LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on the upcoming release of O.J. Simpson (all times local): 5:55 p.m. Florida’s attorney general doesn’t want O.J. Simpson to return to Florida after he’s released from prison in Nevada. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Julie L. Jones on Friday saying … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — EDITOR’S NOTE: On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court was wrapping up the final orders for the term. Among the cases before them was that of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple who had been sentenced to a year in jail for violating Virginia’s ban on marriage between people of … Continue reading
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A transgender “bathroom bill” reminiscent of one in North Carolina that caused a national uproar now appears to be on a fast-track to becoming law in Texas, though it may only apply to public schools. A broader proposal mandating that virtually all transgender people in the country’s second-largest state use public … Continue reading
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan said Thursday that the newly renamed Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University celebrates a “remarkable judge and teacher” who will be remembered as one of the greatest justices in history. Speaking at a dedication ceremony marking the name change, Kagan praised the late justice … Continue reading
A defiant Don Blankenship declared himself an “American political prisoner” on his blog, blaming others for the 2010 mine explosion that killed 29 men and led the former West Virginia coal operator to be imprisoned. The ex-Massey Energy CEO said this week that he plans to distribute 250,000 copies of the 67-page diatribe in booklet … Continue reading
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia man handed life in prison without parole for his conviction as a teenager in the killing of his boss is seeking relief after a recent Supreme Court ruling. At issue in Jason Clem’s case is whether Virginia law mandates life-without-parole sentences for juveniles in capital murder cases. The U.S. … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Simon Tam has openly criticized the Washington Redskins team name as a racist slur that demeans Native Americans. But Tam and his Asian-American rock band, The Slants, have formed an unusual alliance with the NFL franchise as they both battle the U.S. government over trademark protection for names that some consider offensive. … Continue reading
After a suspended Mississippi police chief shot and killed himself in the police department’s parking lot, officials said the department has been temporarily put under the local sheriff’s control. Bay St. Louis Police Chief Mike DeNardo shot himself in the chest, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Don Bass said. He said the Thursday shooting … Continue reading
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — It took an act of Congress, but World War II pilot Elaine Harmon is finally being laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. Harmon died last year at age 95. She was one of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), a group of women who flew military aircraft on noncombat missions … Continue reading
CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) — Workers are getting ready to break ground on an expansion of the Chesapeake jail. The Virginian-Pilot reports (http://bit.ly/2bZmFrK ) that the city will break ground Monday on the 47,282 square-foot building that will stand adjacent to the existing jail and house 192 inmates. The building will house inmates who are considered … Continue reading
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — State officials say the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors might have violated the Freedom of Information Act when it held a closed-door meeting to discuss a new investment fund. News outlets report that the state’s Freedom of Information Advisory Council issued an opinion Friday, Aug. 12, saying the board may … Continue reading
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark is preparing to change the law so that being transgender will no longer be considered a mental disorder. Flemming Moeller Mortensen, deputy chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, says all nine parties in the assembly have agreed to change the law by Jan. 1 next year. Tuesday’s agreement clears the way for the … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Caitlyn Jenner has taken up Donald Trump’s offer and used the women’s restroom at one of his luxury buildings. The Republican presidential candidate said last week that he believes transgender people should be able to use whichever bathroom they choose. Trump said North Carolina’s so-called “bathroom law,” which directs transgender people … Continue reading
CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) — Two Chesapeake police officers have been charged with assault following the arrest of a man in October. Multiple media outlets report Chesapeake police spokeswoman Kelly O’Sullivan says officers Thomas Walden and Michael Hill are both charged with one count of misdemeanor assault. Fifty-nine-year-old Thomas Wilson tells The Virginian-Pilot (http://bit.ly/1VDuMOi) both officers … Continue reading
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Two rock bands have become the latest to cancel concerts in North Carolina because of the state’s new law on LGBT rights. In a statement issued Monday on the band’s website, Pearl Jam called the law “a despicable piece of legislation that encourages discrimination against an entire group of American citizens.” … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 