Louisiana lawmakers approve surgical castration option for those guilty of sex crimes against kids

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By SARA CLINE (Associated Press)

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A person found guilty of a sex crime against a child in Louisiana could soon be ordered to undergo surgical castration, in addition to prison time.

Louisiana lawmakers gave final approval to a bill Monday that would allow judges the option to sentence someone to surgical castration after the person has been convicted of certain aggravated sex crimes — including rape, incest and molestation — against a child younger than 13. Several states, including Louisiana, currently can order such criminals to receive chemical castration, which uses medications that block testosterone production in order to decrease sex drive. However, surgical castration is a more invasive procedure.

If an offender “fails to appear or refuses to undergo” castration after a judge orders the procedure, they could be hit with “failure to comply” charge and face an additional three to five years in prison, based on the bill’s language.

“This is a consequence,” Republican state Sen. Valarie Hodges said during a committee hearing on the bill in April. “It’s a step over and beyond just going to jail and getting out.”

The bill now heads to the desk of conservative Gov. Jeff Landry, who will decide whether to sign it into law or veto it.

Currently, there are 2,224 people imprisoned in Louisiana for sex crimes against children younger than 13. However, if the bill becomes law, it can only be applied to those who have convicted a crime that occurred on or after Aug. 1 of this year.

The sponsor of the bill, Democratic state Sen. Regina Barrow, has said it would be an extra step in punishment for horrific crimes. She hopes the legislation will serve as a deterrent to such offenses against children.

“We are talking about babies who are being violated by somebody,” Barrow said during an April committee meeting. “That is inexcusable.”

While castration is often associated with men, Barrow said the law could be applied to women, too. She also stressed that imposing the punishment would be by individual cases and at the discretion of judges. The punishment is not automatic.

The proposed law also stipulates that a medical expert must “determine whether that offender is an appropriate candidate” for the procedure before it’s carried out.

A handful of states — including California, Florida and Texas — have laws in place allowing for chemical castration, but in some of those states offenders can opt for the surgical procedure if they prefer. The National Conference of State Legislatures said they are unaware of any states that currently have laws in place, like the bill proposed in Louisiana, that would specifically allow judges to impose surgical castration.

Louisiana’s current chemical castration law has been in place since 2008, however very few offenders have had the punishment passed handed down to them — with officials saying from 2010 to 2019, they could only think of one or two cases.

The bill, and chemical castration bills, have received pushback, with opponents saying it is “cruel and unusual punishment” and questioned the effectiveness of the procedure. Additionally some Louisiana lawmakers have questioned if the punishment was too harsh for someone who may have a single offense.

“For me, when I think about a child, one time is too many,” Barrow responded.

A Black medic wounded on D-Day saved dozens of lives. He’s finally being posthumously honored

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By Rebecca Santana, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Waverly Woodson Jr., a medic who was part of the only Black combat unit to take part in the D-Day invasion of France during World War II, is being posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in recognition of the heroism and determination he showed treating troops under heavy enemy fire.

The Distinguished Service Cross is the second-highest honor that can be bestowed on a member of the Army and is awarded for extraordinary heroism.

The announcement was made Monday by Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who has been working for years with Woodson’s family for more recognition of his exploits on that fateful day.

FILE – Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., speaks during a medal ceremony for Cpl. Waverly B. Woodson Jr., to be posthumously honored with the Bronze Star and Combat Medic Badge at Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 11, 2023 in Arlington, Va. Woodson Jr., a medic who was part of the only Black combat unit to take part in the D-Day invasion of France, is being posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. It’s the military’s second highest honor. The announcement was made Monday, June 3, 2024, by Van Hollen. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File)

“This has been a long time coming,” Van Hollen said during an interview with The Associated Press. “Woodson’s bravery on D-Day was heroic. We have numerous accounts of what he did to save his fellow soldiers even as he was wounded. And so we’ve been pursuing this recognition for a long time along with the family.”

