Category: U.S. News

LONDON — The British Academy of Film and Television Arts revealed its 2026 award recipients on Sunday, recognizing excellence in cinema across multiple categories.

‘One Battle After Another’ emerged as the evening’s biggest winner, taking home the coveted Best Film award. The production also earned director Paul Thomas Anderson the directing prize, while Sean Penn received recognition as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the same film.

Robert Aramayo had a particularly successful night, earning both the Best Actor award for ‘I Swear’ and the Rising Star honor, which is determined by public voting.

In the actress categories, Jessie Buckley claimed the lead actress prize for her performance in ‘Hamnet,’ while Wunmi Mosaku won Best Supporting Actress for ‘Sinners.’

‘Hamnet’ also secured the British Film award, highlighting domestic cinema achievements.

Technical categories saw ‘One Battle After Another’ continue its winning streak, with Michael Bauman taking cinematography honors and Andy Jurgensen winning for editing. Paul Thomas Anderson added another trophy to his collection with the Adapted Screenplay award.

Ryan Coogler earned the Original Screenplay prize for ‘Sinners,’ which also won the Musical Score category.

Other notable winners included ‘Sentimental Value’ for Best Film Not in the English Language, and ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ for Visual Effects.

In specialized categories, ‘Frankenstein’ dominated design awards, winning both Production Design and Costume Design through Kate Hawley’s work, plus Makeup and Hair.

The animated film category went to ‘Zootropolis 2,’ known as ‘Zootopia 2’ in American markets.

Documentary honors went to ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin,’ while ‘This is Endometriosis’ won British Short Film and ‘Two Black Boys in Paradise’ claimed British Short Animation.

Industry recognition awards included the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema for Clare Binns, Creative Director of PictureHouse Cinemas, and the BAFTA Fellowship for NBCUniversal Entertainment chairperson Donna Langley.

The Outstanding British Debut award recognized Akinola Davies Jr. and Wale Davies for their writing and directing work on ‘My Father’s Shadow.’

WASHINGTON – Federal officials backtracked Sunday on plans to halt TSA PreCheck services, announcing the expedited airport screening program will continue operating despite a partial agency shutdown.

The Department of Homeland Security had initially indicated that PreCheck would be temporarily suspended as part of broader agency closures, but reversed that decision in a Sunday announcement.

The program allows pre-approved travelers to move through airport security more quickly without removing shoes, belts, or laptops from bags.

Want to launch your own business, master artificial intelligence, or dive into a fascinating new pastime? Educational institutions across the country are seeing record numbers of adults signing up for both credit-bearing and non-credit courses.

Countless American adults are enrolling in college programs to obtain professional certifications, develop new capabilities, or work toward academic credentials. Many of these returning students seek career progression, better compensation, and employment stability, while others are driven by curiosity and personal enrichment.

Eric Deschamps, who oversees continuing education at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, explains the diverse backgrounds of these learners. “They might have kids, they might be working full-time, they might be older non-traditional students,” Deschamps noted. However, returning to the classroom “opens doors to education for students that might not have those doors open to them otherwise.”

These mature students frequently bring valuable professional and life experiences to their academic pursuits, though they must navigate the complex challenge of balancing coursework with employment, family care, and other obligations. While demanding, this juggling act often helps clarify goals and delivers deep personal satisfaction.

Educational specialists share insights about re-entering academia, important considerations before enrolling, and strategies for managing studies alongside professional and personal duties.

The continuing education arm of the University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA Extension, provides over 90 certificate and specialty programs spanning interior design, early childhood education, accounting, photography, paralegal training, and music production. Individual classes address diverse subjects including retirement planning, novel writing, business management for athletes and artists, and ikebana, the traditional Japanese practice of flower arrangement.

Approximately 33,500 students participated in the most recent academic year, with nearly half being over age 35. During the same timeframe, UCLA recorded full-time enrollment of roughly 32,600 undergraduate degree candidates.

Traci Fordham, UCLA’s interim associate dean for academic programs and learning innovation, offers a fresh perspective on these students. “I prefer calling our (adult) learners not only continuous, but the new majority student. These are learners who tend to already be employed, often supporting a family, looking for up-skilling or sometimes a career change,” Fordham explained.

Higher education specialists observe that many adults pursue classes for career development as economic uncertainties, technological progress, and evolving workplace demands create feelings of professional vulnerability.

Deschamps provided a current example: “A great example of that is artificial intelligence. These new technologies are coming out pretty quickly and for folks that got a degree, even just 5 or 10 years ago, their knowledge might be a little bit outdated.”

Academic counselors recommend that adults considering a return to education should evaluate their available time and financial resources, carefully weighing potential advantages and drawbacks, including monetary costs, risk of exhaustion, and educational benefits that may take time to realize.

Deschamps recommends considering your five or ten-year aspirations and determining how additional coursework or certification might help achieve those objectives. For instance, someone hoping to open a microbrewery would benefit from learning brewing techniques or business management. Those seeking promotions or career transitions might pursue job training, skill updates, or industry knowledge to demonstrate their qualifications.

Universities like UCLA and Northern Arizona University strive to make continuing education accessible through affordable pricing compared to degree programs and various financial aid options. Multiple learning formats are typically available, including face-to-face and online classes, intensive and flexible scheduling, helping adults blend academic work with personal and professional responsibilities.

Katie Swavely, assistant director for academic advising and student success at UCLA, began her educational journey at community college before transferring to UCLA for anthropology studies. She waited a decade after graduation before pursuing her master’s degree in counseling with an academic advising concentration. Swavely finished that program in 2020, made possible through employer-provided tuition benefits from her workplace at the time.

Swavely, who is married with two children, reflected on her journey: “I felt like in so many ways I didn’t really know who I was or what I wanted to do other than just pay the bills and survive. It was hard. And I thought about quitting many times. We had to budget to the extreme and find additional ways to make it work.”

She continued: “There are questions of how are we going to make it work and do we have the money. As a parent, sacrifices are there all the time. You make those judgment calls every day. But making sure that you’re investing in yourself. There’s always gonna be reasons why it’s not today, not this month, not this year, but it’s also OK to just jump in and go for it and see how it works out.”

As someone passionate about literature, Swavely now hopes to enroll in a book editing course and continue her educational pursuits through the university.

Some specialists identify psychological obstacles as a primary challenge for returning students. Concerns about outdated writing abilities, insufficient mathematical or technological knowledge can trigger feelings of doubt or inadequacy.

Fordham addressed this barrier: “I think this is tied to access. Many of our learners, not all of them, haven’t imagined themselves in any kind of higher education, post-secondary education environment.”

Swavely emphasized the importance of establishing a support system and utilizing available counseling and advising resources during her student experience.

She urges adults advancing their education to focus on “finding your community.” Having supportive people at home and in classes who boosted her confidence helped her complete graduate school, Swavely explained. She also recommends establishing limits and showing yourself compassion when assistance is needed.

Swavely concluded with encouragement: “The biggest piece of advice is for people to realize you’re never too old to learn.”

LONDON — Hollywood celebrities are gathering in London tonight for the British Academy Film Awards, where two blockbuster films are competing head-to-head for the evening’s biggest prizes.

The political thriller “One Battle After Another” enters the ceremony with the most recognition at 14 nominations, while the blues-themed epic “Sinners” trails closely behind with 13 nods from British film industry voters.

However, betting experts believe the Shakespearean drama “Hamnet” might surprise both frontrunners for the top award if voters are drawn to its emotional storytelling, English countryside backdrop, and powerful acting in Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s historical novel.

“Hamnet” and the table tennis adventure “Marty Supreme” each received 11 nominations, while Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” remake and the Norwegian family story “Sentimental Value” both earned eight nominations apiece.

These British honors, officially known as the EE BAFTA Film Awards, frequently signal which films will triumph at Hollywood’s Oscar ceremony scheduled for March 15. In Academy Award nominations, “Sinners” broke records with 16 nominations, while “One Battle After Another” secured 13.

A-list celebrities including Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Glenn Close and Ethan Hawke are anticipated to walk the red carpet outside London’s Royal Festival Hall before the formal ceremony begins, with Scottish performer Alan Cumming serving as host.

Cumming, known for hosting the American edition of “The Traitors” reality series, promised to maintain a “balance between celebration and mischief” during the evening.

Five films are vying for the BAFTA’s top honor: “One Battle After Another,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “Sinners” and “Sentimental Value.” The ceremony also highlights British cinema with a dedicated category featuring 10 domestic films including “The Ballad of Wallis Island,” “Pillion,” “I Swear” and “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.”

Six filmmakers are competing for the directing award: Paul Thomas Anderson for “One Battle,” Josh Safdie for “Marty Supreme,” Ryan Coogler for “Sinners,” Yorgos Lanthimos for the dystopian comedy “Bugonia,” Joachim Trier for “Sentimental Value” and Zhao for “Hamnet.” A victory for Zhao would make her the first woman to claim two BAFTA directing prizes, following her 2021 win for “Nomadland.”

In the leading actor race, oddsmakers favor Timothée Chalamet for “Marty Supreme,” competing against Leonardo DiCaprio for “One Battle After Another,” Ethan Hawke for Broadway drama “Blue Moon,” Michael B. Jordan for “Sinners,” Jesse Plemons for “Bugonia” and Robert Aramayo for his portrayal of a man with Tourette’s syndrome in “I Swear.”

The leading actress competition features heavy favorite Jessie Buckley for her role as Agnes Hathaway, William Shakespeare’s wife, in “Hamnet.” Her competition includes Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Kate Hudson for “Song Sung Blue,” Chase Infiniti for “One Battle After Another,” Renate Reinsve for “Sentimental Value” and Emma Stone for “Bugonia.”

Three performers from “One Battle” — Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn — all earned supporting performance nominations.

The Associated Press received recognition in the documentary category through Mstyslav Chernov’s powerful Ukraine war film “2000 Meters to Andriivka,” which AP co-produced with Frontline PBS.

While 8,500 British film industry professionals select most winners, the Rising Star award relies on public voting and has successfully identified future major stars. This year’s candidates are Infiniti, Aramayo, “Sinners” actor Miles Caton and British performers Archie Madekwe and Posy Sterling.

Donna Langley, the British-born leader of NBCUniversal Entertainment, will receive the academy’s most prestigious recognition, the BAFTA fellowship.

Tonight’s ceremony begins at 2 p.m. Eastern time on BBC in Britain and 8 p.m. Eastern on E! network in America.

Celebrated salsa musician Willie Colón passed away Saturday at the age of 75, according to a statement from his family.

His relatives shared their grief on Colón’s social media page, writing: “While we grieve his absence, we also rejoice in the timeless gift of his music and the cherished memories he created that will live on forever.”

The family has not revealed what caused his death.

Colón, who was born in the Bronx to parents from Puerto Rico, created numerous albums throughout his career, including notable releases like “La Gran Fuga” (The Big Break) from 1970 and “El Juicio” from 1972, as documented by Fania Records, a label known for promoting salsa artists.

The musician began his professional journey early, joining Fania Records when he was just 15 years old. By 1967, at age 17, he had released his debut album “El Malo,” which went on to sell over 300,000 copies, according to information from the LA Philharmonic’s website.

His musical style was distinctive for blending jazz, rock, and salsa elements while drawing from traditional sounds of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Africa, his official biography notes.

According to the LA Philharmonic, Colón’s work carried deep cultural meaning: “A significant overarching theme in Colón’s music—which draws from many cultures and several different styles—is an exploration of the competing associations that Puerto Ricans have with their home and with the United States.”

The biography further explained: “He uses his songs to depict and investigate the problems of living in the U.S. as a Puerto Rican and also to imply the cultural contributions that Puerto Ricans have to offer.”

