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Ex-Starbucks manager awarded $25.6 million in suit over firing after 2018 arrests of 2 Black men

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:42 GMT

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Jurors in federal court have awarded $25.6 million to a former Starbucks regional manager who alleged that she and other white employees were unfairly punished after the high-profile arrests of two Black men at a Philadelphia location in 2018.Shannon Phillips won $600,000 in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages on Monday after a jury in New Jersey found that race was a determinative factor in Phillips’ firing, in violation of federal and state anti-discrimination laws, Law360 reports.In April 2018, a Philadelphia store manager called police on two Black men who were sitting in the coffee shop without ordering anything. Phillips, then regional manager of operations in Philadelphia, southern New Jersey, and elsewhere, was not involved with arrests but lost her job less than a month later after objecting to another white manager being placed on leave amid the uproar, according to her lawsuit.The company’s rationale for suspending the ...

Theranos founder objects to $250 monthly restitution sought by US due to limited financial resources

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors want Elizabeth Holmes to pay $250 each month to victims of her failed blood testing startup after she leaves prison, but her attorneys are pushing back citing “limited financial resources” available to the disgraced founder of Theranos. The U.S. filed a motion last week asking the court to correct “clerical errors” which included, prosecutors said, the lack of a timeline for restitution from the one-time billionaire once she exits prison. Holmes’ legal team objected to those changes this week. Holmes, 39, began an 11-year sentence at a minimum-security facility in Bryan, Texas, late last month after she and her former partner, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, were convicted of fraud for duping investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars while running Theranos, a Silicon Valley startup that promised to revolutionize health care.In a May 16 ruling, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila ordered Holmes and Balwani, who is serving a nearly 13-yea...

WATCH LIVE | Fed Chair Jerome Powell discusses decision to keep rates unchanged for first time in 15 months but signals 2 more potential hikes this year

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday after having raised it 10 straight times to combat high inflation. But in a surprise move, the Fed signaled that it may raise rates twice more this year, beginning as soon as next month. The Fed’s move to leave its benchmark rate at about 5.1%, its highest level in 16 years, suggests that it believes the much higher borrowing rates it’s engineered have made some progress in taming inflation. But top Fed officials want to take time to more fully assess how their rate hikes have affected inflation and the economy. “Holding the target rate steady at this meeting allows the committee to assess additional information and its implications” for the Fed's policies, the central bank said in a statement. The central bank’s 18 policymakers envision raising its key rate by an additional half-point this year, to about 5.6%, according to economic forecasts they issued Wednesday.The economic projections revealed a...

Neuqua Valley High School employee after allegedly making personal purchases on district card

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:42 GMT

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — A financial secretary at Neuqua Valley High School was arrested Tuesday after she allegedly used a district credit card for personal purchases, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.Tracie Mondell, 39, of Naperville, is charged with one count of theft of governmental property, a Class 3 Felony, according to a news release from the state's attorney's office. 3 hospitalized, 1 critical after head-on collision in Naperville Mondell allegedly used a District 204 credit card between Nov. 22-27 to make personal purchases that totaled between $500-$10,000, according to the release.“Through her alleged actions, Mrs. Mondell abused the trust placed in her by Neuqua Valley High School for her own personal gain,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “I would like to thank authorities at the school for bringing this matter to the attention of law enforcement and for their complete cooperation throughout the investigation."Berl...

14-year-old boy shot while near sidewalk in Garfield Park

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:42 GMT

CHICAGO — A 14-year-old boy was shot Wednesday while he was near a sidewalk in Chicago's Garfield Park neighborhood, according to police.Chicago Police Department officers were called to investigate the shooting just before 1 p.m. in the 4300 block of West Adams Street. Missing man last seen at Salt Shed concert; Police seek public’s help When they arrived, they found the boy who was shot in the legs and had a graze wound to the head, according to information from CPD.He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said.No one has been arrested yet.Detectives are still investigating the incident.

