Category: U.S. News

A 62-year-old architect from Long Island will reportedly admit his guilt Wednesday in the notorious Gilgo Beach serial murder case, bringing closure to an investigation that has captivated the nation and tormented families for more than a decade.

Rex Heuermann faces charges for killing seven women, most of whom worked as sex workers, during a period spanning 17 years. An admission of guilt would guarantee he spends his remaining years behind bars.

Three sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed Heuermann’s intention to enter a guilty plea to The Associated Press, requesting anonymity since the court proceedings haven’t occurred yet. His sentencing will take place at a future date.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney has arranged a press conference for Wednesday afternoon, after the morning court session. He’ll appear alongside family members of the victims and representatives from the Gilgo Beach Homicide Investigation Task Force, the team that solved the case using evidence including DNA recovered from thrown-away pizza remains.

Attempts to reach Heuermann’s attorney, Michael Brown, for comment were unsuccessful.

The investigation into the Gilgo Beach murders gained momentum in 2010 when authorities discovered multiple sets of human remains scattered along an isolated coastal highway on Long Island’s South Shore. This discovery launched an international manhunt for a suspected serial killer that inspired documentaries and a major motion picture.

Law enforcement officials employed DNA testing and additional forensic evidence to determine victims’ identities. In several instances, they successfully linked these remains to bodies discovered in other Long Island locations years before.

Six victims’ remains — Melissa Barthelemy, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Amber Lynn Costello, Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor and Megan Waterman — were discovered in brush alongside Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach. Another victim, Sandra Costilla, was found over 60 miles away in the Hamptons area.

Authorities have also confirmed the identity of an eighth woman, Karen Vergata, whose remains were located on Fire Island more than 20 miles west in 1996, with additional remains found near Gilgo Beach in 2011. Heuermann hasn’t been charged in connection with Vergata’s death.

Despite widespread media coverage, including documentary productions and the 2020 Netflix movie “Lost Girls,” the case remained unsolved for over ten years, marked by brief investigative leads and repeated disappointments.

In 2022, just six weeks after a newly appointed police commissioner established the Gilgo Beach task force, investigators pinpointed Heuermann as a suspect. They used vehicle registration records to link him to a pickup truck that a witness reported seeing when one victim vanished in 2010.

For decades, Heuermann resided in Massapequa Park, approximately 25 minutes by car across a causeway over South Oyster Bay from the sandy area where the women’s bodies were discovered. Several victims were thought to have vanished from that community, and their mobile phones had connected to nearby cell towers, officials reported.

Following the truck connection, a grand jury approved over 300 subpoenas and search warrants, enabling the task force to thoroughly investigate Heuermann’s background.

Investigators gathered phone records for disposable phones he supposedly used to schedule meetings with victims, re-examined DNA evidence found with the bodies, and analyzed Heuermann’s online browsing history. This revealed he had accessed violent torture content and showed significant interest in the Gilgo Beach murders and the ongoing investigation. Mobile phone records indicated Heuermann had communicated with some victims shortly before their disappearances, investigators stated.

To secure Heuermann’s DNA sample, surveillance officers followed him in Manhattan, where he was employed, and observed him discarding his lunch leftovers — a container of partially consumed pizza crusts — into a street trash receptacle.

Officers quickly retrieved the container and delivered it to the forensics laboratory, which successfully matched DNA from the crust to a male hair discovered on burlap material used to bind one victim. His arrest occurred in July 2023.

Following Heuermann’s detention, investigators spent over 12 days examining his property and residence, where they uncovered a basement storage area containing 279 firearms. On his computer system, officials reported finding what they characterized as a detailed plan for the murders, including multiple checklists with notes about minimizing sound, cleaning victims’ bodies, and eliminating evidence.

Last year, a judge denied Heuermann’s attempt to exclude DNA evidence collected through sophisticated methods that prosecutors claim definitively identifies him as the perpetrator.

A civil trial is scheduled to commence Wednesday in a wrongful death case against the Los Angeles Police Department involving the shooting death of a teenage girl during a 2021 incident at a retail store.

Fourteen-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta was browsing for holiday clothing with her mother inside a Burlington retail location in North Hollywood on December 23, 2021, when a police bullet penetrated the fitting room wall and fatally wounded her.

Law enforcement had responded to emergency calls about an individual attacking two women with a bicycle lock inside the building. During the response, Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr. discharged his weapon three times, resulting in the deaths of both the attacker and Orellana-Peralta.

The civil action brought by the teenager’s parents claims wrongful death, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

According to the lawsuit, her mother Soledad Peralta “felt her daughter’s body go limp and watched helplessly as her daughter died while still in her arms.”

The legal filing contends that the LAPD failed to properly train and oversee the responding officers and “fostered an environment that allowed and permitted this shooting to occur.”

Family attorney Nick Rowley stated: “Valentina had her entire life in front of her, and it was taken in an instant due to reckless decisions made by the very people who were sworn to protect her. We intend to hold LAPD fully accountable for taking an innocent young woman’s life.”

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office, which is defending the LAPD, has not yet provided a response to requests for comment.

In 2022, the Los Angeles Police Commission, which provides civilian oversight, determined that Jones was justified in his initial shot but violated department policy with his second and third shots. Former Police Chief Michel Moore had previously concluded in his separate review that all three shots violated policy.

During testimony before the LAPD’s Use of Force Review Board, Jones explained that he believed an active shooter was inside the store and confused the bicycle lock for a firearm. He also stated he assumed a solid exterior wall was behind the suspect, when the area actually contained women’s changing rooms.

Rowley previously obtained a $30 million settlement from San Diego for the death of 16-year-old Konoa Wilson, representing one of the largest police shooting settlements in United States history. That agreement exceeded the $27 million settlement Minneapolis paid in the George Floyd case.

In the summer of 1989, music enthusiast Aadam Jacobs slipped a small Sony cassette recorder into his pocket before heading to witness an emerging rock group from Washington state make their Chicago debut at a venue called Dreamerz.

Following a burst of guitar static, 20-year-old Kurt Cobain courteously greeted the audience at the intimate club: “Hello, we’re Nirvana. We’re from Seattle.” The four-piece band then dove into their heavy opening number, “School.”

Jacobs secretly captured that performance, preserving the emerging group in their raw, passionate state more than two years prior to Nirvana’s worldwide success with “Nevermind.”

Over the next four decades, Jacobs would go on to document more than 10,000 live performances across Chicago and beyond, upgrading his recording gear along the way. Today, a dedicated team of volunteers spanning the United States and Europe is systematically organizing, converting to digital format, and uploading these recordings individually.

The expanding Aadam Jacobs Collection has become an online goldmine for music enthusiasts, particularly those drawn to independent and punk music from the 1980s through early 2000s, when these genres flourished and entered the mainstream. The archive showcases early career performances from alternative and experimental acts including R.E.M., The Cure, The Pixies, The Replacements, Depeche Mode, Stereolab, Sonic Youth and Björk.

The collection also contains some hip-hop recordings, including a 1988 performance by pioneering rap group Boogie Down Productions. Phish followers were delighted to find a previously unreleased 1990 concert by the jam band. Additionally, hundreds of performances by lesser-known artists who remain obscure even to the most dedicated music collectors are included.

Everything is gradually being made accessible for streaming and free downloading through the nonprofit Internet Archive, including that early Nirvana recording with enhanced audio quality from Jacobs’ original cassette.

When Jacobs smuggled his recorder into that Nirvana concert, he had already been documenting live music for five years. As a teenager exploring music, Jacobs initially recorded songs from radio broadcasts.

“And I eventually met a fellow who said, ‘You can just take a tape recorder into a show with you, just sneak it in, record the show.’ And I thought, ‘Wow, that’s cool.’ So I got started,” Jacobs, now 59, recalled.

He cannot immediately recall his first recorded concert in 1984, but he captured it using a small Dictaphone-style device borrowed from his grandmother. Soon after, he purchased the Sony Walkman-style recorder. When it malfunctioned, he temporarily used his home cassette deck packed in a backpack, which a helpful sound engineer allowed him to connect.

“I was using, at times, pretty lackluster equipment, simply because I had no money to buy anything better,” he explained. Eventually, he upgraded to digital audio tape (DAT) and later to solid-state digital recording devices as technology advanced.

Jacobs rejects the label of obsessive or archivist that many apply to him, describing himself simply as a music lover. He reasoned that since he planned to attend multiple concerts weekly anyway, why not preserve them? Initially, he faced resistance from club owners attempting to stop his recording activities. However, they eventually accepted him as he became established in the music community, with many venues eventually admitting the “taper guy” without charge.

Writer Bob Mehr, who profiled Jacobs in 2004 for the Chicago Reader, considers him one of the city’s cultural landmarks.

“He’s a character. I think you have to be, to do what he does,” Mehr said. “But I think he proved over time that his intentions were really pure.”

Following a local documentary about Jacobs in 2023, an Internet Archive volunteer contacted him about preserving his collection. “Before all the tapes started not working because of time, just disintegrating, I finally said yes,” he said.

Monthly, Brian Emerick travels from Chicago’s suburbs to Jacobs’ city residence to collect 10 or 20 containers, each holding 50 to 100 recordings. Emerick’s responsibility involves transferring the analog recordings to digital format in real-time, which are then sent to other volunteers who enhance and prepare the performances for archive upload. Emerick has dedicated an entire room to his collection of vintage cassette and DAT players.

“So many of the machines I find are broken. They’re trashed. And so I learned how to fix those, get them running again,” said Emerick. “Currently, I have 10 working cassette decks, and I run those all simultaneously.”

Emerick calculates he has converted at least 5,500 performances since late 2024 and expects the project will require several more years to finish. The digital recordings are handled by approximately a dozen volunteer engineers across the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany who add information and improve audio quality. Brooklyn-based Neil deMause, one such volunteer, expresses amazement at the sound quality of the original recordings, particularly given Jacobs used “weird RadioShack mics” and other basic equipment.

“Especially after the first couple years, he’s got it so dialed in that some of these recordings, on, like, crappy little cassette tapes from the early 90s, sound incredible,” deMause said.

Emerick highlighted a 1984 James Brown performance as a standout discovery among the collection.

Frequently, identifying song titles proves most challenging. While Jacobs occasionally maintained useful notes, volunteers often spend days consulting one another, researching, and even contacting artists to ensure accurate setlist documentation.

Jacobs reports that most artists he recorded appreciate having their performances preserved. Regarding copyright issues, he willingly removes recordings upon request, though only one or two musicians have asked for removal so far.

“I think that the general consensus is, it’s easier to say I’m sorry than to ask for permission,” he said. The Internet Archive chose not to provide comment for this story. David Nimmer, an experienced copyright lawyer who also instructs at UCLA, explained that under anti-bootlegging regulations, artists technically control both original compositions and live recordings. However, since neither Jacobs nor the archive profit from this effort, legal action appears improbable.

The Replacements, an influential punk-alternative group, were so satisfied with Jacobs’ recording of a 1986 performance that they incorporated portions with a soundboard recording. They issued it in 2023 as a live album within a box set produced by Mehr.

Jacobs ceased recording several years ago as declining health reduced his motivation to attend live performances. Nevertheless, he continues enjoying live music discovered online, much of it captured by younger fans.

“Since everybody’s got a cellphone, anybody can record a concert,” he said.

The legendary Route 66 isn’t designed for speed — it’s all about experiencing the adventure along the way.

America’s famous Mother Road celebrates its centennial anniversary this year. Though it lost its designation as a primary national highway many years ago, travelers from across the globe continue to visit this legendary stretch of asphalt for what many consider the ultimate American adventure, drawn to its glowing neon signs, quirky roadside lodges, and unique dining experiences.

Beyond creating a pathway linking busy Chicago to California’s coast, planners a hundred years ago envisioned connecting America’s rural communities while fostering new business opportunities throughout the corridor. The highway quickly evolved into an enduring emblem of opportunity and liberty for countless American families.

While numerous sections of Route 66 now feature empty structures and weathered signage, visitors can still uncover rich historical treasures and enchanting experiences. Each destination sparks curiosity, encouraging modern explorers to envision the lives of residents and towns that once brought vitality to this storied highway.

This collection features images selected by Associated Press photography staff.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The legendary highway that inspired countless songs and road trip dreams reaches a major milestone this year as Route 66 celebrates its centennial anniversary.

Known as the Mother Road after author John Steinbeck gave it that nickname, this iconic stretch of asphalt has transformed from a lifeline for Depression-era farmers escaping dust bowl devastation into America’s most famous road trip destination.

While faster interstate highways now connect Chicago and Los Angeles more efficiently, Route 66’s glowing neon signs and weathered billboards continue drawing adventurers to classic motor courts, old-fashioned diners, and bizarre roadside stops.

Every destination along the route sparks curiosity about the generations of travelers and communities that have kept this highway alive through the decades.

Chicago’s position as a major economic hub with Great Lakes shipping access and cross-country rail connections made it the logical starting point for Oklahoma entrepreneur Cyrus Avery’s vision in the 1920s. Avery, later called the Father of Route 66, recognized that automobiles would soon revolutionize American transportation.

Serving on the federal commission tasked with designing the national highway network, Avery deliberately selected the number 66, understanding that those matching digits would stick in drivers’ memories and prove perfect for promotion.

Many Route 66 enthusiasts find themselves motivated more by culinary discoveries than scenic vistas, with options ranging from fresh-baked pies and creamy milkshakes to juicy burgers and various deep-fried specialties.

Springfield’s Cozy Dog Drive In represents one of many establishments that emerged alongside Route 66, where corn-battered hot dogs on sticks remain popular decades later. Current third-generation proprietor Josh Waldmire keeps his family’s preparation method confidential.

Josh’s grandfather Ed recognized the potential for this portable creation as ideal highway fare and invented a vertical frying technique for the corn dogs.

The winding highway naturally features unexpected curves, so it makes sense that a road celebrated for unusual attractions would span America’s greatest river via one of engineering’s more distinctive spans.

Approaching St. Louis, the mile-long Chain of Rocks Bridge stretches more than 60 feet above the Mississippi River’s waters.

Transportation officials eventually constructed a more direct, faster replacement, and poor demolition economics saved the original structure. The historic bridge now serves exclusively pedestrians and bicycle riders.

Missouri’s St. Robert Route 66 Neon Park displays rescued illuminated signs that once guided motorists to various highway businesses and destinations. These often handmade creations functioned not just as advertisements for lodging, restaurants and fuel stops, but as genuine folk art representing local character.

Kansas contains only a brief Route 66 segment, but delivers memorable experiences at Galena’s Kan-O-Tex Service Station. This perfect example of roadside architecture inspired elements of Pixar’s 2006 animated feature “Cars.”

Director John Lasseter and his team traveled the highway extensively, researching historical details and seeking inspiration for their project. In Galena, they discovered the vintage tow truck that became the model for character Tow Mater. The storyline reflected reality, as many thriving communities — like fictional Radiator Springs — nearly disappeared after interstate bypasses.

Kansas also preserves the Brush Creek Bridge, known locally as the Rainbow Bridge. This National Register of Historic Places structure represents one of the few surviving concrete arch bridges designed by engineer James Barney Marsh.

Serious hazards awaited certain travelers, especially Black motorists navigating hostile, segregated regions during Jim Crow segregation. The Green Book — initially published in 1936 by Victor Hugo Green — identified lodging, dining and fuel establishments willing to serve African American customers.

The Threatt Filling Station near Luther wasn’t featured in The Green Book, but provided sanctuary for fuel, barbecue and baseball. This National Register of Historic Places site was the only documented Black-owned gas station operating along Route 66.

Abandoned structures and fading signage dot Route 66, but Sapulpa’s restored Tee Pee Drive-In Theater near Tulsa demonstrates the highway’s enduring appeal. This 1950s throwback recalls the era when automobile culture spawned thousands of outdoor movie venues nationwide.

Constructed in 1949, the drive-in premiered in spring 1950 with John Wayne’s “Tycoon.” It featured unusual paved walkways for its time. The facility survived tornado damage, concession stand fires and break-ins before closing for over two decades, finally reopening in 2023.

Amarillo’s Cadillac Ranch demands attention during any Route 66 journey. For generations, visitors have spray-painted the ten buried vintage Cadillacs while contemplating time’s passage, much like Bruce Springsteen did in his 1980 song sharing the site’s name.

This isn’t an actual ranch but a public art installation created in 1974 by the Ant Farm collective. Initially, the half-buried cars angled at 60 degrees served as shooting targets, with people carving initials into the metal before spray painting became the tradition.

Adrian marks the journey’s halfway point, where a white line designates Route 66’s center near the Midway Cafe, famous for “ugly pies” that taste far better than their name suggests.

Still hungry travelers can return to Amarillo for The Big Texan’s 72-ounce steak challenge with full accompaniments — finish everything within an hour and the meal costs nothing.

Over half of Route 66 crosses sovereign tribal territories, often following paths used by Native Americans long before European settlement. Like 19th-century railroads, the highway created new commercial opportunities while unfortunately promoting cultural stereotypes.

Faded references to tipis and feathered headdresses still appear at some highway stops. These symbols were easily borrowed for marketing purposes by roadside vendors but didn’t represent the distinct Native American cultures actually present in these areas.

Today, tribal communities share their authentic stories and showcase their own creations, including pottery, fruit pies and poetry.

Albuquerque features Route 66’s longest continuous urban section. These 18 miles wind through multiple neighborhoods and commercial areas, from historic Old Town to the Nob Hill district.

Several vintage motor lodges and neon signs along present-day Central Avenue have undergone restoration. Other signs receive creative makeovers using hubcaps, elaborate lowrider-style paint schemes and New Mexico’s distinctive yellow and red license plates, celebrating the city’s ongoing automotive culture.

Musician Jackson Browne experienced car trouble in Winslow during an early 1970s road trip, inspiring lyrics for the Eagles’ hit “Take it Easy.” However, this represents just one essential track for any Route 66 playlist.

Bobby Troup composed a timeless American driving anthem in the 1940s with “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.” Artists including Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones and Depeche Mode have recorded their own versions across the decades.

While standing on Winslow’s famous corner, don’t be surprised when someone approaches with a guitar to perform favorites from their personal road trip collection.

Before departing Arizona, the former gold mining settlement of Oatman provides Wild West atmosphere with daily gunfight reenactments and friendly burros. Oatman was accessible via an original Route 66 alignment through the dangerous Black Mountains passage, but later improvements in the 1950s created a bypass.

Roy’s Motel & Café in Amboy once served as a desert oasis and remains a quintessential Route 66 landmark. The towering neon sign ranks among the highway’s most photographed locations. Inside, international currency left by global visitors covers one wall. Across the street, a clothing post decorated with shoes, shirts and miscellaneous items rises from the desert floor.

This Mojave Desert highway section provides unique solitude. The pavement becomes rough in places while the landscape dominates, showcasing Joshua trees, vast open spaces and evidence of ancient volcanic activity.

Much of this area remains undeveloped, appearing largely unchanged since Route 66’s 1926 designation.

After navigating frequently congested Los Angeles traffic, the famous Santa Monica Pier signals journey’s end with continuous celebration featuring steady streams of spectators and entertainers. While many Route 66 segments have deteriorated, the spectacular Pacific Ocean views remind travelers of the opportunities this highway has provided over the past century.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — While faster routes exist between Chicago and Los Angeles, no highway matches the legendary appeal and cultural significance of Route 66.

Author John Steinbeck called it the Mother Road that guided struggling farmers away from Dust Bowl hardships toward California’s promise. For Native American communities along its path, the highway brought economic opportunities alongside lasting challenges. Black motorists found refuge during segregation’s dark era. Music lovers discovered where to truly get their kicks.

The famous highway celebrates its centennial anniversary in 2024. Though it lost federal designation as a major transportation corridor years ago, international visitors continue traveling this iconic stretch to experience America’s most legendary road trip, complete with glowing neon signs, vintage motels, and unique roadside cuisine.

Every community offers distinct stories and charm, according to Sebastiaan de Boorder, a Dutch business owner who revitalized The Aztec Motel in Seligman, Arizona, alongside his wife.

“It’s an essential part of American culture and history,” he said of the highway. “The historical aspect is just a very big important part of American culture, with its influence and its character.”

Spanning approximately 2,400 miles from Chicago through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before reaching Santa Monica, California, Route 66 was assembled a century ago from existing Native American trade paths and unpaved rural roads, designed to connect the industrial Midwest with the Pacific Coast.

Oklahoma entrepreneur Cyrus Avery, dubbed the Father of Route 66, envisioned more than efficient cross-country transportation. He saw opportunities to unite rural communities and establish new business centers.

Avery recognized that the number 66 would capture public imagination and stick in drivers’ memories, and his prediction proved accurate: Route 66 achieved legendary status through Hollywood films, literature including Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” and Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road,” plus songs like Bobby Troup’s “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,” which became synonymous with post-World War II optimism and freedom of movement.

Following its November 1926 establishment as an original numbered federal highway, America’s former Main Street represented the promise of economic prosperity.

The route became a lifeline for families fleeing drought-stricken farmland and poverty during the 1930s Dust Bowl and Great Depression. Throughout World War II, it transported military personnel, supplies and defense workers westward.

Route 66 reached its golden age during the postwar prosperity of the 1940s and 1950s, emerging as a favored vacation destination. Automobile ownership expanded, household incomes grew, and Americans embraced the romance of open-road travel.

