A youth sports league in Indiana has banned its teams from printing players’ first names on their jerseys to foil pedophiles. Mike McGinley, president of a league for 12,000 children, said parents were concerned that sexual predators might approach players with a friendly, “Hi, Mary” or “Hi, Jimmy.” Under the new rule, parents can even have their child’s last name left off their jersey, as a defense against those rare predators who might be tempted to approach a child with a friendly, “Hi, Mr. Peterson.”
A Missouri man has spent two years in jail, confined to his cell for 23 hours a day, because the legal system forgot he was there. Court documents show that Joseph Shepard, 53, could have been released on bail in 2006 to await trial on drug and gun charges, but his lawyer never filed the proper paperwork, and prosecutors moved on to other cases. This week a new bail hearing was scheduled, and Shepard reacted to the good news by saying, “That’s what I’ve been hoping for. Something like that.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
July 17 editorial cartoonsCartoons Thursday’s political cartoons include the IRS allowing churches to endorse from the pulpit, and what Donald Trump thinks the letters ICE really stand for
-
King Charles and Prince Harry: peace in our time?Leaked images of a secret meeting between royal aides suggest a dialogue is beginning to open up
-
Crossword: July 17, 2025The Week's daily crossword
