NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
_1 Trump accusers: Three women who have previously accused President Trump of sexual harassment shared their stories Monday on NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today.” Jessica Leeds, Samantha Holvey and Rachel Crooks told of alleged harassment by Trump spanning decades. The White House called the claims false and said “the timing and absurdity of these false claims speak volumes.” The women, who first shared their stories before the 2016 election, held a news conference later Monday to call for a congressional investigation into Trump’s alleged behavior. They cited the recent revelations of sexual misconduct by prominent men for their decision to speak out against Trump once again.
_2 Gay rights: The Supreme Court on Monday decided to leave in place a lower-court ruling that a federal employment discrimination law doesn’t protect a person against discrimination based on their sexual orientation. The court declined to take up the question of whether a law that bars workplace discrimination “because of ... sex” covers discrimination against someone because of their sexual orientation. President Barack Obama’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission took the view that it does. But President Trump’s administration argued that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars discrimination based on gender but doesn’t cover sexual orientation. Federal appeals courts are split on the issue, which means it is likely to come to the court again.
_3 Hurricane recovery: A U.N. expert on extreme poverty and human rights met with hurricane victims Monday in Puerto Rico. Special rapporteur Philip Alston’s trip comes as Puerto Ricans and some government officials complain that the U.S. has not provided sufficient help after Hurricane Maria devastated the island on Sept. 20. The Category 4 storm killed dozens of people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes. Ten of the island’s 78 municipalities are still without power. Alston said there is a disproportionate number of Puerto Ricans living in poverty and he’s trying to assess the effectiveness of measures taken by the federal government.
_4 Sexual harassment: The New Yorker magazine said Monday that it has cut ties with its political reporter Ryan Lizza for alleged sexual misconduct. A spokeswoman said the magazine recently learned Lizza had “engaged in what we believe was improper sexual conduct.” A CNN spokeswoman said Lizza will not appear on the network, where he is a contributor, while it looks into the matter. Lizza said the magazine’s decision was a “terrible mistake” and that it was characterizing a “respectful relationship with a woman I dated as somehow inappropriate.”
_5 Baby taken: A North Dakota woman pleaded guilty Monday in the killing of a pregnant neighbor so she and her boyfriend could keep the baby. Brooke Crews, 38, could face life in prison after pleading guilty in the death of Savanna Greywind, 22, of Fargo. Greywind was eight months pregnant when she disappeared in August. Investigators haven’t said how she died, but Fargo Police Chief Dave Todd has said it was a “cruel and vicious act of depravity.” Her body was found in a river. The baby was found alive in the apartment Crews shared with her boyfriend William Hoehn. He’s scheduled for trial in March.
Chronicle News Services