Copyright 1999 The Washington Post
The Washington
Post
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May 29, 1999, Saturday, Final Edition
SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A12
LENGTH: 440 words
HEADLINE:
NATION IN BRIEF
BODY:
Wisconsin Abortion
Ban Upheld
MADISON, Wis. -- A Wisconsin law
that bars a type of late-term abortion is constitutional, a
federal judge ruled yesterday.
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and six
physicians had sued the state shortly after the law was enacted more than a year
ago, saying it was unconstitutionally vague, with language so broad that it
could outlaw other types of abortions. U.S. District Judge John Shabaz said the
law, aimed at what critics call "partial-birth" abortions, is not vague and does
not place an undue burden on women. He ruled that the state has a valid interest
in banning the procedure, which he found "is never medically necessary to
preserve the health of the woman."
Opponents of the law said they would
appeal.
Racial Slurs Lead to Murder Charge
WEST
PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A white woman who allegedly knocked an elderly black
neighbor to the ground and mooned her for not responding to her "good afternoon"
was charged with murder Thursday because the victim had a heart attack and died.
Joelle O'Neill, 41, got angry at Julia Osmun, 65, on Sept. 16, and they
exchanged racial slurs, authorities said. Minutes later, Osmun, who had a
history of heart problems, began breathing heavily and was taken to the
hospital. She died later that day.
Addenda
CHICAGO --
The Windy City will get another chance to prove it can run its public housing
program, seized by the federal government four years ago because of
mismanagement. City officials said it will take several months to complete the
transition and fine-tune plans to run the Chicago Housing Authority, which was
turned over to the city Thursday by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Margaret Hardridge, the operator of a
day-care center where two 6-year-old twin girls say they were gang-raped, was
charged with trying to cover up the alleged assaults, prosecutors said. Five
youths, one 11 and four 13, also have been charged in the incident.
LINCOLN, Neb. -- State lawmakers ended their session without challenging
GOP Gov. Mike Johanns's veto of a moratorium on executions. Instead, they voted
unanimously Thursday to override his veto of a separate bill to study whether
the death penalty is applied fairly.
WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Eighth-grader
Angela Pham, 14, was suspended for the rest of the school year for rubbing
poison ivy on her science teacher's chair. Teacher Tom Northrup did not develop
a rash, but school officials said Pham violated a policy against the use of a
weapon, which is defined by the school district as a dangerous object or
chemical.
LOAD-DATE: May 29, 1999
