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Manhattan DA Bragg backing new law that would make it a felony to manufacture ghost guns on 3D printers

Jul 26, 2023

People who own and sell ghost guns are committing a crime — but there's no law against making the deadly weapons that authorities say are a rising threat to New Yorkers.

Anyone with a 3D printing machine capable of churning out magazines, receivers and other firearm parts can whip up an untraceable semiautomatic weapon in their kitchen in less time than it takes to cook a turkey.

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Copyright 2023 Tribune Content Agency.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Supreme Court will decide whether the state's new six-week abortion ban is constitutional.

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Reporters are a skeptical bunch, so it was unusual to hear so many of them raving about their firsthand experience with Apple's next Big Thing. That would be the high-priced headset called Vision Pro that's infused with totally virtual reality and augmented reality that projects digital images on top of real-world settings. After wearing the Vision Pro during a half-hour demonstration meticulously orchestrated by Apple, an Associated Press reporter also was blown away by the goggles-like headset. But that excitement was muted by a disquieting sense of having passed through a gateway that eventually will lead society down another avenue of digital isolation.

Minnesota Twins star Byron Buxton has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a bruised left rib. To replace him on the roster, outfielder Trevor Larnach was reinstated from the IL after being sidelined by pneumonia. The moves were announced before the start of a three-game series against Tampa Bay. Twins shortstop Carlos Correa, slowed recently by plantar fasciitis, was back in the lineup for the first time since Thursday. Minnesota infielder Royce Lewis, involved in a collision at first base during Sunday's game with Cleveland, was out of the lineup. Buxton, an All-Star last year, is hitting .220 with 10 homers and 23 RBIs in 50 games this season. He was hurt last Thursday when he was hit by a pitch from Guardians rookie Tanner Bibee.

Missouri man executed for killing 2 jailers in failed bid to help inmate escape from a rural jail in 2000.

PITTSBURGH — Bullets don't travel in straight lines.

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More details are emerging about four people killed when a private jet crashed in Virginia after causing a scare over Washington. The victims aboard the Cessna Citation included a caretaker from Jamaica known for her generous portions of plantain porridge. Another was a luxury real estate broker, returning from a family visit with her 2-year-old daughter. The man behind the controls of the plane was a skilled aviator with decades of experience. All four died Sunday after the jet lost contact with air traffic controllers on a planned flight to New York. Military jets scrambled to intercept the flight.

An attorney for a Minnesota man charged in the stabbing death of a 15-year-old suburban Chicago girl more than half a century ago wants statements he made at a police station suppressed. The Arlington Heights Daily Herald reported Tuesday that attorney Terry Ekl argued in a recent defense motion that statements Barry Whelpley made at the police station should be excluded because they occurred in a continuation of an interrogation that began at his home. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Aug. 10. The 78-year-old Whelpley is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated criminal sexual assault in the 1972 death of Julie Ann Hanson, of Naperville.

Françoise Gilot, a prolific painter who was nonetheless more famous for her turbulent relationship with Pablo Picasso — and for leaving him — died on Tuesday in Manhattan. She was 101. Gilot's daughter, Aurelia Engel, told The Associated Press her mother had died at Mount Sinai West hospital after suffering both lung and heart problems. The French-born Gilot had long made her frustration clear that she would be best known for her relationship with Picasso, whom she met in 1943 at age 21, his junior by four decades. The union produced two children — Claude and Paloma Picasso — but unlike the other key women in Picasso's life, Gilot eventually left.

The financial crisis gripping English club rugby claimed another victim when London Irish was suspended from the entire league structure for missing its latest deadline to pay staff and players. Worcester Warriors and Wasps have already been banished from the English Premiership over the past years for financial reasons meaning the top division is set to become a 10-team competition. The Rugby Football Union says neither the current owner of London Irish nor an American consortium planning to buy the club were able to prove they had the finances to compete in the top flight for the 2023-24 campaign. The outstanding 50% of May's payroll owed to staff and players was not paid before the final deadline set by the RFU.

