National News

Former Speaker of the House Sentenced in Cover-Up of Sexual Abuse
Dennis Hastert, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for executing banking transactions in a specific pattern to conceal the sexual abuse of students he had coached in a high school wrestling team. The alleged abuses happened decades ago; many of the victims are now in their 50s. In consideration of Hastert’s numerous health problems, the judge that convicted him recommended that Hastert be sent to a prison hospital. The court could not charge Hastert for the sexual abuse because statutes of limitation for acts in the 1960s and ’70s have run out. The former Speaker was first elected to the house in 1986 and became speaker in 1999. nytimes.com

JetBlue Pilot in Court for Allegedly Flying Drunk
Dennis Murphy, former JetBlue pilot, was in court Wednesday after failing an alcohol test that he was randomly selected to take on April 21 after flying two flights between JFK International Airport in New York and Orlando International Airport in Florida. The airline has since removed his flight status and he has resigned. According to the complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York, he registered a 0.111 and 0.091 on a breathalyzer test, both of which are over the legal driving limit of anywhere in the United States. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years if convicted. abcnews.go.com

Tom Brady’s 4-Game Ban Reinstated
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled Monday to reinstate Tom Brady’s four-game ban in the “Deflategate” scandal. The ban was originally imposed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, but has been challenged. The NFL says it is happy that the court ruled in their favor, claiming Goodell used his authority properly when issuing the ban. The NFL Players Association (NFLPA), which was representing Brady, said it is disappointed with the ruling, claiming Goodell didn’t serve as a fair arbitrator and that players rights were violated. The NFLPA says it will continue looking to defend Brady and the rights of other players in the league. cnn.com

International Spotlight

Austria Passes Strict Asylum Law
Days after an election put many far-right wing politicians into office, Austria has passed controversial asylum laws aimed at severely reducing the number of people who can be granted asylum in the country. The law allows for most asylum seekers to be rejected at the border and limits successful claims to three years. Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka, proponent of the law, said Austria was forced to act after other European Union member states had failed to act on their own and that Austria cannot bear the full burden of asylum seekers. Opponents of the law say it undermines the principle of protection from war and persecution. bbc.com

Paris Attacks Suspect Handed Over to France
Salah Abdeslam, the only alleged living direct participant of the terrorist attacks in Paris last November, was extradited to France from Belgium Wednesday and was later charged in a French court with murder connected to terrorism, participation in a terrorist conspiracy and possession of weapons and explosives. He was brought to the country using a heavily guarded helicopter and will be detained in a French unit designed specifically to hold individuals known to be dangerous in isolation. Abdeslam is a French citizen of Moroccan descent and fled France on Nov. 14 of last year, leading to a manhunt that ended in his capture on March 18 in Brussels. nytimes.com

Australian Man Hospitalized after Redback Spider Bites His Penis
A tradesman, whose name has not been made public, took himself to the hospital after being bitten by a redback spider Wednesday in a portable bathroom in Sydney, Australia. The redback spider could not be reached for comment as his current whereabouts are unknown. Its species is closely related to the black widow spider and can be distinguished by a long red stripe on its abdomen. Venom released from its bite causes severe pain, sweating and nausea. There are recorded cases of its bite being fatal, but none since the development of an antivenom in 1956. The man has since been discharged in a stable condition. bbc.com

A version of this story appeared on p. 5 of the Thursday, April 28, 2016 print edition of the Daily Nexus.

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