2022.On Tuesday night, the Highland Park City Council is taking steps toward the city's permanent recognition of the victims of the mass shooting. More Coverage: Highland Park Parade Shooting During a meeting, council members will hear recommendations from staff about the formation of a "Remembrance Committee" that would be tasked with advising the council on the type of memorial, its location and how long it would take to develop.Staff are recommending that the committee be made up of City Council and Park District board members. Bucktown residents voice concerns after man beaten, robbed in broad daylight Making sure there is engagement with the public and with victims during the planning process is among the chief considerations. City staff are recommending focus groups and workshops and say they wa...

Evanston residents protest Ryan Field Renovations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:09 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. — Evanston residents rallied against renovations planned for Northwestern University's Ryan Field Tuesday, saying they don't want Evanston to turn into another Wrigleyville."If we look at Wrigley [Field] as an example," said Trisha Connolly, an organizer of the rally. "How many local business are still there? Large hotels, sports bars, if that’s what we want next to a neighborhood, that’s okay for the people who want that, but we like the local charm and we want to support more of that."The latest plan put forward by Northwestern was introduced before the Evanston Land Use Commission meeting earlier this month. The amended plan included concessions like dropping the number of proposed concerts from ten to six, and limiting community activities at the stadium to just 60 days a year.Other financial commitments from the plan include $10 million directed toward a technology upskill program aimed at helping adults develop technological skills, along with $500,000 going to ...

Red Cross seeks Chicagoans' help with critically low blood supply

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:09 GMT

CHICAGO — Amid a growing blood shortage nationally, the first since the pandemic, the Red Cross is seeking help from locals across the Chicago area.  The Guild Social Row Club on the city’s Northside aims to help the process.  Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Blood donor Kara Crawford on Tuesday said she hopes to do her part. “This is my second time. I wanted to check out the space, it's near my house and I keep hearing about the need, so I thought I would come,” she said. Chicago youth earned over $33.9M over the summer thanks to employment program Crawford is one of dozens of donors who answered the call for help. Why? Currently, there is a 30,000 blood unit shortage. Blood is broken down into types, with O being the most common. O-negative is considered the universal donor, meaning any can receive that type of blood. Donated blood is separated into plasma, red and white blood cells, platelets, antibodies and other components. The Red Cross sup...

Tuesday Forecast: Mainly cloudy with scattered storms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:09 GMT

CHICAGO — Mainly cloudy Tuesday with scattered storms. Winds: ESE 5-10 G15. High: 72. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Mainly cloudy tonight with scattered storms. Winds: ESE 5-10 G15. Low: 62.Wednesday Forecast: Mainly cloudy, scattered storms. Winds: E 5-10. High: 68.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog