Category: U.S. News

Entertainment enthusiasts have plenty of new content to explore this week as streaming platforms debut fresh movies, television series, music releases, and video games.

Among the standout offerings are Sydney Sweeney’s portrayal of boxer Christy Martin in a biographical film, the concluding season of the Emmy-winning comedy ‘Hacks,’ country artist Ella Langley’s latest album, Nintendo’s new Pokémon battle game, and a nostalgic return of ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ featuring original stars Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek.

MOVIES

Sydney Sweeney takes on the role of boxing champion Christy Martin in David Michôd’s biographical drama ‘Christy’ (HBO Max, Friday, April 10). Sweeney, who also serves as producer, delivers what critics call one of her finest performances. The film chronicles Martin’s journey from her humble West Virginia roots through her professional boxing career, which was overshadowed by her abusive manager-husband (Ben Foster). According to AP’s Jocelyn Noveck, Sweeney ‘imbues her no-holds-barred portrayal of Martin with both sweetness and rage, with brio and real vulnerability.’

Director Akinola Davies Jr.’s heartfelt family drama ‘My Father’s Shadow’ becomes available Friday, April 10, on MUBI. This semi-autobiographical work, written by Davies and his brother Wale, follows two Nigerian children during an unexpected day with their father (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) in Lagos during a crucial period in the nation’s history. AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr described it as ‘a gem, a deeply felt memory piece and vibrant portrait of Nigeria in 1993.’

Jonah Hill steps behind the camera once again for ‘Outcome,’ a Hollywood satire featuring Keanu Reeves as movie star Reef Hawk, who worries a compromising video might ruin his career. Hill, who co-wrote the screenplay, also appears as Reef’s crisis management attorney. The film launches Friday, April 10, on Apple TV.

MUSIC

Country music sensation Ella Langley drops her second studio album on Friday, April 10. The artist behind hit singles like the nostalgic duet ‘You Look Like You Love Me’ with Riley Green and the chart-topping ‘Choosin’ Texas,’ co-written with Miranda Lambert, releases ‘Dandelion’ as her follow-up record.

British disco-pop performer Jessie Ware unveils ‘Superbloom,’ also arriving Friday, April 10. Her latest work continues her dance floor-ready sound, exemplified by the track ‘Ride,’ which samples the iconic theme from the 1966 Western ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ and blends it with shimmering synthesizers. ‘Come be my cowboy, baby, come, let’s ride,’ she sings, ‘You know I want you, I need you tonight, tonight.’

TELEVISION

‘The Boys’ wraps up with its fifth and final season Wednesday on Prime Video. This acclaimed superhero satire, adapted from comic books, depicts corrupt superheroes and the team working to stop them. Returning cast members include Jack Quaid, Karl Urban, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher and Chace Crawford, along with newer additions Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jensen Ackles. ‘Hamilton’ star Daveed Diggs joins the ensemble.

Hulu presents ‘The Testaments,’ a follow-up to ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ premiering Wednesday. Ann Dowd returns as Aunt Lydia, now overseeing an educational institution that prepares young women for marriage and motherhood in Gilead. The series stars Chase Infiniti and Lucy Halliday and adapts Margaret Atwood’s novel.

Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen headline the science fiction comedy ‘The Miniature Wife’ on Peacock. The series follows a married couple attempting to repair their relationship when an unusual incident creates additional complications. It debuts Thursday.

‘Hacks’ concludes its run with a fifth and final season on HBO, starting Thursday. The award-winning series explores the complex dynamic between a veteran comedian (Jean Smart) and an ambitious writer (Hannah Einbinder). The show has earned numerous accolades, including an Emmy for outstanding comedy series, with Smart winning four consecutive Emmys and Einbinder claiming one.

Nostalgia takes center stage as ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ returns after two decades. The four-episode revival ‘Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair’ reunites Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek, with Muniz’s character now parenting a teenage daughter. The episodes premiere Friday, April 10, on both Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.

GAMING

Nintendo marks Pokémon’s 30th anniversary with Pokémon Champions, a combat-focused game launching Wednesday on Switch and Switch 2. Following last month’s community-building Pokémon Pokopia, this title emphasizes battle mechanics as players recruit and train creatures for arena competitions. The free-to-start game offers ranked global tournaments and casual matches, with iOS and Android versions planned for later in 2026.

Annapurna Interactive releases People of Note on Tuesday for PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC. This musical adventure follows pop singer Cadence as she forms a band and travels across the world of Note, where each city represents a different musical genre. When a Harmonic Convergence threatens to silence all music, Cadence and her bandmates must solve puzzles, explore dungeons and battle enemies to restore harmony. Developer Iridium Studios promises that ‘each battle is an interactive musical performance.’

NEW YORK — NBC’s “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie will make her first appearance back on the morning program Monday, ending a break of more than two months following her mother’s mysterious vanishing in Arizona.

The television personality admits she has been fundamentally changed by the experience and struggles with moving forward without answers about what happened to her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, who law enforcement officials suspect was forcibly taken from her Arizona residence.

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on February 1st, and despite comprehensive search efforts involving thousands of federal agents, local law enforcement, and community volunteers, no trace of the mother of three has been discovered.

During an Easter Sunday video message shared by her New York congregation, Guthrie discussed experiencing “moments of deep disappointment with God, the feeling of utter abandonment.” However, she emphasized that Easter’s celebration remains incomplete “if we do not acknowledge the feelings of loss, pain, and yes, death.”

The veteran broadcaster expressed uncertainty about whether she would feel comfortable resuming her television duties.

“It’s hard to imagine doing it because it’s such a place of joy and lightness,” Guthrie explained during her first on-air interview since the incident just over a week ago. “I can’t come back and try to be something that I’m not. But I can’t not come back because it’s my family.”

Having served as a “Today” show co-anchor since 2012, Guthrie has become one of morning television’s most familiar personalities. She stated she won’t pretend to be upbeat during the typically cheerful program, which blends entertainment with serious breaking news coverage.

Considerable uncertainty had surrounded whether she would return to broadcasting.

“I want to smile, and when I do it will be real,” she explained to Hoda Kotb, who returned to temporarily replace Guthrie while she concentrated on the search efforts. “Being there is joyful, and when it’s not I’ll say so.”

Nancy Guthrie had appeared on “Today” several times throughout the years, participating in cooking segments and making surprise visits to see her daughter on set.

During a 2025 hometown visit to Tucson for a show segment, mother and daughter dined at a beloved local restaurant while discussing their shared affection for Arizona.

The family has posted a $1 million reward for information that leads to Nancy Guthrie’s safe return.

Law enforcement believes Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped or forcibly removed after discovering blood evidence near her home’s entrance in the Tucson foothills area. Federal investigators subsequently released surveillance footage showing a masked individual on her porch that evening.

Search crews and volunteers combed through the surrounding desert landscape of cacti, brush, and rocky terrain during the initial weeks following her disappearance.

However, public focus has diminished regarding an investigation that officials had designated as their highest priority. Investigators haven’t shared new evidence in recent weeks and report a decline in tip submissions. Both the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed late last week they had no new developments to announce.

Initially, some news organizations reported receiving ransom demands connected to the case. Guthrie revealed that she and her siblings responded to two messages they considered legitimate and agreed to make payments.

Guthrie acknowledged that her fame might have motivated her mother’s abduction, calling that possibility “too much to bear.”

TROY, Ala. (AP) — Eight fatalities have resulted from law enforcement pursuits across the United States within a span of less than seven days, as policing experts continue advocating for restrictions on dangerous high-speed chases.

The deadly incidents occurred in multiple states: one person died while fleeing officers in Texas on Sunday, four individuals perished when their vehicle crashed into a tree during an Alabama State Police pursuit on Friday, and three people lost their lives in separate California police chase incidents last week.

These tragic outcomes add to the hundreds of chase-related deaths that happen annually across the nation.

A 2023 study by the Police Executive Research Forum, a national policing policy organization, recommended that law enforcement agencies should limit vehicle pursuits to situations involving violent crimes where suspects present immediate danger. The study highlighted rising death tolls and increased chase frequency in certain jurisdictions, including Houston and New York City.

