Category: U.S. News

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. — Law enforcement officials concluded their search of a California residence connected to a convicted killer without locating the body of Kristin Smart, a college student who disappeared nearly three decades ago, authorities announced Saturday.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office wrapped up their investigation at the property belonging to Susan Flores in Arroyo Grande, a Central Coast community located over 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Her son, Paul Flores, received a murder conviction in 2022 for Smart’s death, though investigators have never recovered the victim’s remains.

Officials refused to share further details about their investigation. Earlier this week, law enforcement indicated that evidence pointed to the possibility of human remains being located at the residence, prompting specialists in human decomposition and soil analysis to collect ground samples.

“The Sheriff’s Office remains fully committed to finding Kristin and bringing her home to her family,” the department stated.

Smart disappeared from California Polytechnic State University in May 1996. Legal officials argued that she died during an attempted sexual assault and that Paul Flores, a classmate, was the final person spotted with her. Courts officially declared her dead in 2002.

Flores received his murder conviction in October 2022 and was sentenced to serve 25 years to life the following year.

This long-standing case has drawn widespread public attention, partly due to a podcast creator who assisted investigators by encouraging additional witnesses to come forward. Chris Lambert, who produces the “Your Own Backyard” podcast, was first to report on the property search.

A man from Diamond Bar has withdrawn his guilty plea in connection with a devastating wrong-way collision that claimed the life of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s recruit and left numerous others injured during a training exercise, according to his attorney.

Nicholas Gutierrez pulled back his plea following testimony from more than a dozen crash survivors in court on Friday, when the judge opted to impose a one-year jail sentence, defense attorney Alexandra Kazarian announced Saturday.

“Based on the fact that he has been diagnosed with a seizure disorder, we have withdrawn the plea and will go to trial,” Kazarian stated.

Under his previous agreement with prosecutors, Gutierrez was set to receive an eight-year suspended prison term along with five years of probation after entering guilty pleas to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and nine charges of reckless driving resulting in injury.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment.

According to law enforcement officials, Gutierrez was operating an SUV that crossed into oncoming traffic in suburban Whittier during 2022, colliding with 25 recruits during their morning training run. The group had been running together in formation at the time of the incident.

The investigation revealed that Gutierrez had apparently dozed off behind the wheel. The crash left ten recruits with severe injuries, including Alejandro Martinez, who succumbed to his injuries eight months following the accident.

Emergency responders rushed 11 people to area hospitals Saturday afternoon following what authorities are calling a suspected boat explosion near Miami Beach.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews were dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of a “possible explosion” at 12:48 p.m. Eastern Time near Haulover Sandbar, a well-known recreational spot that draws many visitors. The U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also responded to assist with the emergency.

All 11 individuals aboard the vessel were transported to nearby medical facilities for treatment, though officials have not disclosed the extent of their injuries.

The exact cause of the incident remains unclear as authorities continue their investigation. However, according to the Miami Herald, one person who was aboard the boat suggested a gas leak may have been responsible for the explosion.

Community leaders and elected officials gathered Saturday to honor eight young lives lost in a devastating mass shooting that shocked Shreveport, Louisiana last month.

Seven siblings and their cousin, all between ages 3 and 11, were gunned down on April 19 when the children’s father opened fire in an attack that spanned two neighborhood homes.

The memorial service at Summer Grove Baptist Church during Mother’s Day weekend featured a somber procession as mourners walked past eight white coffins, each adorned with large photographs of the children, golden crowns, and white flower arrangements. Musical performances from a choir and solo artists provided comfort throughout the ceremony.

“In spite of how you may be feeling today, we still need to know that God is still good,” declared Bishop Bernard Kimble of Mount Olive Baptist Church as he opened the service.

Memorial programs honored each child individually, revealing loving family nicknames for the victims. Three-year-old Jayla Elkins went by “Jaybae,” while 6-year-old Kayla Pugh was known as “K-Mae,” and 10-year-old Mar’Kaydon Pugh answered to “K-Bug.”

The program described 6-year-old Khedarrion Snow as having “a sweet and loving heart” whose “light was mighty” despite his brief time on earth. Seven-year-old Layla Pugh was remembered as “bright, intelligent, bold, and full of love” who loved creating TikTok content with her relatives.

Gospel artist and pastor Kim Burrell encouraged grieving family members and community members struggling to understand the tragedy, emphasizing that “God is still on the throne.”

“To ask the question, ‘Why is this fair, God? How could you, Lord?’ He’s still God,” Burrell stated. “The same God that healed you from the stuff that you don’t want to tell nobody about. But he is a God that doesn’t have to give us all the clues. Just know that he makes no mistakes.”

The perpetrator, Shamar Elkins, carried out the attack using an assault-style firearm despite a 2019 felony weapons conviction. His estranged wife, who had filed for divorce, and another woman sustained injuries during the violence.

Elkins perished following a police chase after fleeing the scene. Authorities have not determined whether he died from police gunfire or took his own life.

The incident remains under investigation as the nation’s most deadly mass shooting in more than two years.

City Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor spoke during the service, acknowledging that “there are no words sufficient to ease this pain.” Fellow Councilman James Green urged attendees to “take off our funeral face” because “this is a celebration” of the children’s lives.

Congregation members frequently rose to applaud speakers and musical performances. The victims’ names were repeatedly honored throughout the ceremony, where Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux offered the city’s sympathies.

“May we honor them by carrying forward the gentleness, joy and love they so freely shared,” Arceneaux remarked.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry directed that American and state flags fly at half-mast for one week at government facilities statewide. His statement described the victims as “the light of their homes and the heart of their classrooms” who “were full of promise and found joy in the simplest things, such as dancing, playing outside and sharing laughter with family and friends.”

“It is incumbent upon us to honor the memory of those lost by standing together against such senseless violence,” the governor’s message continued.

Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who survived a 2011 assassination attempt that ended her political career, attended the service.

“She just wanted to come and just let the family know that this pain is not just in Louisiana,” explained U.S. Representative Cleo Fields, D-Louisiana. “This pain is all across the nation.”

Transportation was provided following the church service to take mourners to the burial site. Bishop Kimble concluded with a prayer for the healing process to begin.

“Help us as we move from this spot,” he prayed. “Because we know, oh God, grief is only temporary. And if we’ll put our hands in your favor, you’ll lead us through this.”

DENVER — A Frontier Airlines aircraft collided with a person walking on the runway at Denver International Airport during takeoff Friday night, triggering an engine fire and emergency evacuation of all passengers and crew.

Airport officials confirmed the incident occurred at approximately 11:19 p.m. as Flight 4345 was departing for Los Angeles International Airport, according to a post on the airport’s official social media account.

Authorities have not released information about the condition of the person who was struck.

Audio recordings from air traffic control captured the pilot’s urgent communication with the tower: “We’re stopping on the runway. We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot informed controllers there were “231 souls” aboard the aircraft and reported that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

Controllers immediately responded they were “rolling the trucks now,” referring to emergency vehicles, before the pilot updated the tower: “We have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

In an official statement, Frontier Airlines confirmed Flight 4345 was involved in the collision and that pilots “aborted takeoff” after “smoke was reported in the cabin.” The airline did not specify whether the smoke was directly related to striking the pedestrian.

The company stated the Airbus A321 was transporting “224 passengers and seven crew members” and that they are “investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Emergency crews evacuated all occupants using the aircraft’s emergency slides before transporting them by bus back to the terminal.

Denver International Airport announced the National Transportation Safety Board has been contacted about the incident and that runway 17L, where the collision occurred, will stay shut down during the investigation.

A Frontier Airlines aircraft heading to Los Angeles was forced to halt its departure Friday evening at Denver International Airport after experiencing an engine fire, with reports indicating a pedestrian was struck during the emergency situation.

The Airbus A321 carried 224 passengers along with seven crew members when pilots detected smoke inside the aircraft cabin and immediately called off the takeoff, according to Frontier Airlines officials.

Airport fire crews quickly responded to extinguish the brief engine blaze, Denver International Airport confirmed.

All individuals aboard the aircraft were successfully evacuated without serious harm, though ABC News indicated at least one passenger sustained minor injuries during the evacuation process.

Details regarding the pedestrian who was allegedly struck remain unclear, as neither Frontier Airlines nor airport officials have released information about that aspect of the incident.

Frontier Airlines stated they are conducting a thorough investigation into what occurred and are working closely with airport officials and additional safety agencies to gather comprehensive details about the emergency.

NEW YORK — Forensic handwriting specialists have determined that two notes connected to Jeffrey Epstein’s final weeks in jail were written by the same individual, according to an analysis conducted for The Associated Press.

The conclusion comes after three document examination experts studied both notes and identified matching characteristics including letter formation, spacing patterns, capitalization style, and distinctive punctuation marks.

One note, just released to the public this week, contains the text: “They investigated me for month — found nothing!!!” and references choosing the “time to say goodbye.” The second note, which has been available publicly for several years, lists complaints about jail conditions including showers, food quality, and “Giant Bugs.”

Although experts cannot definitively confirm Epstein authored the writings, the notes reflect his deteriorating mental state before his death and mirror complaints he made to jail staff about conditions at the deteriorating Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, a stark contrast to his previously luxurious lifestyle. The notes also contain language he had previously used.