In recognition of his contributions to Latin music, Colón received a lifetime achievement award in 2004 from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Beyond music, Colón was deeply committed to social causes, serving with organizations including the Latino Commission on AIDS and the United Nations Immigrant Foundation, while also holding a board position at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.

TRUCKEE, Calif. — Recovery teams deployed a Black Hawk helicopter Saturday morning into California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, where rescue workers are battling dangerous conditions to retrieve the remains of eight people killed in this week’s devastating avalanche.

The military aircraft departed from Truckee’s airport around 10 a.m. with four crew members dressed in brown cargo uniforms aboard. Tracking data revealed the helicopter spent approximately 90 minutes circling the Frog Lake area near Castle Peak, where rescue teams discovered the eight victims on Tuesday. A ninth person remains unaccounted for and is also believed to have perished.

Severe weather conditions combined with the ongoing threat of additional avalanches have prevented recovery teams from safely accessing the site where the victims remain trapped. The deadly slide, which covered an area comparable to a football field, occurred Tuesday in the mountainous terrain.

Aviation authorities have extended a no-fly zone over the disaster site until 5 p.m. Sunday, prohibiting drones and unauthorized aircraft from entering the airspace during recovery operations.

On Friday, officials revealed they are employing water cannons to break apart unstable snow formations as part of avalanche prevention measures. This controlled technique aims to trigger potential snow slides before rescue personnel enter the hazardous zone.

Multiple agencies are coordinating the complex rescue operation, including California Highway Patrol aviation units, Nevada County Sheriff’s search and rescue teams, Tahoe Nordic search and rescue, Pacific Gas & Electric crews, and the Sierra avalanche center.

Nevada County Sheriff’s officials confirmed Saturday morning that recovery operations are still underway, with a news briefing scheduled for 1 p.m.

NEW YORK — Defense attorneys representing convicted British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell are mounting a legal challenge to prevent the public disclosure of approximately 90,000 pages of documents tied to the late Jeffrey Epstein scandal, arguing that federal legislation requiring their release is unconstitutional.

The legal team submitted court filings on Friday evening in Manhattan federal court, seeking to prevent the unsealing of materials from a civil defamation case that Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein victim who has since died, filed against Maxwell ten years ago. Federal prosecutors recently petitioned a judge to remove confidentiality protections from these files.

According to Maxwell’s defense team, federal investigators improperly acquired these materials—which were previously protected under court secrecy orders—while conducting their criminal investigation of Maxwell. The attorneys stated that the documentation contains deposition transcripts from more than 30 individuals, along with private financial and intimate details concerning Maxwell and other parties.

Certain materials from the year-long discovery process in the civil litigation have already been made available to the public following a federal appellate court directive.

Maxwell’s legal representatives contend that the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress enacted in December to mandate the release of millions of Epstein-connected documents, breaches the Constitution’s separation of powers principle.

Attorneys Laura Menninger and Jeffrey Pagliuca stated in their filing: “Congress cannot, by statute, strip this Court of the power or relieve it of the responsibility to protect its files from misuse. To do so violates the separation of powers.”

The lawyers further argued: “Under the Constitution’s separation of powers, neither Congress nor the Executive Branch may intrude on the judicial power. That power includes the power to definitively and finally resolve cases and disputes.”

The ongoing release of Epstein-connected materials from criminal investigations, which commenced several weeks ago, has produced fresh details about Epstein’s systematic sexual exploitation of women and minors spanning multiple decades. Several survivors have expressed frustration that their identities and personal details were exposed in the documents while the names of perpetrators remained redacted.

Congressional representatives have criticized that approximately half of available documents, many heavily redacted, have been disclosed publicly, despite Justice Department assertions that all releasable materials have been provided, with some files awaiting judicial approval for publication.

Giuffre alleged that Epstein forced her into sexual encounters with other men, including former Prince Andrew, now called Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. She initiated legal action against Mountbatten-Windsor in 2021, alleging sexual contact when she was 17 years old.

Mountbatten-Windsor disputed her allegations, and both parties reached a settlement agreement in 2022. Recently, he was detained for nearly 11 hours on allegations of improperly sharing confidential business information with Epstein.

In posthumously published memoirs following her suicide last year, Giuffre revealed that prosecutors informed her they excluded her from Maxwell’s sex trafficking case to prevent her accusations from diverting jury attention.

Maxwell, age 64, received a guilty verdict in December 2021 and was sentenced to two decades in federal prison. Epstein died by suicide in federal detention in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was transferred from a Florida federal facility to a minimum-security prison facility in Texas last summer following two days of interviews with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Two weeks prior, she refused to respond to questions from House Oversight Committee members during a video deposition from her prison facility, though her attorney indicated she was “prepared to speak fully and honestly” if granted executive clemency.

The Justice Department has not yet provided a response to requests for comment regarding the matter.

EDGEWOOD, N.M. — During the 1970s, thousands of Native American women underwent sterilization procedures through the Indian Health Service without receiving proper informed consent, robbing them of their ability to have children or expand their families.

Now, after decades of silence, New Mexico officials are preparing to examine this dark chapter in medical history and its enduring consequences.

State lawmakers this week authorized the Indian Affairs Department and Commission on the Status of Women to conduct a comprehensive review of forced and coerced sterilizations performed on women of color by the Indian Health Service and other medical providers. Officials expect to deliver their conclusions to the governor before 2027 ends.

State Sen. Linda Lopez, who sponsored the legislation, emphasized the significance of the investigation. “It’s important for New Mexico to understand the atrocities that took place within the borders of our state,” Lopez stated.

New Mexico joins other states addressing similar historical wrongs. Vermont established a truth and reconciliation commission in 2023 to examine forced sterilizations of marginalized populations, including Native Americans. California started providing compensation in 2024 to individuals sterilized without consent in state facilities.

The New Mexico Legislature also established groundwork for creating a healing commission and formal recognition of this lesser-known historical trauma affecting Native families.

University of Kansas School of Law professor Sarah Deer believes this action comes far too late. “The women in these communities carry these stories,” Deer explained.

Beyond a 1976 Government Accountability Office report, federal authorities have never officially recognized what Deer describes as “systemic” sterilization campaigns targeting Native American communities.

Neither the Indian Health Service nor its parent organization, the Department of Health and Human Services, responded to requests for comment regarding New Mexico’s investigation.

Jean Whitehorse’s experience illustrates the trauma many women endured. In 1972, the 22-year-old new mother was rushed to an Indian Health Service facility in Gallup with a ruptured appendix. Whitehorse recalls suffering “extreme pain” while medical staff presented numerous consent documents before emergency surgery.

“The nurse held the pen in my hand. I just signed on the line,” recalled Whitehorse, who belongs to the Navajo Nation.

Years later, while trying to conceive another child, Whitehorse discovered she had received a tubal ligation during that emergency procedure. This revelation devastated her, damaged her relationship, and led to struggles with alcohol addiction.

Advocacy groups were already raising concerns about women like Whitehorse who visited IHS facilities for childbirth or medical procedures only to later discover their inability to conceive. The activist organization Women of All Red Nations, connected to the American Indian Movement, formed partly to expose these practices.

In 1974, Dr. Connie Redbird Uri, a physician of Choctaw and Cherokee heritage, examined IHS records and claimed the federal agency had sterilized up to 25% of women in their reproductive years. Some women Uri interviewed were unaware of their sterilizations, while others reported being pressured into consent or told the procedures could be reversed.

Uri’s findings led to the GAO investigation, which documented 3,406 sterilizations performed by the Indian Health Service across four of its 12 regions between 1973 and 1976, including the Albuquerque area. Investigators found many patients were under 21, and most signed documents that failed to meet federal standards for informed consent.

GAO investigators decided against interviewing sterilized women, claiming such conversations “would not be productive” based on a single study of heart surgery patients in New York who had difficulty remembering doctor conversations. Due to this limited approach and narrow scope, advocates argue the complete extent and impact remains unknown.

Whitehorse kept her experience secret for nearly four decades before first telling her daughter, then other relatives. “Each time I tell my story, it relieves the shame, the guilt,” Whitehorse shared. “Now I think, why should I be ashamed? It’s the government that should be ashamed of what they did to us.”

Today, Whitehorse publicly advocates for forced sterilization survivors. She testified before the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in 2025, urging the United States to issue a formal apology.

While Whitehorse supports New Mexico’s investigation as a platform for survivor stories, advocates like Rachael Lorenzo warn about potential re-traumatization. Lorenzo leads Indigenous Women Rising, an Albuquerque reproductive health organization.

“It’s such a taboo topic. There’s a lot of support that needs to happen when we tell these traumatic stories,” Lorenzo noted.

During recent New Mexico legislative hearings, retired Indian Health Service physician Dr. Donald Clark testified about treating patients in their twenties and thirties who “seeking contraception but not trusting that they will not be irreversibly sterilized” due to family stories passed down through generations.

“It’s still an issue that is affecting women’s choice of birth control today,” Clark testified.

The 1927 Supreme Court case Buck v. Bell authorized states to sterilize individuals deemed “unfit” for reproduction, enabling forced sterilizations of immigrants, racial minorities, disabled individuals, and other marginalized groups throughout the 1900s.

According to Lorenzo and Deer, Native American women’s sterilizations represent part of broader federal policies designed to undermine Indigenous reproductive rights, including systematic removal of Native children to boarding schools and non-Native foster care, plus the 1976 Hyde Amendment preventing federally-funded tribal medical facilities from providing most abortion services.

Canadian doctors faced sanctions as recently as 2023 for sterilizing Indigenous women without consent.

Deer believes New Mexico’s investigation could establish precedent for accountability, though she warns that federal government cooperation will be essential for effective fact-finding.

SALT LAKE CITY — Twelve months following her husband’s passing, a Utah mother of three published a children’s book on her own, claiming it assisted her boys in dealing with their unexpected loss. Kouri Richins appeared on local television to promote “Are You With Me?” and received recognition for supporting young children through parental grief.

Just weeks following the book’s 2023 release, authorities took her into custody on murder charges related to her husband’s death.

The detention created widespread disbelief throughout her small mountain community near Park City, where twelve jurors will determine her future during a month-long trial beginning Monday.

The 35-year-old Richins confronts almost three dozen charges related to her husband’s death, including aggravated murder, attempted murder, forgery, mortgage fraud and insurance fraud. She has entered a not guilty plea.

According to prosecutors, she murdered her husband Eric Richins at their residence in March 2022 by adding fentanyl to a cocktail he consumed. They claim she faced significant debt and committed the murder for monetary benefit while planning a life with another man she was secretly dating.

This disturbing situation involving a formerly respected local writer accused of benefiting from her own alleged violent act has fascinated true-crime followers since her detention. Previously celebrated as an emotional story, her book now serves as evidence for prosecutors claiming she executed a premeditated murder.

Her defense lawyers, Wendy Lewis, Kathy Nester and Alex Ramos, expressed confidence that jurors will side with Richins after learning her version of events.

“Kouri has waited nearly three years for this moment: the opportunity to have the facts of this case heard by a jury, free from the prosecution’s narrative that has dominated headlines since her arrest,” her legal team said in a statement. “What the public has been told bears little resemblance to the truth.”

During the evening her husband died, Richins contacted emergency services to report discovering him “cold to the touch” at their bed’s foot, the police report states. Medical personnel declared him deceased, and an autopsy later revealed five times the fatal amount of fentanyl in his body.

According to charging documents, this wasn’t her initial attempt on his life.

One month prior on Valentine’s Day, Eric Richins informed friends he developed hives and lost consciousness after eating one bite of a sandwich Richins had prepared for him. She purchased the sandwich during the same week authorities say she obtained fentanyl pills from their family housekeeper. Opioids like fentanyl can trigger serious allergic responses.