“People generally have a sense of adventure, a sense curiosity. And you can find that on Route 66. This is the road of dreams,” author and historian Jim Hinckley said.

Roadside restaurants and motor lodges flourished as creative business owners developed attractions to capture motorists’ attention and spending. Visitors encountered snake exhibits, towering totem poles, Native American trading centers, caves allegedly used by Wild West outlaws, and architectural wonders like St. Louis’ shining steel gateway arch.

Massive barn advertisements, eye-catching billboards promoting local destinations, and brilliant neon displays lined the highway.

The ultimate attraction? Regional cuisine.

Establishments offered both quick takeout options and comfortable dining experiences featuring hometown specialties. The Cozy Dog Drive In — renowned for its battered hot dogs on sticks — has served both purposes since 1949. Within the restaurant’s dining area in Springfield, Illinois, travelers share highway adventures.

“The road wouldn’t be alive without the stories of all the places along it that kept it going from town to town,” third-generation owner Josh Waldmire said. “We just survive off each other. The road feeds us, and as long as we put our feelings and love back into the road, it will reverberate with the travelers and the stories of the people.”

The highway provided economic benefits for Native American communities along its corridor. However, while tourism increased, the road also created problems through forced land acquisition and cultural stereotyping.

Over half the highway passed through tribal territories, and business signage frequently featured generic references to tepees and feathered headwear — easily commercialized symbols that didn’t accurately represent the diverse cultures found throughout the region.

Near Laguna Pueblo west of Albuquerque, dining establishments and gas stations emerged, many operated by pueblo military veterans skilled at repairing everything from punctured tires to damaged engines.

Pueblo women also adapted, transforming practical pottery into decorative pieces sought by tourists. Fresh-baked bread and homemade pies completed the appeal.

Laguna leadership has historically viewed the highway — called he-ya-nhee’ in their Keres language — as “the corridor of commerce,” explained businessman and tribal member Ron Solimon. Leveraging this potential, the tribe has developed a multimillion-dollar network of gaming facilities, restaurants and additional enterprises.

The route also presented hazards, especially during Jim Crow segregation when Black travelers depended on resources like the Green Book to locate safe accommodations and services.

“Especially for long-distance travel, segregation was a fact of life,” said Matthew Pearce, state historian for the Oklahoma Historical Society. “And so Black motorists needed to know a safe place to go.”

The Threatt Filling Station near Luther in central Oklahoma wasn’t featured in the Green Book, yet it provided sanctuary between two sundown communities where non-white visitors had to depart before evening. The station served barbecue and hosted baseball games.

Edward Threatt, whose grandparents established the station around 1933, remembered a television show about travelers enjoying Route 66. “By and large, the Black traveler didn’t get a lot of kicks on Route 66,” he said. “And if they got some kicks, it wasn’t the kind you would think of.”

President Dwight Eisenhower’s interstate highway system ultimately resulted in Route 66 losing federal status in 1985. Some communities along the route withered, leaving local authorities, state preservation groups, and private enterprises to maintain their portions of the historic roadway.

Angel Delgadillo, a barber who convinced Arizona’s Legislature to recognize the road as a historic highway, led preservation efforts. He prevented Seligman from becoming abandoned and established standards for conservation efforts elsewhere.

New Mexico has maintained original neon sign designs, displays numerous Route 66-themed murals, and Albuquerque developers have restored motor lodges along the longest remaining urban section.

Over 90% of the California portion remains accessible to drivers. Cadillac Ranch in the Texas Panhandle allows visitors to spray-paint half-buried automobiles. At the Mississippi River, people can walk or bicycle across the historic Chain of Rocks Bridge.

More than 250 buildings, districts and road segments from the route appear on the National Register of Historic Places. Yet the continuing fascination extends beyond physical structures and pavement.

“Some of the most interesting and fun things that happen to people when they travel the route is running into somebody they know or some happenstance thing that comes totally unexpected,” said author and historian Jim Ross. “And that’s a great part of the Route 66 experience.”

NASHVILLE — Country music legend Ray Stevens is on the mend at his home following a serious neck injury that required a brief hospital stay, his representatives announced Tuesday.

The 87-year-old entertainer suffered the neck fracture during a fall that occurred in late December, according to an announcement posted on the social media platform X. Medical professionals have instructed Stevens to use a neck brace for roughly four weeks as part of his recovery process.

“He remains fully mobile & in good spirits,” the statement said.

Stevens has built an impressive career spanning multiple decades, creating memorable songs that blend country music with comedy and social commentary. His achievements include the Grammy Award-winning track “Everything Is Beautiful” alongside the comedic sensation “The Streak,” which became a cultural phenomenon during the mid-1970s streaking fad.

Music fans can look forward to Stevens’ newest recording project, which is scheduled for release this Friday through Curb Records.

This recent injury follows another health challenge Stevens faced earlier this year. In July, the veteran performer experienced a minor heart attack that required surgical intervention, as detailed in a social media update. The medical emergency forced the cancellation of his scheduled shows at Nashville’s CabaRay Showroom for the remainder of that month while he focused on recovery.

AUSTIN, Texas — State health officials in Texas have notified Camp Mystic’s ownership that they’re examining hundreds of formal complaints stemming from last summer’s catastrophic flooding that claimed the lives of 27 girls, as regulators weigh whether to permit the all-girls facility to resume operations this summer.

The elite Texas Rangers investigative unit has also joined efforts to examine neglect allegations, the Texas Department of Safety confirmed, though officials haven’t disclosed the full extent of their involvement in the probe.

These ongoing investigations highlight the significant obstacles Camp Mystic confronts as it moves forward with reopening efforts despite fierce opposition from families who lost loved ones — 25 campers and two teenage staff members — in the July 4 disaster. Despite the tragedy, more than 850 families have registered to return to the Christian camp for girls this summer if authorities approve reopening the unaffected portions of the facility.

Since February, the Department of State Health Services has documented “hundreds of complaints regarding Camp Mystic’s operations in the summer of 2025” that cite potential violations of state regulations governing youth camping facilities. Officials requested assistance from state law enforcement in response to the volume of complaints.

The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed that Rangers are participating in an “investigation regarding complaints of neglect” related to the flooding incident. Both agencies have declined to provide additional specifics. The camp failed to evacuate before floodwaters surged from 14 feet to 29.5 feet in just one hour during pre-dawn darkness.

Health department officials sent correspondence Tuesday notifying camp ownership of the active investigation, though the letter didn’t reference Texas Rangers participation.

Legal representatives for both the victims’ families and Camp Mystic ownership haven’t responded to requests for comment.

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick characterized the Rangers’ participation as a “criminal investigation” and urged state officials to withhold operating permits until both this probe and a separate legislative inquiry conclude.

“I urge you to prioritize safety and do everything in your power to ensure Camp Mystic and/or their operators are not allowed to operate until the facts are in,” Patrick stated in his Tuesday correspondence to the health agency director.

Multiple families who lost children have filed lawsuits against camp operators, contending that staff failed to implement adequate safety measures as dangerous floodwaters threatened the facility. Last month, a district court judge mandated that camp owners preserve damaged structures and flooded grounds as litigation continues.

Eight-year-old Cile Steward remains missing, and DPS officials report that recovery efforts for the young camper are ongoing.

Camp co-owner Richard Eastland also perished in the disaster. The devastating flooding ultimately killed at least 136 people across several miles of the river valley, prompting widespread questions about the sequence of failures that led to such massive loss of life.

PAULS VALLEY, Okla. — The principal of a high school in Oklahoma is recovering after being wounded in a shooting that occurred Tuesday in the school’s entrance area, law enforcement officials reported.

Kirk Moore, who serves as principal at Pauls Valley High School, sustained injuries during the incident and is currently listed in stable condition, according to the Garvin County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities confirmed that no students were harmed during the shooting, and law enforcement successfully apprehended the suspected gunman. The sheriff’s department announced on social media that the situation has been resolved.

“There is no ongoing threat at this time,” the sheriff’s statement said.

Attempts to reach both the Garvin County Sheriff’s Office and Pauls Valley High School for additional comment on Thursday were unsuccessful, as phone calls and emails went unanswered.

The incident took place in Pauls Valley, a town with approximately 6,000 residents located roughly 60 miles south of Oklahoma City.

BOLIVIA, N.C. — A Brunswick County judge ruled Tuesday that a former Marine accused of fatally shooting three people at a waterfront establishment must receive mental health treatment before his murder trial can move forward.

Nigel Max Edge, 41, was determined by multiple psychiatric experts to be unable to comprehend legal proceedings sufficiently to work with his defense team on the first-degree murder charges he faces.

The court session had been planned for District Attorney Jon David to announce whether prosecutors would pursue capital punishment in the case. However, David explained in a statement that this decision was postponed due to concerns about Edge’s mental fitness for trial.

“The defense has presented evaluations from two experts, and this office requested an independent evaluation by a state forensic examiner,” David stated. “All three evaluations conclude that Mr. Edge currently lacks the capacity to proceed to trial.”

Superior Court Judge Jason Disbrow directed that Edge be sent to Cherry Hospital, a state mental health facility located in Goldsboro, according to David’s announcement.

The prosecutor noted that the state’s psychiatric evaluator determined Edge “may be restored to capacity through appropriate treatment, including medication and counseling.” Attempts to reach Edge’s public defender, Matthew Geoffrion, were unsuccessful.

Law enforcement officials say Edge used a small boat to approach a dockside bar in Southport on September 27 last year, where he allegedly fired a short-barreled semiautomatic weapon. The attack resulted in three deaths and wounded multiple other victims.

The defendant, who faces several additional criminal charges, sustained four gunshot wounds during his military service with an elite sniper team in Iraq, including one to his head. According to relatives and acquaintances, he has received a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and continues to have a bullet fragment in his brain.

Tuesday’s court order effectively “suspends further litigation unless and until the defendant’s capacity is restored,” David explained, while noting that prosecutors could still pursue the death penalty “should the facts and law warrant this designation.”

Edge will be held in custody throughout his treatment period, which David described as lasting for an “indeterminate” duration.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Pennsylvania couple is facing child endangerment charges following an incident where their 18-month-old son crawled into a restricted area at ZooAmerica and was injured by a wolf, according to Derry Township Police.

The incident unfolded Saturday just before noon when the parents moved approximately 25 to 30 feet away from their toddler to sit on nearby benches, where they became focused on their mobile devices, police reported. During this time, the young child managed to crawl through a gap in the wooden perimeter barrier surrounding the wolf exhibit.

Once inside the restricted zone, the toddler reached the chain-link enclosure and inserted his hand through the fencing. Police said the wolf’s response appeared instinctive when it grabbed the child’s hand with its mouth.