Regarding the Alabama incident, a motorist was attempting to evade Alabama Law Enforcement Agency highway patrol officers on a rural Pike County road in southeastern Alabama when the fatal crash happened late Friday evening, according to agency spokesperson Amanda Wasden in a Sunday email. The collision involved only the fleeing vehicle.

Three occupants, including the driver and two passengers—one being 17 years old—were ejected from the sedan after not wearing safety restraints. The fourth passenger remained in the vehicle, but all four individuals were declared deceased at the crash site.

Wasden stated that investigators are examining the incident, with no further details currently available. Her correspondence did not specify what initially triggered the pursuit.

In Fort Worth, Texas, law enforcement had been chasing a vehicle operating without headlights on Interstate 35 when it collided with several other cars before crashing, resulting in the driver’s death, the Fort Worth Police Department reported.

In southern California, Pomona Police Department officials stated that officers were pursuing a domestic violence suspect on Wednesday when his vehicle struck another car, killing the couple inside. According to KCBS-TV, the victims were expecting their child within days.

In a separate California case, Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies had tried stopping a stolen U-Haul truck before it collided with an SUV, killing the SUV driver and leaving three passengers in critical condition.

NEW YORK — Federal appeals judges have restored a massive $656 million verdict against Palestinian organizations, marking a significant victory for American victims of violence in Israel and their families.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals made the ruling after the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Americans who were killed or injured in attacks overseas. This decision reverses the same court’s action from ten years ago, when it originally threw out the verdict against the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority, determining that American courts lacked jurisdiction over foreign entities for overseas incidents not targeting the United States.

The appeals panel changed course following the Supreme Court’s June decision that upheld congressional legislation from 2019 permitting these victim lawsuits to proceed against the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority.

In their March 30 ruling, the judges stated: “We conclude that the original judgment for the plaintiffs should be reinstated. That conclusion is consistent with the plain import of the Supreme Court’s decision.”

Attorney Kent Yalowitz expressed satisfaction with the outcome in an email statement: “Our client families are very relieved that the court has reinstated the judgment without requiring a new trial. They have been waiting for a very long time for justice to be done.”

Fellow plaintiff attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner also welcomed the ruling after more than two decades of court proceedings.

The legal action was filed using the Anti-Terrorism Act, legislation passed in 1992 that opened American courtrooms to those harmed by international terrorist incidents.

The plaintiffs claim that Palestinian operatives either participated directly in the attacks or encouraged them to happen.

Palestinian representatives have maintained throughout the litigation that American courts should not have authority over these cases.

Defense attorneys had not responded to requests for comment as of Sunday.

A vehicle collision has prompted the closure of a section of Tower Road, blocking traffic between Westville Road and Darling Farm Road.

The accident has resulted in the complete shutdown of this stretch of roadway as emergency responders and cleanup crews work at the scene.

Drivers who normally use this route are being advised to seek alternative paths until the roadway can be safely reopened to traffic.

No additional details about the circumstances of the crash or potential injuries have been released at this time.

Students who attended classes since the 1970s probably remember using the CIA World Factbook at some point during their education – a comprehensive reference guide containing maps and detailed information about every country on Earth that served as a reliable source nearly everyone trusted.

Perhaps you accessed portions of it from diskettes or compact discs while rushing to complete a social studies assignment. Maybe you searched through its country listings to find information about Latvia for an upcoming Model United Nations simulation. Some readers explored the world through their imagination while flipping through the printed version, discovering surprising facts like how a simple thumbs-up sign Americans use regularly is actually considered offensive in certain Middle Eastern, European and Argentine regions.

This valuable knowledge came from the Factbook and its users spanning more than 60 years.

The publication’s creators – among the planet’s most skilled intelligence professionals who provided thousands of photographs – maintained this carefully organized database and made it freely available online. Their stated motivations were both geopolitical and ideological. However, examining the facts reveals the Factbook became publicly available in 1975 with grand mission statements during a period when Congressional investigations were exposing misconduct by American intelligence organizations, including the CIA.

“We share these facts with the people of all nations in the belief that knowledge of the truth underpins the functioning of free societies,” the CIA itself explained in its pages.

The intelligence organization has stopped providing this information.

On February 4th, the Trump administration suddenly closed down this widely trusted record of global humanity, including its flags, countries, traditions, armed forces and territorial boundaries. The CIA presented this decision as advancement for an organization whose primary objectives have evolved.

Factbook supporters responded with widespread disappointment. Many expressed sadness over losing an America that cherished learning for educational purposes alone. Others suspected more sinister motivations under a presidential administration that has championed “alternative facts” during both wartime and peacetime.

“Stay curious,” the CIA recommended in its “fond farewell” to the Factbook.

The agency might have also suggested: Best wishes navigating truth from the chaotic and often unreliable internet and artificial intelligence landscape.

Long before Google became a common household term, the Factbook existed.

Its beginning traces back to Japan’s unexpected Pearl Harbor assault in 1941, an American intelligence breakdown that motivated better coordination in collecting and organizing information about the nation’s adversaries. This led to creating the Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies, America’s initial inter-agency basic intelligence initiative. However, by 1946, national security specialists recognized that “the conduct of peace involves all countries, all human activities — not just the enemy and his war production,” according to expert George S. Pettee.

Responsibility for collecting fundamental intelligence about foreign nations was given to the newly established CIA in 1947, based on the agency’s official records.

The Cold War demonstrated the continuing necessity for a centralized basic intelligence source – and created an opportunity for what became the unclassified Factbook in 1971. Public release occurred four years afterward.

Beyond its educational value for students, it carried geopolitical significance. The Factbook demonstrated American intelligence abilities to the former Soviet Union and other adversaries. Inclusion within its pages could grant legitimacy to nations or opposition movements. The irony was striking that an organization built on acquiring and protecting secrets was distributing so much information – termed “basic intelligence” – to everyone.

The Factbook probably also enhanced the CIA’s public reputation and created separation from other intelligence agencies damaged by Congressional investigations. In 1975, U.S. Senator Frank Church, a Democrat from Idaho, organized a committee that conducted over 100 public hearings, many broadcast on television, representing the most substantial intelligence agency oversight since World War II.

In 1976, the Church Committee documented extensive abuse by the CIA, IRS, National Security Agency and FBI, including exposing the CIA’s “Family Jewels.” This internal document detailed illegal CIA operations, including surveillance of American activists and assassination attempts against Cuba’s Fidel Castro.

Also during 1975, what eventually became the CIA World Factbook went public, rising as a dependable research tool frequently recommended for classroom assignments. No official confirmation ever linked the negative publicity to the Factbook’s broad release, but the timing aligned with the CIA’s need for image rehabilitation.

In 1981, the CIA retitled the publication The World Factbook, and by 1997, it became available online. The CIA has characterized it as representing “a tremendous culmination of efforts from some of our country’s brightest analytic minds.”

News about the Factbook’s termination surprised more than American students and researchers. International news organizations covered the story. Social media buzzed with the announcement, as Reddit users directed each other toward archived Factbook versions and scrambled to establish and locate alternative unbiased information sources.

Isabel Altamirano, a chemistry librarian assistant professor at Auburn University in Alabama, explained the data remains available, but “it’ll be harder to find.” University libraries, for instance, provide similar resources to students through their tuition payments.

“It was so easy, because it was all in one place,” she explained during an interview, mentioning that on February 4th, upon learning the news, she immediately removed the Factbook from her business communications class resource list.

Essentially, one expert noted, a Factbook created by a government agency with confidential agendas and covert operations may never have been truly unbiased initially.

“The compilers aren’t, nor can they be expected to be, neutral,” explained Binoy Kampmark, a professor of global, urban and social studies at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia. Grieving its disappearance, he stated in an email, would be “misplaced.”

The Factbook, he continued, might serve better as a historical record. Its final publication on February 4th already contains outdated information, according to an archived copy: Iran’s government head remains listed as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei was reportedly killed March 1st in American and Israeli military strikes. The world transformed once more, this time without the Factbook available to document the change.