Following self-administration of his son’s EpiPen and consuming large amounts of Benadryl, Eric Richins awakened from deep sleep and contacted a friend saying, “I think my wife tried to poison me,” according to the friend’s written testimony.

One day following Valentine’s Day, Kouri Richins messaged her supposed lover, “If he could just go away … life would be so perfect.”

The friend Eric Richins contacted that evening and the housekeeper who claims she sold his wife drugs may serve as crucial witnesses in the coming trial. Additional witnesses might include family members and the man Kouri Richins allegedly conducted an affair with.

The prosecution’s primary witness, housekeeper Carmen Lauber, informed police she provided Richins with fentanyl pills purchased from a dealer several days before Valentine’s Day. Later that month, Richins supposedly told the housekeeper the pills weren’t potent enough and requested she obtain stronger fentanyl, charging documents indicate.

Defense lawyers plan to argue Lauber never actually provided Richins with fentanyl and was motivated to fabricate her story for legal immunity. Lauber faces no charges in this case, and investigators confirmed at a previous hearing she received immunity.

Authorities never discovered fentanyl pills at Richins’ residence, and the housekeeper’s dealer stated he was incarcerated and withdrawing from drugs when he told investigators in 2023 about selling Lauber fentanyl. He subsequently claimed in a sworn statement he only sold her OxyContin.

Court documents show Eric Richins consulted with a divorce lawyer and estate planner in October 2020, one month after learning his wife made significant financial choices without his awareness. She maintained a negative bank balance, owed lenders over $1.8 million and faced a creditor lawsuit, court records show.

Prosecutors claim Kouri Richins incorrectly assumed she would receive her husband’s estate according to their prenuptial agreement terms. She also secretly established multiple life insurance policies on her husband totaling nearly $2 million in benefits, prosecutors claim.

She additionally faces accusations of falsifying loan documents and fraudulently collecting insurance payments following her husband’s death.

Legal professionals are calling a criminal investigation into backcountry ski guides highly unusual after a devastating avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains claimed nine lives this week, with legal experts saying such probes have virtually no precedent.

Typically, backcountry skiing clients sign liability waivers that protect guides and tour companies from lawsuits, according to attorney Andrew McDevitt. California courts also recognize skiing as an activity with inherent dangers.

This means recreational skiers accept certain hazards, including potential impacts with rocks or trees and unpredictable snow conditions, McDevitt explained.

McDevitt and fellow attorneys across California, Colorado and Utah who work on ski accident litigation said they’ve never encountered a guided trip fatality from an avalanche that triggered criminal charges.

However, this week’s tragedy is receiving heightened scrutiny likely due to its magnitude and the choice to continue despite avalanche forecasts, McDevitt noted. The incident represents the most deadly avalanche in the United States since 1981, when 11 climbers perished on Washington state’s Mount Rainier.

Utah attorney Rob Miner, who specializes in ski injuries, emphasized that liability waivers don’t excuse guide companies if they ignore proper safety measures or inadequately warn clients about dangers.

“They’re guides. It is presumed they will not guide you into an experience that may kill you, or that creates an unreasonable risk of death,” Miner said.

The massive avalanche struck the group Tuesday as they descended from the remote Sierra Nevada backcountry. Among the fatalities were three of four guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides who were leading the expedition. Six individuals survived the disaster.

Key factors investigators will likely examine include the guides’ decision to begin a three-day backcountry expedition with 11 clients during elevated avalanche danger, then choosing to ski out Tuesday after conditions deteriorated from a powerful storm.

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office provided no additional details when announcing the investigation Friday. A state workplace safety agency also confirmed it launched its own probe into the incident.

The guides’ choices and their communication with clients could also influence potential wrongful death lawsuits, legal experts noted. It remains unclear what weather information the guides accessed before the group began skiing out.

“There’s a lot of speculation,” said attorney Ravn Whitington, who handles ski injury and wrongful death litigation in Truckee, California, close to the avalanche site. “What investigators know at Nevada County Search and Rescue, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and the Nevada County District Attorney’s Office are just not known to the public.”

In a company statement, Blackbird Mountain Guides noted that all four guides held backcountry skiing certifications and taught avalanche education courses. The company explained that guides maintain contact with senior staff at Blackbird’s headquarters during expeditions to discuss conditions and route options.

“There is still a lot that we’re learning about what happened. It’s too soon to draw conclusions, but investigations are underway,” the company said.

The 15-person ski group launched their expedition Sunday as storm warnings were escalating. By Tuesday morning, officials warned that avalanches were anticipated. Safety specialists note that backcountry skiers commonly venture out during avalanche watches or even more severe avalanche warnings.

Families of the six Blackbird clients who died stated the expedition was thoroughly planned beforehand and the victims carried avalanche safety gear. “They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip,” the families said in a Thursday statement.

WASHINGTON — Federal military officials announced Friday they executed another fatal operation targeting a suspected narcotics trafficking vessel in Eastern Pacific waters.

According to U.S. Southern Command’s social media announcement, the targeted vessel “was traveling through established drug smuggling corridors in the Eastern Pacific while conducting narcotics trafficking activities.” Military officials confirmed three fatalities resulted from the operation. Accompanying footage depicts a watercraft on the ocean surface before erupting in flames.

This latest operation brings the total casualties from Trump administration attacks on suspected drug vessels to no fewer than 148 deaths across a minimum of 43 operations conducted since early September throughout Caribbean and eastern Pacific waters.

President Donald Trump has declared the United States engaged in “armed conflict” with Latin American cartels, defending these operations as essential escalation measures to halt drug trafficking. However, his administration has provided minimal evidence supporting claims of eliminating “narcoterrorists.”

Opposition voices have challenged both the legal authority for these operations and their practical effectiveness, noting that fentanyl responsible for numerous fatal overdoses typically enters the U.S. through overland routes from Mexico, where production occurs using chemicals sourced from China and India.

These maritime operations have faced particularly harsh criticism after reports emerged that military forces killed survivors from the initial boat attack during a subsequent strike. Trump administration officials and Republican legislators defended the actions as lawful and essential, while Democratic representatives and legal scholars characterized the killings as murder or potential war crimes.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — U.S. military aircraft responded Thursday to intercept five Russian planes flying in international waters off Alaska’s western coastline, though defense officials emphasized Friday that the encounter was routine and non-threatening.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command reported detecting and monitoring two Russian Tu-95 bombers, two Su-35 fighter jets, and one A-50 surveillance aircraft operating in the vicinity of the Bering Strait on Thursday.

NORAD deployed two F-16 fighters, two F-35 stealth jets, one E-3 surveillance plane, and four KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft to meet, identify, and accompany the Russian planes until they left the region, the command announced in an official statement.

According to NORAD’s release, “The Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace.” The statement emphasized that such encounters “occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.”

The Russian planes were flying within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, located near the Bering Strait — a narrow waterway approximately 50 miles wide that divides the Pacific and Arctic oceans.

These identification zones extend beyond national airspace boundaries into international territory. Though considered international airspace, all aircraft must announce their identity when entering these zones for national security purposes, NORAD explained.

The defense command employs satellite technology, ground-based radar systems, airborne detection equipment, and aircraft to monitor and track aerial activity in the region.

While NORAD maintains its primary headquarters at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, the organization operates its Alaska mission from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson located in Anchorage.

Authorities in Las Vegas are treating Thursday’s vehicle crash into an electrical substation as an act of terrorism, officials announced during a Friday press briefing.

Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department assured residents that no continuing danger exists to the community following the incident.

Emergency dispatchers received a report at 10 a.m. Thursday about a vehicle that had crashed through security barriers at the electrical facility in Boulder City, situated roughly 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas, McMahill explained.

The vehicle’s operator was identified as 23-year-old Dawson Maloney of Albany, New York, who had been reported as a missing person and took his own life with a firearm, the sheriff stated.

Before the incident occurred, Maloney had contacted relatives, discussing intentions of self-harm and stating he planned to carry out an action that would make him newsworthy. In communications with his mother, he described himself using terrorist terminology, police revealed.

Investigators discovered explosive devices and numerous publications “related to extremist ideologies” inside Maloney’s hotel accommodation, McMahill reported. The materials covered various radical viewpoints including right-wing and left-wing extremism, environmental extremism, white supremacist beliefs, and anti-government philosophies.

“These findings significantly elevate the seriousness of this incident,” McMahill stated.

Records show Maloney was enrolled as a student at Albany Law School in the class of 2027. He had also achieved honors recognition during multiple terms at Siena University in New York.

Law enforcement recovered two shotguns, a pistol resembling an assault rifle, and flamethrowers from his rented vehicle, McMahill noted. Maloney was dressed in what officers characterized as “soft-body armor.”

A search of an Albany residence yielded a 3D printing device and various firearm components necessary for weapon assembly. Maloney had traveled by rental car from Albany to Boulder City, according to Christopher Delzano, the FBI’s Las Vegas special agent-in-charge.

Boulder City is a historical community that houses the Hoover Dam, recognized as one of America’s remarkable civil engineering achievements. The dam supplies water to millions of residents and produces approximately 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric energy annually for Nevada, Arizona and California.

The targeted electrical substation belongs to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The installation operates in coordination with Hoover Dam and transmits electricity to the Los Angeles metropolitan area, McMahill explained. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power confirmed to The Associated Press that it is monitoring the situation, with no operational impacts or service interruptions reported.

Boulder City Police Chief Timothy Shea confirmed that investigators found no evidence of significant damage to essential infrastructure and no utility service disruptions occurred.

A comparable event took place in 2023 when an individual drove a vehicle through barriers at a solar energy installation in the desert northeast of Las Vegas, igniting the car. The solar facility provided power to Las Vegas Strip gambling establishments. That perpetrator was deemed mentally incompetent for trial. The attack followed multiple incidents and arrests involving electrical substations across Washington, Oregon and North Carolina, raising federal concerns about electricity transmission network security.

“We are heartbroken to hear of the tragic passing of one of our law students, Dawson Maloney, in an off-campus incident,” said Tom Torello, director of communications and marketing at Albany Law School, in a statement.

American military officials announced Friday through a social media post that they conducted a strike against a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of three individuals.

The military disclosed the fatal operation on X, characterizing the incident as part of an ongoing series of similar actions in the region.

WASHINGTON — Internal government documents reveal that a federal immigration officer shot and killed a U.S. citizen during a nighttime traffic encounter in Texas last year, an incident that federal authorities never announced to the public.

Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, died in what appears to be the first of at least six fatal shootings involving federal officers during the current administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. The Department of Homeland Security stated Friday that the March incident on South Padre Island happened after Martinez deliberately hit an agent with his vehicle.

The fatal encounter involved officers from Homeland Security Investigations who were working alongside local police during an immigration operation, according to internal records secured by American Oversight, a Washington-based government accountability organization.

These documents came to light through a Freedom of Information Act legal challenge that produced heavily censored Immigration and Customs Enforcement files.

While local news organizations covered Martinez’s death on March 15, 2025, neither federal nor state officials revealed that HSI agents were involved in the shooting. DHS explained Friday that the victim “intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent,” prompting another officer to fire “defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public.”

The agency declined to explain why no official statement or media notification was issued about the officer-involved shooting during the past 11 months.

Rachel Reyes, Martinez’s mother, explained that her son had recently turned 23 when he traveled with his closest friend from San Antonio to the coast for a birthday celebration. South Padre Island serves as a popular spring break destination on the Gulf Coast near the Mexican border, drawing thousands of young visitors each March.

Martinez held a job at an Amazon distribution center, enjoyed gaming, and spent time with friends. His mother emphasized he had no previous encounters with police.