Both writings, created with pen on notepad paper, feature the underlined words “NO FUN” and conclude with double exclamation marks — the initial mark in each showing similar curved characteristics. Each note begins with larger text that gradually decreases in size, and successive lines drift away from the left margin.

“These are the kinds of things that would suggest that we’re dealing with the same writer,” said Thomas Vastrick, the president of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners.

“They are written by the same person,” said Bart Baggett, who founded the forensic analysis firm Handwriting Experts Inc. and has testified in court as an expert witness more than 130 times.

“Both of those documents have the same author,” said Grace Warmbier, who worked for a decade for the New York City Police Department performing document examinations and handwriting analysis.

The experts acknowledged they cannot definitively attribute the notes to Epstein, partly because confirmed samples of his handwriting are scarce among the millions of pages in recently released Justice Department records about the deceased financier.

Warmbier and Vastrick also examined writing samples from former cellmate Nicholas Tartaglione, including portions of a 2019 letter he sent to the New York Daily News denying involvement in Epstein’s death.

Warmbier eliminated Tartaglione as the author, citing “significant dissimilarities between his handwriting and the handwriting in question.”

Vastrick noted that Tartaglione’s writing samples showed “a wide range of variation from one to another” and contained some similarities requiring additional examination.

“At this point, I certainly would not eliminate him as a potential writer,” Vastrick said. “I don’t at the same time want to suggest that he is the writer.”

The first note remained largely unknown until Tartaglione discussed it on writer Jessica Reed Kraus’ podcast last summer. This revelation interested New York Times reporters, who successfully petitioned a judge Wednesday to unseal the note from an unrelated case.

Tartaglione, a former police officer now serving life imprisonment for four murders, claims he found the note in a book within his cell after guards discovered Epstein on July 23, 2019, on the floor with bedsheet material around his neck. Following this incident, Epstein was placed under suicide watch and relocated to another cell. He was alone when found dead on August 10, 2019.

Epstein and Tartaglione were cellmates for approximately two weeks, starting shortly after Epstein’s July 6, 2019 arrest on sex trafficking charges and ending with the suspected suicide attempt. Both men were awaiting trial.

Justice Department records show Tartaglione informed his attorney about the note four days after the July 23 incident. No evidence suggests jail officials or Epstein’s legal team were notified.

The note was subsequently submitted as evidence in Tartaglione’s criminal proceedings and sealed during a dispute over his legal representation. Government reports examining Epstein’s death circumstances never mentioned it, nor did it appear in Justice Department files. The second note, discovered after Epstein’s death, was featured on CBS’ “60 Minutes” in 2020 and appears in official files.

Beyond handwriting analysis, the notes’ language may provide authorship clues. The note Tartaglione claims to have found includes: “Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!!”

Epstein had previously used this phrase, mimicking dialogue from a 1931 “Little Rascals” film, in three emails included in Justice Department files, including one sent to his brother four months before his incarceration.

If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. Online chat is also available at 988lifeline.org.

WASHINGTON — Two people died Friday when U.S. forces destroyed what military officials described as a suspected drug smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific, with one person surviving the attack.

Social media footage released by U.S. Southern Command captured the moment of impact, showing a dark vessel-like shape moments before an apparent blast, followed by flames shooting up from the water’s surface.

Military officials stated they “immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.”

This latest incident follows President Donald Trump’s Wednesday approval of a revised counterterrorism strategy that prioritizes dismantling drug cartels across the Western Hemisphere as the administration’s top objective.

Since early September, the Trump administration has conducted an extensive operation destroying suspected narcotics trafficking boats throughout Latin American waters, spanning both the eastern Pacific and Caribbean regions, resulting in a total death toll of at least 193 individuals. Military officials have yet to present proof that any of the targeted vessels actually contained illegal drugs. These operations have intensified once again in recent weeks.

Simultaneously, Trump has been pushing leaders throughout the region to strengthen cooperation with the United States in combating cartels and to launch their own military operations against drug traffickers and international criminal organizations, which he characterizes as presenting an “unacceptable threat” to hemispheric national security.

However, critics continue to challenge the legal authority behind these vessel destruction operations.

Military officials announced Friday that American forces targeted a suspected drug smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in two deaths and leaving one person alive.

According to U.S. Southern Command, two men lost their lives during the operation while a third individual survived the attack. Officials have requested Coast Guard assistance for search and rescue efforts following the incident.

This latest action represents a continuation of recent military operations targeting suspected narcotics trafficking vessels throughout the Eastern Pacific region. American forces have conducted similar attacks against multiple boats believed to be involved in drug smuggling activities over the past several weeks.

Since September, military strikes against such vessels operating in both Caribbean and Pacific waters have resulted in more than 190 deaths, according to official reports.

The aggressive tactics have drawn sharp criticism from international human rights organizations. Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have condemned these military actions, characterizing the strikes as “unlawful extrajudicial killings.”

A mining operation based in South Dakota has abandoned its plans to drill for graphite in the Black Hills following fierce resistance from tribal nations and advocacy organizations.

Pete Lien & Sons, headquartered in Rapid City, notified the U.S. Forest Service on Thursday that it was pulling back its operational proposal for the drilling venture, according to correspondence shared Friday by the Indigenous advocacy organization NDN Collective. The company stated it has no plans to submit a new proposal for this particular project.

Opposition to the mining plan centered on its location near Pe’Sla, a sacred meadow where Sioux tribal nations conduct religious ceremonies and prayers year-round. The area also serves as grazing land for buffalo herds.

Neither the Forest Service nor Pete Lien & Sons responded to requests for comment Friday afternoon.

A coalition of nine tribal governments from South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska had taken legal action against the Forest Service, claiming violations of both the National Historical Preservation Act and National Environmental Protection Act for issuing permits without conducting proper environmental assessments.

Additionally, NDN Collective joined with environmental organizations in separate litigation challenging the Forest Service’s decision to exempt the project from environmental review, arguing it failed to meet categorical exclusion standards. This second case resulted in a judge issuing a temporary restraining order on Monday that halted drilling activities for a two-week period.

NDN Collective released a statement saying “today’s win is multi-faceted and offers a blueprint for future land defense fights.”

The Black Hills region, which gets its name from the dark appearance of pine and spruce trees covering the landscape, houses popular destinations including Mount Rushmore and various state parks. However, the area remains a source of ongoing conflict between mining companies and tribal nations who view the territory as rightfully theirs.

Under the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, the Black Hills were recognized as belonging to Sioux tribes, but the federal government later took control of the region following gold discoveries. While the Supreme Court eventually determined the tribes deserved financial compensation, they have refused payment and continue asserting their territorial rights.

Federal immigration officials have revoked the visas of 27 cruise ship employees and sent them back to their home countries following allegations involving child sexual abuse imagery, authorities announced Friday.

The enforcement action took place in late April when U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents boarded eight different cruise vessels and identified the workers, primarily Filipino nationals, for allegedly receiving, possessing, transporting, distributing, or viewing illegal images of child sexual abuse.

Officials terminated the visas of all 27 individuals and arranged for their immediate deportation to their countries of origin, according to the agency’s Friday statement.

Authorities declined to specify which cruise ships were inspected, the locations where the operations occurred, or the reasoning behind targeting those particular vessels. The agency also did not indicate whether any cruise passengers were believed to be victims and stated no further details would be provided.

At least some of the targeted ships had made port calls in San Diego.

Disney Cruise Line issued a response confirming their cooperation with law enforcement. “The company has a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior and fully cooperated with law enforcement. While the majority of these individuals were not from our cruise line, those who were are no longer with the company,” the company stated.

Advocacy organizations representing immigrant and worker rights have been unsuccessfully seeking information about the affected employees and the circumstances surrounding the enforcement operation. Benjamin Prado from Unión del Barrio said his organization held a press conference Tuesday in San Diego after receiving only a standard response from Customs and Border Protection.

Prado noted that the detailed statement later provided to media outlets this week was not posted on the agency’s official website, arguing such information should be publicly accessible.

The advocacy leader expressed concerns about potential surveillance activities that may have preceded the workers’ detention and questioned whether proper due process procedures were followed. He acknowledged his organization’s skepticism regarding information released by agencies like Customs and Border Protection.

“At this point, we doubt, we question their claims and so we do want to follow up with some of these workers to find out exactly what took place,” Prado explained.

Customs and Border Protection maintains that criminal charges are not necessary for visa revocation proceedings.

COHUTTA, Ga. — Town council members in a small northern Georgia mountain community scheduled an emergency session Friday night to address the reinstatement of their police force after Mayor Ron Shinnick dismissed the police chief and every officer on the force.

A public notice displayed at Cohutta Town Hall indicated the council would also review a demand for Shinnick’s “immediate resignation.”

Earlier this week, residents of the approximately 930-person community discovered a posted announcement declaring the police department had been “dissolved” by the mayor’s order. The notice directed citizens needing assistance to contact the county’s non-emergency line.

The police chief and roughly 10 officers lost their positions effective Wednesday morning. Specific explanations for the dismissals have not been made public, leaving residents seeking clarification at Friday’s council session.

Shinnick stated he acted due to social media posts made by officers. Former Sergeant Jeremy May explained the situation stemmed from complaints he and fellow officers filed regarding the mayor’s spouse, Pam Shinnick, who had worked as town clerk.

