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In a rare victory for journalism amid a crackdown on the news media in Hong Kong, the city’s top court on Monday overturned the conviction of a prominent reporter who had produced a documentary that was critical of the police. Choy Yuk-ling, who also goes by the name Bao Choy, is best known in Hong Kong for producing investigative documentaries examining police conduct in 2019, when the city was roiled by months of antigovernment protests. Among the documentaries she produced was a prizewinning episode of “Hong Kong Connection,” a news program by the city’s public broadcaster RTHK. The episode examined who was behind a mob attack on a group of protesters and commuters in a train station on July 21, 2019, that left 45 people injured, and why the police were slow to respond. Ms. Choy had used a public database to look up the license plates of vehicles caught on video transporting the suspected attackers, and traced them to community leaders in Hong Kong’s outlying villages. She … [Read more...] about In Rare Victory for Media, Hong Kong Court Overturns Conviction of Journalist

WASHINGTON — The Chinese government has stopped renewing press credentials for foreign journalists working for American news organizations in China and has implied it will proceed with expulsions if the Trump administration takes further action against Chinese media employees in the United States, according to six journalists and U.S. officials with knowledge of the events and statements on Monday by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman. The actions and threats raise the stakes in the continuing cycles of retribution between Washington and Beijing over news media organizations. Those rounds of retaliation are a prominent element of a much broader downward spiral in U.S.-China relations , one that involves mutually hostile policies and actions over trade, technology, education , diplomatic missions , Taiwan and military presence in Asia. American news organizations immediately affected by China’s latest actions are CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News and Getty … [Read more...] about China Freezes Credentials for Journalists at U.S. Outlets, Hinting at Expulsions

Illustration: Alicia Tatone In May 2017, Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey , crashing through the first of many important democratic norms. While FBI directors technically can be fired, they generally serve ten-year terms for the express purpose of ensuring their political independence and to ward off the inherent danger of an unscrupulous president turning the bureau into a partisan weapon to protect his friends and harass his enemies. There were banner headlines and special reports invoking Nixon’s infamous Saturday Night Massacre . Conservatives uneasily justified the extraordinary maneuver as a necessary onetime response to Comey’s messy involvement in the 2016 election . “Given the recent controversies surrounding the director, I believe a fresh start will serve the FBI and the nation well,” said Senator Lindsey Graham . Comey had “made himself eminently fireable,” explained National Review . For a while, the national emergency was averted. The … [Read more...] about The GOP’s Authoritarian Acceleration

0 Crime & Safety Deerfield School District 109 board member Maureen Wener died after she was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Highland Park, officials said. Jonah Meadows , Patch Staff Posted Reply HIGHLAND PARK, IL — A hit-and-run driver fatally struck a local school board member as she rode her bike on Friday in Highland Park, officials said. Shortly after 12:30 p.m., emergency personnel were dispatched to the intersection of Deerfield and Piccadilly roads for a report of a cyclist struck by a car. Officials said the driver had left the scene before police or fire crews arrived, leaving the the cyclist, later identified as Deerfield Public Schools District 109 board member Maureen Wener, severely injured. Wener was taken to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving, according to Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering and the Lake County Coroner's Office. The … [Read more...] about Hit-And-Run Driver Fatally Strikes School Board Member Riding Bike

3 Crime & Safety The man is accused of impersonating a bank customer and trying to withdraw $10,000, police said. David Giuliani , Patch Staff Posted | Updated Replies ELMHURST, IL – A man who impersonated someone else to withdraw money at an Elmhurst bank was armed with a loaded semiautomatic handgun, police said. About 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Saifullah Diab, 33, of Norridge, presented forged documents at Fifth Third Bank, 990 N. York St., to withdraw $10,000 from a bank customer's account, Elmhurst police said in a news release. Two police officers were called to the bank to investigate, with one speaking to Diab and the other to a bank employee. Diab provided a false name to the officer and tried to leave, police said. When the officer detained Diab, he found the gun tucked into the man's pants, police said. It was reported as stolen. Officers also said they found ecstasy and cocaine on Diab. Diab … [Read more...] about Man Brings Gun Into Elmhurst Bank: Cops

0 Real Estate Looking to scope out the market? Check out what the latest homes in and near Arlington Heights have to offer. Real Estate News , Patch Staff Posted Reply ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — When you’re looking for a new place, hunting down every new listing in the area can be an exhausting task. That’s why we’ve gone ahead and done the prepwork for you. Here’s a sampling of the latest batch of new properties to hit the housing market in the Arlington Heights area — including a home in the Mount Prospect area for $185,000, and another with 4 beds and 2 baths for $535,000. Like what you see? Just click on any address in the list to get additional pics and details. Happy house hunting! Editor’s note: This list was automatically generated. Related: Visit The Patch Mortgage Center To Lock In Today's Best Rates 1. 2406 E Northwood Court, Arlington Heights, IL 60004 Price: $479,900 Size: 1,792 … [Read more...] about Arlington Heights Area: Check Out 5 Nearby Properties For Sale