“He was a typical young guy,” Reyes shared with The Associated Press. “He never really got a chance to go out and experience things. It was his first time getting to go out of town. He was a nice guy, humble guy. And he wasn’t a violent person at all.”

An internal ICE incident summary within the released documents indicates that HSI officers were helping South Padre Island police manage traffic flow around a multi-injury car crash scene just after midnight.

A blue Ford sedan carrying Martinez and a passenger approached the officers, who commanded the driver to halt. The document doesn’t specify their reasoning. While Martinez initially ignored the orders, he did eventually bring the vehicle to a stop.

Officers then encircled the car and demanded the occupants exit, but Martinez “accelerated forward” and struck an HSI agent “who wound up on the hood of the vehicle,” the summary states. A supervising HSI agent positioned beside the car then discharged his weapon several times through the open driver’s window, causing the vehicle to stop.

Emergency medical personnel already present at the crash site immediately administered aid, and Martinez was transported by ambulance to a Brownsville area hospital where doctors declared him deceased. The passenger, also an American citizen, was arrested.

The HSI officer reportedly struck by the vehicle received treatment for a knee injury at a local hospital before being discharged.

All names of the HSI agents and the two vehicle occupants were blacked out in the ICE summary, though Reyes confirmed her son was the deceased driver. She said he sustained three gunshot wounds.

The document indicates Texas Rangers responded to investigate and assumed primary responsibility for the shooting inquiry.

Reyes said she discovered approximately one week after the incident that a federal agent, not local police, had shot her son. A Rangers investigator contacted her and allegedly stated that video evidence contradicted the federal agents’ version of events. DHS did not immediately address Friday’s inquiry about claims of contradictory video footage.

The investigator informed her that the state’s investigation concluded in October and the case would go before a grand jury for possible criminal charges.

The Texas Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Rangers, confirmed Friday that the shooting investigation remains “active” and refused to provide additional details.

Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz, whose Democratic-held office has jurisdiction over South Padre Island, did not return Friday messages. South Padre Island Police Chief Claudine O’Carroll also failed to respond to comment requests.

Family legal representatives said Friday they have worked throughout the past year seeking accountability and transparency.

“It is critical that there is a full and fair investigation into why HSI was present at the scene of a traffic collision and why a federal officer shot and killed a U.S. citizen as he was trying to comply with instructions from the local law enforcement officers directing traffic,” attorneys Charles M. Stam and Alex Stamm stated.

The ICE summary indicates the HSI agents worked for a maritime border security task force normally focused on fighting international criminal networks at shipping ports. During the past year, officers from various federal agencies have been reassigned to prioritize immigration operations.

In January, ICE officer Jonathan Ross killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother, while she sat in her SUV. Administration officials initially characterized Good as a “domestic terrorist” who attempted to ram officers before multiple videos surfaced that questioned the government’s account.

Similar to the Good incident, police training specialists questioned why a federal officer apparently positioned himself in Martinez’s vehicle path.

“You don’t stand in front of the car, you don’t put yourself in harm’s way,” said Geoffrey Alpert, a University of South Carolina police use-of-force expert. He noted there’s never justification for such positioning, “because you don’t know whether this person is going to flee, and if he flees, you could be dead.”

Alpert said investigators will likely examine available body camera footage or other recordings to determine how quickly Martinez moved the vehicle forward, whether he simply released the brake or pressed hard on the accelerator.

Martinez’s mother said she couldn’t believe he would deliberately attack a law enforcement officer.

“They didn’t give him a chance,” Reyes said. “It’s so excessive. They could have done anything else besides that. It’s like they shoot first and ask questions later.”

WASHINGTON – Federal transportation officials announced Friday they will implement new regulations mandating that commercial truck driver examinations be conducted exclusively in English, while also pledging to crack down on illegitimate driver training programs.

The U.S. Transportation Department revealed plans to eliminate the self-certification process for commercial truck driving schools following the discovery of hundreds of training programs that failed to comply with federal standards. The current administration has implemented multiple measures to address issues related to foreign commercial drivers with limited English proficiency.

Federal aviation safety oversight of United Airlines’ maintenance operations faces significant challenges due to staffing shortages, workforce turnover, and inappropriate reliance on remote inspections rather than in-person reviews, a government audit revealed Friday.

The Transportation Department’s inspector general determined that the Federal Aviation Administration doesn’t have adequate personnel or workforce planning strategies to properly monitor United’s extensive aircraft fleet. Similar oversight deficiencies have been identified at other major carriers including American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Allegiant Air in previous government reviews.

While the FAA chose not to provide direct comments on the audit findings to The Associated Press, the agency referenced a response letter included in the report. The correspondence indicated the FAA accepted most audit recommendations and planned to implement corrective measures by year’s end.

“FAA will implement a more systemic approach to strengthen inspector capacity and will take other measures to ensure that staffing levels remain sufficient to meet surveillance requirements,” the letter said.

Key audit recommendations include reassessing staffing policies, conducting independent surveys of inspector workloads and workplace environment, and enhancing training for accessing United’s safety information systems. The report noted that current data access limitations prevent inspectors from properly analyzing maintenance concerns and safety patterns.

United Airlines responded to AP inquiries by emphasizing its collaborative relationship with federal regulators and its internal safety oversight programs.

“United has long advocated in favor of providing the FAA with the resources it needs for its important work,” the carrier said.

The inspector general conducted this review from May 2024 through December 2025, during a period marked by several maintenance-related incidents involving United aircraft.

Audit findings revealed that FAA personnel sometimes performed “virtual” inspections when lacking staff or travel funding, despite agency requirements to delay reviews that cannot be completed in person. Remote inspections pose safety concerns because inspectors might overlook or incorrectly assess maintenance deficiencies, according to the report.

“Inspectors we spoke with stated that their front-line managers instructed them to perform inspections virtually rather than postponing inspections,” the report said.

Persistent staffing gaps at FAA offices responsible for United oversight have led to reduced inspection frequency, limited monitoring of maintenance activities, and significant loss of experienced personnel and expertise.

Recent United incidents include a March 2024 emergency evacuation after a plane veered off a Houston runway following landing. The following day, another United aircraft lost a tire during San Francisco takeoff but successfully diverted to Los Angeles.

Most recently, in December 2025, a United flight experienced engine problems during departure from Dulles International Airport but returned safely to the terminal.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A former police chief who suddenly stepped down from his position in January has surrendered to authorities on charges of stealing $85,000 from his own department’s accounts.

Karl Jacobson, who previously led the New Haven Police Department, voluntarily turned himself in Friday on an outstanding warrant. A judge set his bond at $150,000, and he was subsequently released, according to state prosecutors. The charges include two counts of larceny involving the defrauding of a public community.

“An allegation of embezzlement by a police official is a serious matter and potentially undermines public confidence in the criminal justice system,” Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin said in a statement.

Defense attorney Gregory Cerritelli, representing Jacobson, stated he was not yet prepared to address the specific accusations but emphasized that “an arrest is not evidence of guilt and allegations are not proof.”

“This is the beginning of a very long process,” he said in an emailed statement. “I urge everyone to keep an open mind and avoid a rush to judgment.”

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker revealed last month during Jacobson’s retirement announcement that the ex-chief had confessed to taking money from a municipal account designated for compensating confidential informants who assist police in solving cases.

According to Elicker, Jacobson admitted to using the funds for personal expenses after three of his deputy chiefs confronted him about financial discrepancies.

The mayor described the allegations as “shocking” and a “betrayal of public trust.”

Jacobson led the police force for three years in the Connecticut city, which houses Yale University and ranks among the state’s most populous municipalities.

State prosecutors announced Friday that New Haven officials first reported the embezzlement claims on January 5, triggering a Connecticut State Police investigation. The inquiry uncovered that $81,500 had gone missing or been misused from the New Haven Police Department Narcotic Enforcement Fund during the period from January 1, 2024, through January 5, 2026. This fund provides payments to confidential sources who assist in drug-related investigations.

“The defendant had access to money in that fund,” prosecutors stated in their announcement, noting that banking records revealed checks connected to the fund had been deposited into Jacobson’s personal banking account.

Additionally, two checks worth a combined $4,000 were taken from the New Haven Police Activity League Fund on December 23 and 24, 2025. Prosecutors confirmed both payments ended up in Jacobson’s personal account. Investigators determined no other department personnel were implicated in the scheme.

Before becoming chief, Jacobson had worked with the New Haven department for 15 years. His law enforcement career also included nine years with the East Providence Police Department in Rhode Island.

Young students at a Georgia elementary school are struggling to cope after losing a beloved teacher in a tragic accident involving an immigration enforcement chase.

Linda Davis, age 52, died Monday morning when her vehicle was struck by a pickup truck driven by a man attempting to escape from federal immigration agents. The fatal collision occurred less than half a mile from Herman W. Hesse K-8 School in Savannah, where Davis worked with kindergarten and first-grade students who have special needs.

School principal Alonna McMullen described the heartbreaking task of informing the young children about their teacher’s death.

“It was extremely difficult to tell 5 and 6 year olds that the teacher they loved and cherished will not be returning to see them,” McMullen explained. “To see the looks on their faces, it broke my heart.”

The crash site has become an impromptu memorial, with a cross fashioned from red roses and flower arrangements placed in the roadway median. A handwritten message reads: “Rest In Peace & Power, Dr. Davis.”

Davis had joined the school staff in September, arriving after the academic year had already started. Despite her brief tenure, she quickly won over colleagues and students with her positive attitude and commitment to helping children with special educational requirements succeed.

“Even the most difficult students, she knew how to make them shine,” McMullen told reporters.

The educator had been working in Savannah-area schools since 2022. Beyond her professional life, Davis was caring for four children of her own and serving as guardian to another child, according to her sister Felicia Jackson.

Jackson described the profound impact of losing her sister in a social media tribute.

“The preventable, sudden, and violent loss of her presence and love has created a vacuum of compounded grief so vast it feels as though it fills the Mariana Trench,” Jackson wrote.

Standing nearly six feet tall, Davis brought joy to her household, Jackson recalled, noting how her sister enjoyed performing Disney melodies and musical theater numbers with her children at full volume.

“That was Linda: fully alive, engaged, and loving,” Jackson wrote.

The incident has prompted questions from local officials about federal immigration enforcement methods during the current administration’s intensified deportation efforts.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson and Chester Ellis, who chairs the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, have raised concerns about whether the pursuit that led to Davis’s death was warranted.

Lindsay Williams, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, confirmed that the fleeing driver had no prior criminal record but was residing in the country without legal authorization.

School security footage from Monday morning captured a red pickup truck racing past the campus, followed moments later by two law enforcement vehicles with emergency lights activated.

Police have identified the truck’s driver as 38-year-old Oscar Vasquez Lopez, who sustained minor injuries in the crash. He remains in custody facing charges that include vehicular homicide and operating a vehicle without proper licensing.

According to Williams, ICE agents had stopped Lopez to carry out a deportation order issued by an immigration judge in 2024. Lopez fled when officers approached his vehicle, the agency reported. ICE stated that Lopez struck Davis’s car after making a U-turn and running through a red traffic signal.

Don Plummer, representing the Georgia Public Defender Council, which has assigned an attorney to Lopez’s case, emphasized that his client maintains the presumption of innocence.

“He is presumed innocent, and the court process will determine the outcome,” Plummer stated.

Meanwhile, students in Davis’s special education classes are creating artwork depicting their teacher as a way to process their grief, while school staff members have prepared memorial banners to display during Thursday evening’s basketball game.