“This all comes to personal vendetta from the mayor, and I wholeheartedly believe that,” May told WRCB-TV. “We took a stand for transparency, and in result, every one of them has lost their jobs.”

Former Cohutta Police Chief Greg Fowler informed WRCB that he could not provide detailed comments while officers removed their equipment from the department building this week. The mayor expressed uncertainty about future plans to the television station.

Attempts to reach the mayor by phone and email Friday were unsuccessful.

Town attorney Bryan Rayburn stated via email, “Mayor Shinnick and the Town Council remain committed to transparency, accountability, and the responsible administration of town business.”

Rayburn declined additional comments but expressed confidence that the community’s “operations and public services will continue without interruption, including Municipal Court.”

The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement confirming deputies would provide assistance to Cohutta residents during the absence of local law enforcement. The community sits near the Tennessee border, approximately 100 miles northwest of Atlanta.

Several residents attempted to broadcast Friday evening’s meeting through social media platforms, but poor cellular reception in the area prevented successful streaming.

Personal belongings from Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe are set to go under the hammer next month, providing an unprecedented look into the private life of the beloved actress and model.

The auction features items from Monroe’s personal collection, including clothing, accessories, correspondence, handwritten notes, artwork, and poetry that belonged to the iconic star.

“Marilyn is just an icon,” said Brian Chanes, senior director of Hollywood and entertainment at Heritage Auctions, during a preview of the collection on Friday. “People love and adore Marilyn to this day.”

Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles in 1926, rose to fame as an actress, model, vocalist and cultural icon recognized for her platinum blonde locks and distinctive figure. She passed away in 1962.

Heritage Auctions will begin accepting public bids on June 1st for items from the collection of poets Norman and Hedda Rosten, who maintained close friendships with Monroe. The timing aligns with the star’s centennial birthday celebration and showcases personal effects spanning 1955 through 1962.

The most compelling items include previously unseen documents that illuminate Monroe’s private thoughts and experiences. These papers detail her romantic entanglements, anxieties about a pregnancy loss, and contemplations about death.

“It’s really special because this isn’t material that’s been bought and sold over the decades,” Chanes said. “This is something that’s a discovery.”

The collection spans from costume jewelry Monroe owned to artwork she personally handled, giving potential buyers unprecedented access to her personal sphere. Also featured are letters from former spouse Arthur Miller, the celebrated playwright, which expose the emotional intricacies of their union, plus a previously unknown letter from Monroe’s mental health professional detailing her final day.

Chanes drew attention to one especially poignant item from Monroe’s time working on “Some Like It Hot.” Using Hotel del Coronado letterhead, she expressed desperation for assistance as her personal battles nearly stopped filming.

“Right before she was about to overdose and they had to halt filming, she wrote, ‘I feel like I’m drowning,’” Chanes recalled.

“You can feel the anguish in her writing,” he added, noting that Monroe sketched a stick figure submerged in water on the same stationery, begging for help — an image that highlighted the mental health struggles she faced throughout her career.

An exhausted single mother caring for three children by herself reached her breaking point when faced with a pile of unwashed dishes in her kitchen sink. Instead of tackling the chore, she decided to throw the dirty dishes away entirely.

What happened next restored her faith in human kindness. A compassionate neighbor discovered the discarded dishes and took it upon themselves to wash every single item until they sparkled. The neighbor then returned the clean dishes to the struggling mother, accompanied by an uplifting note filled with encouragement.

The simple act of kindness came at a moment when the young mother needed it most, showing how small gestures can make a tremendous difference in someone’s life during difficult times.

When parenting three children on her own became too much to handle, one single mother reached her breaking point over something as simple as dirty dishes. Facing a mountain of unwashed plates and cups in her sink, she made the desperate decision to throw them all away rather than deal with the overwhelming task.

What happened next restored her faith in human kindness. A thoughtful neighbor discovered the discarded dishes and took it upon themselves to wash every single item until they sparkled. The good Samaritan then returned the clean dishes to the struggling mom, accompanied by an encouraging note filled with hope and understanding.

The heartwarming act of compassion highlights how small gestures can make an enormous difference in someone’s life during their darkest moments. For this mother, what started as a moment of defeat became a powerful reminder that she wasn’t alone in her struggles.

An 18-year-old man faced murder charges in a Michigan courtroom on Friday following a deadly shooting that stemmed from a disagreement over children playing soccer at a school.

Rafael Martinez-Lopez appeared before a judge three days after authorities say he fatally shot a teenager and a woman who attempted to assist the boy during Tuesday’s incident in Grand Rapids. According to police court documents, Martinez-Lopez also attempted to fire at another child, but his weapon failed to discharge.

The western Michigan community has been shaken by the violence, prompting officials to temporarily shut down two local schools this week.

“Somebody stole from me, and that’s something I can’t get back,” said Mildred Griffin, whose 15-year-old son Jeremiah Griffin-Cuevas lost his life in the shooting.

Griffin described her son to WOOD-TV as a devoted young person. “Youth group every Wednesday, church every Sunday as a 15-year-old young man,” she said. “I know what I was raising, a young man, not no young thug.”

During his court hearing, Martinez-Lopez entered acknowledgments to the murder charges and additional counts. The judge ordered him held without bail. Defense attorney Craig Jenison noted that his client had no prior criminal history. Jenison did not respond to requests for further comment.

According to investigators, the violence began when Martinez-Lopez’s younger sibling requested to join a group of children playing soccer but was refused permission to participate. This rejection led to the confrontation that ended in gunfire.

The second victim, 38-year-old Savanah Rubio, also identified as Savanah Villarreal, was killed while attempting to aid Jeremiah, authorities reported.

“She gave her life to save my son. He considered Savanah his auntie,” Griffin said of the woman who died trying to help her child.

NEW YORK – A chaotic scene unfolded at a New York City housing meeting Thursday night as officials took a preliminary step toward potentially fulfilling Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign pledge to freeze rents for roughly one million regulated apartments.

The city’s Rent Guidelines Board conducted its provisional vote amid shouting and chanting from hundreds of tenants packed into a college auditorium. The board established ranges for rent adjustments ahead of their final June decision: zero to 2% for one-year lease renewals and zero to 4% for two-year renewals.

This annual process determines rent increase limits for rent-stabilized apartments, which house approximately 25% of New York City residents. Board members consider tenant incomes, landlord revenues, inflation rates, tax burdens, housing supply changes and various other economic factors in their deliberations.

During Thursday’s vote, which passed 7-1 with one abstention, tenant advocates repeatedly shouted “Freeze the rent!” and erupted in applause whenever board members mentioned zero percent increases. They booed any number higher than zero and chanted “Fight! Fight! Fight! Housing is a human right!”

The six board members appointed by Mamdani continued their proceedings despite the vocal demonstrations from hundreds of New Yorkers in attendance.

Mamdani campaigned for mayor as a democratic socialist, vowing to freeze rents and address rising costs for groceries, childcare and other essentials in a city where newly leased apartments average $3,950 monthly, according to StreetEasy data.

His electoral victory has drawn attention from fellow Democrats seeking to regain political ground nationally and even caught the notice of Republican President Donald Trump.

Since taking office in January, Mamdani moved from a $2,300 monthly one-bedroom Queens apartment to the five-bedroom Gracie Mansion. New Yorkers are watching to see if his straightforward campaign promises will become reality.

“We have a new mayor, and he also lived in a stabilized apartment, he worked in the past with the people who had housing issues,” said Moreom Perven before showing reporters her rent-stabilized studio in Jamaica, Queens. “He understands the situation of New York City, how we are suffering, and I expect this time, we’ll have the good news.”

Perven, 49, has occupied her apartment since 2000, currently paying just under $1,300 monthly to a real estate management company controlling over 2,000 city apartments. Her building houses 187 units with 270 active complaints and 66 open housing code violations, according to city records. Residents continuously battle their landlord over basic maintenance issues.

“Roaches, mice, broken tiles, then water leakage, mold, bed bugs,” Perven listed while sitting beside a second refrigerator-freezer she purchased after the landlord-provided unit stopped working. “They don’t want to invest money to fix the issue.”

Perven works part-time as a tenants counselor for a housing advocacy organization and attended Thursday’s meeting with neighbors.

Hundreds of tenants gathered outside the venue, carrying signs in English, Spanish, Chinese and Bengali while beating drums and blowing whistles that security prohibited inside the building.

Tenant groups have split into two factions. The Tenants Bloc demands a rent freeze, which has occurred only three times during 50-plus years of rent stabilization laws. The Rent Justice Coalition, including Perven, seeks an unprecedented “rent rollback” to counteract the cumulative 12% increases imposed during former Mayor Eric Adams’ four-year tenure.

Property owners have testified through the Real Estate Board of New York and similar organizations, arguing that operating expenses are climbing, especially for older buildings.

Despite appointing most board members, Mamdani cannot directly influence their decision beyond stating his preferences. He has utilized city resources to educate New Yorkers about their rights and boost attendance at the four remaining public hearings before the June 25 final vote.

Thursday evening, Mamdani issued a statement encouraging both tenants and landlords “to make their voices heard and speak directly to what this housing crisis looks like in their lives.”

REBNY executive Basha Gerhards, representing property owners, argued that the board’s preliminary ranges “ignore the clear financial distress shown in the data” and declared that “a freeze or near-freeze is unjustifiable.”

