Category: U.S. News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

State prosecutors continue to oppose dismissing Carter’s case.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LAUSD representatives declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The operation runs on a shoestring budget.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Drivers traveling on Northeast Boulevard should plan for potential delays today as officials have closed the right lane at East 12th Street for drone operations.

The lane restriction will remain in place until 12 PM, according to traffic officials. Motorists are advised to use caution when traveling through the area and allow extra time for their commute.

The temporary closure is necessary to accommodate ongoing drone work in the vicinity. Traffic is being directed around the closed lane during the operation.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Through harsh weather conditions, small but persistent demonstrations have taken place at Ohio State University’s main campus in recent months, all focused on one objective: eliminating billionaire retail executive Les Wexner’s name from campus structures.

The concern — shared by union nurses at OSU’s Wexner Medical Center, former student-athletes at the Les Wexner Football Complex, and student leaders who regularly pass the Wexner Center for the Arts — stems from Wexner’s documented connection to deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Comparable demands are emerging regarding a Wexner-named facility at Harvard University and other buildings nationwide honoring various Epstein associates, such as Steve Tisch, Casey Wasserman, Glenn Dubin and Howard Lutnick.

This represents part of a broader movement throughout higher education targeting individuals linked to Epstein, who built an extensive network encompassing influential figures in arts, business and academia. Universities are examining both major donors and several professors whose correspondence with Epstein emerged in recent document releases, with some faculty members stepping down.

Wexner faces no criminal charges related to Epstein, the former financial advisor who he claims “duped” him.

However, a coalition of former Ohio State student-athletes who survived an extensive sexual abuse scandal at the institution contends that the retired L Brands founder’s philanthropy to his former university is now compromised by evidence that Epstein influenced numerous family financial decisions, including those involving the football complex’s naming.

“Ohio State University cannot credibly separate itself from these facts, nor can it justify continuing to honor Les Wexner with an athletic facility,” their naming removal request read. It went on, “To do so is to ignore the voices of survivors, former athletes, and the broader community who expect accountability, transparency, and moral leadership.”

At Harvard, students and faculty at the renowned Kennedy School have focused on the Leslie H. Wexner Building and the Wexner-Sunshine Lobby. The renaming petition filed in March references Wexner’s “strong ties to Epstein” and contends Epstein benefited from Wexner, “which enabled Epstein to use his wealth and power to traffic and abuse children and women.”

Certain Harvard students and graduates also seek removal of the Farkas name from Farkas Hall, which houses the Hasty Pudding Theatricals Man and Woman of the Year. The facility was renamed in 2011 following a substantial donation from Andrew Farkas, graduate chairman of the Hasty Pudding Institute, honoring his father.

Farkas maintained an extended personal and business connection with Epstein, including joint ownership of a Caribbean marina. He also repeatedly solicited Epstein for Hasty Pudding donations. From approximately 2013 to 2019, Epstein consistently contributed $50,000 yearly to achieve premium donor status, totaling over $300,000.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, I deeply regret ever having met this individual, but at no time have I conducted myself inappropriately,” Farkas said in a statement.

Opposition to buildings honoring Epstein associates is expanding across American campuses.

This past weekend, Haverford College students in Pennsylvania voted to encourage President Wendy Raymond to proceed with renaming the Allison & Howard Lutnick Library. The facility honors the U.S. commerce secretary facing resignation demands over his Epstein relationship.

Raymond indicated in a February public letter she wasn’t prepared for that step. Following Sunday’s vote, Raymond told The Associated Press she respected the process and would address the resolution within the standard 30-day timeframe.

At Ohio State, appeals against the Wexner name are proceeding through a five-stage review process, largely conducted privately without fixed deadlines. University President Ravi Bellamkonda stated, “I think the process is thorough, fair, and open, and I will promise you that we will give each request a full consideration.”

A Harvard spokesperson acknowledged receiving the Wexner-related removal request but declined further comment. This would mark the university’s second name change, following the John Winthrop House, which carried the name of a Harvard professor and similarly-named ancestor, changed to Winthrop House in July due to slavery connections.

Tufts University, featuring the Tisch Library and Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, reports ongoing review of the issue. The library has clarified it wasn’t named for Steve, but rather his father Preston Tisch, a distinguished alumnus, in 1992. The sports center removed Steve Tisch’s handprints during spring break, which the university described as part of scheduled renovations.

