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Weinstein rape retrial to open, with majority-female jury

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Weinstein rape retrial to open, with majority-female jury

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Opening statements are set for Wednesday in former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial, this time with a majority-female jury deciding the landmark #MeToo case.

After a dayslong selection process yielded a seven-woman, five-man jury and five alternate jurors by Monday, prosecutors and Weinstein’s lawyers finished choosing a sixth and final alternate on Tuesday. Alternates step in if a member of the main panel can’t see the trial through.

The main jury is more female than the five women and seven men who convicted Weinstein at his first trial five years ago. The verdict marked a signature moment for the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct, which had been fueled in 2017 by a slew of allegations against Weinstein, then a high-flying movie producer of a string of Oscar winners including “Pulp Fiction” and “Shakespeare in Love.”

But in a reversal that dismayed #MeToo activists, New York’s highest court last year overturned Weinstein’s 2020 conviction and 23-year prison sentence. The court found that the original trial judge allowed prejudicial testimony. That judge’s term expired in 2022, and he is no longer on the bench.

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HARVEY WEINSTEIN’S TEAM STRESSES SEX CRIME RETRIAL COULD LEAD TO DEATH, REQUESTS HOSPITAL STAY

Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty and denies raping or sexually assaulting anyone.

Drawn from Manhattan’s jury pool, the 12 members of the main jury for the New York retrial include a physics researcher, a photographer, a dietitian, a therapist, an investment bank software engineer and a fire safety director. Others have experience in real estate, TV commercials, debt collection, social work and other fields.

One has a high school equivalency degree. Others have master’s degrees. Some have served as jurors or grand jurors multiple times before; others, never.

Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan as jury selection continues in his retrial on Monday, April 21, 2025 in New York. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP)

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Hundreds of other potential jurors were excused for reasons ranging from language barriers to strong opinions about Weinstein — “the first word that came in my head was ‘pig,’” said one man who was soon let go.

Those chosen were quizzed about their backgrounds, life experiences and various other points that could relate to their ability to be fair and impartial about the highly publicized case.

“You may hear sexual allegations here of a salacious nature — graphic, perhaps. Would hearing that indicate that … Mr. Weinstein must be guilty?” defense attorney Mike Cibella asked one prospective juror on Monday. The woman, who ultimately was chosen, answered no.

HARVEY WEINSTEIN MANDATED RESHOOTS MADE ACTRESS FEEL ‘SLIMY’

Prosecutor Shannon Lucey sought assurances that prospective jurors could put aside any position or feelings they had about the #MeToo movement.

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“Is there anyone who is going to think of the movement and think, ‘OK, that’s just something that I have to keep in the back of my mind when I’m deciding this case’? Everyone can put that aside?” Lucey asked a group of 24 possible jurors. All indicated they could do so.

Weinstein’s rape and sexual assault retrial involves accusations from three women: an aspiring actor who said he raped her in 2013, and two women who made separate allegations of forced oral sex in 2006. One of the two wasn’t part of the original trial.

Meanwhile, Weinstein is challenging a separate 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles.

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Boston, MA

Commuter rail train derails at South Station, causing dozens of cancellations and delays

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Commuter rail train derails at South Station, causing dozens of cancellations and delays



An MBTA Commuter Rail train derailed at South Station on Friday night, resulting in dozens of cancellations and delays. 

Keolis Commuter Services, which operates the trains, said that a Providence Line Train had a “slow speed derailment of a single coach.” 

Around 350 people were on board at the time, according to a spokesperson for Keolis. No injuries were reported.

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“Crews safely escorted passengers off the train and back to South Station,” the spokesperson said in a statement. 

The cause of the derailment is under investigation.

Around 20 trains had been canceled and 13 were delayed due to the derailment as of 9:00 p.m. Friday night. 

The cancellations included Fairmont/Worcester, Providence/Stoughton, Franklin/Foxboro, Fall River/ New Bedford, Fitchburg, Needham and the Fairmount Line. 

The trains canceled include:

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  • Fairmont Line train 1671, 1673, 1679, 1680, 1684
  • Foxboro Line train 874, 1765, 1770
  • Framingham Line trains – 1561
  • Franklin Line trains – 763, 776
  • Needham Line trains – 661,666, 677, 680
  • Providence Line train 861, 871, 874, 880, 960, 963, 966
  • Stoughton Line train – 969
  • Worcester Line trains 571, 580

The MBTA website has more information about the canceled and delayed Commuter Rail trains, as does the MBTA Commuter Rail Twitter.



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Pittsburg, PA

More than 250K without power as tropical storm-force wind gusts batter Pittsburgh

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More than 250K without power as tropical storm-force wind gusts batter Pittsburgh






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Connecticut

CT DSS orders patients transferred out of Windsor Locks nursing home over safety concerns

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CT DSS orders patients transferred out of Windsor Locks nursing home over safety concerns


A nursing home in Windsor Locks will have to transfer all its residents by April 10 due to safety concerns, according to the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS).

The order comes a month after a 93-year-old Margaret “Peggy” Healey, who police said had Alzheimer’s or dementia, was found lying in the snow outside the Bickford Health Care Center.

Staff at Bickford found Healey lying in the snow at 5:07 a.m on Feb. 8., three hours and 17 minutes after she left the building, according to police.

Patrol officers were called to Bickford at 6:23 a.m., four and a half hours after Healey was seen exiting. She was pronounced dead at 6:46 a.m., police said.

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Healey, who had Alzheimer’s or dementia, left through an employee entrance at the back of the building, which is designed to stay closed and locked, according to police. Detectives learned that the door is often left propped open and that the keypad access code is printed nearby.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) looked into Bickford following Healey’s death, and found the facility violated several state statutes in its response before and after Healey was found. DPH also said that Healey’s medical file at the facility did not include her “wandering behaviors” and interventions.

In the report, DPH also said that the facility failed to ensure that three emergency exit doors were maintained, and failed to ensure that the doors fully closed and latched after opening, or sounded an alarm when opened.

DPH also found other operational violations in the facility, including a lack of paperwork for radiology and lab work, as well as a failure to provide evidence of physician coverage for 24-hour coverage.

“The commissioner finds that the health, safety, and welfare of the patients in the facility is jeopardized,” DSS said.

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DSS appointed a temporary manager for Bickford and will transfer all patients from the facility to participating facilities.

“This order reflects our commitment to ensuring that the individuals who call Bickford home are moved to safe, appropriate settings as quickly and compassionately as possible,” said DSS Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves. “The Temporary Manager will work closely with DSS, DPH, and the Long Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) to ensure each resident receives the care and support they need throughout this transition.”

“Ensuring the health, safety, and dignity of nursing home residents is a responsibility we take seriously at the Department of Public Health,” said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. “Our investigation made clear that the residents of Bickford Health Care Center deserved better. We are committed to working closely with DSS and the LTCO to ensure every individual is transitioned with care to a setting where they can receive the quality care they need and deserve.”



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