Perven departed the meeting disappointed as a rent rollback appeared unlikely this year. While pleased the range included zero, she and other tenants worried that final votes typically settle somewhere in the middle of proposed ranges.

“We need to organize. We need to fight back,” she stated. “Hopefully we’ll see the same energy until June, for the final vote.”

Federal authorities in Miami are taking steps to remove U.S. citizenship from Manuel Rocha, the former American ambassador currently serving prison time for operating as a covert Cuban intelligence agent since the 1970s in what represents one of the most extensive betrayals in diplomatic service history.

Miami’s U.S. Attorney’s Office submitted a civil denaturalization lawsuit on Thursday that would finalize the downfall of the Colombia-born Rocha, removing the American citizenship he obtained after relocating to New York City at age 10 alongside his widowed mother and two brothers.

The 75-year-old Rocha was taken into custody in December 2023 and subsequently received a 15-year federal prison term following his confession to operating as a covert operative for communist Cuba across multiple decades. FBI undercover recordings captured him lauding Fidel Castro as “El Comandante” and boasting about his service to Cuba’s communist regime, describing it as “more than a grand slam” against the American “enemy.”

His guilty plea to 15 federal charges prevented a trial that could have revealed specific details about Rocha’s assistance to Cuba while he occupied high-ranking State Department roles including Bolivia’s ambassadorship and senior positions in Argentina, Mexico, the White House, and other U.S. locations. The timeline of when federal investigators initially suspected Rocha’s espionage activities remains unclear.

According to his plea agreement, Rocha admitted his initial contact with Cuban intelligence occurred in 1973 — five years prior to seeking U.S. citizenship — during his participation in a student exchange program in Chile near the conclusion of socialist President Salvador Allende’s administration. Following Havana’s instructions, he subsequently pursued graduate studies at Harvard and Georgetown Universities before securing employment with the U.S. State Department.

Federal law establishes significant evidentiary requirements for citizenship revocation, mandating prosecutors demonstrate compelling proof that an individual obtained citizenship through illegal means or achieved naturalization via “concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.”

Court documents show prosecutors claim Rocha provided false sworn testimony regarding his “belief in the U.S. Constitution” and denied any connections to Cuba’s Communist Party during his 1978 citizenship application process.

“The Southern District of Florida helped take down one of the most prolific Cuban spies ever uncovered in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This civil denaturalization case is about finishing the job.”

The Justice Department has substantially expanded its emphasis on denaturalization proceedings recently and released internal guidance last year instructing prosecutors to focus on individuals who “pose a potential danger to national security,” particularly through terrorism and espionage activities.

An Associated Press examination of Rocha’s case identified multiple warning signs that went unaddressed, including intelligence received by a veteran CIA officer nearly twenty years ago suggesting Rocha operated as a double agent. Additional intelligence indicated the CIA knew by 1987 that Cuban leader Fidel Castro had positioned a “super mole” within the U.S. government structure, with some officials suspecting Rocha’s involvement.

During the past two years, the FBI, U.S. State Department, and CIA have worked to determine the case’s most significant unknown element: precisely what classified information the career diplomat potentially compromised to Cuba. Rocha underwent several months of federal debriefing sessions during his early imprisonment period, though the value of information obtained from these interviews remains undisclosed.

For the seventh consecutive year, Olivia and Liam have maintained their positions as America’s most favored baby names, according to new data released by the Social Security Administration.

The federal agency unveiled its annual baby name rankings on Friday, just ahead of Mother’s Day, drawing from Social Security card applications submitted throughout 2025. This yearly compilation has been documenting American naming trends since 1880, providing insight into how cultural and demographic shifts influence parents’ choices.

Among girls’ names, Charlotte made a notable jump to claim the second spot, bumping Emma down after her six-year reign as runner-up. Meanwhile, Ava dropped from the top 10 entirely, with Eliana taking her place in the rankings.

The boys’ top four remained unchanged, with Liam, Noah, Oliver and Theodore holding their ground from the previous year.

The complete boys’ top 10 includes:

1. Liam
2. Noah
3. Oliver
4. Theodore
5. Henry
6. James
7. Elijah
8. Mateo
9. William
10. Lucas

For girls, the top 10 features:

1. Olivia
2. Charlotte
3. Emma
4. Amelia
5. Sophia
6. Mia
7. Isabella
8. Evelyn
9. Sofia
10. Eliana

Some names experienced dramatic surges in popularity. Kasai, which means “fire” in both Japanese and Swahili languages, jumped an impressive 1,108 positions to break into the top 1,000 for the first time. Among girls’ names, Klarity — an alternative spelling of “clarity” — saw the biggest climb, rising 1,396 spots to reach the top 1,000.

Conversely, several names lost favor with parents. Boys’ names showing the steepest declines included Karim, Khaza, Khai and Landen. For girls, Aubrie, Cattleya, Jaycee and Zendaya experienced the most significant drops in popularity.

The administration’s statistics reveal that 3.6 million babies were born in the United States during 2025, representing a small decline from the previous year’s total of 3.61 million births.

Parents and expectant families can explore the complete database of baby names through the Social Security Administration’s website.

NEW YORK (AP) — The brooding Danish prince is everywhere these days. William Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy “Hamlet” is experiencing an unprecedented cultural revival across screens, stages, and social media platforms.

The National Theatre’s production featuring Hiran Abeysekera has arrived at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Meanwhile, a contemporary film adaptation starring Riz Ahmed showcases the story within London’s South Asian community. At 88 years old, Anthony Hopkins has captivated TikTok users by performing portions of Hamlet’s famous “To be, or not to be” monologue. Jessie Buckley received an Oscar for “Hamnet” — a fictional account exploring the tragedy that supposedly inspired Shakespeare’s masterpiece. Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia,” referencing Hamlet’s former love interest, reached the top of Billboard’s singles chart. Eddie Izzard continues her solo interpretation of the complete play during a global tour.

After four centuries, this tale of a troubled protagonist contemplating action following his father’s murder by his uncle remains remarkably relevant to contemporary audiences.

The cultural momentum shows no signs of slowing. A stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s “Hamnet” novel is touring throughout the United Kingdom with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Shakespeare & Company has scheduled a northeastern United States tour of “Hamlet” for this year. Canada presents “Hamlet, Sweet Prince” through a modern, queer perspective. New York’s Acting Company will feature a contemporary verse adaptation led by a female performer. Teatro La Plaza, a Peruvian theater group, recently staged an off-Broadway version featuring eight Spanish-speaking performers with Down syndrome.

According to Harvard Shakespeare expert Jeffrey R. Wilson, “Hamlet” perfectly captures our current moment, when overwhelming negative news prompts constant existential questioning about how everyone is coping.

“People are exhausted from the onslaught of awfulness in the world,” he says, “and ‘Hamlet’ gives audiences both permission to ‘go there’ to explore those emotions and a tool kit of ideas to help us process angst.”

These contemporary interpretations demonstrate remarkable creativity and energy, featuring everything from a beanie-wearing Hamlet in Brooklyn to one enjoying Bollywood-inspired choreography in London.

“Great plays survive not because they remain untouched, but because they can continue to be transformed,” says director and playwright Chela De Ferrari, from Teatro La Plaza, whose neurodiverse “Hamlet” is a visceral and urgent call from those often excluded from cultural narratives.

“Working with actors with Down syndrome and cognitive disabilities brought me back to something essential in ‘Hamlet’: that beneath its philosophical brilliance there is an exposed human being asking, in one way or another, how to exist in a world that keeps misreading him,” she said.

During one particularly powerful scene, a performer attempts to recreate Laurence Olivier’s famous delivery of Hamlet’s signature soliloquy while the legendary actor’s image appears on screen. The moment gains additional significance when delivered by someone whose presence in public or artistic venues is frequently challenged.

“I like to imagine a kind of continuity between our actors and all the great actors who have carried the play before. I believe Shakespeare lives in all of them,” says De Ferrari.

Filmmaker Aneil Karia recalls feeling disconnected during school visits to Shakespeare productions.

“I felt like I was primarily watching an intellectual experience unfold and I had to use my brain to keep up with the plot and the language and everything like that,” he says.

Karia collaborated with Ahmed and screenwriter Michael Lesslie to create a streamlined, contemporary retelling that emphasizes the protagonist’s discomfort with participating in corrupt business practices.

“That feels so pertinent to the moment we’re in politically and everything. It feels like the question a lot of people are asking,” says Karia. “It feels like these stories are actually a conversation through time itself.”

This modern Hamlet celebrates in neon-lit nightclubs and delivers his famous monologue while speeding through rain-soaked London streets in a BMW, removing his hands from the steering wheel as an oncoming truck approaches. The existential question becomes literally life-or-death.

“The best best-case scenario here is that it’s opening up Shakespeare to audiences who didn’t think it was for them, or who struggled with it previously,” says Karia, whose film starts streaming Tuesday. “This is a big call, but I feel like Shakespeare would approve. I feel his whole thing was like, ‘Take this stuff and do your thing.’”

The Brooklyn production emphasizes the play’s comedic elements for a practical reason: the actor portraying Hamlet possesses natural comic timing.