Denver will choose its next mayor Tuesday in a runoff election between two moderate candidates seeking to lead a rapidly growing city faced with out-of-control housing costs and increased homelessness. The city has become the tech and business hub of the Mountain West but now faces problems similar to those in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Kelly Brough, the former president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, faces Mike Johnston, a former state senator. Johnston and Brough were the top two vote-getters in a 16-way race in April, sending the race to Tuesday's runoff. Polls close at 7 p.m.

New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas is participating in voluntary practices for the first time this offseason. He's been recovering from a foot injury that sidelined him for all but the first three games of last season. That came after an ankle injury kept him out for most of 2020 and 2021. Thomas is not practicing fully but is running some routes and catching passes from Saints quarterbacks. Thomas predicts he will be full speed by training camp. His return marks his first on-field work with Derek Carr after Thomas worked to persuade the former Raiders QB to sign with New Orleans as a free agent.

Attorneys for Delaware's largest county and three police officers are asking a federal judge to rule in their favor in a lawsuit stemming from a fatal police shooting in 2021. The family of Lymond Moses is suing New Castle County and the officers for wrongful death and excessive force. Defense attorney argued Tuesday that the county and the officers are not liable for any wrongdoing and that Moses' own actions led to his death in January 2021. A report commissioned by the Delaware attorney general's office concluded that the officers were justified in using deadly force in shooting at Moses as he drove a vehicle at them.

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SANTA ANA, Calif. — A proposal to limit the flags flown at county properties got the support of three Orange County supervisors Tuesday, June 6, meaning only government flags and some military-related flags will be displayed in the future.

Eleven House conservatives have staged a mini-revolt as part of the fallout from last week's vote to lift the debt ceiling. They tanked GOP leadership's efforts to proceed Tuesday on a mix of legislative priorities. The passage of the debt ceiling bill was hailed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other members of GOP leadership, but dozens of GOP lawmakers voted against the measure, saying it didn't do enough to restrict spending. Their dissatisfaction about the process spilled over into votes Tuesday on a measure establishing the rules for debate on various GOP priorities, which are now stuck until the impasse is resolved.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to visit China in the coming weeks for talks with top officials, possibly including President Xi Jinping, people familiar with the matter said, as the U.S. looks to resume high-level communication despite continued tensions.

Stanley C. Middleman is buying an ownership stake in the Philadelphia Phillies. John Middleton, the Phillies’ managing partner and CEO, announced the addition of Middleman as a limited partner on Tuesday. Middleman is a Philadelphia native and lifetime Phillies fan. He owns a mortgage company based in South Jersey. He describes his addition to the ownership group as "a dream come true."

U.S. authorities are offering a $5,000 reward for information on who killed a Hawaiian monk seal after one of the critically endangered animals was found dead on Oahu this year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the female seal known as Malama was found on March 12 at Ohikilolo. That's between Keaau Beach Park and Makua Valley. A post-mortem investigation found the cause of death to be "blunt force trauma." National experts on marine mammal radiology and forensics concluded the animal was intentionally killed. The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world. About 1,570 of the animals are in the wild.

A U.S. appeals court in Philadelphia says nonviolent offenders should not be subject to lifetime gun bans. Tuesday's decision follows a far-reaching Supreme Court ruling last year that instructs judges to look to history and tradition to weigh the constitutionality of gun control laws. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is restoring the gun rights of a man who had pleaded guilty to fraudulently receiving about $2,500 in food stamps in 1995. Legal experts say the confusion and conflicting opinions that have ensued since last year's Supreme Court decision in Bruen may lead the high court to revisit the issue.

Overtime pay in Alabama will be temporarily exempt from state income tax under a tax cut approved Tuesday by lawmakers. The legislation will exempt overtime pay from the state's 5% income tax beginning in the 2024 tax year. The tax cut will expire in 2025 unless renewed by lawmakers. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, the sponsor of the legislation, said the tax cut will help hourly workers and help industries recruit employees to work overtime shifts. The Senate had placed a $25 million aggregate cap on the annual amount of the tax cut, but Gov. Kay Ivey asked lawmakers to remove the cap to make it easier to administer. Lawmakers agreed to the change.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is denying a woman's claims that he forced her to have sex and owes her $2 million in unpaid wages. Giuliani says he had a consensual relationship with Noelle Dunphy for a few months in 2019, during his time as former President Donald Trump's personal lawyer. In court papers filed Friday, he also denies ever employing Dunphy. Giuliani is asking a judge to throw out the lawsuit. Dunphy's lawyer, Justin Kelton, said Tuesday that Giuliani has filled his court papers with "misrepresentations" in a "transparent attempt to avoid having to answer" her allegations under oath.