The announcement comes just days before the 80th anniversary of the June 6 anniversary of the assault that led to the liberation of France and the rest of Western Europe from Nazi Germany.

Members of the First Army, which included Woodson’s unit during World War II, is taking a World War II-era Distinguished Service Cross with them to France. They will hold a ceremony on the Colleville-sur-Mer section of the beach, under what was a German fighting position known as WN61 where Woodson cared for troops, and place the medal in the sands there. Later this summer it will be given to his family in a ceremony.

Woodson was just 21 years old when his unit, the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, took part in the Allied operation. His battalion, the only African American combat unit there that day, was responsible for setting up balloons to deter enemy planes.

At a time when the U.S. military was still segregated by race, about 2,000 African American troops are believed to have taken part in the D-Day invasion.

Woodson died in 2005. He spoke to the AP in 1994 about how his landing craft came under intense fire from the Germans as it approached the beach.

“The tide brought us in, and that’s when the 88s hit us,” he said of the German 88mm guns. “They were murder. Of our 26 Navy personnel there was only one left. They raked the whole top of the ship and killed all the crew. Then they started with the mortar shells,” Woodson said.

FILE – Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., left, shakes hands with Joann Woodson, the widow of Cpl. Waverly B. Woodson Jr., during a medal ceremony posthumously honoring Cpl. Woodson with the Bronze Star and Combat Medic Badge at Arlington National Cemetery, Oct. 11, 2023 in Arlington, Va. Woodson Jr., a medic who was part of the only Black combat unit to take part in the D-Day invasion of France, is being posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. It’s the military’s second highest honor. The announcement was made Monday, June 3, 2024, by Van Hollen. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File)

Capt. Kevin Braafladt, the First Army historian, said Woodson’s landing craft — LCT 856 — was hit by two shells, wounding Woodson. The vessel lost power and was pushed toward the shore by the tide. Woodson likely had to jump in the water to wade ashore.

For the next 30 hours he treated 200 wounded men all while under intense small arms and artillery fire before collapsing from his injuries and blood loss, according to accounts of his service. At the time he was awarded the Bronze Star.

Although 1.2 million Black Americans served in the military during World War II, none was among the original recipients of the Medal of Honor awarded in the conflict. The Army commissioned a study in the early 1990s to analyze whether Black troops had been unjustly overlooked during an era of widespread racism and segregation in the military. Ultimately, seven Black World War II troops were awarded the Medal of Honor in 1997.

At the time, Woodson was considered for the award and the authors interviewed him. But, they wrote, his decoration case file couldn’t be found and his personnel records were destroyed in a 1973 fire at a military records facility. Woodson’s supporters believe not just that he is worthy of the Medal of Honor but that there was a recommendation at the time to award it to him that has been lost.

FILE – The headstone of Cpl. Waverly B. Woodson Jr. is seen during a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Oct. 11, 2023, in Arlington, Va. Woodson Jr., a medic who was part of the only Black combat unit to take part in the D-Day invasion of France, is being posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. It’s the military’s second highest honor. The announcement was made Monday, June 3, 2024, by Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File)

Braafladt said after the war the U.S. military made a deliberate effort to reduce its massive amounts of paperwork. The fire at a military records facility in Missouri also destroyed countless documents. But Braafladt, who’s been working on the Woodson case for roughly four years, said there’s no doubt in his mind that Woodson was absolutely deserving of the Medal of Honor and that he was recommended for it at the time. It’s a matter of finding the documentation, he said.

“For me and for the First Army, the hunt continues,” he said.

Van Hollen’s office became involved in Woodson’s case years ago when Woodson’s wife reached out to seek Van Hollen’s assistance in helping get Woodson’s the recognition she felt he deserved.

“Waverly would have felt honored to be recognized for what he knew was his duty. But we all know it was far more than duty; it was his desire to always help people in need,” said Joann Woodson in the announcement from the senator’s office.