A drunk driver crashed into a crowd of festival-goers during a Lao New Year parade in rural Louisiana on Saturday, leaving approximately 15 people injured, law enforcement officials reported.

Police quickly apprehended the driver and filed impaired driving charges against the suspect.

Social media footage from the annual celebration in Broussard and New Iberia captured multiple victims lying on the ground. The clips revealed emergency responders treating someone pinned under the vehicle, which came to rest in a roadside ditch after plowing through the parade.

About 15 individuals sustained injuries in the crash, with several in serious condition, the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

“Based on the preliminary investigation, this does not appear to be an intentional act,” stated sheriff’s office spokesperson Rebecca Melancon.

Acadian Ambulance reported deploying 10 ambulances and one helicopter to the scene around 2:30 p.m. The private emergency service transported two critically injured patients by air.

Louisiana State Police identified the suspect as a 57-year-old Jeanerette resident who showed signs of intoxication upon officers’ arrival. Blood tests revealed elevated alcohol levels, leading to charges for impaired, reckless and negligent operation, plus possession of an open alcoholic beverage in his vehicle.

The procession was part of a three-day New Year festival held in Lanxang Village, a Laotian community near New Iberia housing hundreds of families, adjacent to the Wat Thammarattanaram Buddhist temple complex.

The annual celebration draws thousands of visitors for authentic Southeast Asian cuisine, live entertainment, parades and family activities.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry released a public statement addressing the tragedy. “Sharon and I are praying for all those affected, and are grateful for the first responders who have responded to the scene,” he said.

Festival coordinators posted a Facebook message expressing their devastation over the incident.

“We are praying for the victims and for their families during this difficult time,” the statement read.

While organizers cancelled all remaining Saturday activities, they announced plans to proceed with Sunday’s religious ceremonies.

Fifteen people were rushed to hospitals Saturday after a vehicle crashed into a crowd gathered for a cultural celebration in New Iberia, Louisiana, according to local law enforcement.

The crash happened near festivities for the Lao New Year, leaving several victims with critical injuries, said Rebecca Melancon, a spokesperson for the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office. Authorities have taken a suspect into custody, though investigators have not yet determined whether the driver intentionally targeted the crowd, Melancon explained.

Emergency responders from Acadian Ambulance transported 13 victims to area medical facilities, the service reported on social media. The most severely injured patients required helicopter transport to trauma centers, according to the ambulance company’s post on X.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash continues as officials work to determine what led to the incident during the community celebration.

Officials have called off the Gold Alert that was previously issued for missing woman Margret Tome.

Authorities stated that no additional updates will be released concerning this case.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Firefighting teams made significant headway Saturday against a rapidly spreading wildfire in southern California that ignited Friday morning, forcing residents from their homes under mandatory evacuation orders.

The Springs Fire has burned approximately 6.3 square miles east of Moreno Valley in Riverside County and reached 45% containment by Saturday, state officials reported. This marks substantial improvement from Friday’s 25% containment level.

Over a dozen areas throughout the county remain under mandatory evacuation orders or evacuation warnings, though six zones have had their restrictions lifted. Officials have not yet determined the exact number of households impacted by the evacuation directives.

Emergency responders are contending with challenging wind conditions as they work to suppress the flames. Weather forecasters have issued advisories warning of sustained winds between 15 and 20 mph, with potential gusts reaching 45 mph through Saturday afternoon. Air quality officials have also issued alerts regarding dangerous levels of fine particle pollution from wildfire smoke.

Hundreds of emergency personnel are working to contain the fire using aircraft, fire engines and water trucks. The blaze is burning through a populated unincorporated section of Riverside County, in a recreational zone adjacent to Moreno Valley, home to approximately 200,000 residents. The city sits 10 miles southeast of Riverside and 64 miles east of Los Angeles.

Authorities have taken a second suspect into custody following the tragic drive-by shooting that claimed the life of an infant in Brooklyn earlier this week.

Matthew Rodriguez, 18, was captured Friday in Pennsylvania by New York Police Department investigators working alongside U.S. Marshals, according to police officials.

The alleged gunman, 21-year-old Amuri Greene, was taken into custody shortly after Wednesday’s deadly shooting that killed 7-month-old Kaori Patterson-Moore. During his Friday evening court appearance, Greene entered a not guilty plea to murder and additional charges and remains jailed without bond.

The tragic incident unfolded Wednesday afternoon when two individuals traveled down a Brooklyn street on a moped. According to court documents, Greene was positioned on the back of the vehicle when he opened fire toward a group of people gathered at a street corner, with baby Kaori sitting in her stroller nearby.

The child’s mother, Lianna Charles-Moore, described to the New York Post how she initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks. While tending to her frightened 2-year-old son, who suffered a bullet graze, she discovered her baby daughter had been struck in the head and was bleeding.

“My daughter was innocent. She didn’t deserve that,” Charles-Moore shared with the publication. She revealed that her little girl was beginning to crawl and had recently started saying “Mama.”

Court records indicate Greene admitted to investigators that he was targeting someone else in the crowd when he fired the weapon.

Greene’s legal representative, Jay Schwitzman, stated following the court proceeding that he plans to conduct “an independent and thorough investigation of the facts and circumstances of this tragic incident.”

Following the shooting, police report the moped accelerated and collided with a vehicle two blocks from the scene, throwing both riders from the bike. While Greene sustained injuries and was hospitalized under police supervision, the vehicle’s operator escaped on foot.

Officials have not yet disclosed court documents outlining Rodriguez’s specific involvement in the incident. However, investigators have not suggested they are seeking additional suspects beyond the shooter and the moped operator.

Law enforcement has not immediately provided details about any relationship between the two men or Rodriguez’s residence, and no active phone number for him was readily available. Formal charges against Rodriguez are still being processed.

Both Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch have voiced their devastation and anger regarding Kaori’s death.

“This is a terrible day in our city, a tragedy that truly shocks the conscience,” Tisch stated during Wednesday’s news conference.

PROVO, Utah — A 70-year-old man who has spent 40 years on Utah’s death row filed a motion Friday requesting dismissal of his murder case following a state Supreme Court order for a new trial based on investigator wrongdoing.

Douglas Stewart Carter received a death sentence in 1985 when jurors convicted him of killing Eva Olesen, who was related to a former Provo police chief. The prosecution’s case relied entirely on Carter’s signed confession and testimony from two witnesses who claimed he boasted about the killing, as no physical evidence connected the Black defendant to the crime scene where the white victim was found.

Carter has consistently maintained his confession was forced from him. The two key witnesses, an undocumented immigrant couple, later revealed that law enforcement officials paid their housing costs, instructed them to provide false testimony, and used deportation threats against them and their child to secure Carter’s conviction.

In 2022, Judge Derek Pullan overturned the conviction, with the Utah Supreme Court upholding that decision last May, citing “numerous constitutional violations” that warranted a new trial. Carter remains incarcerated pending the retrial, with a bond hearing set for June.

“Douglas Carter spent over 40 years on death row for a crime which he, and the evidence, says he did not commit. Legally, enough is enough,” his defense team said in a motion filed Friday.

State prosecutors continue to oppose dismissing Carter’s case.

The latest defense filing claims an investigator concealed evidence that pointed toward alternative suspects, including victim’s spouse Orla Olesen. According to the motion, prosecutors were preparing to charge the husband when a Provo police lieutenant requested they hold off to allow further investigation. The document states Carter became a suspect shortly thereafter.

Neither the Provo Police Department nor Utah County Attorney’s Office responded to requests for comment Friday. Prosecutors have not yet responded to the dismissal motion.

Orla Olesen, who passed away in 2009, told investigators he discovered his wife’s body in their residence, partially clothed with her hands bound. Court records show she suffered 10 stab wounds and a gunshot to the head.

In recent court documents, prosecutors acknowledged uncertainty about whether Provo police still possess the recording of Orla Olesen’s polygraph examination. They also confirmed the state no longer has clothing taken from him during the investigation and lacks information about other potential evidence collected from him.