SODA SPRINGS, Calif. — Recovery teams are preparing to restart operations Friday to retrieve the remains of eight individuals who perished in a devastating Sierra Nevada avalanche, along with searching for one person still unaccounted for. Harsh weather conditions have prevented safe access to the remote location for several days.

Among those who lost their lives, six were part of a tight-knit circle of friends who were seasoned backcountry skiing enthusiasts with extensive knowledge of mountain wilderness areas, according to statements from their families on Thursday. The remaining three fatalities were professional mountain guides.

“We are devastated beyond words,” family members expressed in a prepared statement delivered through a representative. The statement described the women as mothers, spouses, and companions who “connected through the love of the outdoors” and were properly equipped with avalanche safety gear for wilderness travel.

The six friends have been named as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt. They resided across various locations including the San Francisco Bay region, Idaho, and near Lake Tahoe. Their families have requested privacy during this difficult time.

Officials have not yet disclosed the identities of the other casualties.

Two members from the friend group managed to survive the incident and were successfully rescued alongside four additional individuals, including one guide.

The Sierra Avalanche Center reported that avalanche alerts were scheduled to end early Friday morning, with forecasters predicting drier and more temperate conditions for the upcoming weekend.

This tragedy marks the most fatal avalanche incident in the United States since 1981, when eleven mountaineers died on Washington state’s Mount Rainier.

The group of 15 skiers launched their planned three-day excursion on Sunday, coinciding with escalating storm alerts. By Tuesday morning, officials were warning that avalanche conditions were imminent.

Investigators from local law enforcement and a state workplace safety regulatory agency are now examining what information the guides and their tour operator possessed regarding the warnings and their decision to continue the expedition.

Experts in avalanche safety note that backcountry skiers commonly venture out during avalanche watches or even active warnings.

Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company organizing the trip, stated that their guides possessed proper training and certification in backcountry skiing and held instructor credentials with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. Company founder Zeb Blais explained in a statement that field guides “are in communication with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed that some of his wife’s “old family friends” were among the expedition members. The Newsoms maintain a residence in Marin County, home to several trip participants. His office declined to provide additional details.

“These were some experienced guides that were out there, and that’s what’s even more concerning and disturbing,” Newsom commented during Thursday’s press conference.

According to The New York Times, Sekar and Clabaugh were siblings, as confirmed by their brother McAlister Clabaugh. Sekar was a San Francisco resident and mother of two children, while Liz Clabaugh was employed with St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho, based on her professional profile.

Vitt also lived in San Francisco and had previous employment with SiriusXM and Pandora, according to her professional background. The Kentfield School District informed families Wednesday that her two sons “are safe and are with their father, Geoff, as they navigate this profound loss,” The New York Times reported.

Atkin resided with her spouse and two children and had worked as a corporate executive and competed as a Division I Track & Field athlete, according to information on her leadership coaching website.

Several group members had connections to the prestigious Sugar Bowl Academy, an exclusive boarding and day institution for competitive skiing and snowboarding athletes, which has produced numerous Olympic competitors.

Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo disclosed that one victim was married to a member of the region’s backcountry search and rescue organization.

American and Canadian defense officials dispatched fighter jets Thursday after spotting Russian military aircraft near Alaskan airspace, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Defense officials identified five Russian aircraft operating within Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone, including two Tu-95 bombers, two Su-35 fighter jets, and one A-50 surveillance plane, NORAD announced in an official statement.

In response to the Russian presence, military commanders deployed eight American aircraft to monitor the situation: two F-16 fighters, two F-35 stealth jets, one E-3 surveillance aircraft, and four KC-135 refueling tankers, according to the joint U.S.-Canadian defense organization.

Officials emphasized that the Russian military planes never violated American or Canadian territorial airspace, remaining within international boundaries throughout the encounter. The U.S. aircraft accompanied the Russian planes until they exited Alaska’s defense identification zone, NORAD reported.

During World War II, approximately 4,000 Black soldiers endured brutal conditions to carve the first roadway connecting Alaska to the continental United States through unforgiving wilderness terrain.

These segregated troops faced discrimination while their efforts ultimately contributed to changes in military policies regarding racial integration. Alaska recognized their service by dedicating a bridge in their honor along the famous Alaska Highway’s terminus.

Eight decades have passed, and the deteriorating structure requires replacement. Rather than demolishing the entire bridge, Alaska officials plan to preserve two of its nine sections as a redesigned monument while offering the remaining portions to interested parties.

The 1,885-foot structure crossing the Gerstle River near Delta Junction, positioned roughly 100 miles south of Fairbanks at the Alaska Highway’s endpoint, will undergo complete replacement by the state.

Alaska is offering seven bridge sections at no cost to government entities or private organizations willing to preserve their historical significance and maintain public access.

Two end sections of the original structure, which received the Black Veterans Memorial Bridge designation in 1993, will remain as a permanent tribute to the approximately 4,000 Black servicemen who constructed the initial wooden crossing during the Alaska Highway’s completion.

These preserved segments will keep the memorial bridge name, while the replacement Gerstle River Bridge may unofficially adopt the memorial designation pending legislative approval. The existing bridge will stay operational until the new structure opens in 2031.

Former Delta Junction mayor and historical society member Mary Leith expressed satisfaction that historical elements will survive, though she advocates for proper signage and a roadside viewing area where visitors can access the preserved structure.

“I would hope that if they’re going to save it, then they save it properly,” she said.

According to state transportation department spokesperson Angelica Stabs, the memorial bridge signage will remain and both preserved sections will be viewable from the replacement bridge, but barriers will prevent climbing or vandalism. No viewing area is currently planned.

The replacement bridge will run parallel to the existing structure on its eastern side, maintaining approximately 50 feet of separation, Stabs explained.

The original supply route construction involved 11,000 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers troops working under racial segregation policies. Beyond conquering challenging landscape, soldiers battled mosquito swarms, swampy ground, frozen earth, and temperature extremes from 90 degrees Fahrenheit to negative 70 degrees.

“Though conditions were harsh for all, they were nearly unbearable for black soldiers. From the Deep South, most of these soldiers had never encountered anything approaching the severe conditions of the far north. Moreover, since black troops were not typically permitted to use heavy machinery, they made do with picks, shovels, and axes. In addition, they were prohibited from entering towns and were confined to wilderness assignments,” according to a historical account by the National Park Service.

Black soldiers working southward completed their section in just over eight months, connecting with white troops advancing northward to finish the 1,500-mile gravel roadway, originally named the Alcan Highway, stretching from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Delta Junction on October 25, 1942.

“In light of their impressive performance, many of the black soldiers who worked on the Alcan were subsequently decorated and sometimes deployed in combat. Indeed, the U.S. Army eventually became the first government agency to integrate in 1948, a move that is largely credited in part to the laudable work of the soldiers who built the Alcan,” the National Park Service says.

Alaska remained a territory at the time, with officials long seeking such a connection to the continental United States. Disputes over routing and necessity caused construction delays.

Pearl Harbor attacks in Hawaii and Dutch Harbor in Alaska, combined with Japanese occupation of Alaska’s Kiska and Attu islands, created urgent need for the roadway since ocean shipping routes to the West Coast faced potential threats.

Black servicemen near Delta Junction completed a temporary river crossing in 1942, with contractors finishing the steel structure two years afterward.

Alaska’s transportation department will accept proposals through March 6 for the seven available sections, with applicants not required to take all pieces. Officials will review all submissions, including requests for individual sections intended for uses like public park creek crossings.

Selected recipients must follow specific guidelines including prohibiting vehicle access, covering removal and transportation costs plus lead remediation, and preserving historically significant characteristics.

The estate of convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein has reached an agreement to pay up to $35 million in a new settlement with victims, according to federal court documents filed Thursday.

The law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, which represents multiple Epstein victims, disclosed the settlement agreement in court papers submitted to a Manhattan federal court.

The proposed settlement would resolve a lawsuit filed in 2024 targeting Darren Indyke, Epstein’s former personal attorney, and Richard Kahn, his former accountant. Both men currently serve as co-executors of Epstein’s estate and were accused of helping facilitate his sex trafficking operations involving young women and teenage girls.

This latest agreement adds to the substantial payouts already made by Epstein’s estate. Previously, a victim compensation fund distributed $121 million to survivors, while an additional $49 million was paid through separate settlement agreements.

Daniel H. Weiner, the attorney representing Indyke and Kahn, emphasized that his clients denied any wrongdoing in the settlement announcement.

“Because they did nothing wrong, the co-executors were prepared to fight the claims against them through to trial, but agreed to mediate and settle this lawsuit in order to achieve finality as to any potential claims against the Epstein Estate,” Weiner stated in an email.

According to Weiner, neither Indyke nor Kahn “made any admission or concession of misconduct” in reaching this agreement.

Weiner noted the settlement creates “a confidential avenue for financial relief” for Epstein victims who haven’t previously settled claims with the estate.

Epstein was found dead in his New York jail cell in August 2019, with authorities ruling his death a suicide.

The 2024 legal action brought by Boies Schiller Flexner alleged that Indyke and Kahn assisted Epstein in establishing an intricate network of business entities and financial accounts. This system allegedly allowed him to conceal his criminal activities and compensate both victims and recruiters, while the two advisers were “richly compensated” for their services.

The Boies law firm has previously secured significant victories for Epstein victims, including $365 million in combined settlements from JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank. Those financial institutions were accused of overlooking warning signs about Epstein’s activities despite his status as a profitable client.

The current settlement requires judicial approval before taking effect.

Television actor Eric Dane, beloved for his portrayal of Dr. Mark Sloan on the long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, has passed away at the age of 53 following his fight against ALS, his family announced Thursday.

Dane spent a decade and a half bringing the charismatic plastic surgeon known as “McSteamy” to life on the popular series. More recently, he appeared in the HBO drama Euphoria and had planned to continue filming the show’s upcoming third season despite his health challenges.

According to statements released to People magazine and other outlets, Dane’s family shared: “Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS.”

The family continued: “He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.”

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a devastating neurological condition that gradually destroys the connection between the brain and muscles. The disease takes its alternate name from the legendary Yankees first baseman who succumbed to it in 1941 when he was just 37 years old.

Dane’s family noted his commitment to helping others facing the same illness: “Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight.”

The actor had been married to fellow performer Rebecca Gayheart, with whom he shared two daughters. Though the couple separated in 2018 following 14 years of marriage, reports indicate that Gayheart moved to withdraw her divorce filing last March, shortly before Dane made his diagnosis public.

Born Eric William Dane in San Francisco on November 9, 1972, he was the elder of two sons born to an architect father and stay-at-home mother. His entertainment career began with a small part on The Wonder Years in 1993, but his breakthrough came in 2005 when he joined Grey’s Anatomy. His film work included roles in popular movies such as Marley & Me and X-Men: The Last Stand.

West Virginia’s attorney general has launched legal action against tech giant Apple, alleging the company’s iCloud storage service has become a major conduit for sharing child sexual abuse material.

Republican Attorney General JB McCuskey filed the groundbreaking lawsuit Thursday, marking what his office calls the first government case of its kind targeting Apple’s data storage platform for facilitating the spread of such illegal content.

The legal action centers on accusations that Apple chose to protect user privacy at the expense of child safety. McCuskey’s office referenced internal Apple communications, including a 2020 text message from the company’s former anti-fraud chief describing iCloud as “the greatest platform for distributing child porn” due to Apple’s policy decisions.

“These images are a permanent record of a child’s trauma, and that child is revictimized every time the material is shared or viewed,” McCuskey stated. “This conduct is despicable, and Apple’s inaction is inexcusable.”

The Mason County Circuit Court filing demands monetary damages and court orders compelling Apple to deploy stronger detection systems and redesign products with enhanced safety features.

