Settlement proposed in W.Va. spill
Compiled from news services
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A proposed settlement has been reached between Charleston residents and a chemical company accused of not doing enough to safeguard West Virginia’s capital city from a spill that polluted the drinking water of thousands of people in 2014.
Officials said attorneys for Eastman Chemical and residents and businesses proposed the settlement.
Sexual assault cases
MADISON, Wis. — A University of WisconsinMadison student, Alec Cook, 20, has been jailed as a campus sexual assault investigation has snowballed.
According to a police detective’s affidavit, dozens of women have come forward “wanting to speak about ... acts related to Cook.” If true, it may be the most serious case ever at the school.
U.S. gender gap ranking
GENEVA — The U.S. placed 45th in the annual Global Gender Gap Report, down from 28th in 2015.
The report cites a decline in women participating in the labor force over the past year as a partial reason. It also says the U.S. has attained parity among genders in education.
Oregon juror dismissed
PORTLAND, Ore. — A federal judge Wednesday dismissed one juror accused by another of bias in the criminal trial of anti-government activists who took over a federally owned wildlife refuge in January.
The move brought deliberations to a halt.
Also in the nation...
City officials have shut down hundreds of public drinking fountains in Chicago after tests detected excessive levels of lead in the water . ... The Federal Communications Commission is to consider limiting freedom of internet-service providers such as AT&T and Comcast from using what they know about subscribers’ web browsing and app usage. ... Students who report being sexually assaulted at Brigham Young University will no longer face the possibility of punishment for honor code violations, such as extramarital sex . ... The Justice Department has launched a comprehensive review of the Memphis Police Department, after citizens criticized the department’s use of deadly force and its treatment of the black community . ... President Barack Obama is prepared to veto the fiscal 2017 defense authorization bill if it includes a provision that the White House believes would allow some forms of discrimination in federal contracting.