Abeysekera brings manic and playful energy while highlighting the work’s physical comedy, speaking directly to audiences during soliloquies and sometimes positioning himself at the stage’s edge to make direct eye contact.

“It’s a very self-aware play. It sort of really knows that it’s a play, if that makes any kind of sense,” says director Robert Hastie. “Hamlet knows he’s in a play called ‘Hamlet,’ like Deadpool knows he is in a film called ‘Deadpool.’”

Abeysekera approaches his “To be, or not to be” speech as a spontaneous reflection rather than the traditional planted-feet, theatrical delivery style.

“Rather than thinking, ‘Oh, here’s the big speech coming up and that’s freaking me out,’ I started thinking, ‘It’s such a thought that most of us kind of have,’” he says. “Sometimes, in front of the mirror, we just see ourselves and go, ‘Oof. Today’s a tough day.’”

Hastie considers “Hamlet” among those works that consistently reveals fresh insights. Rooted in universal human experiences, it communicates different messages to each audience while allowing us to uncover elements that were always present.

“One of the reasons I think why we’re still talking about Shakespeare, and this play in particular, is that whenever those words fuse with a new actor or a new group of actors, it becomes a different play,” he says. “Maybe that’s a good working definition of a classic.”

Caitlin Cardile works diligently to maintain the 400-year-old playwright’s relevance in today’s TikTok-dominated landscape. She and her three-member Mad Spirits Theatre Company maintain presence across virtually every social media platform to spread awareness.

“We wanted to bring Shakespeare to a modern audience and make it understandable,” Cardile says. “We want people to feel more comfortable with Shakespeare and not think that it’s old English and such a hard thing to understand.”

While they share live readings and play analysis on YouTube, their Instagram and TikTok content showcases true innovation. They discover popular audio clips — ranging from “The Office” dialogue to Lady Gaga songs — and assign Shakespeare characters to perform them.

Kitty Forman’s memorable “I may have been a little irrational today” line from “That ’70s Show” gets lip-synced by an actress portraying Ophelia. Dialogue between Scar and Simba from “The Lion King” is performed by actors playing Claudius and Hamlet.

“We’re like, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if we took these silly trending sounds that everybody’s doing and what if we put them to Shakespeare characters?’” says Cardile. “This has ended up being so much fun.”

WEST GLACIER, Mont. — Park officials have discovered the body of a missing hiker in Glacier National Park, marking what appears to be the first fatal bear encounter at the Montana destination in more than 25 years.

According to a Thursday statement from the National Park Service, “His injuries are consistent with those sustained by a bear encounter.” Officials added that “Wildlife and law enforcement personnel are currently assessing the area for bear activity and any ongoing public safety concerns.”

Search crews located the victim’s remains Wednesday in thick forest vegetation approximately 50 feet from the Mt. Brown Trail. While park officials have not released additional specifics, they had been conducting a search operation for Anthony Pollio, a 33-year-old Fort Lauderdale, Florida resident who vanished on Sunday.

Park rangers have temporarily shut down several hiking paths that begin near Lake McDonald Lodge as the investigation continues.

Both grizzly and black bear populations inhabit Glacier National Park. Last summer, a bear struck a 34-year-old female hiker, injuring her arm and shoulder area. Park officials determined that the bear, which was traveling with two young cubs, likely reacted defensively after being startled.

Growing criticism surrounds U.S. military operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels, as the death toll from these maritime strikes has exceeded 190 individuals across Caribbean and Pacific waters.

The military campaign, which focuses on intercepting boats believed to be involved in narcotics trafficking, is now facing heightened examination regarding the legal authority for such actions and questions about oversight of these deadly encounters.

Legal experts and human rights advocates are demanding greater transparency about the rules of engagement governing these operations and the processes in place to ensure accountability when lives are lost during these maritime interdictions.

A Minneapolis family recently shared their perspective on activism and community engagement through this week’s StoryCorps segment.

The mother and son duo opened up about their shared commitment to peaceful demonstration and civic participation, describing how advocacy work has shaped their family’s values and identity.

During their conversation, the pair discussed the impact that standing up for important causes has had on their lives and their community involvement in Minneapolis.

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. — California law enforcement officials will brief the public Friday morning about their recent search of a property linked to the Kristin Smart murder case, as investigators continue looking for the remains of the college student who disappeared nearly three decades ago.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has scheduled the press conference for 9 a.m.

Deputies executed a search warrant Wednesday at the residence of Susan Flores, the mother of Paul Flores, who was found guilty in 2022 of murdering Smart. While officials haven’t disclosed what led to the search, specialists in human decomposition analysis and soil examination collected ground samples from the property.

Tim Nelligan, a specialist in soil vapor analysis, confirmed Thursday by telephone that he was present at the location, collecting samples from both the Flores property and an adjacent neighbor’s yard. He explained that his team has developed “a methodology to assess soil vapor” related to “human cadaver decomposition,” though he declined to discuss details of the ongoing investigation.

Smart disappeared from California Polytechnic State University in May 1996 following her return from a party off campus. District attorneys claimed she died during an attempted sexual assault and that Paul Flores, a fellow student, was the final person seen with her. She was officially declared dead in 2002.

This long-running case has drawn widespread public attention, partly due to a podcast creator who assisted investigators by encouraging additional witnesses to come forward. Chris Lambert, host of the “Your Own Backyard” podcast, was first to report on the property search in the central coast community of Arroyo Grande, located roughly 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Efforts to contact Susan Flores for a statement on Wednesday and Thursday were unsuccessful. She has not been charged with any crimes in connection with the case.

Nelligan and fellow scientists used instruments to penetrate the ground and extracted lengthy tubing samples. The emerging field of soil vapor analysis involves gathering underground gas specimens to identify volatile organic compounds linked to human decomposition.

Lambert, the podcast host, stated he had limited knowledge about the search details but expressed hope that investigators might finally locate Smart’s remains. He noted that previous searches of Susan Flores’ property had been incomplete.

“This property in particular has been overlooked for quite some time,” he said Thursday while standing in front of the residence.

Paul Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, were taken into custody in 2021.

Prosecutors claimed Smart’s body was initially buried on Ruben Flores’ land before being relocated. He was cleared of accessory charges. That location differs from the current search site.

Paul Flores received his prison sentence in March 2023, and has suffered physical assaults behind bars on at least two occasions. In 2024, a judge ordered him to pay Smart’s family slightly more than $350,000 to cover expenses they faced following her death.

The family has indicated they would waive the financial compensation if Flores would reveal the location of their daughter’s body. Flores’ legal representative, Harold Mesick, stated in 2024 that the defense team has no knowledge of where her remains are located. Flores continues to deny guilt.

A Utah judge will make a crucial decision Friday regarding media access to the murder trial of a man accused of killing prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Defense lawyers for Tyler Robinson contend that allowing news organizations to film, photograph and broadcast the proceedings could prejudice future jurors. They claim biased reporting and social media commentary portray their client as evil or showing no remorse based on his courtroom appearance and behavior. The defense team maintains that live coverage is generating harmful stories that threaten Robinson’s constitutional right to an impartial trial.

However, media companies, state prosecutors and Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, support continued camera access. They believe transparency serves as the most effective defense against conspiracy theories that have emerged following Kirk’s assassination on Sept. 10, when a gunman shot him in the neck as he spoke to thousands of students at Utah Valley University in Orem.

State District Judge Tony Graf has already imposed stricter camera guidelines after media pool members broke courtroom rules by filming Robinson’s restraints and capturing close-up shots of him conferring with his legal team. Graf moved cameras to the back of the courtroom, positioning them behind Robinson to make photographing him more difficult.

However, the judge has generally favored media transparency in other aspects of the case. He denied Robinson’s attorneys’ efforts to block the release of transcripts from private hearings. In December, Graf stated that transparency was “foundational” to the court system.

Before his death, the 31-year-old Kirk and his conservative youth organization, Turning Point USA, had become a significant political force credited with helping President Donald Trump win a second term. Prosecutors plan to pursue capital punishment if Robinson is found guilty. He faces charges including aggravated murder and has not yet entered a plea.

Claims that Robinson targeted Kirk due to his political beliefs have intensified public interest in the case, fueling ongoing debates about courtroom cameras in high-profile trials.

Visual documentation has revealed the inner workings of America’s most notorious criminal proceedings, from the Lindbergh baby kidnapping case to O.J. Simpson’s double murder trial. Such coverage has also created friction between transparency supporters and defense attorneys seeking to protect their clients from negative publicity.

The consequences are particularly significant in capital cases like Robinson’s, where jurors may evaluate the defendant’s character when making their decision. Video of Robinson appearing to smirk while speaking with his lawyers during a December hearing prompted Fox News commentators to describe him as unremorseful and treating Kirk “like a trophy.”

While the Constitution prioritizes a defendant’s right to a fair trial over public access to case information, cameras have become increasingly prevalent in state courtrooms recently.

Federal criminal trials typically prohibit cameras. Under New York state regulations, Trump’s trial and 2024 conviction in a hush money case notably excluded cameras during active proceedings. News organizations relied on sketch artists to document those hearings.

Judges usually maintain extensive authority over which portions of cases can be broadcast and which individuals can be filmed or photographed.

Graf will also decide Friday on a defense motion to postpone Robinson’s preliminary hearing, currently scheduled for May. During that proceeding, prosecutors must demonstrate they possess adequate evidence to advance to trial.