“From the injuries sustained, it appears as though one of the wolves in the enclosure instinctively and naturally grabbed onto the child’s hand with its mouth. Several bystanders intervened and helped pull the child away,” police stated.

ZooAmerica officials described the wolf’s behavior as investigative rather than aggressive, explaining that the contact was “brief, investigatory behavior consistent with how wild canines interact with unfamiliar objects in their environment.” The zoo noted that wolves naturally explore new items by using their mouths, similar to how humans use their hands.

The child sustained what zoo officials characterized as “minor, surface-level” injuries. The wolf involved remains healthy, current on vaccinations, and continues to be housed in its exhibit.

Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo explained that filing criminal charges required careful deliberation. “We looked at a lot of factors — the age of the child, the circumstances, how diligent you have to be because it’s potentially dangerous,” Chardo explained during a telephone conversation. “We looked at it closely,” he added.

The parents, residents of Lititz, Pennsylvania, are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the misdemeanor charges later this month. Legal representation for the father has been contacted for comment, though it remains unclear who is representing the mother.

Derry Township Police Chief Garth W. Warner emphasized the dangers of inadequate supervision. “There are plenty of opportunities for a child of that age to hurt themselves on things,” Warner observed. “Let alone, be left alone, essentially by themselves, where they could get themselves into a situation like this child did.”

ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park operates as part of the larger Hershey entertainment complex, which includes the famous chocolate-themed amusement park. According to the zoo’s website, three gray wolves are currently housed at the facility.

This marks the second notable child safety incident at Hersheypark within the past year. Last summer, a lost child wandering on monorail tracks required rescue by a park visitor who climbed onto a building and jumped onto the rails to reach the boy, who was ultimately unharmed and returned to his family.

WASHINGTON – Federal authorities announced Tuesday they have successfully taken down a sophisticated cyber espionage operation orchestrated by Russian military intelligence.

According to the Justice Department, the cyber network was run by Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff, specifically Military Unit 26165 of the GRU.

Officials said the Russian operatives used compromised internet routers to carry out hijacking attacks targeting victims across the globe, focusing particularly on personnel working in military, government, and critical infrastructure roles.

Brett Leatherman, who serves as assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, explained the severity of the threat. “GRU actors compromised routers in the US and around the world, hijacking them to conduct espionage. Given the scale of this threat, sounding the alarm wasn’t enough,” Leatherman stated.

The disruption was carried out under court authorization as part of ongoing efforts to counter foreign cyber threats against American interests.

Federal immigration officials have confirmed they are deploying advanced surveillance technology capable of infiltrating mobile phones as part of their enforcement operations.

In correspondence delivered to congressional representatives last week, the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement disclosed that the agency has been utilizing sophisticated spyware capabilities to monitor encrypted communications linked to fentanyl distribution networks.

The revelation marks the first official acknowledgment from ICE regarding its use of such invasive digital surveillance tools, which have the ability to bypass standard security measures on smartphones and other devices.

The agency’s admission comes amid ongoing congressional scrutiny of federal law enforcement’s use of advanced surveillance technologies and raises questions about privacy protections and oversight of such operations.

Federal immigration enforcement agents opened fire on a suspect in California Tuesday following what officials describe as an attempt to strike officers with a vehicle, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership.

The wounded individual was transported to a medical facility for treatment, while FBI investigators responded to the scene, stated ICE Director Todd Lyons in an official announcement.

“As officers approached the car, the wanted gang member weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over. Following their training, our officers fired defensive shots to protect themselves, their fellow agents, and the public,” Lyons said.

According to ICE officials, the suspect is a gang member from El Salvador who was residing in the United States without legal status and was being sought for questioning related to a murder investigation.

The shooting occurred in Patterson, an agricultural community home to 25,000 residents located in California’s San Joaquin Valley, approximately 90 miles southeast of San Francisco. Reuters reported it could not independently confirm ICE’s account of the events.

Federal data from the Department of Homeland Security indicates ICE personnel faced 66 vehicle-related attacks during the first year of President Donald Trump’s current administration, a significant increase from just two similar incidents recorded in the prior year.

WASHINGTON — A Santa Clara, California resident who helped establish one of Mexico’s most dangerous and brutal drug trafficking organizations entered a guilty plea Tuesday to federal narcotics conspiracy charges in U.S. court.

Erick Valencia Salazar, 49, created the Jalisco New Generation Cartel alongside Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the notorious drug kingpin called “El Mencho” who died during a confrontation with Mexican military forces in February.

Following his guilty plea in Washington, D.C. to one count of conspiring to distribute cocaine for importation into the United States, Valencia Salazar now faces a minimum prison term of 10 years and could receive life imprisonment. Chief Judge James Boasberg has set his sentencing date for July 31.

Before establishing the Jalisco cartel, Valencia Salazar belonged to the Milenio Cartel. He and Oseguera Cervantes later founded the organization known by its Spanish acronym CJNG. Federal prosecutors stated that hundreds of CJNG operatives answered to Valencia Salazar, whose responsibilities included bringing in new members and gathering intelligence about competing cartels.

After separating from “El Mencho,” Valencia Salazar, who went by the alias “El 85,” established his own criminal organization called La Nueva Plaza. Meanwhile, “El Mencho” continued leading the CJNG until his death.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, who oversees the Justice Department’s criminal division, described the CJNG as having caused “immeasurable damage” to the United States.

“Valencia Salazar was also responsible for furthering the rampant violence in Mexico, at the expense of people’s lives and the safety of communities, that helped destabilize the region and allow crime to flourish,” Duva said in a statement.

Federal grand jurors issued an indictment against Valencia Salazar on the conspiracy charge in 2018. This past February, Mexican officials transferred him to the United States as part of an initial group of 29 drug kingpins.

During President Donald Trump’s previous administration, officials classified the CJNG and other cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

Mexican authorities captured Valencia Salazar on two separate occasions. His first arrest occurred in 2012 when military forces detained him in Zapopan municipality, located near Guadalajara, which serves as the capital of Jalisco state.

A judge ordered his release from prison five years later, citing alleged procedural violations. In 2022, Army forces captured him again in Tapalpa, the same location where authorities apprehended and killed “El Mencho.”

The U.S. State Department had posted a reward of up to $5 million for information that would lead to Valencia Salazar’s arrest or conviction.

A military court-martial has been set for June 15 for an Army sergeant who opened fire on colleagues at Fort Stewart, Georgia last summer, injuring five people including his romantic partner.

During a plea hearing last week, 29-year-old Sgt. Quornelius Radford admitted to a military judge that he shot four soldiers from his supply unit and one civilian on August 6, using his own handgun after a dispute with his girlfriend. Other personnel at the scene subdued and disarmed Radford until authorities could respond.

While Radford entered guilty pleas for aggravated assault and domestic violence charges, he rejected the attempted murder counts during his March 31 hearing. He told the court he never intended to cause deaths, according to WTOC-TV.

The defendant revealed during testimony that he hoped military police would kill him in return gunfire when he attacked his coworkers, WSAV-TV reported.

Defense lawyers had initially indicated Radford would accept responsibility for two attempted murder charges, but the sergeant changed course and will now face trial on those counts this summer.

Radford worked as a supply sergeant within the 2nd Armored Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division and joined the military in 2018, according to Army documentation. Fort Stewart houses the largest Army installation on the eastern side of the Mississippi River, accommodating thousands of 3rd Infantry Division personnel approximately 40 miles southwest of Savannah.

In cinema, corridors typically spell trouble for characters. Whether it’s blood spilling from elevator doors or serving as battlegrounds for intense fight sequences, these narrow spaces usually amplify danger and drama.

However, Japanese filmmaker Genki Kawamura breaks this convention with ‘Exit 8,’ a unique production that begins in a corridor and never leaves it. The story follows a nameless protagonist navigating Tokyo’s crowded subway system, absorbed in his smartphone like fellow commuters.

Struggling with asthma, the man climbs subway stairs while adjusting his earbuds playing an unusual Ravel composition with a military rhythm. During a phone conversation with a hospitalized woman discussing an urgent decision, the call disconnects as he promises to arrive soon.

Seeking Exit 8 through the complex underground network, he discovers something unsettling: each time he walks down the designated corridor, he mysteriously returns to his starting point. Initially attributing this to a navigation error, he repeatedly attempts the same route with identical results.

This nightmarish puzzle forms the foundation of Kawamura’s adaptation of the popular indie video game ‘The Exit 8.’ The original game challenges players to navigate a tiled metro passage in first-person view, escaping the endless cycle only by understanding the mechanics and advancing through levels.

This places the film alongside other video game adaptations currently in theaters, though audiences might unknowingly choose this Kafkaesque maze over more mainstream gaming movies like Nintendo productions.

Such a choice would prove worthwhile. Despite its minimal and repetitive nature, ‘Exit 8’ represents one of the most successful mergers between cinema and gaming mediums in recent memory. The film achieved tremendous popularity in Japan.

While maintaining the game’s core concept and central mechanics, Kawamura enriches the sparse source material with sufficient background narrative to enhance its depth. His previous work, ‘A Hundred Flowers,’ explored the perspective of a dementia patient, demonstrating his skill with seemingly limiting viewpoints. In ‘Exit 8,’ he elevates basic gaming elements with human emotion.

The protagonist remains unnamed throughout, credited simply as The Lost Man and portrayed by Kazunari Ninomiya, a recording artist who delivered a memorable performance in Clint Eastwood’s ‘Letters From Iwo Jima.’ Viewers only see him directly once the corridor begins its repetitive cycle and the camera perspective changes.

After multiple failed attempts, he discovers wall instructions: retreat upon spotting any irregularity, continue forward if none appear. The Lost Man begins cataloging every ventilation grate, doorway, and advertisement (notably including an appropriate Escher poster) during his journeys.

Part of the challenge involves identifying what qualifies as an irregularity versus normal elements. A mechanical-seeming commuter called The Walking Man (Yamato Kôchi) appears during each cycle, and at certain stages, a child (Naru Asanuma) stands in the corridor’s center. While reaching Exit 8 resembles gameplay, success ultimately requires truly observing fellow human beings.

The film’s most memorable scene likely won’t be the clinical subway corridor where most action occurs. In this loop-like narrative, the opening subway moments prove most impactful: smartphone-illuminated faces deliberately ignoring an irregularity—a man berating a mother with a crying infant. Though built on a minimal premise, translating ‘Exit 8’ to cinema creates opportunities for compassion. The military-style music in The Lost Man’s headphones might represent a rallying cry for action.

‘Exit 8,’ distributed by Neon and opening in theaters Friday, receives a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association for some violent imagery and frightening content. The Japanese-language film includes English subtitles and runs 95 minutes.