UCLA’s Wasserman Football Center and Stony Brook University’s Dubin Family Athletic Performance Center also bear names of Epstein associates.

The present outcry resembles controversy surrounding the wealthy Sackler family’s role in the fatal opioid crisis, as both situations involve institutions receiving substantial family donations.

Several major institutions — including New York and Paris museums, Tufts and Oxford University in England — removed the Sackler name, though Harvard declined. In a 15-page report explaining its 2024 decision, the university described Arthur M. Sackler’s legacy, whose company Purdue Pharma produced the powerful opioid OxyContin, as “complex, ambiguous and debatable.”

Epstein associates with campus building names typically represent generous donors and alumni.

Wexner, his wife Abigail and their foundations have contributed over $200 million to Ohio State through the years. This included $100 million benefiting the Wexner Medical Center; at least $15 million for the Wexner Center, a contemporary art museum honoring Wexner’s father, Harry; and $5 million shared with an Epstein-managed foundation for football complex construction. The Wexners contributed another $42 million to Harvard Kennedy School.

Anne Bergeron, a museum consultant and author specializing in building naming rights ethics in the cultural sector, noted universities take gift acceptance standards seriously while recognizing donor conduct may be evaluated differently over time.

“It’s no surprise that a lot of these situations arise within the university sphere, because with students — especially the younger generation — there is virtually no tolerance for being associated with anyone who doesn’t represent the best of humanity,” she said

She described this as “a moment of reckoning” for universities and emphasized they must avoid appearing to exchange naming rights for donations.

Michael Oser, a Columbus-area resident, expressed frustration among some defending the Wexner name retention in a recent Columbus Dispatch letter-to-the-editor.

“OSU took the money. Built the buildings. Cut the ribbons. Smiled for the photos There were no formal ‘morality clauses’ attached back then, just gratitude and applause,” he wrote. “Now, years later, some want to play moral referee while the university keeps the cash and the concrete. That’s not accountability. That’s convenience.”

Lauren Barnes, a Kennedy School master’s student leading the Wexner name removal effort, explained she struggles daily as a sexual abuse survivor and mother of a 14-year-old to enter a building bearing a name connected to Epstein.

“Thinking about all the children in this world that deserve safety and also all the survivors on campus that have to walk under the Wexner name, I know what that’s like to have my heart race and my hands get sweaty,” she said. “I hate that anyone else has to have that feeling walking under that name and just dealing with it kind of everywhere on campus.”

Ohio State protester Audrey Brill told a local ABC affiliate it now “feels gross” considering women giving birth at OSU’s Wexner Medical Center “given everything that we’re learning about where this money went” — and believes removing Wexner’s name could provide relief.

Some demonstrators also want Dr. Mark Landon’s name removed from a visitor’s lounge in the hospital’s new $2 billion, 26-story tower. Landon, a prominent Ohio State gynecologist, received five-figure quarterly payments from Epstein between 2001 and 2005. Landon has stated the payments were for biotech investment consulting for Wexner, not medical care for Epstein or his victims.

The murderous spree carried out by Ted Bundy lasted a minimum of four years and resulted in dozens of casualties, with no fewer than 30 women and girls confirmed dead — plus multiple others who managed to flee or survive despite sustaining severe harm.

Although the notorious killer was executed nearly four decades ago, the number of his verified victims keeps increasing as DNA analysis technology improves. Utah authorities announced Wednesday that Bundy was linked to the previously unsolved murder of a teenage girl from Utah in 1974. Officials anticipate resolving another cold case soon through the development of Bundy’s complete DNA profile, according to Utah County sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Reynolds.

Among America’s most deadly serial killers, Bundy ranks high — although several others likely exceeded his victim total, such as Gary Ridgway, who confessed to 49 murders; Samuel Little, who killed over 60 people; and Donald Harvey who admitted guilt in 37 deaths.

Bundy captured public attention partly due to his perceived charm and good looks during his 1979 court proceedings.

The following details outline key facts about Bundy and his criminal acts.

While the exact start of Bundy’s violent behavior remains unclear, documented deaths connected to him started in Washington state during 1974. Having been raised in Tacoma, Washington, many of his earliest documented brutal crimes occurred in the Seattle area.

