Guilty Verdict in Cosby Case

A federal jury in New York has convicted a young woman of trying to extort $40 million from actor Bill Cosby by threatening to sell a story claiming that she is his illegitimate daughter. Prosecutors said Autumn Jackson, 22, and two others had carried out a "bold and deliberate" scheme to threaten the reputation of one of America's best-loved entertainers. Jackson sobbed uncontrollably upon hearing the verdict, which was reached after two days of deliberations. Jackson's attorney says he'll appeal the verdict and will seek a lighter sentence than the five-year minimum suggested by court guidelines. Jackson will be sentenced Oct. 22.

Jury: O'Connor Didn't Slander

A Los Angeles civil court jury has cleared actor Carroll O'Connor of slander charges brought by a man he accused of helping to drive his adopted son Hugh to suicide by supplying him with cocaine. O'Connor said outside the court he had no intention of continuing his campaign against convicted drug user Harry Perzigian. But, O'Connor added, "The public will handle Harry and the people on the street will handle Harry when they see him. And he's going to have to pay for what he did." Perzigian sued the 72-year-old actor after O'Connor gave a series of television interviews in which he accused the songwriter of being "a partner in murder."

Report: Chaos After Nuke Accident

A report in today's Los Angeles Times says that the response to a chemical explosion at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in the state of Washington in May was flawed to the point of failure because workers were endangered and authorities were not notified for hours. The report says the Department of Energy admitted chemicals were not stored properly, that workers "were ordered outside a trailer to walk through a toxic plume, had to drive themselves to the hospital four hours after the event and did not have their radiological tests scrutinized until a month after the accident."

New York Mob Boss Found Guilty

A jury has found Vincent "The Chin" Gigante, considered the last of New York's old-time Mafia dons, guilty of racketeering, conspiring to murder other mobsters and running the Genovese crime family. But jurors found him not guilty of seven murder charges. Gigante, 69, who faces the possibility of life in prison, looked up but showed no emotion as the verdict was read in Brooklyn federal court. He was given 24 hours to turn himself in at a federal prison hospital facility in North Carolina. Defense attorneys claim Gigante has been incapacitated by mental illness and heart disease for many years. He attended the trial in a wheelchair, often muttering to himself.

Man Sues for Cunanan Reward

The caretaker who stumbled upon suspected serial killer Andrew Cunanan aboard a Miami Beach houseboat has filed a lawsuit to claim reward money offered for Cunanan's capture. Fernando Carreira said in the lawsuit that the city of Miami Beach and Dade County breached a contract by refusing to give him $65,000 in reward money offered by various agencies. Miami Beach police say they're not sure Carreira would qualify for the reward because he called police to report a suspected burglar and a gunshot, not mentioning Cunanan. Miami Beach city officials later said Carreira could still qualify for the reward once the investigation is completed.

Tentative GM Deal Reached

The United Auto Workers union says it has reached a tentative agreement with General Motors to end a parts plant strike that has forced GM to idle six assembly plants and nearly 17,000 workers in the United States and Canada. An official at UAW Local 909 said details of the agreement would not be released until a ratification vote set for tomorrow morning. The strike by 2,800 workers at the Warren, Mich., powertrain plant began at midnight Tuesday when a new agreement could be not be reached by the strike deadline. A shortage of parts has forced GM to idle four car plants in Michigan and two at its Oshawa, Ontario, complex.

More Mexican Slaves Found

U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service agents have taken into custody 16 Mexican immigrants, most of them deaf, who were held in servitude in North Carolina. An INS agent says he believes more Mexicans are being held in similar circumstances elsewhere in Sanford, N.C. The raid came just a few days after the discovery that 60 deaf Mexicans were being held captive and treated as slaves in New York City. The agent says the North Carolina raid stemmed from information the INS obtained while investigating the New York case. One man taken into custody is believed to be one of the bosses of the operation.

Olympic Bomb Victims File Suit

Attorneys for 17 people injured in last year's Olympic Park bombing have filed a $100 million lawsuit against Olympic organizers, claiming the attack could have been foreseen and prevented. Attorneys filed the suit in Fulton County State Court against the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, AT&T, and two security firms on behalf of 17 of the more than 100 people who were injured when the bomb went off. The explosion also caused two deaths. The suit asks for a jury trial and seeks $100 million in punitive damages and unspecified actual damages. The blast rocked Olympic Park on July 27, 1996.

Budget Talks to Continue

Budget negotiations continue today between administration officials and congressional Republicans. The Republicans took a step toward a compromise yesterday by agreeing to White House demands to restore disability aid to legal immigrants. That protection had been eliminated in this year's welfare reform law. Republicans have set a deadline of next Friday for passing the final budget bills. Items still under discussion include a new children's health program, labor protections for welfare recipients in workfare programs and major changes in Medicare.

Cell Breakthrough Cited

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have developed the first laboratory cultures of human stem cells -- unspecialized cells that can grow to form all the different cells and tissues of the body. The breakthrough may pave the way to the eventual laboratory production of human tissues, such as heart muscle or nerve cells, that have been lost to disease or injury, the researchers said. It could also allow scientists to introduce changes into the genetic code that are passed from one generation to the next, although any such research would be prohibited at Johns Hopkins.

< Back > < Contents >  < Home >