FORT WORTH, Texas — A one-time FedEx delivery driver entered a guilty plea to capital murder charges on Tuesday, admitting he killed a 7-year-old Texas girl after claiming he accidentally struck her with his delivery vehicle and then strangled her in a moment of panic.

Tanner Horner now faces either execution or life behind bars for the December 2022 death of Athena Strand, whose remains were discovered two days following her disappearance from the small community of Paradise, located near Fort Worth.

Following Horner’s guilty plea as his trial commenced, jurors who will determine his sentence began listening to witness testimony. During emotional testimony from Athena’s stepmother about the search efforts, the jury viewed footage from inside the delivery vehicle showing Athena alive, positioned on her knees behind the driver’s seat.

Court documents reveal that Horner informed law enforcement he killed Athena following what he described as an accidental collision with his van during a delivery stop. Horner explained to investigators that while Athena sustained no major injuries when he struck her while reversing his vehicle, he became overwhelmed with fear and placed her inside his van.

According to the arrest warrant, Horner stated he was concerned about Athena informing her father about the incident, leading him to attempt breaking the child’s neck. When unsuccessful, he used his hands to strangle her in the rear of the delivery vehicle. Authorities noted that Horner guided investigators to the location where he had disposed of Athena’s remains.

Family members revealed that the package Horner had been delivering contained a Christmas gift intended for Athena — a set of “You Can Be Anything” Barbie dolls.

The proceedings were relocated from rural Wise County to Fort Worth following arguments from Horner’s legal team that their client could not receive an impartial trial in the original venue.

A New York court has thrown out a lawsuit filed by the animal rights organization PETA challenging breeding standards for several popular dog breeds, ruling that the group incorrectly applied state law in their case against the American Kennel Club.

The legal action, initiated last year, represented a fresh approach in PETA’s ongoing battle with dog breeding practices. The organization targeted the AKC’s breeding guidelines for French bulldogs, bulldogs, Chinese shar-peis, dachshunds, and pugs, claiming these standards promote unhealthy characteristics. French bulldogs currently rank as America’s most popular breed according to AKC data. The kennel club, which serves as the country’s oldest purebred dog registry, disputed these allegations and emphasized its commitment to canine wellness.

On Tuesday, PETA announced that its legal team is reviewing potential next steps following the dismissal.

“Money-grubbing dog merchants flood the market with deformed dogs bred at the AKC’s direction,” stated PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk. She encouraged pet seekers to consider shelter adoption rather than purchasing purebred animals, saying “No dog should be custom-made for a look that causes pain.”

The AKC has not yet responded to requests for comment.

The lawsuit relied on a New York statute typically employed to challenge government agency decisions, though it has occasionally been used against private entities. However, Judge David B. Cohen noted in Monday’s ruling that previous cases involving private organizations concerned groups with direct authority over the plaintiffs, such as union leadership disputes or condominium board conflicts.

Because PETA operates independently of the kennel club’s oversight, Cohen determined the case “must be dismissed,” declining to address the underlying health concerns that formed the basis of the complaint.

The lawsuit highlighted medical conditions often linked to flat facial features found in bulldogs, pugs, and French bulldogs, as well as issues related to the elongated bodies and shortened legs characteristic of dachshunds. Chinese shar-peis face risks of recurring fever and inflammation called “shar-pei autoinflammatory disease.”

While these health issues don’t affect every dog, they can create significant medical challenges.

The AKC maintains that its breed guidelines, developed by enthusiasts and vetted by the organization, represent “decades of collaboration with veterinary experts and breeders.” The club reports contributing more than $40 million to canine health research initiatives since 1995.

Officials in Northampton County, Virginia are issuing a warning to residents about fraudulent email campaigns designed to trick property owners into paying fake government fees.

The scam involves emails that appear to come from legitimate government sources, requesting payment for bogus permit invoices and public hearing fees. These deceptive messages are crafted to look official and may catch unsuspecting residents off guard.

County authorities are advising citizens to be extremely cautious when receiving any unexpected emails requesting payment for government services. Residents should verify the legitimacy of any such requests by contacting the appropriate county office directly before making any payments.

The fraudulent scheme appears to be targeting property owners specifically, likely in an attempt to exploit their familiarity with legitimate government fees and permits.

Anyone who believes they may have received one of these suspicious emails should report it to local authorities and avoid clicking any links or providing personal information.

Following George Floyd’s death in 2020, the nationwide movement for racial justice sparked commitments from corporations and foundations to better support Black-led nonprofit organizations that had historically been underfunded. Companies increased donations to historically Black colleges, climate funders promised greater investment in minority communities, and major donors vowed to address racial wealth disparities.

However, research published Tuesday reveals these financial commitments largely failed to materialize into sustained support. The study, conducted by nonprofit research organization Candid in partnership with Black philanthropy group ABFE, found that larger Black-led nonprofits experienced only brief funding increases from 2020 to 2022, while smaller organizations saw virtually no improvement.

This pattern of reduced investment has placed community organizations at an even greater disadvantage as President Donald Trump’s administration implements policies limiting diversity, equity and inclusion funding. The nonprofit sector faces additional challenges from threats to social service programs, uncertainty about future grants due to agency staff cuts, and restrictions on racial justice funding through anti-DEI executive orders.

Cliff Albright, who co-founded Black Voters Matter, emphasized that these same community nonprofits are now expected to assist increasing numbers of low-income families struggling with elevated healthcare expenses and food costs.

“We’re literally being asked to do more with less resources,” Albright told The Associated Press.

The research found that smaller Black-led nonprofits frequently depended on new donors rather than established supporters, missing out on transformative partnerships that provide long-term stability and help weather difficult periods. Organizations with annual budgets of $1 million or less received just over one-third of their funding from repeat donors, the report indicated.

This challenge affected organizations like the Resident Association of Greater Englewood, which serves a predominantly Black neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side that ranks among the city’s most economically disadvantaged areas. CEO Asiaha Butler co-established the nonprofit over 15 years ago to empower residents to challenge negative perceptions of their community.

While the organization maintained several steady supporters for its mission, summer 2020 brought more than 24 new funding sources.

“All of a sudden, we were desirable for people to fund,” Butler recalled, noting that the “spurt” eventually became a “curse” as the rapid influx of money eventually diminished.

“We started seeing this revenue and thinking we’re gaining really great relationships with funders,” she explained. “And, really, those priorities shifted quickly.”

According to ABFE CEO Susan Taylor Batten, foundations had limited connections with Black organizations of any size before 2020.

Black philanthropy experts say this disconnect created chaos when protesters demanded that businesses and philanthropic organizations confront systemic racism.

Kia Croom, whose fundraising company serves nonprofits in Black communities, reported that her clients received unprecedented corporate funding. Some hired extra development personnel to handle the increased interest, only to conduct layoffs when the money vanished.

“It was just a very transactional gift at best,” she observed.

Kandee Lewis, who leads the Positive Results Center, a Los Angeles nonprofit supporting domestic violence survivors and others who have experienced harm, said receiving contributions from new supporters felt wonderful initially. However, the assistance often proved to be one-time donations rather than the foundation of ongoing partnerships.

Lewis believed the funding arrived solely because her organization was Black-led, not because donors truly understood their mission.

“They were so busy trying to figure out who was who that they didn’t really take time to get to know people,” she stated.

Jaleesa Hall understands that philanthropy operates on relationships. She directs the Raising A Village Foundation, which promotes educational equity through tutoring initiatives. When she established the Washington, D.C. nonprofit over six years ago, her network included few wealthy individuals.

This limited circle made it challenging to attract foundation attention, as these organizations “haven’t really cracked” how to identify potential grant recipients beyond their existing networks of connections.

“Small, Black-led nonprofits simply aren’t in those rooms to begin with,” Hall noted.

The report showed that most foundation grant funding for these organizations came from first-time supporters.

Cathleen Clerkin, associate vice president of research at Candid, explained that the nonprofits’ mission becomes even more difficult due to the “song and dance” required to obtain long-term investment annually.

“They’re just constantly going on first dates with new funders and hoping that somebody will invest in them and understand them,” she said.

Leaders of small nonprofits remain so occupied with daily operations and financial survival that they lack time for networking events or money to travel to national conferences.

T’Pring Westbrook, a nonresident fellow at the Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, co-established a consulting firm serving small nonprofits. She argues the issue isn’t that foundations refuse to support marginalized communities, but that they do so through “trend funding.”

“Maybe during Black History Month there will be a funding campaign,” she explained. “But the thing about a campaign is a campaign doesn’t build sustainability.”

Small nonprofits report facing additional obstacles regardless of race, including grant qualification criteria. Limited staffing may prevent eligible organizations from maintaining foundations’ required weekly or monthly progress reports on funded projects.

“It ends up feeling like a burden,” Hall said. “The juice isn’t worth the squeeze.”

The philanthropy sector has moved toward trust-based approaches that provide general operating support and multi-year grants, recognizing nonprofits’ knowledge about best fulfilling their missions. However, Batten noted that Black-led nonprofits typically haven’t benefited from these improved practices.

The study demonstrated that Black-led nonprofits had significantly fewer repeat funders compared to non-Black organizations. Only one-third received general operating support, while just over half of other nonprofits did.

“We are still seeing remnants of bad practice when it comes to investing in Black communities,” Batten stated. “There’s just no way for a foundation to move its mission for communities in this country, let alone Black nonprofits to move theirs, if we do not evolve this sector.”

Butler, the Chicago community leader, now hears explanations from supporters who contributed during the peak of the 2020 racial justice movement: “Priorities have shifted,” they inform her, or there are “new strategic goals.”

“Little buzz words that just say perhaps this nonprofit — grassroots, Black-led, very focused on the Black population — is probably just not in peoples’ cards to continue to support,” she said.

This funding decline postponed a nearly $7 million capital project building on their economic justice efforts following the post-George Floyd civil unrest. The planned 8,800-square-foot building would house a full-service restaurant and another Black-owned business. One tenant would offer workforce development training. Her objective is to strengthen Englewood’s economic and social foundation through a flourishing Black business district.

By 2023, she had obtained a $1 million grant — her nonprofit’s largest — to begin the project. However, she compared her search for additional funding to “pulling teeth.” Former philanthropic partners withdrew support, and their prospects looked dim.

She’s now pursuing public funding. Chicago provided a $2.5 million grant, and Butler said another $1.5 million state award awaits approval.

“Things shifted and so we didn’t want to start soliciting for a capital campaign,” she explained. “The timing was off.”

A comprehensive study marking America’s upcoming 250th anniversary has revealed significant demographic shifts over the past half-century. The Pew Research Center’s analysis shows that American families have become notably smaller since the nation’s bicentennial celebration in 1976.

The research indicates that the typical American woman now has two children during her reproductive years, compared to three children in 1976. According to Pew researchers, “the introduction of the birth control pill, delays in marriage and increases in women working outside the home have contributed to the change.”