Giant taxidermied moose draws stares in Capitol complex

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:42 GMT

(The Hill) -- New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) is bringing her home state to D.C. in the form of a massive taxidermied moose that cleared its own path through the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Wednesday. Shaheen's staffers set up "Marty the Moose" in her office ahead of her "Experience New Hampshire" event later in the day meant to showcase what the state has to offer, featuring multiple state businesses and products. Photos showed the giant stuffed moose being rolled into Shaheen's office on a cart as it attracted stares from staffers and journalists in the Capitol. Crenshaw pops out glass eye to mock refs after Congressional Soccer Match Shaheen said in a statement that "Experience New Hampshire" is meant to showcase small businesses on a "national stage" to other leaders of the country. Other members of the New Hampshire delegation, including Sen. Maggie Hassan (D) and Democratic Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas were also leading the event. "From our world-famous...

Austin housing market optimism 'continues to grow,' ABoR says

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Both sellers and buyers are seeing "more opportunity" in the Austin housing market, according to the latest monthly market report from the Austin Board of Realtors.Almost 9,000 homes were actively listed for sale in May, according to the ABoR report, equal to about 3.4 months of inventory."Last month’s housing market activity demonstrates not only a stable market, but one where optimism for the months ahead continues to grow," said ABoR President Ashley Jackson.The median price for homes sold in May was $467,500 across the Austin metro, a decline of 15% year-over-year. Homes are taking longer to sell compared to this time last year, but the average number of days on the market has dipped since a peak in February.Homes sold in May spent an average of 65 days on the market, down from 84 in February, but up significantly from 15 days in May 2022. A total of 3,411 sales closed last month."Nationally, from May 2022 to May 2023, homebuyers' purchasing power declined by an ...

Nate Paul arraignment date reset to later date in June

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The arraignment of Natin “Nate” Paul, the Austin real estate investor at the center of the Ken Paxton impeachment, was reset to June 26.Paul was originally scheduled to appear for his arraignment Thursday, but a United States magistrate judge signed an order for a continuance Tuesday.According to court documents, Paul’s counsel requested that the hearing be reset.“The Government does not oppose the continuance. The Court finds good cause for this extension,” documents said.With the new arraignment date, Paul is set to appear at 11 a.m.

2 trapped after multi-vehicle collision in south Austin, ATCEMS responding

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:42 GMT

The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for June 14, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Travis County EMS said it was responding to a vehicle rescue in south Austin where an adult and child were entrapped.ATCEMS said the entrapment was a result of a multi-vehicle collision near the 4200 block of the Capital of Texas Highway frontage road near South Lamar Boulevard. The crash happened at approximately 12:50 p.m. Wednesday.Officials said one of the vehicles involved in the crash was on its side.ATCEMS said the two entrapped patients were extricated, and three total patients were declared as trauma alerts and are being evaluated. Medics with ATCEMS took a teen patient to the hospital with serious, potentially life-threatening injuries and an adult to the hospital with potentially serious injuries. ATCEMS said one adult refused transport.According to ATCEMS, delays should be expected, and drivers should avoid the area if possible.This is a developing story. Check back with KXAN f...

Abbott signs Texas bill allowing fentanyl deaths to be prosecuted as murder

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:23:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new Texas law will up the criminal penalties for fentanyl distribution, including allowing prosecutors to seek a murder charge in connection with fentanyl-related deaths. The bill, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed Wednesday afternoon, will increase criminal penalties for selling and distributing fentanyl. House Bill 6 also allows prosecutors to seek a murder charge for a person who manufactures or delivers fentanyl when someone dies as a result of the controlled substance. PREVIOUS REPORTING: Harm reduction group clashes with Texas lawmakers over fentanyl legislation Abbott said Tuesday on Twitter that he will "soon" sign the legislation. When signed, it would go into effect Sept. 1."Fentanyl poisoning robs families of their loved ones," he wrote on Twitter. "I made fighting the fentanyl crisis an emergency item for the regular legislative session."A case of a fentanyl-related murder charge has already happened in Central Texas. In May, an 18-year-old was charged w...