Court: Insurer must defend Cosby suits

Court: Insurer must defend Cosby suits

BOSTON

A federal appeals court says an insurance company must pick up Bill Cosby’s tab to fight defamation lawsuits brought by women who accused him of sexual misconduct. But the ruling by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston doesn’t mean the insurance company, AIG, must pay any damages.

Cosby faces civil lawsuits alleging he defamed women when he accused them of lying about their allegations.

Cosby, 80, was convicted in April on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He is due to be sentenced in September and faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.

US weighs in against policy on bullying

WASHINGTON

University of Michigan policies prohibiting harassment and bullying on campus are unconstitutional and cannot be enforced, the Justice Department said Monday in siding with a free-speech group that has challenged the school in court.

The Trump administration argued that the school policies trample on students’ First Amendment rights because they fail to define the scope of banned words or actions. The government also challenged the legality of a specialized team of administrators and law-enforcement officials that it says is responsible for responding to allegations of bias on campus.

Justice Department lawyers said the policies unfairly allow for students to be disciplined for comments that a listener finds hurtful or bothersome, thereby banning a wide range of First Amendment speech. The department said the university does not clearly define what type of speech or action might be considered harassing or bullying.

Man gets 40 years in deaths of cyclists

KALAMAZOO, Mich.

A man buzzed on painkillers and other drugs when his pickup truck plowed into a pack of Michigan bicyclists, killing five, was sentenced Monday to at least 40 years in prison after he tearfully expressed regret over the rural road tragedy.

Nine people out on a recreational ride were members of a group called the “Chain Gang.” They were hit on a two-lane road two years ago in southwestern Michigan’s Cooper Township.

Pickett, 52, of Battle Creek didn’t dispute that he had ingested drugs that day. A trial witness said he had attended a cousin’s funeral and swallowed a handful.

Italy’s new leaders get tough on migrants

ROMe

Italy’s new “Italians first” government claimed victory Monday when the Spanish prime minister offered safe harbor to a private rescue ship after Italy and Malta refused to allow it permission to disembark its 629 migrant passengers in their ports.

The Aquarius, a rescue vessel operated by aid group SOS Mediterranee, has been stuck in the Mediterranean Sea since Saturday, when Italy refused its crew permission to dock and demanded that Malta do so. Malta refused Sunday.

Spain’s new Socialist prime minister, Pedro Sanchez stepped in Monday, ordering authorities in Valencia to prepare for the ship’s arrival. “It’s our duty to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe and offer a secure port for these people,” Sanchez said.

Hurricane Bud grows

MEXICO CITY

Hurricane Bud grew to Category 3 force off Mexico’s Pacific coast Monday, though forecasters said it was likely to weaken before a possible brush with the resort-dotted southern tip of the Baja California peninsula late in the week.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Bud had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph at midafternoon Monday. It was centered about 440 miles south-southeast of the tip of the Baja peninsula and was moving northwest at 7 mph.

Associated Press