Officials in Virginia's capital say police have responded to a report of a shooting near Virginia Commonwealth University. It is not immediately clear whether anyone has been hurt. VCU said Tuesday in an online alert evening that officers were on the scene in the vicinity of Richmonds' Monroe Park, near the campus and a large theater. A spokesperson for VCU police referred an inquiry to Richmond police. City police spokesperson Tracy Walker said she was heading to the scene and had no firm details.

Washington state is set to pay $3 million to settle a lawsuit over alleged neglect at an adult family home — in addition to over $300,000 in penalties for wrongful withholding of evidence. The Seattle Times reports the settlement announced by Attorney General Bob Ferguson's office Monday will pay $3,125,000 to plaintiff Emily Tobin. Tobin has developmental disabilities and was allegedly neglected after the state placed her at the Kent home. The settlement, which requires court approval, would also stop a court-ordered investigation into the state's handling of evidence. A judge previously slammed the Attorney General's Office and the Department of Social and Health Services for the failure to give records to Tobin's attorneys.

Dozens of evacuees on an island in the Dnieper River scurried onto the tops of military trucks to flee rising floodwaters caused by the breach of a dam upstream, as shelling in a war zone separating Ukrainian and Russian forces echoed overhead. Nobody knew just how high the waters would rise, or whether people or pets would escape alive, after waters rushed through a gaping hole in the Kakhovka dam - the latest human catastrophe in a string of them since Russia's military invasion of Ukraine more than 15 months ago. Each side accused the other of a role in destroying the dam.

The pilot of a small plane and his passenger were killed when the aircraft crashed and caught fire in western New York. The small plane originated in Oshawa, Ontario. It crashed Tuesday shortly after being refueled and taking off from the Chautauqua County Jamestown Airport. The sheriff's office isn't releasing the names of the victims, who were both men. The sheriff says there is no indication the pilot called for help before the crash, but that the plane's emergency parachute was deployed. The Federal Aviation Administration and NTSB will investigate.

Oregon Democratic lawmakers stood on the steps of the state Capitol and implored Republicans, who have been boycotting the Senate for over a month, to return and vote on bills. The Democrats said lives are literally at stake. Among the bills are ones aimed at reducing drug overdoses, mitigating wildfire risks and shoring up seismically vulnerable dams. But neither side is budging on a bill on protections for abortion and transgender care, with Democrats saying it isn't negotiable and minority Republicans insisting it die or be changed. Senate Minority Leader Sen. Tim Knopp was unmoved by the Democrats’ dire warnings and blamed them for the impasse.

The PGA Tour's merger with rival LIV Golf has reignited a debate over sportswashing and drawn critics ranging from current professional golfers to the families of Sept. 11 victims. Sportswashing has been going on for decades in the Olympics and other sports across the globe. The sportswashing angle with LIV Golf gained steam last year when its first big-name signing, Phil Mickelson, was quoted as calling the Saudis "scary (expletives)" as he discussed what the CIA concluded was the Saudi-backed killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Family members of Sept. 11 victims who blame Saudi Arabia for the 2001 terror attacks have also been vocal critics of Mickelson and others who have accepted multiple millions from LIV Golf.

A woman who received a desperate text from her husband indicating he had been taken hostage says she called 911 but that police didn't respond until about an hour later, by which time he had been shot and killed. The Colorado Springs Police Department says it found two deceased adult males on Friday at the location that Talija Campbell said she feared her husband Qualin Campbell was being held by another man. It says the officers were responding to a report of a shooting at 2:09 p.m. She says she called 911 just after 1 p.m. after her husband texted her a photo of a man sitting next to him in his car and a message that said "911" and "Send Please!"