This demographic transformation represents one of several major societal shifts documented in Pew’s extensive examination of how the United States has evolved since its bicentennial year.

Drivers traveling on westbound Main Street should plan for potential delays today as construction crews have reduced traffic to a single lane near the State Street intersection.

Traffic control personnel are on scene directing vehicles through the work zone, which is expected to remain in place until 5 PM this evening.

Motorists are advised to allow extra travel time and consider alternate routes if possible to avoid congestion in the area.

Research released by the Pew Research Center reveals striking differences in how Americans across different generations view moral issues. The data shows a significant generational divide on several controversial topics.

According to the findings, fewer than half of younger Americans believe consuming pornography is morally objectionable, while more than two-thirds of senior citizens consider it wrong. The study also examined attitudes toward homosexuality, finding that 30% of Americans aged 18 to 29 view same-sex relationships as immoral, compared to 46% of those 65 and older who hold similar views.

Almost five decades after a beloved television comedy series brought the call letters into American pop culture, Cincinnati could finally have an actual radio station using the WKRP identifier.

The classic sitcom that entertained audiences in the late 1970s and early 1980s centered around the fictional adventures of staff members at a radio station in Ohio’s Queen City, making the call letters instantly recognizable to television fans across the country.

Almost five decades after a beloved television comedy put the call letters on the map, Cincinnati could soon welcome an actual radio station bearing the WKRP name.

The iconic designation became a household name through the popular late 1970s sitcom that followed the misadventures of a struggling rock station’s staff in Ohio. Now, the fictional broadcast facility that entertained audiences for four seasons may transition from television fantasy to radio reality in the very city where the show took place.

A Utah courtroom will be the scene Tuesday as a judge considers whether to extend protective measures against reality television personality Taylor Frankie Paul, the star whose upcoming ‘Bachelorette’ season was scrapped following domestic violence accusations.

Dakota Mortensen, who currently has temporary custody of the 2-year-old child he shares with Paul, is requesting the court convert a temporary restraining order into a permanent arrangement while law enforcement continues investigating domestic violence reports from February of this year.

Both Paul and Mortensen will join Tuesday’s proceedings via video conference while their legal representatives attend in person at the Salt Lake City courthouse. Court officials have kept the specifics of the temporary restraining order confidential.

Legal teams are anticipated to focus on the February incidents currently under investigation, rather than a 2023 altercation that resulted in Paul’s arrest and gained renewed attention just before her ‘Bachelorette’ debut, although the earlier incident may come up during discussions.

In an extraordinary decision last month, ABC chose to completely shelve a finished season of ‘The Bachelorette’ featuring Paul as the lead. The network and Disney cited a leaked video that TMZ published on March 19, showing footage from 2023 where Paul appears to physically attack Mortensen by punching, kicking and hurling furniture while her young daughter witnessed the violence and became distressed.

Footage from police body cameras during Paul’s 2023 arrest was included in the debut episode of ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,’ which premiered in 2024. In that footage, Paul describes the incident as “the worst night of my life.” The actual fight video, seemingly recorded from Mortensen’s perspective, remained private until last month’s media leak.

Paul faced charges including aggravated assault and domestic violence committed in front of a minor. She entered a guilty plea to a reduced misdemeanor assault charge, leading to the dismissal of the remaining charges.

Paul is mother to two children from her previous marriage to Tate Paul, plus the son she had with Mortensen following their 2023 conflict.

Following the show’s cancellation, a spokesperson for Paul claimed she had been “silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation” and was “finally gaining the strength to face her accuser.”

Mortensen responded with his own statement, saying he was “used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny.”

Disney has also suspended work on the fifth season of ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,’ the Hulu program that launched Paul to reality TV fame. Her selection for ‘The Bachelorette’ created promotional opportunities between the shows for Disney, which controls both networks.

Paul gained recognition as a social media influencer within the #MomTok movement, a collective of women from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who document their experiences on TikTok. This community, along with Paul’s revelations about polyamory within the group, inspired the popular reality series.

This past Sunday, Paul revealed she was departing what is commonly called the Mormon church. She posted on Instagram that while she maintains “love and respect” for the Utah-headquartered religious organization, “It’s time to detach myself.”

HONOLULU — Final arguments are set for Tuesday in the attempted murder case against an anesthesiologist who allegedly attacked his wife on a dangerous hiking trail overlooking Hawaii’s coastline.

Nearly one year has passed since Gerhardt and Arielle Konig took what should have been a scenic walk on the Pali Puka trail in Honolulu, but the outing ended with her covered in blood and shouting that he had attempted to murder her. Gerhardt Konig has entered a not guilty plea to the charges.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story contains references to domestic violence. Those seeking assistance can contact the national domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

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The pair had traveled to Hawaii’s capital for a birthday celebration in March 2025, leaving their two young children at home on Maui. According to prosecutors, the 47-year-old doctor became enraged about his wife’s involvement with a colleague and allegedly attempted to force her over the edge of the steep path, struck her head with a stone, and tried to attack her with a medical syringe.

The proceedings, which have been broadcast live on Court TV, have exposed the couple’s troubled relationship and presented two dramatically different accounts of the mountain confrontation.

During his testimony, Gerhardt Konig revealed he had discovered his wife’s extramarital relationship by accessing her phone without permission while she was asleep. Arielle Konig described the relationship as an “emotional affair” consisting of flirtatious text exchanges with a workplace colleague, and said this topic arose during their hike.

Arielle Konig told the court that her husband seized her and attempted to force her toward the precipice, but she managed to throw herself to the ground to resist. She testified that he positioned himself over her while holding a syringe, which she managed to knock from his grasp. In her struggle to escape, she bit his arm and grabbed his groin area, she stated.

Gerhardt Konig disputed claims that he tried to push her off the cliff and instead testified that she struck him with a rock on his face. He said he took the rock from her and hit her twice with it as a defensive measure.

He rejected allegations about carrying syringes on the mountain or attempting to stab her. His legal representative reminded jurors that no syringe was recovered at the location.

Two other hikers who heard Arielle Konig’s cries for help assisted her descent from the trail.

The Pali Puka trail, whose name translates to “pierced cliff” in the Hawaiian language, leads to an opening in a rocky ridge where visitors can view the forest and ocean beyond. State authorities have officially closed the trail due to safety concerns, but hikers frequently bypass barriers through a small gap, disregarding posted warnings that state: “Area Closed! Do not go beyond this sign.”

Gerhardt Konig testified that as he observed his wife moving away from him, he realized both his marriage and professional life were finished and contemplated suicide by jumping. However, he first contacted his adult son from an earlier marriage. According to authorities, the son reported that his father admitted he “tried to kill your stepmom” — a statement Gerhardt Konig denies making.

He remained on the mountain for several hours before choosing to descend and turn himself in to law enforcement.

His wife has subsequently initiated divorce proceedings.

HOLLYWOOD, Florida — Hip-hop artist Offset, a member of the rap group Migos, was wounded in a shooting Monday evening and is currently hospitalized in stable condition, according to his representative.

The musician is receiving medical treatment and remains under close observation at a Florida hospital, his spokesperson confirmed in a public statement.

Offset, who was previously married to rapper Cardi B and shares three children with her, was injured during an incident at the Seminole Hard Rock casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The Seminole Police Department reported that an individual suffered non-fatal injuries Monday night in the valet section outside the casino property. Law enforcement officials have not publicly named the victim.

Authorities have taken two suspects into custody as they continue their investigation into the shooting, police officials announced.

“The site is secure and there is no threat to the public,” police stated. “Operations continue as normal.”

This incident comes two years after Offset’s relative Takeoff, who was also part of Migos, was fatally shot in 2022.

Migos gained widespread recognition for their distinctive rapid-fire musical style and became one of hip-hop’s most successful acts. The group first gained mainstream attention with their 2013 single “Versace” and later received Grammy recognition for their 2018 album “Culture,” which earned nominations for best rap album and best rap performance.

Offset and Cardi B married privately in Atlanta during September 2017. Earlier this year, Cardi B publicly announced she had initiated divorce proceedings.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Several Oklahoma City police officers have been suspended pending an internal investigation into a false emergency report made on April 1st that prompted multiple squad cars to respond to what they believed was a baby being thrown from a moving vehicle.

Police Captain Valerie Littlejohn acknowledged Monday that department officials are conducting a comprehensive review of the incident but declined to specify the number of officers currently on administrative leave or elaborate on the specific allegations they face.

“We are aware of a reported pursuit involving some of our officers that included serious claims, which has since been determined to be false,” Littlejohn said in a statement. “We take this situation seriously and are committed to ensuring a thorough review is conducted.”

The department launched its investigation after local television station KFOR and other media outlets obtained and broadcast police radio communications from April 1st. In the recordings, a dispatcher can be heard informing responding units that “the city just advised that the suspect threw a baby out the window.”

“The police officer that’s in pursuit does not have a radio. He’s just messaging his location,” the dispatcher says.

Following the deployment of multiple officers to the scene, the radio traffic reveals the moment the truth was discovered when a dispatcher announces: “It was an April Fools’ prank.”

Another dispatcher responds: “Not funny.”

Attempts to reach the Oklahoma City police union president for comment on Monday were unsuccessful.

Under Oklahoma state law, deliberately providing false information that could trigger the deployment of emergency responders constitutes a misdemeanor offense. Those convicted face potential fines up to $500 plus reimbursement for any expenses incurred by emergency services during their response.

An Army staff sergeant is fighting to prevent his newlywed wife from being deported after federal immigration officials arrested her at a Louisiana military installation where the couple planned to start their new life together.

The detention of the soldier’s spouse, who was born in Honduras and remains held at a federal immigration facility as of Monday, has sparked criticism from military family advocacy groups. They argue such actions hurt morale during wartime and could damage military recruitment efforts by targeting service members’ families.

Staff Sgt. Matthew Blank explained that he brought his wife, Annie Ramos, age 22, to Fort Polk, Louisiana last Thursday to help her begin obtaining military family benefits and start the green card application process. The pair wed in March.

Immigration enforcement officers took Ramos into custody as part of the current administration’s expanded deportation efforts, which immigration law specialists say has ended the Department of Homeland Security’s previous practice of showing leniency toward military families.

“I never imagined that trying to do the right thing would lead to her being taken away from me,” Blank, 23, told The Associated Press. “What was supposed to be the happiest week of our lives has turned into one of the hardest.”

According to DHS records, Ramos arrived in the United States in 2005 when she was not yet 2 years old. Her family missed a required immigration court appearance that year, prompting a judge to issue a final removal order.

“She has no legal status to be in this country,” DHS stated in an email response. “This administration is not going to ignore the rule of law.”

Ramos submitted an application for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2020, but her husband reports the application has been stuck “in limbo” due to ongoing legal challenges to the Obama-era immigration program.

