City Council approves bill banning solitary confinement in jails

Over the objections of Mayor Eric Adams, New York City lawmakers passed legislation Wednesday meant to ban solitary confinement in the city’s jails.

Adams, a Democrat, had urged the City Council to reject the bill, arguing it will make jails more dangerous for inmates and workers. But the measure was approved overwhelmingly and has enough supporters on the council to overrule a potential veto from the mayor.

The bill places a four-hour limit on isolating inmates who pose an immediate risk of violence to others or themselves in “deescalation” units. Only those involved in violent incidents could be placed in longer-term restrictive housing, and they would need to be allowed out of their cells for 14 hours each day and get access to the same programming available to other inmates.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who introduced the legislation, said before the vote that solitary confinement amounts to torture for those subjected to many hours in isolation in small jail cells.

Texas has begun flying migrants from U.S.-Mexico border to Chicago

Texas has begun flying migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to Chicago after the city took a tougher stance on the buses that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has been sending north since last year.

The first flight of 120 migrants arrived Tuesday, according to Abbott’s office.

The governor directed state officials to begin busing migrants to Democratic-led cities starting in April 2022. More than 80,000 migrants have since been relocated through the effort as part of the governor’s multipronged border security mission, known as Operation Lone Star, including 23,000 to Chicago.

Chicago’s City Council voted last week to toughen penalties on bus operators that don’t unload passengers at a designated arrival location or fill out city paperwork. The city has said operators began trying to drop people off in neighboring cities to avoid penalties including fines, towing or impoundment.

Victim of Green River Killer identified after nearly 40 years through DNA

Investigators have identified a victim of the Green River Killer, one of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history, more than four decades after the victim was last seen alive, officials in Washington state said Tuesday.

The victim, Lori Anne Razpotnik, who was known as Bones 17 for nearly 40 years after her remains were discovered, ran away from home in 1982 at age 15, according to a news release from the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Her family never saw her again.

Donna Hurley, Razpotnik’s mother, said Wednesday that the news of how her daughter died was “overwhelming, but at the same time it just brought a sense of peace.”

Austin police officer indicted in fatal shooting of man on his front porch

An Austin, Texas, police officer has been indicted for deadly conduct in the fatal shooting of a man standing on his own front porch.

A grand jury indicted Officer Daniel Sanchez on Wednesday in Rajan Moonesinghe’s death.

Video and audio show Austin police officers arrived at Moonesinghe’s home in November 2022, yelled “drop your gun” then fired at Moonesinghe, who was holding an AR-15-style weapon.

The Moonesignhe family in a statement Thursday thanked the local prosecutor but said the indictment is not enough to achieve justice.

“Raj was never a threat to the police — his gun was pointed at the ground,” the family wrote. “Considering these facts and the footage to prove it, we expect additional indictments to be brought against Officer Sanchez.”