Authorities in Los Angeles have taken a 12-year-old student into custody on murder charges following the death of a classmate who suffered fatal head injuries from a metal water bottle attack during what police describe as a bullying incident.

The juvenile suspect was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murder in connection with the February 25th death of 12-year-old Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa, according to Los Angeles Police Officer Charles Miller. The district attorney’s office confirmed Friday they are reviewing the case for potential charges.

Due to the ages of both the victim and suspect, Miller stated he could not provide additional details about the investigation.

According to the victim’s family, Khimberly sustained the fatal blow to her head on February 17th while attempting to defend her older sister Sharon Zavaleta from a group of students who were bullying her at Reseda Charter High School, which serves both high school and middle school students.

Family attorney Robert Glassman emphasized in a Friday email statement: “This arrest is an important step toward accountability, but an arrest alone does not equal justice and does not answer the larger question of how this was allowed to happen in the first place.”

Following the attack, Khimberly was transported to Valley Presbyterian Hospital for evaluation and discharged the same day. However, her condition deteriorated, and three days later she was rushed to UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, where medical staff placed her in an induced coma and performed emergency brain surgery to address internal bleeding. She passed away on February 25th.

The family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District, alleging that both sisters endured months of bullying, harassment and physical attacks at school. Glassman stated that despite their mother’s repeated reports to school administrators, officials failed to take action to protect the students.

“The focus cannot stop with one student — there must be a hard look at what the adults in charge knew, when they knew it, and why meaningful action wasn’t taken sooner,” Glassman said.

While the family is considering legal action against Valley Presbyterian Hospital, Glassman said their primary focus remains on supporting one another and ensuring the school district is held responsible for its failure to intervene before the fatal incident occurred.

LAUSD representatives declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.

This incident follows another tragic case last month in Georgia, where 12-year-old sixth-grader Jada West died several days after collapsing following a physical altercation with another Mason Creek Middle School student near a bus stop in her neighborhood.

Airports nationwide are witnessing a surge in homeless individuals using terminals as temporary shelter as urban homelessness continues to climb across America.

Transportation hubs have become increasingly common refuges for people without permanent housing, prompting communities to expand their outreach programs at these facilities. These initiatives aim to connect vulnerable individuals with available shelter options and essential social services that could help them transition to more stable living situations.

The trend reflects the broader homelessness crisis affecting metropolitan areas throughout the United States, with airports serving as accessible indoor spaces that provide temporary relief from the elements.

Young treasure hunters in two Michigan communities experienced an unusual weather forecast Friday — clear skies with a shower of marshmallows falling from above.

Wayne County Parks organized their yearly helicopter marshmallow event, staging the popular activity at locations in Trenton and Westland, Michigan, with a two-hour gap between drops.

“It was great. The weather is beautiful, and I think this is a great thing to do with all the kids to start off Easter and the weekend, so yeah, I think it’s wonderful,” commented Anna Grote (GROH’-tee), a Westland local who brought her boyfriend and his 10-year-old son to watch the spectacle.

At both venues, hundreds of youngsters erupted in excitement as the aircraft approached the designated drop area. A crew member aboard the helicopter emptied bags of the sweet treats onto the grass below during three separate flyovers, with each round targeting different age brackets.

Inkster resident David Alexander brought his children, ages 7 and 10, to the Westland event and motivated them with competitive spirit.

“Ready, set, go. Be the first one, take off,” he told them, urging his kids “to be the first ones at the line.”

Event organizers made clear that while the marshmallows looked appetizing, they shouldn’t be consumed after hitting the ground. Children traded their collected treats for actual prizes instead.

While some youngsters managed to scoop up multiple marshmallows, their parents graciously returned extras to the field so other children could participate.

“Everybody was nice. There wasn’t any pushing, there wasn’t any shoving, no fighting,” Alexander observed, noting this was his family’s first time at the event.

Grote mentioned that her boyfriend’s son “did not have any difficulty at all” in securing a marshmallow.

“The thrill of the hunt, right,” she said with a laugh.

UNION TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Law enforcement officers in New Jersey came to the aid of a young bear discovered stranded in a roadside ditch along a busy interstate highway in the northern part of the state.

Officers from the Perryville barracks arrived at the scene just before 1:40 p.m. on Wednesday after receiving reports of the animal near mile marker 12.2 on eastbound Interstate 78 in Union Township. Authorities confirmed the cub was alone when they found it.

Law enforcement successfully captured the young bear without incident and transported it to their headquarters facility. State Environmental Protection Department personnel later took custody of the animal and are now providing care.

Authorities have not determined what led to the cub becoming stranded in the roadside area or the length of time it remained there before being discovered. Information regarding the bear’s health status was not released as of Friday.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — A one-time member of the Grammy Award-winning Baltimore hardcore group Turnstile now faces attempted murder allegations following accusations that he deliberately ran down his former bandmate’s elderly father with a vehicle, causing severe injuries.

Brady Ebert, 33, who previously played guitar for the band, was taken into custody Tuesday on charges of attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault after Sunday’s incident in the Washington D.C. suburb of Silver Spring, according to Montgomery County authorities.

Police responding to reports of a pedestrian collision discovered 79-year-old William Yates wounded in a residential front yard. Yates is the father of Turnstile’s lead vocalist Brendan Yates.

According to court filings, family members told investigators that Ebert, who lives nearby and left the band years earlier, had deliberately struck Yates with his automobile. Erin Gerber, Yates’ daughter, informed police that she and her spouse were removing their children from their vehicle when Ebert approached while honking aggressively and shouting profanities, then drove directly into her father.

Surveillance video from a neighboring residence captured Ebert operating a gold Buick LeSabre, initially swerving toward William Yates but failing to make contact, investigators documented. Yates subsequently hurled a stone at Ebert’s car while Gerber pulled her 3-year-old child to safety on the grass. Ebert then made a sharp turn into Yates’ driveway and struck him as the elderly man attempted to flee, before driving across the lawn and departing the scene.

William Yates informed detectives that while he lay injured, Ebert came back and shouted that he “deserved it” before leaving once more, court documents state.

The victim explained to authorities that Ebert had previously performed with his son’s band but had been creating difficulties for the family following his removal from the group. Yates described ongoing harassment that had been intensifying over time.

At Thursday’s bond hearing conducted via video link, Ebert referred to William Yates as a “maniac” who had thrown a rock at him and requested the judge review the surveillance video, claiming it would “contradict” the official account of events, The Baltimore Banner reported.

However, prosecutor Dominic Plantamura characterized the footage as evidence of a “clearly targeted attack” and noted that Yates was fortunate his injuries weren’t more severe.

Defense attorney John Costello recognized his client’s troubled relationship with his former bandmate but argued, “That does not, in this instance, warrant extra detention.” Costello’s office refused to provide additional comments to The Associated Press.

The presiding judge denied bail and ordered Ebert to remain in custody.

Plantamura revealed that William Yates sustained such serious injuries that bone protruded from one of his legs.

Turnstile released a public statement confirming they severed all connections with Ebert in 2022, “in response to a consistent pattern of harmful behavior.” The band explained they were forced to establish boundaries after he began making violent threats. While Ebert’s “baseless tirades” persisted publicly afterward, the group chose not to respond publicly to preserve his privacy. The statement noted that threats had intensified recently before culminating in the physical assault on Brendan Yates’ father.

“We are grateful that Mr. Yates survived, has successfully undergone surgery, and we’re hoping for the best possible outcome in his recovery,” the band stated. “We have no language left for Brady.”

Turnstile emerged from underground music circles to achieve mainstream recognition with their 2021 release “Glow On.” The band solidified their success this year by capturing Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance.

Bronx resident Gulhayo Yuldosheva frequently fears that mold growing in her apartment could be making her children ill. Marina Quiroz, who lives below her, constantly battles rat problems and water leaks that property managers refuse to repair. Meanwhile, wheelchair user Tommy Rodriguez was forced to “slide down the steps, like a kid” when his building’s elevator remained broken for months.