Last April, DHS scrapped a 2022 directive that treated military service by immediate family members as a “significant mitigating factor” when determining whether to pursue immigration enforcement actions. The current policy declares that “military service alone does not exempt aliens from the consequences of violating U.S. immigration laws.”

Before the current administration’s intensified deportation campaign, DHS typically permitted spouses of active military personnel to obtain legal status through programs like parole in place and deferred action that military recruiters actively promoted, according to Margaret Stock, an expert in military immigration law.

Stock noted that Ramos’ situation would have been easily resolved previously, but DHS now appears focused on arresting military family members whenever possible — even when they’re attempting to follow proper legal procedures for obtaining status.

“It doesn’t make any sense — they’re going to get arrested for following the law? That’s stupid,” Stock commented. “It’s bad for morale, it disrupts the soldiers’ readiness.”

Last September, more than 60 Congressional representatives sent a letter to DHS and the Department of Defense expressing concern that arrests of military personnel and veterans’ family members was “betraying its promises to service members who play a key role in protecting U.S. national security.”

Pentagon officials declined to provide comment on the matter.

Lydiah Owiti-Otienoh, who leads the Foreign-Born Military Spouse Network advocacy organization, reports observing more cases where military families face disruption due to stricter immigration enforcement. She contends the federal government is working against its own interests by pursuing deportation of military spouses.

“It just sends a really bad message — we don’t care about you, about your spouses, anything you are doing,” Owiti-Otienoh explained. “If military families are not stable, national security is not stable.”

Blank’s mother, Jen Rickling, described her daughter-in-law to the AP as a Sunday school teacher and biochemistry student who had exceeded all expectations — someone who “loves my son with her whole heart.”

“We absolutely adore her,” Rickling stated. “I believe in this country. And I believe we can do better than this — for Annie, for other military families, and for the values we hold dear.”

Blank said he had looked forward to beginning their life together on the military base while serving his country.

“I want my wife home,” Blank declared. “And I will not stop fighting until she is back where she belongs, by my side.”

Minneapolis authorities made public security camera footage Monday that captured a January confrontation between federal immigration enforcement agents and two Venezuelan men, an incident that resulted in one man being shot and has since sparked a criminal investigation into potential perjury by federal officers.

The surveillance video, recorded by a city-owned camera, documents portions of an encounter where immigration agents pursued a Venezuelan man to his home. During the ensuing altercation, another Venezuelan resident at the location was wounded by gunfire. In February, federal prosecutors dismissed all criminal charges against both immigrants and launched an investigation into whether two immigration enforcement officers provided false testimony under oath regarding the incident.

Minneapolis made the footage public following reporting by the New York Times, which had previously obtained the video and questioned why it took several weeks for the federal case against the two men to fall apart. According to the Times, federal investigators had the video available within hours of the January 14 shooting but didn’t review it until almost three weeks after filing charges against the two men.

“The video makes it crystal clear that, just like in other situations during Operation Metro Surge, the federal government’s account of what happened simply does not match the facts,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement.

Immigration authorities originally claimed that Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis attacked an ICE agent using a broom handle and snow shovel during the encounter. The agent discharged one round from his weapon, hitting Sosa-Celis in the right thigh. Demonstrators soon gathered at the location and confronted additional officers who had arrived wearing protective gear including gas masks and helmets.

Minneapolis officials offered minimal explanation of what the footage shows, stating only that it was “related” to the shooting incident. Their statement noted, “The City has no additional information and will not be making further comments at this time.”

The distant, nighttime footage appears to capture someone holding a snow shovel near the street outside the residence, then backing toward the house and throwing the shovel into the yard. This occurs as someone being pursued by another individual runs up from the street, stumbles on the sidewalk, recovers, and continues toward the house.

The three individuals appear to engage in a brief struggle near the front entrance lasting approximately 10 seconds. The precise moment of the shooting is not clearly visible. A vehicle with emergency lights arrives, followed by another person approaching the scene.

The camera’s movement suggests it was being operated manually in real-time, as it panned to focus on the street where the incident unfolded before any emergency vehicles appeared.

Charges against Aljorna and Sosa-Celis were withdrawn following an extraordinary filing by Minnesota’s top federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, who cited “newly discovered evidence” that was “materially inconsistent with the allegations” in the original criminal complaint and evidence presented during their preliminary hearing. He determined that dismissal with prejudice, preventing the charges from being refiled, “would serve the interests of justice.”

Rosen and other federal prosecutors handling the case, along with the Department of Justice, did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment Monday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement made no reference to the video in their statement but confirmed their previous announcement that two officers involved appeared to have provided false testimony under oath and were immediately suspended pending an internal investigation. The officers’ identities have not been disclosed.

“Lying under oath is a serious federal offense. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating these false statements,” the ICE statement said. “Upon conclusion of the investigation, the officers may face termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution.”

The statement provided no update on the status of their case.

Aljorna’s legal representative did not respond to requests for comment. Sosa-Celis’ lawyer, Robin Wolpert, stated, “The video is evidence in ongoing state and federal investigations so I can’t comment.”

Both men remain free while pursuing legal immigration status. They were released even before criminal charges were dropped, though ICE briefly detained them again for alleged immigration violations before another court order secured their release.

State and local prosecutors have expressed frustration with federal authorities’ unwillingness to share information about this incident and the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers. They filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration last month seeking access to evidence they say is necessary for independent investigations of all three shootings.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office refused to comment on the video, citing the ongoing investigation.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin university system leaders will decide Tuesday whether to terminate their president after he declined to step down voluntarily, demanding an explanation for what he called an unexpected dismissal attempt.

Jay Rothman, who oversees the 165,000-student Universities of Wisconsin system, sent correspondence to board members stating he would not voluntarily leave his position without understanding what prompted the action against him.

Board of Regents President Amy Bogost responded Monday that Rothman “was not without notice, nor was this process sudden.”

“The Board has engaged with President Rothman in good-faith discussions over the past several months,” she said.

The termination decision is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday. Rothman did not respond to requests for comment.

The board action comes just five days after news broke that regents had given Rothman an ultimatum to resign or face removal.

Rothman has served as the multi-campus system’s leader since 2022. His correspondence marked the first public revelation that his position was at risk, catching university officials and state leaders off guard.

The attempt to remove Rothman without public explanation drew criticism Friday from Republican state Rep. David Murphy, who leads the Wisconsin Assembly’s higher education committee.

“This lack of transparency is unacceptable,” Murphy said. “President Rothman deserves to know exactly why the Board has lost confidence in his leadership.”

Bogost characterized the decision as forward-looking during a period of “profound change” in higher education, saying “this decision is about the future.”

“The Universities of Wisconsin must be led with a clear vision that both protects and strengthens our flagship, support our comprehensive universities and ensures we are meeting the evolving needs of our students, workforce and communities across all 72 counties,” she said.

During Rothman’s leadership, he has worked to secure additional state funding while facing federal budget reductions, addressed campus free speech issues during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and managed declining student numbers that resulted in eight satellite campus closures, though overall enrollment remained stable.

Employment attorney Tamara Packard, who examined Rothman’s contract, confirmed that he can be dismissed without cause and has no right to appeal the decision.

The contract requires six months’ advance notice of termination. Typically, dismissed executives focus on transition responsibilities rather than continuing regular duties, Packard explained.

Throughout his term, Rothman has worked with a Republican-majority Legislature while reporting to a regent board dominated by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ appointees. This same board hired him initially.

With Evers not running for re-election, a new governor will soon have authority over regent appointments. The board controls hiring and firing decisions for university leadership.

When questioned Monday about the board’s intentions regarding Rothman, Evers remained neutral.

“It’s their call,” Evers said of the board.

The leadership uncertainty coincides with the departure of Madison campus Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, who will leave in May to become Columbia University’s president.

Before joining the university system, Rothman served as chair and CEO of Milwaukee law firm Foley & Lardner, bringing no previous higher education administration experience to the role.

His current annual compensation totals $600,943.

NEW YORK — A defendant whose murder conviction in the death of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay was overturned may walk free in the coming days following a judge’s decision Monday to approve his $1 million bond.

Karl Jordan Jr. won’t be immediately released because he continues to face separate drug-related charges that aren’t connected to the legendary DJ’s 2002 murder. Jordan stays locked up while federal prosecutors have this week to determine if they’ll challenge the bond ruling. Should they choose not to appeal, he’ll be freed once his bond documentation is completed.

“There’s a real chance, Mr. Jordan, that you may be released in the very near term,” U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall told him. “I wish you luck. And you will stay out of trouble,” she continued.

Jordan nodded silently while more than a dozen family members and supporters watched from the courtroom gallery. Many have shown up to nearly six years of hearings in his case, with 17 people agreeing to co-sign his bond. Jordan’s family also pledged Southern properties valued at $525,000 combined. Should he gain freedom, he’ll be monitored electronically.

Jordan’s defense team refused to speak with reporters following the hearing.

The victim, Jason Mizell, known professionally as Jam Master Jay, died from gunshot wounds at his New York City recording studio in 2002. Serving as Run-DMC’s DJ, he helped bring hip-hop music into the mainstream during the 1980s with popular tracks like “It’s Tricky” and their cover version of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” Mizell also guided emerging artists, including a then-unknown 50 Cent.

Following years without progress, authorities arrested Jordan and Ronald Washington in 2020. Washington, currently 61, and Jordan, 42, both maintained their innocence.

A jury found both men guilty in 2024 after listening to eyewitness accounts that Jordan fired the fatal shots while Washington prevented anyone from leaving. However, in December 2025, DeArcy Hall threw out Jordan’s conviction and declared him not guilty, while letting Washington’s guilty verdict stand.

The judge’s decision focused on whether prosecutors successfully demonstrated the murder was drug-related, which was necessary for the federal murder charge. Testimony revealed that following Run-DMC’s peak popularity, Mizell became involved in cocaine trafficking to support himself financially and was offering drug business opportunities to Jordan and Washington — who were Mizell’s godson and longtime friend, respectively.

DeArcy Hall determined the jury received adequate evidence showing Washington harbored resentment toward Mizell over a failed Baltimore drug deal. However, similar proof regarding Jordan’s motivation was lacking, with the judge calling it “just conjecture.”

Federal prosecutors are challenging her ruling that cleared Jordan of Mizell’s murder.

Jordan’s legal team contended he deserved bond while the appeal and pending drug and weapons charges proceed.

Jordan, whose romantic partner works as a city jail official, “is not a danger to the community. But his continued detention is a danger to Mr. Jordan,” attorney John Diaz argued during a March 13 hearing. Jordan suffered serious stab wounds at Brooklyn’s problematic federal detention facility last year, with other prisoners facing charges for attacking him.