Officials report that DNA matching Robinson’s profile was discovered on the rifle’s trigger, the discharged shell casing, two unused cartridges and a towel that wrapped the weapon. Robinson’s legal team argues the hearing should be delayed until federal agencies provide additional details about their DNA testing.

Such a postponement could delay the case for months.

Prosecutors maintain they have compelling evidence beyond DNA to secure a conviction, including surveillance footage and a handwritten note Robinson allegedly left for his romantic partner admitting to the crime.

A federal judge in Phoenix is set to sentence the sole individual charged in connection with the 2021 vanishing of Navajo elder Ella Mae Begay, whose disappearance highlighted the ongoing crisis of violence targeting Native American communities.

Preston Henry Tolth, age 26, could receive up to five years in federal prison under terms of his plea deal, though he would get credit for three years already served behind bars. Tolth admitted guilt to robbing Begay and taking her pickup truck.

Should U.S. District Judge Douglas Rayes approve the plea arrangement during Friday’s proceedings, it would bring an end to the government’s lengthy prosecution of Tolth, a case hampered by limited physical evidence and the exclusion of Tolth’s confession.

Begay’s relatives plan to ask Judge Rayes to refuse the agreement at Friday’s sentencing hearing, emphasizing their position that Tolth should remain incarcerated until he reveals Begay’s location to authorities.

The 62-year-old grandmother, known for her skill in creating traditional Navajo pictorial rugs, disappeared from her residence in Sweetwater, Arizona, located on the Navajo Nation, during June 2021. The timing of Tolth’s sentencing coincides with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples awareness week, which draws attention to the disproportionate rates of violence affecting Native communities.

Since Begay’s disappearance, her loved ones have coordinated search efforts, demanded accountability from law enforcement agencies, and even undertook a cross-country walk to maintain public focus on her case. Civil rights advocates have drawn parallels between Begay’s situation and that of Gabby Petito, a young white woman whose vanishing that same summer generated widespread media coverage, social media engagement, and law enforcement resources that eventually led to finding her body in Wyoming.

Law enforcement officers from the Navajo Nation police and FBI pinpointed Tolth as a person of interest just days after Begay went missing. Tolth, whose father had been in a relationship with Begay’s sister, first claimed he had no connection to her disappearance. During a subsequent questioning session, an FBI agent deceived Tolth by claiming officers had recovered Begay’s vehicle and were analyzing evidence that would connect him to the crime. Following this deception, Tolth gave up his right to stay silent and admitted to taking Begay’s truck, assaulting her, and abandoning her injured on a roadside.

While U.S. law enforcement agencies are generally permitted to use deceptive tactics during questioning, Judge Rayes determined that the FBI agent did not properly respect Tolth’s initial decision to remain quiet, leading to the confession being excluded from evidence. An appeals court panel supported this decision.

Federal prosecutors admitted in legal filings that losing the confession severely damaged their case against Tolth, leading them to pursue a plea deal instead of proceeding to trial.

In an uncommon decision, Judge Rayes previously rejected an earlier plea arrangement that would have resulted in Tolth serving only his time already spent in custody, calling the punishment too mild. Begay’s family members had provided emotional testimony and expressed their preference for the case to go to trial.

“Accountability is not time served,” Begay’s niece Seraphine Warren said through tears during an April court session. “It’s about truth, and we still don’t have the truth.”

Michael Henderson, who serves as public safety director for the Navajo Nation, stated that locating Begay remains a top priority for tribal police.

“One of the hindrances is that the federal investigation is still pending,” Henderson explained.

Henderson noted that once the federal case concludes, Navajo Nation police may obtain access to information that could assist in their ongoing search efforts.

A transgender performer has initiated legal proceedings against a Manhattan hotel following an incident involving restroom access.

Wesley Han, a transgender woman, was a guest at the Soho Grand Hotel when the incident occurred. According to Han, other female guests objected to her presence in the women’s restroom facilities.

Han alleges that hotel security personnel removed her from the women’s restroom and directed her to use the men’s facilities instead.

The legal challenge comes in New York, a state known for its progressive policies and strong protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, which may complicate the hotel’s defense strategy.

In response to the lawsuit, representatives from the Soho Grand Hotel issued a public statement emphasizing their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion.

NEW YORK — The public dispute between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni appears far from over, even after reaching a legal settlement this week.

Following Monday’s announcement that the parties had resolved Lively’s lawsuit concerning the 2024 movie ‘It Ends With Us,’ her legal representatives issued a statement Thursday declaring the agreement a ‘resounding victory.’

‘By agreeing to this settlement, and waiving their right to appeal, Justin Baldoni and every individual defendant now face personal liability for abusing the legal system to silence and intimidate Ms. Lively,’ attorneys Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson said.

The lawyers referenced potential multimillion-dollar financial consequences that a federal judge could impose on defendants for legal expenses and sanctions related to Lively’s costs when Baldoni pursued a countersuit. U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed that counteraction last June, which had accused Lively, her spouse Ryan Reynolds of ‘Deadpool’ fame, and their publicist of defamation and extortion.

In recent court documents, Lively’s legal team stated that federal law mandates ‘severe and mandatory penalties against any party who files unsuccessful retaliatory defamation actions against sexual harassment and retaliation complainants.’

The attorneys also noted that by acknowledging in Monday’s joint statement that Lively’s concerns ‘deserved to be heard,’ Baldoni and co-defendants ‘have ended once and for all the fiction that Ms. Lively ‘fabricated’ claims of sexual harassment and retaliation.’

Her goal was consistently to ‘expose and hold accountable those who weaponize smear campaigns and retaliatory lawsuits to intimidate and silence survivors,’ the lawyers stated. ‘That mission continues.’

Baldoni’s legal representatives have not yet responded to requests for comment.

The original complaint filed by Lively in December 2024 against Baldoni and his production company claimed she and other women endured sexual harassment during filming when Baldoni made comments about their physical appearance and shared personal intimate experiences and pornographic content.

Judge Liman recently dismissed the harassment allegations but allowed certain retaliation claims to proceed toward trial. The court determined Lively could not pursue sexual harassment claims because she worked as an independent contractor rather than an employee during production.

Monday’s settlement resolution of the remaining allegations was officially recorded in court documents Thursday. Financial terms remain confidential.

‘It Ends With Us’ adapts Colleen Hoover’s popular 2016 novel that starts as a romantic story before addressing domestic violence themes. The film surpassed box office projections with a $50 million opening weekend, though its release was overshadowed by rumors of conflict between Lively and Baldoni.

Lively gained recognition in 2005’s ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ and starred in ‘Gossip Girl’ from 2007 to 2012 before appearing in movies like ‘The Town’ and ‘The Shallows.’

Baldoni appeared in the television comedy ‘Jane the Virgin,’ helmed the 2019 film ‘Five Feet Apart’ and authored ‘Man Enough,’ examining conventional masculinity concepts.

A Los Angeles jury has cleared the city of any responsibility in the tragic death of a teenage girl who was fatally struck by an officer’s stray bullet while holiday shopping with her mother nearly three years ago.

The 12-person jury reached their 9-3 decision Thursday following more than a day of deliberations in the wrongful death case involving 14-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta. The teen was shopping at a Burlington clothing store in North Hollywood on December 23, 2021, when a police bullet pierced through a dressing room wall and killed her.

The monthlong trial centered on a lawsuit brought by Orellana-Peralta’s parents against the Los Angeles Police Department. The family’s legal team accused the city of wrongful death, negligence, and causing severe emotional trauma, but jurors rejected all claims.

Family attorney Nick Rowley expressed his shock at the outcome in a recorded statement, describing it as “the most devastating loss of my career” and saying he cannot comprehend the jury’s reasoning.

Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto acknowledged the family’s profound grief while defending the verdict as appropriate. She noted that the involved officer will continue to “carry the burden of Valentina’s death with him for many years.”

The deadly incident unfolded when police arrived at the store responding to emergency calls about a man attacking two women with a bicycle lock. Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr. joined other armed officers searching the building and discharged his rifle three times, fatally shooting both the attacker and the innocent teenager.

During testimony before the LAPD’s Use of Force Review Board, Jones explained that he confused the bicycle lock for a firearm. The officer also believed the suspect was positioned near an exterior brick wall, unaware that women’s changing rooms were located in that area. One of his bullets bounced off the floor and traveled through the dressing room wall, striking Orellana-Peralta.

The case drew scrutiny from multiple oversight bodies with conflicting conclusions. The Los Angeles Police Commission determined in 2022 that Jones’ initial shot was warranted but his following two shots violated department policy. Former Police Chief Michel Moore disagreed entirely, concluding that all three shots were unjustified.

However, the California Attorney General’s office reached a different determination in April 2024, finding that Jones reasonably believed he faced “imminent death or serious bodily injury” and declining to pursue criminal charges against the officer.

In the weeks leading up to Jeffrey Epstein’s death by suicide at a deteriorating Manhattan detention facility in 2019, guards discovered him on his cell floor – conscious but bearing neck injuries.

The disgraced financier later made a shocking accusation: A corrections officer reported that Epstein blamed his cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, for attempting to murder him.

Though Epstein later withdrew these claims, Tartaglione had already become a key figure in the puzzling circumstances surrounding the former financier’s wounds.