These struggling residents recently participated in a “rental ripoff” hearing organized by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The tenants remain optimistic that the mayor’s pledge to target “bad landlords” will lead to meaningful improvements, though they recognize the significant obstacles that lie ahead.

A significant obstacle facing many frustrated renters throughout New York City is their inability to identify who actually owns their apartment buildings.

This represents a photo collection assembled by Associated Press photo editors.

The legendary call letters WKRP are finally making their way to Cincinnati — this time for an actual radio station, not just a TV sitcom.

D.P. McIntire, who operates the media nonprofit currently auctioning these famous call letters, confirmed the long-awaited move to The Associated Press. “I cannot, by contract, tell you when. I cannot tell you who. But I can tell you, direct to the camera, WKRP, after 48 years, is coming to Cincinnati,” McIntire stated. “Book it! It’s done!”

The call letters gained nationwide recognition through the CBS sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati,” which aired from 1978 to 1982. The show launched careers for performers including Loni Anderson and Richard Sanders, whose character Les Nessman became infamous for a disastrous Thanksgiving stunt involving turkeys dropped from aircraft.

McIntire recalls viewing the series premiere with his family, watching characters Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman) and Venus Flytrap (Tim Reid) work their radio magic.

“And at the end of the 30-minute episode,” he said, “I got up and I proclaimed, ‘I’m going to be in radio. And if I ever have the opportunity, I’m going to run a station called WKRP.’”

At age 13, McIntire landed his first broadcasting position as a news anchor at WNQQ “Wink FM” in Blairsville, Pennsylvania.

In 2014, his North Carolina nonprofit organization obtained the call sign through the Federal Communications Commission. Previously, stations in Dallas, Georgia, and Alexandria, Tennessee, had used these letters.

McIntire chuckles when describing his conversation with an FCC audio division representative.

After preparing two call letter options, the official requested a third choice.

“Being the jokester that I am, I said, ‘Well, if you need three, and if it’s available, we’ll take WKRP,’” he explained. “And 90 seconds later, she came back and she said, ‘Mr. McIntire. Congratulations. You’re the general manager of WKRP in Raleigh, North Carolina.’”

WKRP-LP began broadcasting on 101.9 FM on November 30, 2015. The LP designation indicates “low power,” a station category designed for communities seeking alternatives to mainstream programming.

“Our format is what radio used to be 35 years ago in small-town America,” he explained. “There is Greats of the 80s, Sounds of the 70s, 90s Rewind.”

Low-power FM stations like his Oak City Media operation must be run by nonprofit groups and serve highly localized areas.

“Your broadcast capacity is limited to 100 watts,” McIntire explained. “So, your average range is between, depending on your terrain and circumstances, 4 and 12 miles (6 and 19 kilometers) in any direction. Enough to cover a small town.”

The operation runs on a shoestring budget.

McIntire’s garage houses the transmitter, squeezed between recycling containers and household cleaners. A 25-foot metal flagpole in his backyard supports the broadcast antenna. The studio equipment — microphones and mixing console connected to a computer — operates from his basement.

Similar to the fictional WKRP, McIntire and his team aimed to be “irreverent.” Their programming includes a two-hour program called “Weird Al and Friends,” featuring satirical music from Weird Al Yankovic.

They even organized annual Thanksgiving turkey distributions. However, unlike the show’s infamous helicopter incident, they distributed grocery store gift certificates.

“We don’t toss them out of helicopters,” he said with a laugh.

After a decade of broadcasting, the 56-year-old McIntire decided to step back.

“We’re in a position where the older members like me who started the station are turning the leadership over to younger members,” he said. “They’re not interested in radio.”

The organization solicited bids for using the call letters across FM and AM radio, plus television and digital television platforms.

Revenue from the sale will fund a new nonprofit called Independent Broadcast Consultants. McIntire said IBC will be “geared specifically toward helping these new broadcasters get up and running, get the consulting that they need in order to be, hopefully, more successful than we have been.”

Oak City Media was prepared to transfer television-related versions — WKRPTV and WKRPDT — when another buyer backed out, McIntire said. However, he confirmed the Cincinnati arrangement is finalized, though legal restrictions prevent him from sharing details.

“It will be radio,” he said. “But that’s all I can tell you at this time.”

Regardless of how the new owners utilize the call sign, he hopes they’ll honor the show’s legacy.

“It has a special place in the hearts of an awful lot of people,” he said. “And we have been very, very, very proud to have been a steward of that legacy.”

NEW YORK (AP) — During a recent evening in the Bronx, three residents of a deteriorating apartment building shared their housing nightmares with a room full of city officials.

The gathering marked the third installment of what New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani calls “rental rip-off hearings” — a new initiative allowing frustrated tenants to voice their concerns directly to housing authorities and sometimes the mayor himself.

While standing in line, Gulhayo Yuldosheva expressed concern that toxic mold in her unit had aggravated her child’s breathing problems. Next to her, downstairs neighbor Marina Quiroz displayed cell phone footage of rodents running across her kitchen floor to a city tenant protection representative.

Ann Maitin, who has lived in the same building for years, had just finished speaking with the mayor.

“He allowed me to exceed my three-minute limit,” she explained, clutching a notebook filled with documented complaints.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist who won office promising aggressive tenant protection, described the event as an opportunity for renters to share experiences that would inform the city’s mission “to actually hold landlords accountable when they don’t follow the law.”

For the tenants at 705 Gerard Avenue, this created an immediate challenge: nobody appeared to know who actually controls their building.

“It seems like such a fundamental question,” explained Maitin, a former Verizon technician who recently established the building’s tenant organization. “You would expect we’d be entitled to that basic information.”

Their predicament reflects a widespread issue. As corporate entities and investment firms have expanded their presence in New York City’s rental market, they increasingly conceal their ownership through limited liability companies.

While this approach is perfectly legal and spreading across the country, housing experts say it could undermine Mamdani’s enforcement efforts by making it more difficult for the city and residents to identify consistently negligent owners whom the mayor has promised to target and potentially take control of.

“There are these major problem landlords that everyone recognizes are engaged in predatory practices, but tracking them down will be challenging because of the LLC issue,” said Oksana Mironova, who analyzes housing policy at the Community Service Society. “That creates problems for the administration, and it’s even more troublesome for tenants.”

For Yuldosheva and her fellow residents, identifying their property owner represents just one of numerous issues plaguing their six-floor building near Yankee Stadium.

Heating and hot water failures occur so frequently that some residents maintain thermometers on their refrigerators and keep the city’s complaint number readily available. Shared spaces remain dirty and have become gathering spots for drug users. Obtaining assistance with critical maintenance problems “feels like waiting for Christmas in July,” Maitin observed.

When the elevator broke down for months, wheelchair user Tommy Rodriguez said he was compelled to “slide down the steps, like a kid.” His attempts to contact building management about repair schedules went ignored, he reported.

Rodriguez remembered growing up in the building during the 1980s, when the previous owner was approachable and quick to address problems.

“This used to feel like a home,” Rodriguez said. “Now they treat us no better than the rats.”

A large rodent had recently gnawed through his sofa cushion. He took care of the pest control himself, using a piece of lumber.

Tenants recently discovered information about their landlord after another Bronx building partially collapsed. The person identified in media reports as that building’s owner, David Kleiner, operates from the same Brooklyn office as their property manager, Binyomin Herzl.

Several tenants surveyed all 72 units in their building, documenting various deteriorating conditions and questionable modifications.

“We didn’t want to become the next headline,” said Yuldosheva, indicating a crack in the bedroom wall shared by her three children — damage she suspected resulted from subway trains rumbling beneath her windows.

Court documents reveal that Herzl has been ordered to pay over $100,000 for code violations across at least six Bronx properties, several of which a judge determined posed immediate dangers.

When contacted by phone, Herzl said he didn’t own any of those buildings but simply served as an intermediary between residents and the actual owners, whose names he refused to provide. “There’s no single landlord,” he stated. “It’s a group of investors.”

