Wisconsin abortion law deemed unconstitutional
MADISON, Wis. – A Wisconsin law that requires abortion providers to get admitting privileges at nearby hospitals is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court panel ruled Monday.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel’s 2-1 decision doesn’t put the question to rest. Nearly a dozen states have imposed similar requirements on abortion providers, and the U.S. Supreme Court agreed last week to hear a challenge to Texas’ law in a case that could settle the issue nationally.
The Wisconsin case centers on a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood and Affiliated Medical Services.
NBC to give airtime to 4 Republican contenders
NEW YORK – NBC agreed Monday to give four Republican presidential hopefuls free time on affiliates in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina after they complained Donald Trump unfairly benefited from appearing as “Saturday Night Live” host earlier this month.
The network said John Kasich, Mike Huckabee, James Gilmore and Lindsey Graham each will get about 12 minutes of time to tout their candidacies during prime time on Friday and Saturday, and during this week’s “Saturday Night Live.”
The contenders will get the time on 18 NBC stations in those three states, where early GOP nominating caucuses or primaries are being held.
DNA tests clears Calif. man of multiple rapes
LOS ANGELES – A man imprisoned 16 years for rape and sex assault convictions was exonerated Monday and ordered to be released after DNA evidence linked the crimes to a serial rapist on the FBI’s most wanted list.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Ryan granted a petition to release Luis Vargas, who was serving a sentence of 55 years to life in prison for a forcible rape and two attempted rapes.
Vargas broke down, placing his hand to his forehead and covering his eyes as the judge ordered the case dismissed during the brief hearing packed with family and law school students who had worked to free him.
Vargas, 46, was taken back into custody because of immigration issues.
Two journalists on trial for Vatican related books
VATICAN CITY – Two Italian journalists who wrote books detailing Vatican mismanagement go on trial Tuesday in a Vatican courtroom along with three people accused of leaking them the information in a case that has drawn scorn from media watchdogs around the world.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and the OSCE, among others, have all called on the Vatican to drop the charges against Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi. The two reporters face up to eight years in prison if convicted of charges they violated Vatican law by publishing news based on confidential Holy See documents.
Nuzzi and Fittipaldi called the process “Kafka-esque.” With hours to go before the start of trial, neither they nor their lawyers had seen the court file detailing the accusations against them. Nuzzi only spoke for the first time with his Vatican court-appointed lawyer Monday morning. They were indicted Friday.
Associated Press