While prosecutors condemned the stabbing incident, they pressed the judge to keep Jordan detained, arguing he posed a flight risk.

DeArcy Hall ruled Monday that Jordan’s bond arrangement addressed concerns about him fleeing. However, she emphasized to him, “At the end of the day, sir, bond is about you giving me your word.”

“Yeah, I’m aware of that,” Jordan responded.

Looking toward the spectators, she wanted to ensure his relatives understood Jordan must follow all bond requirements.

“You all know I do not play,” the judge cautioned. “We all understood, folks?”

“Yes, your honor,” came the unified response from the audience.

Separately, prosecutors are conducting plea negotiations with a third defendant in Mizell’s death, according to a March 12 court filing from prosecutors and defense lawyers. This third suspect, Jay Bryant, was charged in 2023 after investigators discovered his DNA on a hat found at the crime scene. Bryant has entered a not guilty plea.

According to prosecutors, Bryant secretly entered the studio building and unlocked a rear entrance for Jordan and Washington, having connected with them through a shared contact. Jordan’s attorneys have maintained that the case against Bryant creates reasonable doubt about the now-dismissed charges against Jordan.

A Connecticut judge declared a mistrial Monday in a decades-old murder case following shocking allegations that an 11-year-old rape and murder victim may have been placed in a contaminated body bag nearly 40 years ago.

The case involves Marc Karun, 60, who was standing trial for the 1986 murder and kidnapping of Kathleen Flynn, a sixth-grade student who was attacked while walking home from her Norwalk middle school. Karun, formerly a Norwalk resident, was taken into custody in 2019 at his residence in Stetson, Maine.

The bombshell revelation came Thursday during proceedings in Stamford when prosecutors revealed they had just received an email from former Norwalk police lieutenant Robert Fabrizzio. In his message, Fabrizzio reported that a state crime laboratory official had informed him shortly after Flynn’s death that her body had been placed in a previously used body bag, raising serious questions about potential evidence contamination.

According to Fabrizzio, the laboratory official who shared this information was Henry Lee, the renowned forensic expert famous for his involvement in the O.J. Simpson case and numerous other prominent criminal investigations nationwide. Lee, who was running the crime lab during that period, passed away last month at 87 years old. Attempts to reach Fabrizzio for comment were unsuccessful.

Judge John Blawie ruled Monday that he had no alternative but to declare a mistrial due to evidence integrity concerns, though he indicated the case would continue and not be dismissed entirely.

Prosecutor Paul Ferencek, who brought Fabrizzio’s email to the court’s attention last week, released a statement saying his office would collaborate with the state crime laboratory and medical examiner to investigate whether Fabrizzio’s allegations have merit.

“We’re obviously disappointed by this turn of events, especially for the family members of Kathy Flynn, who have waited forty years for justice and some degree of closure,” his statement said.

The body bag allegations caught crime laboratory officials off guard, according to Rick Green, who speaks for the lab and its supervising agency, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Green stated that forensic experts from the facility maintain confidence in their courtroom testimony.

Defense attorney Francis O’Reilly, representing Karun, refused to provide comment. Karun continues to be held on $5 million bail.

Authorities in Norwalk accused Karun of murdering Flynn on Sept. 23, 1986. He subsequently received convictions for sexually assaulting or kidnapping four additional female victims during the 1980s and spent approximately a decade behind bars.

Investigators said improvements in DNA analysis technology, combined with similarities between Karun’s previous attacks and Flynn’s murder, resulted in his 2019 arrest. A state forensic laboratory expert testified recently that DNA analysis of material collected from under Flynn’s fingernails indicated the genetic material was 22,000 times more likely to have come from Flynn and Karun together than from the girl and an unrelated individual, according to Hearst Connecticut Media.

Following Karun’s arrest, law enforcement discovered close to 90 rifles and handguns at his Maine residence. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing firearms, officials said. Karun entered a guilty plea to federal weapons charges in 2024 and faces sentencing in that matter this July, based on federal court documents.

Avalanche specialists are raising serious concerns about the judgment calls made by professional guides during California’s most devastating avalanche disaster in recent memory, which claimed nine lives two months ago.

A detailed assessment released Saturday by the Sierra Avalanche Center and featured on the National Avalanche Center website criticizes the tour guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides for allowing their large group to travel bunched together through hazardous terrain while avalanche alerts were active.

The skiers were moving in a condensed formation when proper protocol demanded they be spread apart to minimize danger, the assessment found.

“Exposing only one person at a time to avalanche terrain is an accepted best practice for backcountry travel,” the report said. “Analysis of past avalanche accidents has indicated that larger group sizes (4 or more people) have higher chances of being caught in avalanches.”

The February 17 disaster struck near Lake Tahoe in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains when an enormous mass of snow crashed down a mountainside, burying nine backcountry skiers while six others managed to survive.

Investigators also discovered that multiple group members carried avalanche safety backpacks with inflatable air bags, yet none of this potentially life-saving gear activated when the slide occurred.

Blackbird Mountain Guides responded Monday that their investigation continues.

“The report does not reflect the full scope of what transpired and does not include all of the facts and information currently under review,” the company stated via email. “We are cooperating fully with authorities and will share more when it is appropriate and based on verified and confirmed findings.”

According to the assessment, the 15-person party was traversing a known avalanche path near Castle Peak after heavy snowfall had created conditions ripe for slides.

While the avalanche center lacks enforcement authority, their reports typically offer crucial safety recommendations for mountain recreation.

Both the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and state workplace safety officials are conducting separate investigations into the company’s actions before the tragedy.

The avalanche occurred on the final day of a three-day guided tour, as the group chose to cut their trip short and depart from mountain huts to outrun an approaching storm system.

The center’s analysis drew extensively from interviews with survivors Jim Hamilton and Anton Auzans, who shared their experiences with the New York Times. Both men had completed basic avalanche training and possessed limited backcountry skiing experience prior to the fatal outing.

The survivors reported that guides held private discussions, leaving uncertainty about whether the team knew about warnings of highly probable human-triggered avalanches before departing the huts, which had internet connectivity. The men explained that separate women’s and men’s groups were merged that morning under four guides’ supervision.

During the final mile-long ascent, Hamilton encountered equipment problems and lagged behind the main group. Thirteen skiers, predominantly women, remained clustered behind the lead guides as they entered avalanche-prone terrain. Auzans followed closely when the slide struck, according to the newspaper account. Though buried, he successfully freed himself before Hamilton and another guide arrived to attempt rescue operations.

The center acknowledged that other survivors might possess different perspectives and details that could provide a fuller understanding if they decide to share their accounts. The victims included three seasoned guides and six women who belonged to a tight-knit circle of friends with extensive backcountry skiing backgrounds.

Jess Weaver, speaking for the female friends’ group, indicated that survivors and victims’ families are declining media interviews currently.

Colorado avalanche specialist Dale Atkins said the group violated a fundamental principle of mountain travel by remaining clustered while crossing dangerous terrain. However, Atkins noted that staying together in safer areas made logical sense given the day’s poor visibility and the risk of participants becoming separated.

“Did they mess up? A lot of people will say, ‘Yes,’” said Atkins, who brings five decades of Colorado mountain rescue and avalanche research experience. “I’m not so sure about that. You want to keep the group together. But you don’t keep the group together on an avalanche slope. I suspect the guides in the group didn’t realize they were in an avalanche path.”

Atkins offered similar observations about the decision to ski during the storm: While hindsight suggests staying put until conditions improved would have been wiser, the guides may have reasonably believed that rapid evacuation was the safer choice.

“A lot of armchair quarterbacks, if they were in the middle of the storm out there, they might have made a similar decision,” he said. “Tragically for these people and their families, there’s no do over.”

Law enforcement officials have released a detailed timeline of events surrounding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, in what investigators are calling an abduction case.

The elderly woman was last spotted by family on January 31st following an evening visit to her eldest daughter Annie Guthrie’s Tucson residence, where she had dinner with Annie and her husband.

On February 1st, surveillance footage from Nancy Guthrie’s doorbell camera recorded a masked individual in the early morning hours attempting to disable the device. The person wore a ski mask, carried a backpack, had on gloves, and appeared to have a holstered weapon. Approximately 30 minutes following this incident, her pacemaker monitoring system lost connection with her phone line. Family members contacted police shortly before midday when Nancy failed to show up for her regular Sunday worship service.

Three days later on February 4th, Savannah Guthrie joined her siblings Annie and Camron Guthrie in posting their initial social media appeal regarding their mother’s vanishing. The family acknowledged media reports about ransom communications and urged the kidnappers to make contact with them directly.

By February 5th, investigators confirmed through DNA analysis that blood discovered on the missing woman’s front porch belonged to her. The same day marked the first missed deadline mentioned in an alleged ransom message at 5 p.m.

On February 7th, Savannah Guthrie appeared alongside her brother and sister in another video appeal for their mother’s safe return, stating: “This is very valuable to us and we will pay.”

Two days later on February 9th, the Today show host posted an Instagram video declaring: “We believe our mom is still out there” while requesting public assistance in the search. A second ransom deadline came and went without resolution.

February 10th brought significant developments when the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and FBI made public the doorbell camera footage showing the armed intruder at Nancy Guthrie’s residence. Sheriff’s officials later called this video evidence the most important breakthrough in their investigation. That same day, law enforcement conducted a search at a residence in Rio Rico, Arizona, located 60 miles south of Tucson near the border. One individual was detained for questioning but subsequently released without charges. Savannah Guthrie shared images of the masked suspect on Instagram with the message: “We believe she is still alive; bring her home.”

On February 15th, authorities recovered discarded gloves approximately 2 miles from the victim’s home that appeared similar to those worn by the suspect captured on camera. DNA samples were extracted from these gloves.

However, by February 17th, the genetic material from the gloves failed to match any profiles in CODIS, the national DNA database, according to FBI and sheriff’s officials.

The family announced a substantial reward on February 24th, offering up to $1 million for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s recovery. This Instagram video message from Savannah Guthrie marked the first time the family publicly acknowledged the possibility that Nancy might be deceased.

On March 4th, further DNA testing revealed the gloves actually belonged to a local restaurant worker who was ruled out as a suspect, effectively eliminating what investigators had considered a promising lead.

Most recently on April 6th, Savannah Guthrie resumed her duties as co-anchor of NBC’s Today show.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday its intention to recruit 2,300 new air traffic controller trainees in an effort to combat ongoing staffing challenges that have plagued the agency.

Currently, the FAA operates with approximately 3,500 fewer fully certified air traffic controllers than its target staffing requirements. As of late September, the agency employed 13,164 controllers, representing a 6% decline compared to staffing levels from ten years ago. The shortage has forced numerous controllers to work required overtime shifts and six-day work schedules, while the FAA’s training academy for air traffic control continues to struggle with high student dropout rates.