Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Ohio cop seen punching man had past complaints
EUCLID
A white officer seen on video punching a black man over a dozen times in a traffic stop in a Cleveland suburb has received multiple complaints about his behavior during his three years in the police department.
Records show Euclid Officer Michael Amiott received four letters of reprimand and one formal citizen complaint but wasn’t disciplined beyond written citations. The complaints include allegations he mishandled evidence and pistol-whipped a man during a traffic stop.
Records show Amiott was forced out of a previous job with another police department before Euclid hired him in 2014.
Orangutan who loved ‘Price is Right’ dies at 45
TOLEDO
An Ohio zoo is mourning the death of a 45-year-old orangutan that enjoyed interacting with children while on public view and watching recordings of football and “The Price Is Right” during private time.
The Blade newspaper reports the primate named J.J. died Saturday when the Toledo Zoo put the orangutan under anesthesia to determine whether more could be done to treat the animal’s heart disease and declining health.
J.J. was the oldest male orangutan in captivity in North America, having surpassed the typical life expectancy by a decade.
Longtime keeper Suzanne Husband says staff spoiled the aging primate with the animal’s favorite foods and activities. They set up a computer to play YouTube videos of J.J.’s favorite game show, but only older episodes, because the animal preferred when Bob Barker was the host.
Judge rejects Sarah Palin lawsuit against ‘NY Times’
NEW YORK
A federal judge Tuesday tossed out a defamation lawsuit by Sarah Palin against The New York Times, saying the former Alaska governor failed to show the newspaper knew it was publishing false statements in an editorial before quickly correcting them.
The written ruling by Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said the lawsuit seeking unspecified damages “fails on its face to adequately allege actual malice.”
“What we have here is an editorial, written and rewritten rapidly in order to voice an opinion on an immediate event of importance, in which are included a few factual inaccuracies somewhat pertaining to Mrs. Palin that are very rapidly corrected,” the judge said. “Negligence this may be; but defamation of a public figure it plainly is not.”
Spicer finally gets to meet the pope
WASHINGTON
Sean Spicer finally got to meet the pope.
The former White House press secretary attended an audience with Pope Francis on Sunday as part of an annual meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke confirmed Tuesday.
A photograph posted on the Vatican Radio’s English Facebook page from the event shows Spicer sitting in the front row, taking photos of the pope with his phone. Others show a man dropping to his knee and proposing to his girlfriend in front of the pope.
Spicer, who is Roman Catholic, had been left off a list of White House officials who had the chance to meet with Francis in May when Trump visited the Vatican. The omission struck many as a slight by Trump against the embattled aide and drew sympathy on social media.
Associated Press