Apple’s approach differs significantly from competitors like Google and Microsoft, which routinely scan uploaded content against databases of known abuse material maintained by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and similar organizations.

Before 2022, Apple avoided comprehensive scanning of iCloud uploads while keeping data accessible to law enforcement through warrants. The company had planned full encryption that would block police access, but scrapped those plans following FBI objections about hampering criminal investigations.

Apple announced NeuralHash technology in August 2021, designed to identify abuse material on users’ devices before upload while preserving privacy. However, security experts raised concerns about false positives, and privacy advocates worried about potential government surveillance expansion.

Following widespread criticism, Apple postponed NeuralHash deployment in September 2021 and ultimately canceled the program in December 2022. That same month, the company introduced optional end-to-end encryption for iCloud storage.

West Virginia officials criticized NeuralHash as inadequate compared to existing tools and easily circumvented. They argue Apple continues storing and syncing data without proactive abuse detection, enabling continued circulation of illegal images.

Apple did implement Communication Safety features that blur inappropriate content on children’s devices, though it abandoned broader iCloud scanning efforts.

The disparity in reporting numbers highlights the issue: Apple submitted 267 abuse reports to federal authorities in 2023, while Google reported 1.47 million cases and Meta filed 30.6 million reports.

This lawsuit parallels a proposed class action filed in California federal court by abuse victims depicted in such material. Apple has moved to dismiss that case, citing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which typically shields internet companies from liability over user-generated content.

Apple has previously denied similar allegations and maintains it has not engaged in wrongdoing related to these claims.

Recovery operations for skiers who perished in the most fatal U.S. avalanche in nearly five decades continues to face delays due to what rescue specialists describe as a fundamental principle: never become a casualty yourself.

Ongoing storms continued to batter California’s isolated Sierra Nevada mountains on Thursday, creating conditions for additional avalanches in the wilderness area where officials confirmed eight fatalities and one person remains unaccounted for following Tuesday’s tragic incident. Six individuals from the group managed to survive.

Search teams confronted identical dangers that claimed the lives of the backcountry enthusiasts and expert guides, who were participating in an activity with natural hazards made worse by multiple feet of fresh snowfall. Recovery operations were scheduled to continue on Friday.

Winter backcountry enthusiasts, including skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers and climbers, depend on avalanche predictions to assess potential dangers. However, conditions can change rapidly due to unpredictable mountain weather patterns.

To enhance forecasting information or when predictions aren’t available, seasoned skiers and guides will create snow pits to evaluate stability. They may also seek safer terrain, including gentler slopes or areas protected from known avalanche paths.

While snow accumulated from this week’s storm system affecting the Sierra Mountains, the 15-person skiing party caught in Tuesday’s slide was completing their final day of an extended backcountry expedition and traveling toward the exit point.

“It was, quite likely, very necessary for them to leave the backcountry so their hazard wasn’t increased further,” said Anthony Pavlantos of Utah-based Prival USA, who makes avalanche safety equipment and runs mountain safety programs.

“What’s really hard to say is like ‘why were they moving?’ You can’t ever start placing blame on events like this because we can all be there.”

It’s common for people to enter backcountry areas for skiing or snowboarding during periods of elevated risk: Dangerous weather systems also bring abundant fresh powder that many winter sports enthusiasts seek.

Since fatal incidents occur infrequently, those who take risks usually emerge unharmed, according to Dale Atkins, who has participated in mountain rescues and avalanche prediction and study in Colorado for fifty years.

“It’s not about not going; it’s about where and when you go,” Atkins said.

However, Atkins noted that emerging from backcountry adventures without injury can lead to overconfidence in an activity where chance – or insufficient luck – also influences outcomes.

“It’s really easy to be fooled by the snow and avalanches,” he said. “We keep going out even in the worst of storms because that’s what we did last time, and then our luck runs out.”

Generally, the greatest opportunity for avalanche burial survival involves self-rescue or assistance from fellow travelers. This is because slides frequently happen in isolated locations.

Rescue personnel required six hours to reach Tuesday’s avalanche victims after receiving the initial emergency call. In contrast, survival probability for someone buried for one hour drops to approximately 10 percent, Atkins explained.

The California survivors discovered three victims while waiting for professional rescue teams. Officials have not provided comprehensive details about locating the remaining casualties.

Debris from significant avalanches like California’s fatal slide spreads across vast areas, complicating efforts to determine where someone might end up if caught and pulled underground.

Initial search efforts focus on identifying clues like gloves or ski equipment that might indicate a victim’s position, explained Anthony Stevens, chief adviser for Teton County, Wyoming’s search and rescue unit, which serves Grand Teton National Park.

Guided skiing groups typically carry transceivers, called avalanche beacons, which transmit signals indicating their locations. These devices can also detect other signals, showing direction and estimated distance to victims.

When electronic methods fail, rescue teams form lines and use extended, thin poles to probe snow hoping to locate buried individuals, said Ethan Greene, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

Speed remains critical throughout rescue operations, and discovered victims must be excavated quickly. Average burial depth measures approximately one meter, or slightly more than three feet, Atkins stated. Because avalanche snow and ice become heavily compressed, extracting someone from that depth requires moving at least one ton of material, he added.

Long-term burial survival remains extremely rare. Atkins recalled two individuals who survived 22 and 24-hour burials respectively after a 1990s Washington state avalanche. A third group member did not survive.

“It’s very unusual for a rescue team to find a buried person alive. But it happens, and that gives us hope,” he said.

BOISE, Idaho — Law enforcement officials in Idaho launched a manhunt Thursday for an individual who hijacked an ambulance from a medical facility and deliberately crashed it into a building containing Department of Homeland Security offices.

The perpetrator covered the stolen emergency vehicle with flammable liquid before ramming it into the structure late Wednesday night, according to Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea. He declined to specify what type of accelerant was used on both the interior and exterior of the ambulance.

“It appears the suspect was unable to ignite the accelerant before being scared off by responding agencies,” Basterrechea stated.

The dramatic incident unfolded around 11:10 p.m. Wednesday in Meridian, a suburb outside Boise, law enforcement reported.

According to Basterrechea, the individual commandeered the ambulance from St. Luke’s hospital property and maneuvered it northward across a parking area. The suspect then obtained gasoline containers that had been hidden in nearby landscaping, the chief explained.

Television footage revealed destroyed glass entrance doors at the office complex.

St. Luke’s Health System owns the targeted structure, which sits within a larger commercial development called The Portico, adjacent to the medical center. Additional businesses operating in Portico North include SelectHealth Inc., St. Luke’s Home Health and Hospice, and Quest Diagnostics.

The medical facility has drawn public backlash for renting office space to the Department of Homeland Security during President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement initiatives.

“There has been a lot of rhetoric” surrounding the leasing arrangement, Basterrechea noted, emphasizing that “comments on social media such as ‘property damage isn’t violence’ is absolutely false.”

The police chief characterized the episode as “a serious criminal act.”

“This was absolutely an act of violence, and if the suspect had not been interrupted, there is no doubt this building would have been burned, putting the lives of first responders and others at risk,” Basterrechea declared.

The Meridian Police Department is spearheading the investigation while collaborating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, and additional agencies.

Nevada County Sheriff’s officials announced Thursday they are examining whether criminal negligence may have contributed to a devastating avalanche that claimed the lives of at least eight people during a guided backcountry skiing expedition in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.

Law enforcement emphasized that the investigation remains in its early phases, with no specific individuals yet targeted for potential charges. The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office stated in a written release: “in addition to the coroner’s death investigations, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office is also conducting a parallel investigation into whether criminal negligence was involved.”

Officials cautioned that determining whether charges are appropriate is premature at this stage. The Nevada County District Attorney’s Office, which would make any charging decisions, has refused to provide comment on the matter.

The deadly slide occurred Tuesday when a massive avalanche, roughly the size of a football field, engulfed a group of skiers during their final day of a three-day wilderness expedition led by Blackbird Mountain Guides. Nine people are believed to have perished in what represents the most fatal U.S. avalanche in nearly half a century.

The skiing party consisted of 15 individuals, including four professional guides from Blackbird. The group was making their way back to a trailhead through heavy snowfall when disaster struck. Three of the company’s guides were among the fatalities.

Rescue teams successfully extracted six survivors from the remote Castle Peak region near Truckee, California, located roughly 10 miles northwest of Lake Tahoe.

Blackbird Mountain Guides, established in 2020 and specializing in guided skiing expeditions, alpine climbing adventures, and avalanche safety training, has not responded to requests for comment.

Company founder Zeb Blais issued a statement late Wednesday expressing grief over the tragedy. He emphasized that all guides participating in the trip possessed extensive backcountry skiing expertise, with each serving as an instructor for the Colorado-based American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education.

“There is still a lot we’re learning about what happened,” Blais stated. “It’s too soon to draw conclusions, but investigations are underway.”

Blais continued: “We ask that people following this tragedy refrain from speculating. We don’t have all the answers yet, and it may be some time before we do.”

Prior to the incident, avalanche warning centers had issued alerts about extremely hazardous conditions following a major winter storm that deposited substantial snowfall on mountains that had experienced minimal snow accumulation in preceding months. Specialists cautioned that the fragile foundation of existing snow would likely fail under the weight of the newly fallen heavy, compact snow layer, creating elevated avalanche danger.

The Blackbird expedition, comprising nine women and six men, had been lodging at the Frog Lake Backcountry Huts near Donner Summit northwest of Truckee, situated at approximately 7,500 feet above sea level. Beyond California operations, Blackbird conducts backcountry tours in Washington state and British Columbia, along with other skiing locations.

Frank Carus, who directs the Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center in Wyoming and formerly worked as a backcountry ski guide, advised against premature conclusions about responsibility until investigation results are available.

“The main thing here is not to rush to judgment,” Carus explained, noting his experience investigating fatal avalanches and describing such inquiries as extremely complex processes requiring several weeks to complete. “The worst thing to do is to blame or shame before the facts are known.”

Carus praised the training credentials of the Blackbird Mountain guides involved in the fatal avalanche, calling their preparation the industry’s highest standard.

“These were people tested on their ability to manage clients in the terrain and manage exposure risk,” Carus noted.

The surviving skiers created an emergency shelter using tarpaulin materials following the avalanche and utilized emergency beacons and text messages to relay their position to rescue personnel.

A legendary Philadelphia mosaic artist who transformed the city’s landscape with glittering mirror installations has passed away at age 86.

Isaiah Zagar died Thursday at his residence due to heart failure and Parkinson’s disease complications, according to an announcement from Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, the nonprofit organization he established.

The Philadelphia native had returned to his hometown alongside his wife Julia in 1968 following their service with the Peace Corps in Peru. Throughout the following decades, Zagar produced hundreds of public mosaic installations, with many concentrated along Philadelphia’s vibrant South Street area where the couple made their home.

“He loved South Street, the city of Philadelphia, and the community fostered here with all of his heart,” stated Emily Smith, the nonprofit’s executive director.

Zagar’s artistic technique involved incorporating shattered glass, ceramic tiles, mirrors, and various salvaged materials to decorate building facades, walls, and narrow passages throughout the city. The foundation described his work as leaving “an everlasting mark on our city.” His signature installation, the immersive Magic Gardens located on South Street, attracts thousands of annual visitors.

Urban development posed challenges to preserving some of his creations, notably a massive mosaic covering The Painted Bride Art Center building in the Old City district, which Zagar developed during the 1990s. Following extensive legal battles, demolition commenced in December, though preservation efforts are underway to save portions of Zagar’s artwork.

“While Isaiah lived with ups and downs of mental health struggles, and later with Parkinson’s Disease, he endlessly turned to his art-making to not only express himself, but as a tool to survive,” Smith explained.