Kleiner, who previously appeared on the city’s “worst landlord” roster, acknowledged his partial ownership of 705 Gerard during a brief phone conversation but refused additional comments.

Herzl dismissed the tenants’ concerns as “normal wear and tear” from a building nearly 100 years old. He suggested Mamdani should concentrate on improving the city’s public housing instead of targeting private property owners.

“Our buildings look like five star hotels compared to his,” he added.

When landlords fail to address serious violations like heating or hot water outages, the city can intervene to order repairs and directly charge the owner.

Over the past three years, inspectors have mandated emergency repairs at 38 buildings listing either Herzl or Kleiner as owners, according to city housing department records. The two men have been charged $446,521 for those repairs.

Mamdani has suggested using such penalties as a mechanism to bring troubled rental properties under city control by aggressively pursuing liens against delinquent landlords and acquiring their property portfolios through foreclosure sales.

Just as the city can close unsanitary restaurants, Mamdani has stated, landlords who “repeatedly put New Yorkers at risk will not be allowed to operate in New York City — with no exceptions.”

In practice, this process requires significant resources and faces legal complications. The web of LLCs commonly used by landlords to hide the true extent of their holdings makes it even more complex, according to Cea Weaver, director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants.

“It would be beneficial to have clearer insight into who owns the buildings we are regulating and monitoring,” she said.

Recent state legislation that would have simplified identifying LLC owners was vetoed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul following pressure from landlord groups.

Kenny Burgos, CEO of the New York Apartment Association, a landlord advocacy organization, argued that Mamdani’s tenant proposals — including rent freezes for regulated tenants — would force property owners to reduce maintenance and services.

“That’s going to impact the elevator budget, the boiler budget, the heating budget,” he said. “It’s a matter of mathematics: These buildings are deteriorating because of policy, not because of bad landlords.”

He described the rental complaint hearings as “show trials” that took a “tribal approach” to the city’s affordable housing crisis.

Despite the confrontational marketing — “New Yorkers vs. Bad Landlords,” reads one advertisement — the Bronx gathering largely resembled a typical community service event: City workers answered questions about local regulations, assisted residents with forms and connected them to service providers.

Maitin departed feeling “pleased to be heard by someone who can actually address the problem,” though she felt it was premature to determine “if it’s all talk.”

The following morning, she was surprised to discover the building’s superintendent painting a staircase. Outside, workers were dismantling scaffolding that had stood in front of the building for years.

“I believe they heard about the rental rip-off hearing,” Maitin said. “They’re worried.”

The legal profession’s embrace of artificial intelligence technology continues to accelerate, despite a growing number of court sanctions being imposed on attorneys for submitting fabricated legal documents generated by AI systems.

Legal experts report that initial controversies surrounding AI misuse have failed to discourage lawyers from incorporating these digital tools into their practice, even as judges increasingly penalize attorneys for filing fraudulent briefs created by artificial intelligence programs.

Carla Wale, who serves as director of the Gallagher Law Library at the University of Washington School of Law, is currently working to develop voluntary AI ethics training programs for future attorneys. Her efforts come as the legal community grapples with balancing technological innovation against professional responsibility.

The trend highlights a broader challenge facing the legal system as artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated and accessible, while courts struggle to address the consequences of AI-generated misinformation in legal proceedings.

Two Philadelphia park rangers recently sat down with StoryCorps to share memories of an unforgettable April Fools’ Day joke that took place three decades ago.

The rangers recounted details of the legendary prank that involved two famous American bells and has since become part of park service folklore.

The story, captured as part of StoryCorps’ ongoing oral history project, highlights the lighter moments that can occur even in the serious business of protecting America’s historic treasures.

MADISON, Wis. — The leader of Wisconsin’s massive university system, serving 165,000 students, is pushing back against the board of regents’ unexpected move to oust him from his position.

Jay Rothman, who has headed the Universities of Wisconsin since 2022, is refusing demands to step down or face termination, according to correspondence he sent to board members that The Associated Press obtained Thursday.

The university system president manages the entire network, encompassing the prominent Madison campus, 12 additional universities, and various satellite locations. Rothman answers to an 18-member board of regents, while campus chancellors and vice presidents report directly to him. He also manages administrative staff and operations across the system.

Rothman serves as the eighth leader of the UW System, established by state lawmakers in 1971.

The board’s desire to remove Rothman caught many off guard. Information about the situation surfaced through two letters Rothman wrote to regents following private meetings. No board member had previously voiced concerns about Rothman’s job performance in public forums. According to Rothman, regents have failed to explain their motivations for seeking his departure.

“When I asked you to articulate reasons for the Board’s conclusion and apparent lack of confidence in me, you merely noted that each Regent has his or her own perspective on the matter,” Rothman stated in a March 26 correspondence to the board’s leader. “You did not provide any tangible reasons for the Board’s determination.”

All 18 board members were contacted by the AP Thursday, but none responded to inquiries or offered statements.

Questions remain about whether the board possesses authority to terminate the president without justification. University representatives are researching legal parameters governing such actions.

In his communication to the board’s head, Rothman emphasized he had not been “provided any substantive reason or reasons for the Board’s finding of no confidence in my leadership.”

Given this lack of explanation, Rothman declared, “I am not prepared, as a matter of principle, to submit my resignation.”

Board members convened in private session Wednesday to address personnel issues. However, the meeting’s focus on Rothman’s status remained unknown until his letters became public Thursday.

In correspondence sent Wednesday to two regents, Rothman revealed they warned him of potential weekend termination proceedings if he refused to resign voluntarily.

Before joining the university system, Rothman built his career in law, eventually becoming chairman and chief executive of Milwaukee’s Foley & Lardner firm. The practice employs 1,100 lawyers across 22 national offices.

Regent Karen Walsh, who headed the presidential search effort, praised him in 2022 as a “servant leader” skilled at building consensus. She declined comment when reached Thursday.

Rothman earned his undergraduate degree from Milwaukee’s Marquette University and obtained his law degree from Harvard University.

His presidency has been characterized by efforts to secure additional state funding while facing federal reductions, managing campus free speech debates during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and addressing enrollment declines that resulted in eight branch campus shutdowns.

In 2023, Rothman considered stepping down when regents initially rejected an agreement he negotiated with Wisconsin’s Republican-led Legislature regarding diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The board subsequently reversed course and approved the arrangement.

This leadership dispute emerges as the system prepares to find a new chancellor for its flagship Madison location. Current Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin is departing to assume the presidency at Columbia University.

Few foods can match the widespread appeal, dependability, and cherished status of the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This budget-friendly handheld meal is now celebrating a remarkable milestone – 125 years since its creation.

Surprisingly, this simple sandwich that has become synonymous with lunch boxes and quick meals actually traces its origins back to the refined world of afternoon high tea, a far cry from its current reputation as an everyday comfort food.

A Manhattan federal judge has dismissed the sexual harassment allegations that actress Blake Lively filed against her “It Ends With Us” co-star Justin Baldoni, though two retaliation claims from her lawsuit will proceed.

Judge Lewis J. Liman issued the written decision on Thursday, addressing the lawsuit Lively filed in December that included sexual harassment among more than a dozen accusations against Baldoni.

The legal battle became more complicated when Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios filed their own lawsuit against Lively and her spouse, Ryan Reynolds of “Deadpool” fame, claiming defamation and extortion. However, the judge threw out Baldoni’s counter-claims last June.

The romantic drama “It Ends With Us,” based on Colleen Hoover’s popular 2016 novel that explores themes of domestic violence, hit theaters in August 2024 and performed better than anticipated at the box office, earning $50 million in its opening weekend. Despite its commercial success, the film’s premiere was overshadowed by rumors of tension between the two lead actors.

Lively gained recognition through her role in 2005’s “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and became widely known for portraying Serena van der Woodsen on “Gossip Girl” from 2007 to 2012. She has since appeared in major films such as “The Town” and “The Shallows.”

Baldoni became well-known for his performance in the television series “Jane the Virgin,” later transitioning to directing with 2019’s “Five Feet Apart.” He also authored “Man Enough,” which examines and questions conventional masculine stereotypes.

