At a Glance ...

State adoption agency flips LGBT policy after settlement

LANSING (AP) — A major faith-based foster care and adoption contractor for the state of Michigan is reversing its policy and will place children with same-sex couples to comply with a legal settlement.

Bethany Christian Services and the state confirmed the change Monday.

Bethany Christian Services says while it is “disappointed” with how the settlement has been implemented, it will nonetheless reverse its policy so it continues foster care and adoption work for the state.

As of February, Bethany Christian Services was responsible for 1,159 — or more than eight percent — of cases of children under state supervision.

State Attorney General Dana Nessel’s recent settlement prevents faith-based agencies from refusing to put children in LGBT homes for religious reasons.


A win for people who park too long: Tire chalking thrown out

SAGINAW (AP) — A city's policy of chalking tires to enforce parking restrictions has been declared unconstitutional.

A federal court says chalking tires in Saginaw to keep track of parked cars is an unreasonable search and has no role in maintaining public safety. The decision by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals created a new legal precedent Monday in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Saginaw marks tires with chalk to keep track of how long a vehicle is parked. Alison Taylor sued after receiving 15 parking tickets between 2014 and 2017. Tickets start at $15.

The court says marking tires was a strategy to raise money.


Doctor sentenced to 11-plus years in opioid scheme

DETROIT (AP) — A suburban Detroit doctor who admitted running an $18 million prescription drug scheme has been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.

A federal judge last week also ordered Dr. Zongli Chang to pay a $1 million fine and forfeit $3 million. The Livonia man had pleaded guilty to orchestrating the opioid scheme between 2012 and 2017.

Chang said he was paid $150 to $400 for writing prescriptions for no medical purpose that were filled and then sold on the streets. Seven Detroit residents were also indicted, and six have pleaded guilty.

Chang’s plea agreement says recruiters would take the fake patients to pharmacies to get the pills, including hydrocodone and oxycodone.

His medical license was suspended by Michigan regulators in 2017.


Police: Man returns home, finds naked stranger on couch

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Police say a Tennessee man returned home to find a naked stranger sitting on his couch drinking juice.

WKRN-TV cites a Nashville police report that says the resident summoned officers and told them he called out to the stranger, who responded by screaming and dropping the juice.

When officers asked the man to exit the home, they say he did so but was wearing only a T-shirt.

The resident reported the man had consumed ice cream from the home in addition to the juice.

Police took 67-year-old James Wooten into custody on charges including aggravated burglary. His bail was set at $5,000.
 

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