In January 1974, an 18-year-old University of Washington student was asleep in her residence near campus when an intruder entered and assaulted her, causing a skull fracture. Though she lived, she sustained lasting damage. Authorities suspected Bundy’s involvement in this attack, which matched his later established method of breaking into young women’s residences, beating and sexually assaulting them, then either abandoning them to die or disposing of their bodies in remote locations.

The following month, Lynda Ann Healy, also a University of Washington student, disappeared from her residence. Investigators discovered traces of blood on her bedsheets, and her body was recovered the following year at Taylor Mountain, an isolated location outside a nearby city. Remains of several other Bundy victims were also discovered at this location.

During subsequent months, additional women were kidnapped from Washington state and Oregon. In several instances, witnesses observed the women speaking with a man wearing a fake arm sling.

By October, teenage girls in Utah were also disappearing. The body of 17-year-old Melissa Anne Smith was discovered on a Summit Park, Utah hillside, with her head severely beaten by a crowbar.

Carol DaRonch, an 18-year-old, was abducted by Bundy when he posed as a police officer investigating vehicle break-ins. She escaped by leaping from his car after he attempted to restrain her with handcuffs. DaRonch’s later testimony proved crucial in Bundy’s conviction.

Bundy’s killing continued through the following year across Utah, Colorado and Idaho.

Bundy faced his first arrest related to the disappearances in August 1975, when officers stopped him and discovered incriminating evidence including rope, handcuffs and a ski mask in his car.

The next year, he was convicted of kidnapping and attacking DaRonch. Bundy received a 15-year prison sentence for this offense, and during his incarceration faced charges connected to an earlier nursing student’s death.

He was transported to Aspen, Colorado, for proceedings in that matter in 1977, where he escaped by climbing through a second-floor courthouse window. Authorities recaptured him approximately one week later, but he escaped again six months afterward by breaking through his jail cell ceiling.

Bundy then fled nationwide, ultimately reaching Tallahassee, Florida. On January 15, 1978, he invaded the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University, beating two women to death with a large tree branch and severely injuring two others. He subsequently attacked another sleeping woman at a nearby residence.

Less than one month afterward, he kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered 12-year-old Kimberly Leach in Lake City, Florida. She is believed to be his final victim: Bundy was captured when police stopped him in Pensacola while he drove a stolen car.

Bundy’s case and his confident courtroom demeanor attracted significant media coverage during his 1979 trial for the Chi Omega killings.

“I don’t know what it is he has, but he’s fascinating,” one teenage spectator told an AP reporter covering the trial. “He’s impressive. He just has a kind of magnetism.”

Even Judge Edward Cowart called Bundy a “bright young man” who could have succeeded as an attorney. However, the judge also recognized Bundy as a horrifically violent murderer and sentenced him to death for “extremely wicked, shocking evil and vile” crimes.

Bundy was put to death by electric chair in Florida on January 24, 1989. During his final days, he provided multiple confessions, including to previously unknown crimes. Not all of these cases have been verified.

Recent DNA analysis confirmed that over 50 years ago, Bundy also murdered 17-year-old Laura Ann Aime.

Aime vanished in Utah on Halloween night 1974, and her remains were located one month later beside a highway. Investigators believed she was held captive for several days following her kidnapping.

While Bundy had been suspected in this case for years, insufficient evidence prevented charges during his lifetime. Fortunately, case evidence was properly maintained, and improvements in DNA forensic science eventually enabled investigators to develop a DNA profile matching Bundy and officially resolve Aime’s case.

A seven-month-old infant sitting in a stroller was fatally wounded Wednesday afternoon during a drive-by shooting on a Brooklyn sidewalk, according to New York authorities.

Police officials believe the incident was connected to gang activity and that the baby was an innocent bystander who became an unintended casualty.

“There are no words that can mend the heartbreak this family is feeling right now,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters during a press conference held near the location of the tragedy. “A life that had barely begun was taken in an instant.”

The violent incident occurred at approximately 1:20 p.m. when two individuals riding a moped traveled down the street, with the passenger firing multiple rounds toward a corner where adults and children had gathered. Authorities confirmed no additional people were wounded in the attack.

Following the shooting, the moped fled the scene but collided with an approaching vehicle just two blocks away, according to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The collision was so severe that both riders were ejected from the moped, with the passenger losing his footwear during the impact, she explained.