Tartaglione, an ex-law enforcement officer facing trial for four murders, offered his own account of what happened. He informed his attorney that Epstein had hidden what appeared to be a suicide note within a book.

While Tartaglione’s legal team received the note, its existence received minimal attention in subsequent years – even following Epstein’s later death, which prompted federal investigation and widespread public doubt.

This Wednesday marked the first public disclosure of the note Tartaglione claimed to discover, after a judge ordered its release from years of courthouse storage during an unrelated legal matter.

Questions persist about the document’s legitimacy, the timing of its creation, and whether its mysterious wording constitutes a suicide message, as Tartaglione maintains.

Following his 2008 disability retirement from police work, Tartaglione allegedly entered drug trafficking and eventually planned the abduction and killing of four individuals in 2016, according to authorities.

Prosecutors state that Tartaglione suspected one victim of stealing money intended for cocaine purchases. The muscular former officer allegedly lured the man to a tavern, tortured him while searching for the missing funds, and ultimately killed him using a zip tie, officials said.

Three companions and family members present at the scene were fatally shot, with all four bodies interred on Tartaglione’s land, prosecutors alleged.

Following his December 2016 arrest, Tartaglione remained in pre-trial detention for three years before becoming Epstein’s cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Tartaglione received his conviction in 2023 and subsequently received four consecutive life sentences.

Jail documentation shows Epstein was discovered in their shared cell at approximately 1:30 a.m. on July 23, 2019. Officials then transferred Epstein to suicide prevention monitoring in a different area. According to the officer’s account, Epstein then sat upright and blamed Tartaglione for the attack, claiming extortion attempts and physical threats.

News of Epstein’s assault allegations spread rapidly, with NBC News reporting within 24 hours that jail administrators were questioning Tartaglione and examining whether an attack occurred.

However, during a follow-up interview with facility personnel one week later, Epstein denied having problems with Tartaglione, stated he felt no threats, and refused to “fabricate something that isn’t there,” according to documentation. He also denied having suicidal thoughts.

Following 31 hours under suicide prevention protocols, Epstein’s status was reduced to psychological monitoring. He had no cellmate when found deceased on August 10, 2019. Authorities discovered a handwritten document in his cell, but it seemed to catalog complaints about unsanitary jail conditions rather than serve as a suicide note. The facility has since shuttered.

Officials determined Epstein died by suicide and concluded the initial incident represented a missed chance to prevent his subsequent fatal attempt.

A timeline within recently disclosed Justice Department documents regarding Epstein’s case indicated Tartaglione contacted his lawyer about the note four days following the suspected July 23 suicide attempt.

Jail personnel failed to reference the note in their report documenting Tartaglione’s late-month interview. “Tartaglione stated he does not understand Epstein’s motive and what he is trying to do,” the document noted. Tartaglione believed Epstein was experiencing cardiac distress.

The document was subsequently entered as evidence in Tartaglione’s drug murder trial and sealed during a disagreement about his legal representation.

During a prison podcast interview last year, Tartaglione referenced the note while attempting to counter persistent conspiracy theories suggesting Epstein didn’t commit suicide. “It was in my book. When I got back into the cell, I opened my book to read, and there it was,” Tartaglione explained.

The short note’s meaning remains unclear.

“They investigated me for month — found nothing!!!” the document states.

“It is a treat to be able to choose” the “time to say goodbye,” it continues. “Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!!”

After seven years filled with shocking developments and unresolved questions, the document adds to the confusion and disappointment felt by some accusers.

“It is hurtful to me because I don’t know if Jeffrey Epstein really wrote it, and if he did, when he wrote it,” stated actor and model Alicia Arden, who filed a 1997 police complaint against him that received no action.

Arden questions why the note’s release occurred now. Her attorney, Gloria Allred, noted that while Epstein’s victims seek truth and openness, the note “simply deepens the mystery.”

Jennifer Freeman, representing other survivors, argued the document diverts attention from efforts to examine the government’s management of Epstein’s case and pursue accountability for his enablers.

“We cannot allow the narrative to become muddied by speculation over whether this note is real,” Freeman stated.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Hip-hop artist Kodak Black finds himself in legal trouble once again after being taken into custody in central Florida on drug trafficking allegations.

Bill Kapri, the 28-year-old performer’s legal name, was processed at Orange County Jail on Wednesday facing felony charges for trafficking MDMA, commonly referred to as ecstasy or molly.

On Thursday, Kapri submitted a written not guilty plea and requested a trial by jury. He also chose to skip appearing personally at an upcoming arraignment in state court. Authorities established his bond at $75,000.

The charges stem from a November incident in Orlando when law enforcement responded to a residential area after citizens called about gunfire. Police arrived to find multiple individuals gathered near high-end luxury SUVs, with Kapri among the group, according to official reports.

A responding officer spotted white powder on a $100 bill inside a Lamborghini SUV that had a marijuana odor, providing grounds to conduct a vehicle search. The investigation uncovered a pink bag holding MDMA in plastic packaging, $37,000 in cash, and multiple documents bearing Kapri’s name, police records indicate.

Investigators noted the pink bag was identical to one visible in a photograph Kapri had shared on his Instagram profile. The bag also held a distinctive lighter that appeared in the same social media post, authorities stated.

Police reports show that all individuals present, including Kapri, denied ownership of the bag. However, Kapri acknowledged the cash belonged to his business operations and requested its return.

Representatives Ambrosia Healy and Kevin Young from Universal Music Group, who handle Kapri’s affairs, have not responded to requests for comment.

This marks another chapter in Kapri’s ongoing legal struggles.

Last year in Plantation, Florida, officers arrested Kapri after discovering him unconscious behind the wheel with white residue around his mouth. While initial testing suggested cocaine, laboratory analysis confirmed the substance was oxycodone, for which Kapri held a valid prescription.

That incident violated terms of his probation from a separate case, resulting in a two-month detention in Miami.

In 2022, Kapri faced charges for oxycodone trafficking and unauthorized possession of controlled substances. He secured release on bond with mandatory drug screening requirements. Court documents show he was mandated to complete 30 days of drug rehabilitation in 2023 after missing a scheduled test and subsequently testing positive for fentanyl.

Former President Donald Trump reduced Kapri’s three-year federal prison term in January 2021, which he received for document falsification in firearms purchases. Kapri had completed approximately half his sentence.

Under his stage name Kodak Black, Kapri has achieved significant commercial success with over 30 million singles sold, including chart-topping tracks like “Super Gremlin,” which climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022.

A handwritten message that Jeffrey Epstein’s former cellmate says he discovered following the financier’s initial suicide attempt in 2019 has now been released to the public through an unexpected legal avenue – not through Justice Department document releases, but via separate court proceedings.

Federal officials maintain they had no prior knowledge of the document’s existence.

“The note has not yet been authenticated, and this is the first time DOJ is seeing it as well,” the department stated Thursday when questioned about why the document wasn’t included in the extensive Epstein file releases.

Nicholas Tartaglione reported finding the handwritten message inside a book following the incident where the convicted sex offender was discovered in their shared Manhattan federal detention facility cell with bedsheet material wrapped around his neck. Following this event, Epstein was relocated to different housing, where he would later be found deceased several weeks afterward in what was ruled a suicide.

Tartaglione, a former law enforcement officer who was then facing homicide charges, explained he turned the note over to his legal team as protection against potential accusations that he had injured Epstein during their time as cellmates. At the time, Epstein was being held while awaiting trial on sex trafficking allegations.

The document had been stored in a federal court vault in New York since 2021. It became entangled in legal disputes between Tartaglione and his attorneys regarding their representation in his murder case. All materials related to this conflict were kept confidential by judicial order due to attorney-client privilege protections.

Tartaglione, a former suburban New York police officer who later became involved in drug trafficking, received a conviction in April 2023 for strangling one victim and executing three others. He claimed to have found the note while reading in his detention cell.

The New York Times filed a petition with U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas requesting the note’s release, pointing out that Tartaglione, now serving life imprisonment, had discussed it publicly. The judge granted the request Wednesday, stating that Epstein’s privacy concerns regarding the note had been “vastly reduced” following his death.

“They investigated me for month — found nothing!!!” reads the brief message, which contains some illegible portions and remains unverified. “It is a treat to be able to choose” the “time to say goodbye,” the note continues. “Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!!

“NO FUN. NOT WORTH IT!!” the message concludes.

Detention facility records indicate Epstein sustained friction marks and neck irritation from the suspected July 23, 2019, suicide attempt. Correctional officers reported he was breathing laboriously but remained conscious. Epstein initially told guards that Tartaglione had assaulted him, but subsequently withdrew this claim.

Following the incident, jail administrators placed Epstein under suicide watch for 31 hours before reducing his status to psychiatric observation, which remained his classification when he took his own life on August 10, 2019.

The Justice Department raised no objections to making the note public. Deputy U.S. Attorney Sean Buckley informed the judge that the public had legitimate interest in understanding the circumstances of Epstein’s death.

Buckley also explained that while two Justice Department attorneys participated in the 2021 proceedings between Tartaglione and his legal counsel, the judge prohibited them from sharing any information from those sessions to preserve attorney-client privilege. Therefore, even if they had viewed the note, they were legally prevented from disclosing its existence.