Woodson’s story is also being told as part of a four-part National Geographic docuseries called “Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color.” The docuseries highlights the stories of people whose contributions were deliberately overlooked at a time of entrenched racism.

Van Hollen said he and Woodson’s family were still working to have Woodson awarded the Medal of Honor but called the awarding of the Distinguished Service Cross an “extremely significant” moment.

“This moment is extremely significant at overcoming what has been an historic injustice and righting this wrong,” said Van Hollen.

Cyndi Lauper to bring her farewell tour to Target Center in December

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Pop music icon Cyndi Lauper will embark on what she’s calling her farewell tour this fall and will headline Minneapolis’ Target Center on Dec. 4.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday through Ticketmaster. Neither the promoter nor the venue announced ticket prices. The opening act will be announced at a later date.

Lauper, who turns 71 later this month, emerged in 1983 with her debut album “She’s So Unusual.” A worldwide hit, the record included four Top 5 singles: “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Time After Time,” “She Bop” and “All Through the Night.” It also featured her cover of Prince’s “When You Were Mine.”

After winning the best new artist Grammy in 1985, Lauper went on to release “True Colors” and watched its title track become a smash in North America and much of Europe.

By the end of the ’80s, Lauper fell off the Top 40 charts, but she maintained a steady public presence, taking acting roles, collaborating with other artists and delving into various genres, including country, dance, jazz and blues.

Lauper also composed the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical “Kinky Boots,” which opened on Broadway in 2013 and enjoyed a six-year run. It won six Tony Awards, including best musical and best original score, and has since been staged around the world.

A new documentary about Lauper’s life and career, “Let the Canary Sing,” will debut on Paramount+ on Tuesday. Lauper will also be a guest on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Wednesday.

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Fraud trial juror reports getting bag of $120,000 and promise of more if she’ll acquit

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A juror was dismissed Monday after reporting that a woman dropped a bag of $120,000 in cash at her home and offered her more money if she would vote to acquit seven people charged with stealing more than $40 million from a program meant to feed children during the pandemic.

“This is completely beyond the pale,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said in court on Monday. “This is outrageous behavior. This is stuff that happens in mob movies.”

These seven are the first of 70 defendants expected to go to trial in a conspiracy that cost taxpayers $250 million. Eighteen others have pleaded guilty, and authorities said they recovered about $50 million in one of the nation’s largest pandemic-related fraud cases. Prosecutors say just a fraction of the money went to feed low-income kids, while the rest was spent on luxury cars, jewelry, travel and property.

During the trial that began in April, defense attorneys questioned the quality of the FBI’s investigation and suggested that this might be more of a case of record-keeping problems than fraud as these defendants sought to keep up with rapidly changing rules for the food aid program.

These seven initial defendants were affiliated with a restaurant that participated in the food aid program. Those still awaiting trial include Feeding our Future’s founder Aimee Bock, who has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing.

The 23-year-old juror said she immediately turned over the bag of cash to police. She said a woman left it with her father-in-law Sunday with the message that she’d get another bag of cash if she voted to acquit, according to a report in the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune.

Defense attorney Andrew Birrell told the judge that the bag of cash is “a troubling and upsetting accusation.”

Before allowing the trial to continue with more closing arguments on Monday, U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel questioned the remaining 17 jurors and alternates, and none reported any unauthorized contact. She didn’t decide immediately whether to sequester the jury or detain the defendants, but she did order an FBI agent to confiscate the defendants’ phones.

The aid money came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was administered by the state Department of Education. Nonprofits and other partners under the program were supposed to serve meals to kids.

Two of the groups involved, Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition, were small nonprofits before the pandemic, but in 2021 they disbursed around $200 million each. Prosecutors allege they produced invoices for meals that were never served, ran shell companies, laundered money, indulged in passport fraud and accepted kickbacks.

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