One suspect sustained injuries in the crash and was transported to a medical facility, where he remains under police supervision related to a separate criminal matter, officials stated. The second individual escaped on foot and remained at large as of Wednesday evening.

Law enforcement utilized surveillance footage from local businesses to trace the moped’s path following the shooting incident, Tisch revealed.

“This is a terrible day in our city, a tragedy that truly shocks the conscience,” she stated during the media briefing. “As a mother, I cannot imagine the pain that this family is feeling or the grief that they now carry with them. It is unspeakable.”

This tragic death occurs during a period when New York City has experienced declining crime statistics. As of Sunday, the NYPD had documented 52 homicides in 2026, representing a 29% decrease compared to the previous year’s figures. Current trends suggest the city may conclude the first quarter with homicide and shooting numbers approaching historic lows.

Mamdani emphasized that this incident demonstrates the ongoing necessity for continued efforts to combat gun violence throughout the community.

A tragic shooting in Brooklyn claimed the life of an infant Wednesday afternoon when gang violence erupted on a busy street filled with families and children.

The seven-month-old baby was struck by stray bullets while sitting in her stroller during what authorities believe was gang-related gunfire. The child’s parents sought shelter in a nearby convenience store when the shooting began, only to discover their daughter had been hit when they returned to check on her.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that a suspect is now behind bars in connection with the deadly incident.

“At this time, this shooting is believed to be gang-motivated, with the victim being an unintended target,” Tisch told the media. Authorities have not yet identified which gangs may have been involved in the violence.

The investigation remains active, according to the police commissioner.

Medical personnel transported the infant to Woodhull Hospital, where doctors declared her dead upon arrival.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed his grief during a news briefing, stating: “A life that had barely begun was taken in an instant.”

“Today is a devastating reminder of how much more work there is to be done to combat gun violence across this city,” the mayor continued.

Despite this tragedy, city officials noted that New York recently achieved historic lows in gun violence. Police data from January showed 2025 marked the safest year on record for firearm incidents since tracking began in 1994. The city documented 688 shooting cases in 2025, representing a 24% decrease from the previous year.

Surveillance footage captured the moment two men on a motorcycle traveled the wrong direction down the street before one pulled out a weapon and fired multiple rounds, Tisch explained.

The gunmen fled the scene, but their motorcycle subsequently collided with a vehicle, the commissioner added.

Officers apprehended one individual who “fits the description of our shooter, based on both clothing and appearance,” Tisch noted, while law enforcement continues searching for the second suspect.

HOUSTON — Authorities in Texas say they’ve made a breakthrough in one of the state’s most notorious unsolved murder cases, charging a man in connection with deaths at the infamous ‘Texas Killing Fields.’

James Dolphs Elmore Jr., 61, was indicted by a Galveston grand jury for his alleged involvement in the murders of 16-year-old Laura Miller and 30-year-old Audrey Cook. Both victims’ remains were discovered in 1986 in the desolate area that has become synonymous with tragedy.

The stretch of land near Interstate 45, southeast of Houston, earned its grim nickname after more than 30 women’s bodies were found there starting in the 1970s. Law enforcement believes several different killers were responsible for the deaths, which primarily involved young women and girls.

Galveston County District Attorney Kenneth Cusick announced the charges Wednesday, saying Elmore faces manslaughter and evidence tampering charges in Miller’s death, plus evidence tampering in Cook’s killing. Elmore was taken into custody Tuesday and remains in jail without bond.

Miller and Cook were among four young women whose remains were located between 1984 and 1991 in a remote field near League City, approximately 28 miles southeast of Houston. The other victims were 25-year-old Heidi Fye-Villareal and 34-year-old Donna Prudhomme.

Since taking office in October, Cusick pledged to reinvestigate these cold cases with fresh eyes.

‘Due to the concerted efforts of the law enforcement agencies in this county, this 40-year cycle of violence by these defendants against women, we’re trying to make headway on it, and I think we made significant headway yesterday in getting a charge against Mr. Elmore and having him arrested,’ he stated.

Prosecutors also sought charges against Clyde Hedrick, 72, who investigators believed was responsible for all four women’s deaths and had maintained a long friendship with Elmore. However, Hedrick took his own life last month before the grand jury could reach a decision on his case.