Aaron Judge's spectacular catch in Dodger Stadium resulted in a bruised right toe, and the Yankees held their slugger out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Chicago White Sox. The Yankees did not announce results of testing for Judge. He was scheduled to meet with team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad later Tuesday. Judge knocked open the door of the visiting bullpen while making the catch on J.D. Martinez's liner into the right field corner on Saturday. He missed Sunday's game. Judge has already had one stint on the injured list this season. He leads the AL with 19 homers.

The Toronto Blue Jays demoted struggling right-hander Alek Manoah to the Florida Complex League Tuesday, one day after the 2022 All-Star and AL Cy Young finalist couldn't get out of the first inning against the Houston Astros. Manoah was booed by Toronto fans after allowing six runs and seven hits in 1/3 of an inning Monday, his seventh straight losing decision. He's 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA in 13 starts after going 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts last season. Previously the Gulf Coast League, the Florida Complex League is a rookie-level league with most games played at spring training facilities.

Once rivals in court, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are now partners in business. The PGA Tour, Europe tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund says they are merging their commercial business into a single company and will work together. This shocking announcement is filled with questions. What will the PGA Tour look like? Can the defectors to LIV Golf return to their old tours? Who's in charge? And what about Greg Norman? The next big divide in golf could be players who stayed loyal to the tour only to see them join forces with the Saudis.

The PGA Tour owes Tiger Woods $1 billion. It owes Rory McIlroy $500 million.

Manhattan's top prosecutor has disavowed over 300 convictions tied to New York City police officers who were themselves found guilty of crimes. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says 308 misdemeanor cases were tossed out Tuesday, and eight felonies will be on Wednesday. They're the latest in over 1,000 dismissals citywide of cases connected to officers who were charged or convicted. The latest abandoned convictions date back as far as 1996. Each involves one of nine officers who were later convicted of on-the-job offenses. They included taking bribes, illegally selling guns, lying under oath and planting drugs on suspects. The officers are off the force.

A Florida law banning transgender youth from getting medical treatment is temporarily on hold after a surprise decision by a federal judge. The ruling Tuesday comes amid a bevy of legislation sweeping state houses this year restricting gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Meanwhile LGBTQ+ communities and their allies are organizing Pride events and calling for pushback against what they say are discriminatory laws. Here's a look at the latest developments.

More income tax cuts, phasing in a universal voucher program and hundreds of other changes are part of a Republican-crafted version of Ohio's nearly $86 billion state budget currently pending in the state Senate. The biggest revisions announced Tuesday compared to the House version include removing $1 billion in earmarks for one-time spending, implementing a measure to overhaul Ohio's K-12 education, increasing scholarship amounts and eligibility for a state-funded universal voucher program and an extended tax holiday. Hundreds of other changes and their impact on Ohioans still remain to be hashed out in the final weeks of the budget season that ends June 30.

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas abortion providers are challenging strict state requirements mandating providers share medically inaccurate or unproven information with patients considering an abortion and that patients undergo a waiting period before their procedure.

The mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher in Virginia is now facing federal charges that she used marijuana while also possessing a gun. Doing so is illegal under U.S. law. Deja Taylor is also accused of lying about her marijuana use on a federal background check form when she bought the 9 mm handgun. While marijuana use was recently legalized in Virginia, it remains illegal under federal law. The new charges are in addition to the counts of child neglect and reckless firearm storage that Taylor faces on the state level. In January, her son shot and seriously wounded first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner in the city of Newport News.

Two former executives of a company known for offering "orgasmic meditation" sessions have been charged with using sex, psychological abuse and economic exploitation to coerce work from people while taking over their lives. The case follows years of scrutiny and a recent Netflix documentary on the business, known as OneTaste. An indictment unsealed Tuesday charges ex-sales chief Rachel Cherwitz and founder and ex-CEO Nicole Daedone with forced labor conspiracy. Messages seeking comment were sent to their attorneys and to Santa Rosa, California-based OneTaste. The company has said previously that its sales practices weren't predatory, participation was voluntary, and consent and respect were fundamental.

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