Missouri lawmakers passed one of the nation’s most stringent abortion waiting periods Wednesday, overriding a veto of legislation that will require women to wait 72 hours after consulting with a doctor before ending a pregnancy. Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon denounced the measure as “extreme and disrespectful” toward women, because it contains no exception for cases of rape or incest. Missouri’s new law will be the second most-stringent behind South Dakota, where the 72-hour wait can sometimes stretch even longer because of weekends and holidays, which are not counted during that period of time. Republican supporters of the legislature say that the 72-hour period will allow women more time to think about their decision, while Democratic lawmakers say the law is designed to demean and shame women into changing their minds. [Fox News]
Toronto mayor Rob Ford remains in the hospital as doctors investigate an abdominal tumor discovered Wednesday. Ford’s health scare comes just weeks before the Oct. 27th election, and months after his return to the city from alcohol and drug rehab. Mayor Ford’s brother, Doug Ford, spoke to reporters Wednesday about his brother’s medical condition during a news conference at Humber River Hospital. Ford declined to comment on the election during the press conference, and thanked everyone for their well wishes. [Toronto Sun]
An off-duty police officer in Honolulu, HI alleges that he accidentally fired his gun while in the bathroom of a Target store. The officer took the gun out of the holster, put it on the toilet paper dispenser, and accidentally shot it when he went to pick it up. The bullet ricocheted off the stall and into the wall of another stall, but did not injure anyone. It is unknown if anyone else was in the bathroom at the time, but the firing of the gun did startle shoppers. [Huff Post]
A vicious attack at a Chicago train station was caught on camera early Monday morning. At around 12:30 a.m., a group of seven men surrounded two brothers and began attacking one of them with a machete. The siblings were approached by the group, and told to flash their gang signs. When the brothers refused to, saying they were not affiliated with any gangs, a member of the group pulled out a machete and struck one brother in the head multiple times. The attack stopped when a train pulled into the station, at which point the group dispersed. The attackers were apprehended shortly after they fled the scene. [Huff Post]
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