A Manhattan federal judge has thrown out the bulk of actress Blake Lively’s sexual harassment allegations against Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director from the 2024 film “It Ends With Us.”

U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issued the ruling on Thursday, concluding more than a year of bitter legal battles surrounding the romantic drama production.

Judge Liman struck down Lively’s sexual harassment allegations against Baldoni and other parties, determining the court lacked jurisdiction since she had filed under California legislation while the alleged misconduct occurred in different locations.

However, the judge allowed certain claims to move forward, including a retaliation allegation against Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios production company, along with contract disputes and aiding and abetting charges against multiple parties.

Representatives for both Lively and Baldoni have not yet responded to requests for statements regarding the decision.

The high-profile case has captured Hollywood’s attention, potentially involving celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Gigi Hadid, and Hugh Jackman, who Lively claims may possess information relevant to her allegations.

Judge Liman had previously scheduled a May 18 trial date, contingent on his determination about which portions of Lively’s case could proceed.

The 38-year-old actress initiated legal action against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and additional defendants in December 2024, demanding unspecified monetary damages for alleged harassment, defamation, privacy violations, and civil rights infractions under federal and state regulations.

Lively alleged that the defendants fostered a sexually inappropriate work environment during filming, then conspired to prevent her and others from exposing the toxic conditions they established.

The 42-year-old Baldoni maintained that he addressed Lively’s complaints immediately upon receiving them and was justified in engaging crisis management professionals after Lively began making public criticisms against him.

The controversy emerged publicly in December 2024 when Lively submitted a formal complaint to the California Civil Rights Department before filing her lawsuit. The New York Times subsequently published a related piece titled “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.”

Baldoni filed counter-defamation suits against Lively and her spouse, actor Ryan Reynolds, claiming they attempted to ruin his professional standing. However, Judge Liman dismissed that case last June, along with Baldoni’s defamation action against the Times.

“It Ends With Us” featured Lively as a florist who wed a neurosurgeon portrayed by Baldoni. The storyline follows the marriage’s deterioration as Baldoni’s character turns abusive, echoing patterns from Lively’s character’s family history, ultimately leading to separation when she reunites with her former romantic partner who became a chef and restaurant proprietor.

Despite receiving lukewarm critical reception, the film earned over $351 million in global box office revenue, according to Box Office Mojo data.

DALLAS — Federal authorities have filed charges against rapper Pooh Shiesty and eight co-defendants, alleging they held three men at gunpoint and kidnapped them during a January incident in Texas connected to a recording contract disagreement with Gucci Mane’s music label.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Dallas, the victims’ identities are being withheld, with court documents identifying them only by initials. Federal prosecutors indicate that one victim, identified as R.D., owns 1017 Records, the music label operated by Gucci Mane, legally known as Radric Delantic Davis.

Representatives for Gucci Mane have not responded to requests for comment regarding the allegations.

The incident occurred on January 10 when the three victims traveled to Dallas believing they were attending a business meeting, according to federal court documents filed in the Northern District of Texas. Authorities allege that Pooh Shiesty, whose real name is Lontrell Williams Jr., organized the meeting under the pretense of discussing his recording contract terms with 1017 Records.

Federal prosecutors claim that once the victims entered the recording studio, Pooh Shiesty pulled out an AK-style weapon and coerced one victim into signing a document releasing him from his recording agreement. The remaining defendants then brandished guns and stole watches, jewelry, money and other valuables from the victims. One victim was reportedly strangled until nearly losing consciousness, according to the charges.

Court documents also allege that another defendant blocked the studio door with his body to prevent the victims from escaping.

Attempts to reach Pooh Shiesty for comment have been unsuccessful. At the time of the alleged Texas incident, he was serving home detention for a previous federal firearms conspiracy conviction from Florida.

Bradford Cohen, who represented Pooh Shiesty in the firearms case, has not responded to phone calls or emails from reporters.

In Memphis, Tennessee, FBI agents executed court-authorized search warrants Wednesday at a residence in Cordova. Public property records indicate the home belongs to Pooh Shiesty.

Gucci Mane is considered a founding figure of trap music along with Atlanta contemporaries T.I. and Jeezy. His career took off in the mid-2000s with the hit single “Icy” and he subsequently built an extensive discography through numerous mixtapes and studio albums. He has mentored artists like Young Thug and received a Grammy nomination for his collaboration on Lizzo’s track “Exactly How I Feel.”

The Atlanta-based artist continues releasing new music and pursuing business projects, including his upcoming 2025 album “Episodes” and his 2017 autobiography, “The Autobiography of Gucci Mane,” which chronicles his artistic journey and personal challenges including his diagnosis with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In recent years, he has publicly advocated for sobriety and personal stability.

WORCESTER, Mass. — Three Massachusetts State Police officers entered not guilty pleas Thursday on charges stemming from the death of a police recruit who sustained fatal brain injuries during training boxing exercises last September.

The officers face charges in connection with the death of 25-year-old Enrique Delgado-Garcia, who passed away at a hospital on September 13, 2024. Delgado-Garcia had lost consciousness during what investigators described as dangerous and unauthorized boxing training the previous day.

Special prosecutor David Meier, assigned by the state’s attorney general to handle the investigation, announced in February that the three training staff members face charges of involuntary manslaughter and causing serious bodily injury during a training program. The unit supervisor also faces perjury charges related to grand jury testimony.

Lieutenant Jennifer Penton, who held the rank of sergeant when initially charged, appeared in Worcester Superior Court alongside Troopers Edwin Rodriguez and David Montanez before Judge J. Gavin Reardon Jr. Each defendant repeatedly stated “not guilty” as the charges were announced. A fourth officer, Casey LaMonte, has an arraignment scheduled for April 14.

The courtroom was filled with observers, while family members of Delgado-Garcia watched silently from one side. Outside the courthouse, several people displayed signs showing support for the deceased recruit.

All three defendants were released without bail but must follow specific conditions, including avoiding contact with potential case witnesses. The judge set June 16 for a pretrial conference with defense lawyers.

According to Meier’s investigation, dangerous sparring exercises caused Delgado-Garcia’s initial head injury. The following day, training staff allegedly allowed a boxing match to continue despite safety concerns, resulting in “multiple blunt force injuries to the head and massive brain bleeding” for the recruit.

Brian Williams, president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, defended the charged officers when the indictments were announced in February, stating “the veteran training staff indicted today are entitled to the same presumption of innocence and due process guaranteed to every citizen.”

Williams added that the association supports its members and will mount a strong defense while collaborating with the department on training improvements.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell emphasized in February the importance of conducting an independent and unbiased investigation. The case followed demands from advocacy organizations and Delgado-Garcia’s loved ones for accountability in his death.

“The family is relieved there has been progress in the case from the beginning,” said their lawyer, Mike Wilcox, at the time, noting there was “light at the end of the tunnel in terms of accountability.”

Recent tragedies nationwide have increased scrutiny of police academy training methods and curriculum content.

An Associated Press investigation titled “Dying to Serve” revealed that over 30 recruits have died during law enforcement training since 2015, with deaths caused by intense or violent exercises, heat exposure, physical strain, and various medical emergencies.

Recruit deaths have increased as departments recruit non-traditional candidates while maintaining established academy practices. Investigators typically classify these deaths as tragic but unavoidable medical events, with criminal charges rarely considered.

The Massachusetts charges are believed to mark the first criminal case related to a police academy recruit’s death in recent years. In reviewing 37 recruit deaths since 2005, the AP found no other instances resulting in criminal charges.

Alternative forms of accountability, including civil litigation and workplace safety investigations, have also been uncommon. Families often face difficulties obtaining federal death benefits, despite congressional legislation clarifying recruit eligibility.

Recently, the family of San Francisco police recruit Jon-Marques Psalms, who died after collapsing during combat training in August 2025, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the department alleging negligence. The city attorney’s office responded that its “thoughts and prayers” were with the family following Psalms’ “tragic” death and that it was reviewing the complaint for a court response.