Zagar leaves behind his wife, whom he regarded as his creative inspiration and collaborator, along with two sons. One son, Jeremiah Zagar, is a filmmaker who created the 2008 documentary “In A Dream” chronicling his father’s artistic journey.

A federal judge has mandated an independent authority take control of healthcare services within Arizona’s prison system following more than a decade of legal battles over substandard medical treatment.

U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver issued the ruling Thursday, establishing what’s known as a receivership after determining that Arizona failed to address constitutional violations in prisoner healthcare that resulted in avoidable deaths and unnecessary suffering.

In her decision, Silver stated that Arizona has failed to achieve meaningful compliance with court-mandated reforms and constitutional requirements throughout nearly 14 years of legal proceedings. She wrote that continuing the current approach “would be nothing short of judicial indulgence of deeply entrenched unconstitutional conduct.”

The judge emphasized that inmates continue to face “an intolerable grave and immediate threat of continuing harm and suffering because the systemic deficiencies pervade the administration of health care.”

Both the state and prisoner advocacy attorneys now have 60 days to present potential candidates who could oversee medical and mental health services across the prison system. The corrections department has not yet responded to requests for comment following the order.

David Fathi, an attorney representing the inmates, praised the decision’s potential impact. “This decision means that an independent authority will be able to implement the systemic changes necessary to ensure that medical and mental health care meets constitutional standards,” Fathi said. “This is a life-saving intervention, and it brings hope that the preventable suffering and deaths that have haunted Arizona’s prison system for over a decade can finally end.”

Prisoner advocates argued for this more aggressive intervention, claiming Arizona has shown minimal progress since Silver’s 2022 ruling and that the healthcare system remains fundamentally flawed, putting inmates requiring medical attention at continued risk.

Arizona’s prison healthcare system, serving approximately 25,000 inmates across state-operated facilities, has faced sustained criticism for more than ten years regarding inadequate and negligent care practices.

The state committed to reforming medical and mental health services through a 2014 settlement agreement but was subsequently accused of breaking numerous commitments. This resulted in $2.5 million in contempt penalties and Silver’s eventual cancellation of the settlement after determining that prison officials demonstrated minimal commitment to implementing required changes.

Following the failed settlement, Silver ruled against Arizona in a 2022 trial and issued an injunction demanding corrections officials remedy the constitutional violations.

While prisoner attorneys contend the state lacks proper leadership to achieve compliance within a reasonable timeframe, corrections officials maintain they have significantly reformed the prison healthcare system over the past two years through expanded treatment access, increased staffing levels, and new medical housing facilities.

Prison officials argue that opposing attorneys refuse to recognize their achievements and “focus on the reputation and circumstances of the past rather than recognizing or even supporting the good work of the present.” Department lawyers insist agency leadership has operated in good faith regarding court directives.

Prisoner attorneys previously requested a similar takeover in September 2019, but Silver declined at that time, stating she would reconsider if the state demonstrated bad faith or failed to comply with court-ordered reforms. Federal judges have implemented comparable receiverships in other states, including California in 2005, where a judge assumed control of the prison medical system after finding that approximately one inmate died weekly from medical negligence or malpractice.

This legal action does not encompass the nearly 10,000 individuals housed in private prisons under state contracts.

NEW ORLEANS — Hollywood actor Shia LaBeouf is facing battery charges following a violent altercation at a New Orleans establishment during Fat Tuesday celebrations, where authorities say he attacked several patrons while shouting anti-gay slurs.

According to a police incident report obtained through public records, the 39-year-old actor grew increasingly hostile throughout the evening at the Royal Street Inn & R Bar, located near the famous French Quarter, where he punched several individuals.

Local performer Jeffrey Damnit, identified in official documents as Jeffrey Klein, confirmed he was among those targeted in LaBeouf’s alleged rampage.

“He hit me, he connected a few times with punches, he pushed me a few times,” Damnit told reporters.

The entertainer described how LaBeouf “just got nuts” while attempting to provoke confrontations and threatening to physically harm him and other patrons. Damnit explained that earlier in the evening, LaBeouf had shoved him from behind while screaming homophobic epithets and making death threats.

Wearing cosmetics and lipstick at the time, Damnit believes his appearance triggered LaBeouf’s violent behavior.

“That’s just somehow something that set him off, angered him and gave him a direction for his anger,” Damnit explained. “This guy wants me to be dead because I wear makeup. It’s a screwed up thing.”

Surveillance footage captured a bare-chested LaBeouf pushing one victim to the floor and punching another person in the face, “causing his nose to possibly dislocate,” the police documentation reveals.

Despite attempts by Damnit and other bar patrons to restrain LaBeouf and convince him to depart, he refused to leave and escalated his aggressive behavior, according to witness accounts and official reports.

Officers responded to the scene at approximately 12:45 a.m. during the height of the city’s renowned Fat Tuesday festivities.

Additional footage captured by Damnit and provided to news outlets shows LaBeouf appearing to mouth homophobic slurs while being taken into custody. The police report confirms he continued using such language throughout his arrest.

“These f–––––s put me in jail,” LaBeouf stated, before informing officers of his Catholic faith, according to the documentation.

“I didn’t shove nobody, I never touched nobody,” LaBeouf can be heard telling New Orleans officers in Damnit’s recorded video.

LaBeouf’s representatives have not responded to requests for comment. In the early morning hours of February 18, LaBeouf posted “Free me” on his social media account.

A New Orleans magistrate released LaBeouf from jail on Tuesday without requiring bail, confirmed Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Gary Scheets. The actor is charged with two counts of simple battery.

Subsequent video footage shows LaBeouf celebrating in the French Quarter, apparently displaying his jail release documentation while dancing.

Damnit, who belongs to the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, expressed concern that pursuing charges against LaBeouf might negatively impact his entertainment career.

This incident adds to LaBeouf’s growing list of legal issues. Following a 2017 New York arrest for public intoxication and disorderly behavior that was broadcast live online, he was mandated to complete rehabilitation treatment.

Later in 2017, while filming “The Peanut Butter Falcon” in Georgia, he faced another arrest for public drunkenness and accusations of disorderly conduct and obstruction, resulting in probation.

Los Angeles authorities charged him with misdemeanor battery and petty theft in 2020.

That same year, British singer and actress FKA Twigs, legally named Tahliah Barnett, filed a lawsuit claiming LaBeouf subjected her to physical and emotional abuse during their romantic relationship. The case was resolved through settlement in July.

Barnett alleged that LaBeouf maintained a pattern of intimidation and degradation, including slamming her against a vehicle, attempting to choke her, and deliberately transmitting a sexually transmitted infection.

Following the lawsuit’s filing, LaBeouf issued a public apology. However, in a 2021 legal response, he disputed the allegations and denied responsibility for any harm or damages Barnett claimed to have suffered.

The performer initially rose to prominence as a young actor on Disney Channel’s “Even Stevens” before transitioning to adult roles. His most recognizable performances include starring in 2007’s “Transformers” and 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.”

LaBeouf and actress Mia Goth welcomed a daughter in 2022.

New Mexico’s top prosecutor has launched a fresh criminal investigation into activities at Jeffrey Epstein’s former ranch, citing newly released federal documents that contain previously undisclosed information about the late financier’s alleged crimes.

Attorney General Raul Torrez announced Thursday that his office would reopen the state’s criminal probe into Epstein’s Zorro Ranch, located approximately 30 miles south of Santa Fe. The decision comes after the U.S. Justice Department released millions of Epstein-related documents on January 30, revealing new details about three decades of alleged criminal activity in New Mexico.

The previous attorney general, Democrat Hector Balderas, had shuttered the state investigation in 2019 to prevent interference with ongoing federal cases. The renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s activities has created political challenges for President Donald Trump, a Republican.

“Revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination,” stated Lauren Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Department of Justice.

This criminal investigation runs parallel to a separate legislative inquiry that began just two days earlier. New Mexico’s Democratic-controlled legislature established what lawmakers describe as the first thorough investigation into alleged crimes at the ranch, creating a committee to hear testimony at the statehouse.

Rodriguez explained that state prosecutors and special agents will request complete, unredacted access to the Justice Department’s Epstein case files and will coordinate with the legislative committee’s investigation.

The criminal probe will focus on “collection and preservation of any relevant evidence that remains available,” Rodriguez added.

Neither the U.S. Justice Department nor the FBI provided immediate responses to requests for comment.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York detention facility in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

The Zorro Ranch property was purchased in 2023 by Texas businessman and politician Don Huffines from Epstein’s estate. A representative for Huffines confirmed that law enforcement has not yet contacted the current owners about accessing the property, but pledged “full and complete cooperation” if such requests are made.

Huffines announced on social media Monday his intention to convert the ranch into a Christian retreat center.

The New Mexico Department of Justice revealed Wednesday that investigators are examining a particularly disturbing claim from the newly released federal documents: allegations that Epstein directed the burial of two foreign girls’ bodies in hills surrounding the Zorro Ranch property.

A Franklin County judge handed down four consecutive life sentences Thursday to a Columbus woman who admitted to fatally poisoning four men with fentanyl while attempting to rob them.

Rebecca Auborn, 36, received the maximum penalty after entering guilty pleas to charges stemming from a deadly scheme where she would arrange sexual encounters with victims before administering lethal drug doses. The sentences allow for potential parole consideration after 60 years.

Prosecutors brought the case against Auborn in 2023, alleging she systematically targeted men for robbery by using fatal fentanyl overdoses. While she initially maintained her innocence, Auborn changed her plea to guilty in late 2023.

Each life sentence carries eligibility for parole after 15 years, according to the Franklin County court. Additionally, Auborn entered a guilty plea for felonious assault related to an attempted overdose of a fifth victim, Ohio Attorney General David Yost announced Thursday.

“This sentence reflects the defendant’s disregard for life and the callousness not only to kill, but to do it repeatedly,” Yost said. “My heart goes out to the families who lost a loved one — I pray that this measure of justice brings them closure and peace.”

According to Yost, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force launched their investigation after receiving tips about a sex worker who was drugging clients to steal from them. Authorities indicate the criminal activity occurred throughout 2022 and 2023.

New Mexico’s top prosecutor has revived a criminal probe into suspected illegal activities at Jeffrey Epstein’s former ranch property, citing newly disclosed federal documents.

State Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced the decision Thursday following his office’s review of materials recently made public by the U.S. Department of Justice.

While New Mexico prosecutors had shuttered their original investigation in 2019 following a request from federal authorities in New York, state officials now say “revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination.”

The state justice department indicated that investigators and prosecutors will pursue immediate access to complete, uncensored federal case materials and plan to collaborate with additional law enforcement agencies and a newly formed legislative truth commission examining ranch activities.

“As with any potential criminal matter, we will follow the facts wherever they lead, carefully evaluate jurisdictional considerations, and take appropriate investigative action, including the collection and preservation of any relevant evidence that remains available,” the New Mexico Department of Justice said in a statement.

Earlier this week, New Mexico’s truth commission held its inaugural session. The bipartisan four-member group of state representatives has been tasked with probing claims that the property may have enabled sexual abuse and human trafficking.

State legislators also expressed interest in understanding why Epstein failed to register as a sex offender following his 2008 guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from a minor, and whether public officials engaged in corrupt practices.

Epstein acquired the expansive Zorro Ranch property in 1993 from former Democratic Governor Bruce King, subsequently constructing a 26,700-square-foot mansion on a hilltop complete with its own airstrip.

The estate was purchased from Epstein’s creditors in 2023 by the family of Don Huffines, a Texas Republican seeking the state comptroller position. Huffines announced on social media platform X that the property has been rechristened San Rafael Ranch, named for a healing saint, and will serve as a Christian retreat center for his family.