State authorities in New Mexico have revived a criminal probe and established a legislative panel to examine abuse allegations connected to Jeffrey Epstein’s massive ranch property.

The renewed investigation focuses on the sprawling 10,000-acre estate once owned by the disgraced financier. Officials have simultaneously created a legislative committee dedicated to reviewing the claims of misconduct at the remote property.

The dual approach represents a significant development in ongoing efforts to investigate activities that may have occurred at Epstein’s various properties before his death in federal custody.

WASHINGTON — Federal officials have launched a new enforcement initiative targeting parents who have fallen behind on child support payments by canceling their U.S. passports.

State Department officials announced Thursday that the passport cancellations would commence Friday, initially targeting individuals who owe $100,000 or more in unpaid support. Data from the Department of Health and Human Services indicates approximately 2,700 American passport holders fall into this category.

The enforcement action, which was initially disclosed by the Associated Press in February, will soon broaden significantly to include parents owing more than $2,500 in delinquent child support payments — a threshold established by a rarely enforced 1996 federal statute.

Officials could not specify Thursday how many passport holders owe amounts exceeding $2,500, as Health and Human Services continues gathering information from state agencies that monitor these figures. However, authorities suggest the number could reach into the tens of thousands.

Previously, only individuals seeking passport renewals faced this penalty. Under the updated enforcement approach, HHS will notify the State Department about all overdue payments exceeding $2,500, leading to passport revocation for affected parents.

“We are expanding a commonsense practice that has been proven effective at getting those who owe child support to pay their debt,” stated Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar. “Once these parents resolve their debts, they can once again enjoy the privilege of a U.S. passport.”

Following the Associated Press report on the program’s expansion in February, department officials noted that “hundreds of parents took action and resolved their arrears with state authorities since news broke that the State Department would start proactively revoking passports.”

“While we can’t confirm the causation in all of those cases, we are taking this action precisely to impel these parents to do the right thing by their children and by U.S. law,” the department explained.

Prior to this expansion, officials described the program as a “powerful tool” for compelling payment compliance. Since its implementation in 1998, states have recovered approximately $657 million in overdue support, including more than $156 million through over 24,000 individual lump-sum payments during the past five years.

Parents whose passports are canceled will receive notification that their travel documents are no longer valid and must apply for new passports after confirming payment of their outstanding obligations.

Passport holders currently overseas when their documents are revoked must visit a U.S. embassy or consulate to secure emergency travel documentation for their return to the United States.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A jury in Ohio has convicted a former Franklin County sheriff’s deputy of reckless homicide Thursday in the fatal shooting of Casey Goodson Jr., a Black man who was carrying sandwiches to his grandmother’s home when he was killed in December 2020.

Jason Meade, who is white, was acquitted of the more serious murder charge after jurors indicated they could not reach a unanimous decision on that count, leading the judge to declare a mistrial on the murder charge.

The 47-year-old former deputy, who also serves as a Baptist minister, claimed his actions were justified when he shot the 23-year-old Goodson six times — five bullets striking him in the back and one in the side. Meade maintained he witnessed Goodson holding a firearm and turning toward him in the doorway of the Columbus residence. However, no other witnesses corroborated seeing Goodson with the weapon he was legally permitted to carry, and no video footage captured the incident.

This conviction marks Meade’s second trial, following a hung jury that resulted in a mistrial two years earlier. The verdict makes him only the second white police officer in Ohio to face conviction for killing a Black person since George Floyd’s death in 2020 ignited nationwide demonstrations for police accountability.

In his previous testimony, Meade stated he followed Goodson after the young man allegedly brandished a weapon at him when their vehicles passed each other. Family members and prosecutors countered that Goodson was carrying a bag from Subway in one hand and his house keys in the other while wearing earbuds and listening to music when the shooting occurred.

According to prosecutors, evidence indicates the firearm was not in Goodson’s grasp but secured in a loose holster beneath his belt. They said the weapon was discovered underneath his body with the safety still activated as he lay dying on his grandmother’s kitchen floor.

Meade left his position with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department in 2021. His legal team defended his version of events and argued the shooting was warranted.

Christopher Corne, who was driving in the area during the incident, provided testimony for prosecutors in both trials. He described seeing Goodson appearing to dance and sing in his vehicle moments before the shooting occurred. During the initial trial, Corne stated he did not observe a gun in Goodson’s possession. Defense lawyers highlighted discrepancies in Corne’s account, noting he described Goodson as having either an afro or ponytail when the victim was actually wearing a skull cap.

Columbus police Officer Samuel Rippey testified in the second trial that while providing emergency medical care to Goodson, he observed the firearm with an extended magazine on the grandmother’s floor.

The shooting death sparked significant public anger throughout Ohio as fatal encounters between white officers and Black citizens intensified calls for law enforcement reform in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in 2020. Protesters displayed banners on Columbus highway overpasses with messages reading “Justice for Casey Goodson Jr.” and “Convict Murderer Meade.” The presiding judge directed authorities to remove these displays during trial proceedings.

Prior prosecutions of similar cases in Ohio have yielded just one conviction — Columbus police officer Adam Coy, who faced murder charges in the 2020 killing of Andre Hill.

Ohio law enforcement has been involved in the fatal shootings of at least three Black children: 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland in 2014, 13-year-old Tyre King in Columbus in 2016, and 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant in Columbus in 2021.

Additional Black individuals killed by white officers in Ohio include John Crawford III in Beavercreek in 2014, Samuel DuBose in Cincinnati in 2015, Miles Jackson in Westerville in 2021, Donovan Lewis in Columbus in 2022, Jayland Walker in Akron in 2022, and pregnant Ta’Kiya Young in Columbus in 2023.

VENTURA, Calif. — A former college instructor from Southern California has accepted responsibility for involuntary manslaughter and battery charges connected to the death of a Jewish counter-demonstrator during Israel-Hamas war protests in 2023.

Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, age 53, was charged with hitting Paul Kessler using a megaphone during a November 2023 altercation at what began as a pro-Palestinian rally in Thousand Oaks, located northwest of Los Angeles.

Kessler was part of a pro-Israel demonstration group that arrived at what had been promoted as a peaceful assembly, authorities reported. Following the impact, Kessler tumbled backward and his head struck the concrete. The 69-year-old man passed away at a medical facility the following day.

The charge of involuntary manslaughter refers to the accidental killing of another individual.

Alnaji, who previously taught computer science at Moorpark College, remained at the location and informed deputies he had contacted emergency services.

He also acknowledged a special enhancement for personally causing severe bodily harm and accepted aggravating circumstances including weapon use and victim vulnerability, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office reported.

Defense attorney Ron Bamieh stated that both he and his client have received numerous death threats, with Alnaji concerned that trial publicity might further endanger his family. Alnaji remains free on $50,000 bond.

The judge has informed Alnaji he should anticipate jail time followed by supervised release, Bamieh explained. With good conduct, he would probably serve approximately six months behind bars. The maximum penalty for these charges reaches four years imprisonment.

Bamieh noted that brief incarceration followed by supervised release represents the typical outcome for defendants who were not the initial aggressor in fatal altercations.

Prosecution officials have opposed this approach.

“Alnaji should be sentenced to prison for his violent behavior, and our office strongly objects to any lesser sentence,” District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said in a statement. “While no amount of punishment will ever fully account for the Kessler family loss, a prison commitment underscores the severity of this crime and will deter others from committing similar acts of violence.”

Alnaji’s sentencing is set for June 25.

ATLANTA — A group of wounded U.S. military veterans discovered therapeutic healing and wonder during an extraordinary aquatic experience at Georgia Aquarium this week, where they swam alongside massive marine creatures including a whale shark.

The Wednesday event provided members of the Wounded Warrior Project with a therapeutic escape from their ongoing recovery challenges and daily stressors. This organization supports injured veterans and their families through various programs.

“It gives them, you know, 30 or 40 minutes to just relax,” explained Jason Bush, who oversees the aquarium’s Military Salute program. This weekly initiative allows service members to swim or dive alongside marine creatures.

“Whether it’s swimming in the water or scuba diving in particular, you’re weightless,” Bush explained. “So physically, it takes away even for a moment physical pain that you feel when you’re on land.”

During their visit, the veterans swam and snorkeled with Yushan, the massive whale shark, along with stingrays and numerous other sea creatures. Yushan, who was saved from a Taiwanese fish market years ago, represents the sole whale shark living in captivity throughout the Western Hemisphere, aquarium representatives confirmed.

“They go in nervous and they come out saying it’s the best experience they’ve had in their life,” Bush noted.

Marine Gunnery Sergeant William Mund, who sustained injuries during his Iraq deployment, described how the aquatic environment improves his circulation. He called his encounter with the whale shark a “once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

Army Colonel Quentin Collins, who suffered two separate injuries in Iraq from mortar fire and an improvised explosive device that left him paralyzed, said his highlight was “surfing” alongside the whale shark.

“Actually, its wake pulled me with it,” Collins said with enthusiasm. “So I was swimming forward and the next thing I know, I’m going backwards and I realized the whale shark is right below me.”

Collins had been unable to enter water since 2020 due to his injuries. His son Ian Collins witnessed the remarkable moment.

“It’s a wonderful thing to see my dad being able to enjoy things he couldn’t anymore,” Ian said. “It’s a great thing to see.”