Arizona governor set to sign repeal of near-total abortion ban from 1864

PHOENIX — Arizona is waving goodbye to a Civil War-era ban of nearly all abortions as a repeal bill reaches the desk of Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. Hobbs says the repeal, scheduled for signing on Thursday, is just the beginning of a fight to protect reproductive healthcare in Arizona. But the repeal may not take … Read more

Arizona lawmakers vote to undo near-total abortion ban from 1864, with Gov. Hobbs expected to sign

PHOENIX — The Arizona Legislature approved a repeal of a long-dormant ban on nearly all abortions Wednesday, sending the bill to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who is expected to sign it. Two Republicans joined with Democrats in the Senate on the 16-14 vote in favor of repealing a Civil War-era ban on abortions that the … Read more

Harvey Weinstein to return to court Wednesday after his NY rape conviction was overturned

NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein is due back in a New York courtroom Wednesday for his first appearance since an appeals court last week overturned his 2020 rape conviction and ordered a new trial. The preliminary hearing in Manhattan is expected to include discussion of evidence, scheduling and other matters, according … Read more

Court upholds Milwaukee police officer’s firing for posting racist memes after Sterling Brown arrest

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a former Milwaukee police officer was properly fired for posting racist memes related to the arrest of an NBA player that triggered a public outcry. Officer Erik Andrade was involved in the 2018 arrest of Sterling Brown, who then played for the Milwaukee Bucks. Brown … Read more

Britney and Jamie Spears settlement avoids long, potentially ugly and revealing trial

LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears and her father Jamie Spears will avoid what could have been a long, ugly and revealing trial with a settlement of the lingering issues in the court conservatorship that controlled her life and financial decisions for nearly 14 years. A hearing on those issues — including … Read more

West Virginia and North Carolina’s transgender care coverage policies discriminate, judges rule

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia and North Carolina’s refusal to cover certain health care for transgender people with government-sponsored insurance is discriminatory, a federal appeals court ruled Monday in a case likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 8-6 in the case involving coverage of gender-affirming … Read more

Lawyer: Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after his return to New York from upstate jail

NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction. Attorney Arthur Aidala said Weinstein was moved to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan after … Read more

Harvey Weinstein due back in court, while a key witness weighs whether to testify at a retrial

Harvey Weinstein will appear in a New York City court next week, the first step in potentially retrying the film mogul after his 2020 rape conviction was overturned. New York’s highest court on Thursday threw out Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, ordering a new trial. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has said it intends to pursue … Read more

Retrial of Harvey Weinstein unlikely to occur soon, if ever, experts say

NEW YORK — The retrial in New York of Harvey Weinstein — whose moviemaking prowess once wowed Hollywood — won’t be coming to a courtroom anytime soon, if ever, legal experts said on a day when one of two women considered crucial to the case said she wasn’t sure she would testify again. A ruling … Read more

Chicago appeals court rejects R. Kelly ‘s challenge of 20-year sentence

CHICAGO — The singer R. Kelly was correctly sentenced to 20 years in prison on child sex convictions in Chicago, a federal appeals court ruled Friday. Jurors in 2022 convicted the Grammy Award-winning R&B singer, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, on three charges of producing child porn and three charges of enticement of minors for sex. … Read more