Allegations of sexual abuse by correctional staff in prisons across the US have surged in recent years, with guards allegedly using work tasks to lure female inmates to isolated areas. Despite hundreds of reports, those accused often face minimal or no reprisal. Attorney Michael Woelfel, who has helped settle 127 abuse cases in West Virginia, claims cries for justice often fall on deaf ears due to societal attitudes towards female criminals. Laws vary drastically between states, and in some places accused parties can’t be criminally charged if they’ve been compelled to speak about their actions. Furthermore, guards accused of misconduct can often retire, resign, or move facilities before investigations are completed.
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Daren Christopher Abbey, 41, a Montana man, was arrested for the murder of Dustin Kjersem, 35. Abbey stumbled upon Kjersem’s campsite, where he was invited to share a beer. At some point during their meeting, Abbey attacked Kjersem with a piece of wood, a screwdriver, and an ax, although the motives behind the attack are unknown. Abbey was later arrested and his DNA was found on a beer can at the scene. Abbey, who is being held without bond, confessed to the murder during an interview with detectives.
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US Green Party contender Jill Stein has rejected calls by over a dozen European Green parties to drop out of the US presidential race. They argue she could harm the chances of Joe Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris by splitting the left-wing vote in key states, thus potentially tipping the balance in Donald Trump’s favour. The European Greens wrote in an open letter that the race between Trump and Harris, compared to the 2016 contest, was “too close for comfort”. They also expressed the need for Kamala Harris as the US president to tackle global issues like climate change, and to bring stability to the Middle East. Stein has said she is “categorically not considering” quitting the campaign.
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During an appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience”, vice presidential hopeful JD Vance admired Lily Collins’ Netflix show “Emily in Paris”, calling it a “masterpiece”. He praised the show despite earlier stating he and his wife were watching “some stupid show” after the Republican National Convention. However, Collins, who voted for the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, revealed she wasn’t a fan of Vance’s work. The actress praised Harris and Walz for supporting women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, climate policy and environmental protection, access to education and healthcare, and more. She further warned against the ‘dangers of the alternative’.
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Boston area pizza shop owner, Stavros Papantoniadis, received a sentence of over eight years in federal prison for forcing employees into working under severe conditions and using violence and threats to ensure compliance. He was convicted in June on three counts each of forced labor and attempted forced labor. Papantoniadis employed undocumented workers, made them work 14-hour shifts seven days a week, and used surveillance cameras to monitor them. He also violently attacked a worker who tried to quit. The court also sentenced him to one year of supervised release and fined him $35,000.
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Starting from Friday, hospital patients in Texas will be asked about their legal status in the US, following an order by Republican Governor Greg Abbott. The aim is to track spending on non-resident patients in an attempt to recover funds from the federal government. Critics argue this could deter people from seeking essential healthcare. Florida initiated a similar policy in 2020. Patients are not obligated to answer and hospital workers must inform them that their care will not be influenced by their response.
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A pregnant teenager from Texas died after being turned away from emergency rooms multiple times, highlighting concerns about the loss of abortion rights in the US. Nevaeh Crain, 18, went to two emergency rooms but her abdominal pain was not addressed. When she was eventually diagnosed with sepsis, she was released after doctors confirmed her fetus’s heartbeat. Doctors in states with strict abortion laws are wary of providing care to pregnant women due to fear of legal repercussions. The consequences have proven harmful to women who require healthcare, often being moved between hospitals, which wastes crucial time.
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The Colorado Department of State accidentally posted a spreadsheet containing partial passwords for voting systems on its website. However, it stated there is no immediate security risk, as two passwords are needed for each component and physical access is necessary. The passwords were accessible for over two months before being removed and the department aims to complete password changes by the end of the day.
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Ohio Senator and Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance claimed that some teenagers become transgender to enhance their chances of being admitted into Ivy league universities. In an interview on podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience”, Vance also suggested that testosterone levels in young men are linked with conservative politics and that some women “celebrate” their abortions. He commented that he and former President Donald Trump could likely win the “normal gay guy vote”. There is no data to support Vance’s assertion that being transgender increases the likelihood of Ivy league admission. Rogan countered several of Vance’s claims, including the idea that any significant number of people celebrate abortions.
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The UCHealth Greeley Hospital in Colorado went into lockdown following a shooting in its parking lot on Thursday. A 35-year-old woman with gunshot wounds walked into the hospital’s emergency department, and is expected to survive. The suspect, a 38-year-old male, fled the scene and barricaded himself in a house around five miles away. The vehicle caught fire and spread to the house, the suspect was then found dead inside. Police believe the shooting was a result of domestic violence and the perpetrator knew the victim.
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John Q. Hosedrinker