Hedrick had previously been convicted of manslaughter in 2014 for killing Ellen Beason, whose body was found in 1985. He was released in 2022 and remained on parole until his death.

Family members of the victims expressed mixed emotions about the arrest, feeling relief while also frustrating over the lengthy delay in justice.

‘I think with everything that they had in the past, it’s inexcusable that Clyde Hedrick had the opportunity to die without never been indicted, convicted,’ said Tim Miller, Laura Miller’s father. Following his daughter’s murder, Miller established Texas EquuSearch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding missing persons.

Miller revealed he had met with Elmore 30 times over the past four years, during which Elmore provided information. However, Miller refused to discuss details to avoid compromising the prosecution.

Nina Jager, Fye-Villareal’s niece, described Elmore’s indictment as ‘bittersweet’ because her grandfather had conducted his own investigation and long suspected Hedrick’s involvement, but authorities dismissed his efforts.

‘Maybe today is a result of all the work that he put in, all the searching the fields, going and talking to people and doing his own investigation because he just didn’t feel supported,’ she explained.

Cusick emphasized his commitment to pursuing these cases further, noting active leads that could ‘bring to justice some people who may have escaped justice thus far.’

The majority of deaths connected to the Texas Killing Fields remain unsolved.

In 2022, William Reece, currently on death row in Oklahoma, admitted guilt to three Texas murders, including 12-year-old Laura Smither and 17-year-old Jessica Cain from Galveston County, plus 20-year-old Kelli Cox from Denton whose body was discovered in neighboring Brazoria County. He received life sentences for each conviction.

An attorney specializing in sexual harassment cases has won a significant victory against a New York airport that initially refused to display her advertisement, resulting in an even more prominent placement of her message.

Megan Thomas entered into an advertising agreement last summer with Syracuse Hancock International Airport for a sign promoting her legal practice. Her proposed message stated: “When HR called it harmless flirting … we called it exhibit A,” but airport officials demanded she modify what they deemed overly aggressive language.

Rather than compromise, Thomas chose to take legal action. The advertisement is now displayed as originally written — and significantly larger than her initial plan called for.

The bright pink advertisement now covers two entire walls of the transportation facility and includes a large photograph of Thomas, according to initial reporting by Syracuse.com.

“When the airport told me the First Amendment did not apply and that they could do what they liked, I realized I would need to bring a lawsuit,” Thomas explained recently. “I understood that if I won this battle, it would protect not only my rights, but also the rights of other women who come after me.”

Thomas explained her strategic decision to advertise at the airport stemmed from numerous client reports of workplace sexual harassment occurring during business travel. She also sought maximum visibility for her message.

Her federal complaint, filed in August, alleged that the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority initially gave approval to her advertisement concept. However, she claims the authority reversed course the next day, informing her the slogan was “considered to be a bit harsh.”

During subsequent discussions, Thomas was reportedly told that airport leadership worried the proposed advertisement could appear “threatening” or “intimidating” to male travelers. A day later, an official cited concerns about potential community backlash and possible offense to local political figures as reasons for the rejection, her lawsuit stated.

Legal representatives for the SRAA argued in court filings that the authority had suggested alternative messages “that conveyed a similar message in a more professional and less misleading and disparaging manner.”

A federal judge rejected their reasoning regarding the slogan, describing the authority’s position as “nonsense” in a preliminary ruling issued in January.

Judge Anthony Brindisi compared Thomas’ advertisement to a Chick-fil-A promotion at the same airport featuring a cow and the text “Chikin 4 Din Makez U Grin,” noting it was no more misleading than suggesting “that chicken dinners will always make a person happy, or that cows can speak.”

Both parties agreed to a confidential settlement agreement following the judge’s decision. The enlarged advertisement was installed several weeks ago.

Thomas — who maintains an additional, smaller advertisement elsewhere in the airport — reports that inquiries to her Syracuse law office have increased dramatically since the new sign appeared. She has brought on an additional attorney and plans to hire more support staff.

The SRAA issued a statement Tuesday describing the court’s decision as “unfortunate” while noting the settlement “permits both parties to return focus to their core corporate purposes while preserving the authority’s ability to manage and operate the airport.”

California workplace safety officials have determined that a fatal grenade blast that claimed the lives of three Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies last year resulted from multiple serious safety violations within the department.