The head of Wisconsin’s massive university system is refusing to step down after being given an ultimatum to resign or face termination, according to correspondence obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday.

Jay Rothman, who has led the 25-campus Universities of Wisconsin system serving 165,000 students since 2022, revealed in a March 26 letter to the Board of Regents that he was presented with the stark choice but provided no explanation for the board’s demands.

In his correspondence to board chair Amy Bogost, Rothman stated he was informed his choices were to resign or retire, and if he refused, the board “was prepared to terminate my employment despite all that has been accomplished.”

The revelation follows a closed-door emergency session held by the Board of Regents on Wednesday evening to address personnel issues.

Board President Amy Bogost offered limited comment when contacted by the AP, stating: “The Board is responsible for the leadership of the Universities of Wisconsin and is having discussions about its future. We don’t comment on personnel matters.”

When approached for additional remarks via email Thursday, Rothman kept his response brief.

“I believe my letter speaks for itself,” he said.

Rothman’s leadership period has been characterized by his push for increased state funding while facing federal budget reductions, managing campus free speech controversies during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and addressing dropping student numbers that resulted in eight satellite campus shutdowns.

In his letter to Bogost, Rothman wrote: “Since to date you have not provided any substantive reason or reasons for the Board’s finding of no confidence in my leadership, I am not prepared, as a matter of principle, to submit my resignation.”

The university president also highlighted upcoming leadership transitions in his correspondence, pointing out that the system must find a replacement for the Madison flagship campus chancellor this year. Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin is departing to assume the presidency at Columbia University.

“I do not believe my resignation at this time is in the best interests of either the Universities of Wisconsin or the state of Wisconsin,” Rothman stated.

In his letter, Rothman expressed that he has committed his “heart and soul to the mission of the Universities of Wisconsin” and described his shock upon learning that “an unidentified majority of the Board of Regents had lost confidence” in his leadership abilities.

“When I asked you to articulate reasons for the Board’s conclusion and apparent lack of confidence in me, you merely noted that each Regent has his or her own perspective on the matter,” Rothman wrote to Bogost. “You did not provide any tangible reasons for the Board’s determination.”

Before taking the university system helm in 2022, Rothman served as chair and CEO of Milwaukee-based law firm Foley & Lardner, bringing no previous background in higher education administration to the role.

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — Authorities in South Florida are treating the death of a city vice mayor as a domestic violence case, with her spouse now facing murder charges.

Nancy Metayer Bowen, who served as Vice Mayor of Coral Springs, was discovered deceased at her residence Wednesday morning when police officers conducted a welfare check, according to Chief Brad Mock during a press briefing. Her spouse, 40-year-old Stephen Bowen, has been taken into custody, and investigators are not seeking any other suspects, Mock stated.

Jail records from Broward County show Stephen Bowen faces charges of premeditated murder along with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. He remains detained at the county’s primary detention facility. Court documents do not indicate legal representation for the accused, and attempts by The Associated Press to reach Stephen Bowen or family members were unsuccessful, with one call being disconnected.

According to her official city biography, Metayer Bowen made history as Coral Springs’ first Black and Haitian American woman to serve as commissioner when voters chose her in 2020. She secured reelection in 2024 and received appointment to her second one-year vice mayoral term this past November. Her professional background included work as an environmental scientist, and prior to her commission service, she spearheaded environmental justice initiatives throughout Florida with emphasis on community resilience.

Metayer Bowen held the position of vice chair within the Florida Democratic Party. Party Chair Nikki Fried issued a statement recalling an embrace with Metayer Bowen at a leadership gathering two weeks prior, “never imagining it would be one of our last moments together.”

“She loved her community deeply and believed, with every fiber of her being, that a better and more equitable future was possible for all of us,” Fried said. “Above all, Nancy was my friend and a friend to everyone who has ever believed that democracy was worth fighting for. The world is less bright without her in it.”

City Manager Catherine Givens spoke at Wednesday’s press conference about Metayer Bowen’s dedication to Coral Springs, located approximately 20 miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale.

“She wasn’t just a leader. She was the light in every room that she entered. She was a steady voice in difficult times, a compassionate soul who lifted others up and a friend to so many,” Givens said. “Our hearts are truly broken.”

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A federal immigration judge has blocked the deportation of an Indian citizen who spent more than 40 years behind bars before his murder conviction was thrown out, opening the door for his possible freedom.

The ruling came Thursday following a four-hour proceeding where Subramanyam Vedam maintained his innocence in the 1980 fatal shooting of Thomas Kinser while facing questioning from a Department of Homeland Security attorney. Vedam joined Wednesday’s hearing via video link from the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania.

“I was young and stupid and did a lot of dumb things back then,” Vedam testified. Federal authorities are seeking to remove the 64-year-old to India, a country he departed as an infant in 1962.

U.S. Immigration Judge Adam Panopoulos determined that Vedam had demonstrated genuine rehabilitation and posed no threat to community safety. The judge highlighted Vedam’s work helping fellow prisoners learn to read and his strong family connections, including nieces who have never experienced him as a free person.

Vedam “has grown as a person” and “began to dedicate himself to enriching other people’s lives and ultimately his own through academic study and enrichment,” Panopoulos stated Thursday.

However, a DHS attorney noted that deportation remains possible due to separate drug distribution convictions.

Born in Mumbai, Vedam, nicknamed Subu, arrived in America at 9 months old. He was raised in State College, Pennsylvania, where his father taught physics. As a lawful permanent resident, he was close to obtaining U.S. citizenship when authorities arrested him.

The Department of Homeland Security has 30 days to file an appeal. Vedam’s legal team plans to request his release on bond.

Defense attorney Ava Benach said Vedam wishes to reside with family in Sacramento, California, and has received acceptance into Oregon State University’s doctoral program in applied anthropology.

In late 2023, State College prosecutors chose not to pursue a new trial after a Centre County judge found that crucial ballistics evidence had been withheld during Vedam’s original proceedings. ICE officers detained Vedam in October just as he was about to be released.

Vedam informed Panopoulos that he rejected plea agreements during his initial trial and that prosecutors presented similar deals during his second trial. Both cases resulted in first-degree murder convictions.

“I never stopped saying I was innocent of this charge,” Vedam declared to the judge. He has remained incarcerated since March 31, 1982.

Vedam and Kinser had attended high school together and were both 19 when Kinser vanished. Kinser was last observed alive after driving Vedam to purchase drugs in December 1980. Authorities discovered Kinser’s vehicle outside his State College residence, and hikers found his body in a remote sinkhole more than nine months later. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The weapon was never recovered.

Initially arrested on drug-related charges, Vedam was later charged and found guilty of Kinser’s killing.

Trial jurors learned that Vedam had bought a stolen .25-caliber weapon and bullets around Kinser’s disappearance but were not told that an FBI analysis indicated Kinser’s wound was too small for ammunition of that caliber.

In an October 2 statement explaining his decision against retrial, Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna described it as “a compelling circumstantial case” but acknowledged that a third trial would be challenging due to the elapsed time. Cantorna referenced “the reality that 44 years is a sufficient sentence for a murder committed by someone who was nineteen years old.”

The prosecutor observed that Vedam had first denied buying or possessing a .25-caliber firearm, then claimed during his second trial that he acquired the gun after Kinser’s disappearance. Cantorna also noted that the FBI connected “distinguishing marks” on a bullet shell found near Kinser’s remains to a casing from where the gun dealer said Vedam had tested the weapon.

Although exonerated in Kinser’s death, Vedam’s no-contest pleas to LSD distribution charges still threaten his immigration status. During Wednesday’s proceeding, DHS attorney Tammy Dusharm questioned Vedam about additional arrests, including drunk driving and theft charges.

Dusharm argued to the judge that Vedam should not remain in the United States, given that he “was using and dealing drugs, driving under the influence, committing theft-related offenses.” She also challenged Vedam’s claims that he sold LSD only occasionally.

“I find it fairly incredible that it would appear that every single time he sold drugs, he did so to an undercover officer,” Dusharm remarked.