The family of a Jeffrey Epstein victim is expressing hope that recent developments signal the beginning of justice for those connected to the late sex offender’s network of associates.

Sky Roberts, brother of Virginia Giuffre who died by suicide last April, told reporters he views the Thursday arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as a pivotal moment in seeking accountability.

“This is where the house of cards starts falling,” Sky Roberts stated during an interview alongside his wife Amanda Roberts.

British authorities arrested King Charles’ brother on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, stemming from allegations he provided confidential government documents to Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor was subsequently released from custody.

The Roberts family is pressing the U.S. Justice Department to pursue additional individuals they believe participated in Epstein’s criminal activities as millions of documents related to the case become public.

The document releases are creating significant political and business disruptions as new information emerges about the disgraced financier’s wide-ranging social network. The situation continues to present challenges for President Donald Trump, who had previously raised questions about Epstein and his connections before returning to office.

Back in 2022, the royal family member resolved a civil case filed in America by Giuffre, who alleged sexual abuse occurred when she was underage at locations connected to Epstein or his associates.

The current criminal investigation is separate from and unrelated to previous sexual misconduct allegations.

The late Queen Elizabeth’s second son has consistently denied any criminal behavior regarding Epstein and has expressed regret about their association.

Polling data from Reuters/Ipsos indicates Americans largely see the Epstein matter as evidence that wealthy, influential people escape consequences and believe government officials are concealing information about Epstein’s client base.

“We are trailing too far behind in justice, especially when we are sitting on the mountains of information that we have,” Amanda Roberts explained. “The world is looking at us to do the right thing here.”

Epstein received immunity in 2008 after pleading guilty to Florida state prostitution charges, serving just 13 months behind bars. Federal authorities arrested him again in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges involving numerous minors. He died in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial, with officials ruling his death a suicide.

Amanda Roberts described learning about Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest as bringing “a mixed bag of emotions.”

“Initially we were … vindicated and screaming, at one point at 3 a.m. And then it just hits you – that gut punch of the fact that she’s not here to see this, that we’re not able to call her and tell her how astronomically proud we are of her.”

ATLANTA — District Attorney Fani Willis’ office is defending a decades-old murder conviction against former Black Panther leader H. Rap Brown while simultaneously condemning serious misconduct that occurred during the original prosecution.

In a Wednesday court filing, Georgia prosecutors maintained that recent DNA analysis continues to support Brown’s guilt in the fatal shooting of sheriff’s deputies in 2000. Brown, who later changed his name to Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, was convicted of killing Deputy Ricky Kinchen and wounding Deputy Aldranon English outside his Atlanta residence.

However, the same filing delivered harsh criticism of the case’s original lead prosecutor, Robert McBurney, who now serves as a Fulton County superior court judge. McBurney has presided over several nationally significant cases, including overseeing the special grand jury in Willis’ investigation that led to charges against Donald Trump and others regarding alleged attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results.

Willis’ team described McBurney’s trial conduct as “the most egregious” problem in the case, stating he “crossed the line from aggressive advocacy into misconduct that undermined the core principles of justice.”

The filing detailed how McBurney violated Al-Amin’s constitutional rights during closing arguments by presenting a chart titled “Questions for the defendant” and making comments designed to highlight that Al-Amin chose not to testify. When Al-Amin remained seated for religious reasons as the jury entered, McBurney told jurors, “Don’t stand for him.”

“These were not minor oversights; they reflected a troubling pattern of behavior that prioritized winning over truth, and conviction over justice,” prosecutors wrote.

The filing also revealed misconduct by FBI Special Agent James Campbell, who allegedly approached the handcuffed Al-Amin after his arrest, kicked and spat on him, and declared, “This is what we do to cop killers.” Defense lawyers have long claimed Campbell planted the weapons used in the shooting at Al-Amin’s arrest location.

According to the filing, Campbell had previously been transferred to Atlanta after shooting an unarmed Muslim man in the back of the head, with that victim’s supporters also accusing Campbell of planting evidence.

Despite acknowledging these serious issues, prosecutors argue that modern DNA testing strengthens the case against Al-Amin. While DNA tests excluded Al-Amin from genetic material found on both weapons, his DNA was discovered on a leather belt wrapped around one of the guns.

“This case had a trifecta of issues which undermined the process and the public’s confidence in justice,” the filing stated.

Al-Amin died in prison last November, but his family seeks a hearing to clear his reputation. Their attorney, Mawuli Davis, said, “His legacy is still at the center of this.”

Willis’ office indicated it would not oppose a comprehensive review of the case, potentially allowing for public reexamination of a prosecution that has long divided civil rights advocates and law enforcement officials.

The incident occurred on March 16, 2000, when deputies Kinchen and English arrived in Atlanta’s West End neighborhood to serve a warrant on Al-Amin for failing to appear in court on charges of driving a stolen vehicle and impersonating an officer. English testified that Al-Amin opened fire with an assault rifle when they attempted the arrest, then used a handgun to shoot the wounded Kinchen three times as he lay in the street.

Al-Amin was captured four days later in White Hall, Alabama, where he had helped establish a Muslim community.

As a 1960s activist, Al-Amin had famously declared that violence was “as American as cherry pie” and that Black Americans would use force if necessary to combat oppression. He later converted to Islam during a prison term and relocated to Atlanta in the 1970s, where he became a prominent imam and leader of the National Ummah, one of the country’s largest Black Muslim organizations.

McBurney did not respond to requests for comment, and contact information for Campbell could not be located.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — What Michael Black initially mistook for the sound of balloons popping at a hockey game quickly turned into a nightmare when he realized gunshots were echoing through the Rhode Island arena. While crowds fled in panic, Black shouted for his wife to “run, run” before making a split-second decision to charge toward the gunman.

Black succeeded in jamming his left hand into the chamber of Robert Dorgan’s weapon, temporarily disabling it before attempting to wrestle the shooter to the ground. However, Dorgan, who had a background in bodybuilding, lifted Black off his feet until two additional Good Samaritans arrived to help overpower the attacker. Video footage captured one person placing Dorgan in a chokehold.

The gunman collapsed with Black on top of him, but the confrontation ended tragically when Dorgan produced a second firearm and shot himself while making eye contact with Black. Throughout the entire encounter, Black said Dorgan remained completely silent.

“The first thought was the safety of my wife. And the second thought was, because the bullets were coming out, was to focus in on the gun,” Black explained. “Get the gun and then subdue the shooter.”

Pawtucket authorities identified the gunman as Robert Dorgan, who also used the names Roberta Esposito and Roberta Dorgano. The Monday evening attack claimed the lives of Dorgan’s former spouse Rhonda Dorgan and their grown son Aidan Dorgan.

Three additional victims suffered injuries in the shooting: Rhonda’s parents Linda and Gerald Dorgan, along with family friend Thomas Geruso. All three remained hospitalized in critical condition as of Wednesday.

According to Pawtucket police, the group of “courageous citizens” who intervened in the attack “undoubtedly prevented further injury and increased the chances of survival for the injured.” Besides Black, Robert Rattenni and Ryan Cordeiro received recognition for subduing the gunman. Additionally, Chris Librizzi and Glenn Narodowy, both former Rhode Island firefighters and EMTs, along with nurse Maryann Rattenni, administered emergency medical care immediately following the shooting.

“I look at it as being fortunate, saddened tremendously in the loss, but fortunate that a small group of people could make a difference,” Black shared during a virtual interview Thursday while visiting colleges in South Carolina with his son.

While investigators have not officially addressed questions about Dorgan’s gender identity, calling such matters irrelevant to their case, divorce documents from 2020 reveal that gender identity issues contributed to the end of Dorgan’s nearly three-decade marriage. Dorgan’s social media presence indicated transgender identity and alignment with far-right political views.

Black described watching Dorgan move deliberately through the seating area, intent on harming more people. While restraining the shooter’s head with his knee, Black observed that Dorgan carried extra ammunition magazines containing “quite a few bullets.”

After Dorgan’s death, witnesses shifted their focus to helping the five shooting victims bleeding among the bleachers. Law enforcement arrived within minutes, and Black, nursing his wounded hand, was led to the parking area where he found his wife waiting.

“My wife saw me and she ran underneath the yellow tape, kind of grabbed me from behind, and we gave a big hug,” Black recalled. “She said, ‘I heard you helped with the shooter. And she says, what’s all the blood? I said, ‘I got my hand caught in the gun.’ And then she said, ‘Honey, I don’t know whether I should be proud of you, but I’m pissed off at you for putting yourself in that situation.’”

While receiving medical treatment at the hospital, a nurse praised Black as a hero — recognition that has been extended to all three men who intervened. Black struggled with accepting that designation.

“I said I don’t feel like I’m a hero right now,” Black reflected. “I looked up and I was feeling for the family. So I started getting some tears in my eyes. And then she got tears in her eyes, too. It was just a moment of decompression at that point.”

NEW YORK — A jury began deliberations Thursday to determine the fate of Randy Santos, who fatally attacked four homeless individuals while they slept on Manhattan streets, with his defense team conceding he carried out the violence but maintaining his severe mental illness should exempt him from criminal liability.

The jury’s initial request Thursday focused on revisiting portions of testimony from a defense mental health expert, specifically questioning whether Santos comprehended the moral implications of his violent acts.

The 31-year-old Santos was taken into custody clutching a blood-covered metal pipe following his October 2019 attack spree. The tragic incident highlighted New York City’s ongoing challenges in supporting and safeguarding its homeless community, which had grown to unprecedented numbers.

Santos himself was without housing, similar to several of his victims. The four deceased men — Chuen Kok, Anthony Manson, Florencio Moran and Nazario Vásquez Villegas — were between 39 and 83 years old. Santos faces murder charges for their deaths, plus attempted murder and assault counts related to attacks on other individuals in the days leading up to the Chinatown violence.

Medical professionals had diagnosed Santos with schizophrenia, and his legal team maintains he genuinely believed auditory hallucinations commanded him to kill 40 people or face death himself.

Defense counsel Arnold Levine argued during Wednesday’s closing statements that while Santos may have understood potential legal consequences, his condition prevented him from grasping the moral wrongness of his actions. This moral component could support an insanity verdict if jurors accept that mental illness caused this impairment.

“The only explanation was Randy’s psychosis. … It’s the only thing that explains what happened,” Levine told the panel, stating that “psychosis replaced Randy’s moral judgment.”

The prosecution contends Santos recognized both the illegality and immorality of his attacks. Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Alfred Peterson highlighted Wednesday that Santos occasionally watched for potential witnesses and later told a psychiatrist in 2024: “I know it’s not a good action.”

“Despite his illness, he was able to make a determination that what he was doing was wrong,” Peterson stated during his closing remarks.

Santos, who was born in the Dominican Republic and follows proceedings through a Spanish interpreter, remained largely expressionless during the attorneys’ final arguments. He briefly moved his hands near his face when Levine described how his delusions had previously led him to attack his own grandfather years before the Chinatown murders.

Should jurors reject the insanity claim and find Santos guilty, he faces potential life imprisonment. However, if they determine he was not mentally responsible, he could face indefinite psychiatric commitment as determined by medical professionals and the court.

A tragic avalanche has claimed eight lives in the backcountry terrain northwest of Lake Tahoe, authorities report. The deadly slide struck a group of backcountry skiers in the mountainous region.

Search and rescue operations continue for one person who remains unaccounted for and is believed to have perished in the avalanche. However, hazardous weather and terrain conditions are hampering efforts to locate the missing individual.

The incident highlights the ongoing dangers facing winter recreation enthusiasts in mountainous backcountry areas, where avalanche risks can be severe.