The state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health handed down eight citations in January, totaling roughly $350,000 in penalties. Department officials are challenging these citations, state representatives confirmed. The Los Angeles Times initially broke news of the investigation findings.

The tragic incident occurred in July 2025 at a department training facility parking lot, claiming the lives of arson and explosives team detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus and William Osborn. The incident ranks among the department’s most devastating single-event casualties.

One day before the fatal explosion, the specialized team had retrieved two grenades from a Santa Monica apartment building. Sheriff Robert Luna explained that the detectives conducted X-ray examinations of the devices and determined they appeared to be inactive.

At least one grenade was transported to an LASD training location, where the deadly detonation occurred. Luna revealed a week following the tragedy that the second grenade had gone missing, and department officials continue searching for answers regarding its whereabouts.

Department representatives have not yet responded to requests for comment about the citations.

In communications with the Los Angeles Times, a sheriff’s department spokesperson indicated they were cooperating with state investigators within legal boundaries while other inquiries remain active.

State investigators discovered the sheriff’s department had failed to address dangerous workplace conditions and procedures involving explosive materials handling, while also falling short on training effectiveness. The department did not ensure personnel wore appropriate protective gear when working with explosives, failed to maintain proper training documentation, and did not adequately assess risks associated with transporting and storing explosive substances.

Additionally, explosive materials were abandoned without supervision and improperly stored or placed in inappropriate containers during manual transport, according to state Division of Occupational Safety and Health spokesperson Denisse Gómez.

“This tragedy underscores the responsibility employers have to anticipate hazards and take meaningful steps to protect workers, especially in high-risk operations involving explosive materials,” Gómez said.

The Occupational Safety and Health Division also filed a lawsuit against the LASD in January for failing to cooperate with the investigation and withholding subpoenaed materials.

When state officials initially requested training documentation, dispatch records, incident reports concerning the grenades, and safety inspection files, the LASD provided only minimal documentation, with one document heavily censored, the lawsuit states.

Following a formal subpoena for additional materials, the LASD delivered a restricted collection of documents addressing just two of nineteen requested categories, according to the legal filing.

In their legal response, sheriff’s department officials argued that state investigators delayed their document requests for months, leaving insufficient time for compliance. They also stated that the bomb squad utilized FBI training materials that could not be released without compromising public safety and national security, requiring direct requests to federal authorities, court documents show.

Utah authorities have officially closed a murder case that remained unsolved for half a century after DNA testing provided conclusive evidence that notorious serial killer Ted Bundy was responsible for killing a teenage girl.

Officials from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday they now have “definitive proof” connecting Bundy to the death of Laura Ann Aime, who was just 17 years old when she disappeared.

According to investigators, Aime vanished on Halloween night in 1974 after she left a party by herself to visit a nearby convenience store. College students discovered her remains on Thanksgiving Day that same year, finding her body discarded near State Road 92 in American Fork Canyon, just feet away from the main highway.

Law enforcement officials noted striking similarities between this case and Bundy’s known methods. “Case evidence similarities indicated that the manner of abuse and the likely cause of death was comparable to the modus operandi of Theodore ‘Ted’ Bundy,” the sheriff’s office stated.

The sheriff’s office confirmed in their announcement: “The Utah County Sheriff’s office has definitive proof that Theodore ‘Ted’ Bundy murdered Laura Ann Aime in 1974.”

Bundy, who boasted about killing no fewer than 100 women during his criminal spree, was put to death in Florida in 1989 following his conviction for murdering 12-year-old Kimberly Leach. His capture occurred in 1978.

Before his execution, Bundy had verbally admitted his role in Aime’s disappearance and death, along with other victims, according to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. However, authorities said he refused to provide specific details about his involvement in the crimes.

At the time, both the sheriff’s office and Utah County Attorney’s Office rejected Bundy’s spoken confession regarding Aime’s murder because “the evidence in possession and with the available investigative sciences for the time” would not have been sufficient to secure a conviction in court.

The breakthrough came when investigators recently reexamined physical evidence and submitted it to the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services. The analysis revealed that DNA recovered from Aime’s body matched the convicted serial killer.

Bundy’s killing spree spanned from 1974 to 1978, during which he confessed to murdering 36 young women. Investigators have also connected him to additional homicides across Washington, Oregon, Utah and Colorado.