Category: U.S. News

MINNEAPOLIS — Federal prosecutors want a 50-year prison term for the former head of a Minnesota nonprofit organization convicted in a massive $250 million fraud scheme that sparked a nationwide immigration enforcement campaign.

Aimee Bock, the former director of Feeding our Future, faces sentencing Thursday in Minneapolis federal court. The organization allegedly provided millions of meals to needy children during the pandemic.

“Feeding Our Future operated like a cash pipeline, open to anyone willing to submit fraudulent claims and pay kickbacks,” prosecutors stated in Monday’s court document. “The ripple effects of her actions are profound, immeasurable, and will have lasting consequences for both Minnesota and the nation.”

A jury found Bock guilty last year on several charges including conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery. She continues to maintain her innocence.

Defense attorney Kenneth Udoibok requested a maximum sentence of 37 months, claiming his client cooperated with federal investigators. He contended that Bock was wrongly characterized as the operation’s mastermind and pointed to two other defendants as the actual scheme organizers.

According to prosecutors, the nonprofit operated as the hub of an extensive fraud network featuring partner organizations, fake meal distribution locations, kickback payments and fabricated lists of children allegedly receiving food. The sprawling case has resulted in convictions for dozens of individuals, many from Minnesota’s substantial Somali community, across multiple related food fraud prosecutions spanning several years.

President Donald Trump, who has previously criticized Somalis, last year called the state “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.” He attacked the leadership of Gov. Tim Walz, who served as the Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2024, and cited these fraud cases as grounds for implementing the immigration enforcement actions that disrupted the city.

“Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from,” Trump posted on social media.

Bock is white, while the U.S. Attorney’s Office reports that most defendants in these cases are of Somali heritage. The majority hold U.S. citizenship.

A Tennessee shooting case involving a white content creator who built an online following through racist provocations has sparked renewed conversations about the boundaries between free expression and public safety in digital spaces.

The incident has highlighted growing concerns about livestreamers who generate income through hateful content, as the distinction becomes less clear between protected speech and the right of individuals to feel secure in public spaces. Within online streaming communities, opinions vary between those who claim unrestricted speech rights and revenue generation, and others who advocate for establishing limits.

Civil rights advocates express concern that financial incentives will only amplify and make racist behavior more commonplace. Regarding oversight, the social media environment often operates without clear governance, typically leaving platforms to police themselves and enforce consequences for offensive and harmful language. However, legal experts note that existing laws governing real-world conduct can override online protections.

Dalton Eatherly, who uses the online name “Chud the Builder,” faces charges including attempted murder following allegations he shot another individual last week near the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee, according to law enforcement. Eatherly, currently detained on a $1.25 million preliminary bond, has a complete bond hearing set for Thursday.

The 28-year-old Eatherly and the injured party became involved in a “physical altercation that escalated to gunfire,” according to the local sheriff’s department. A bystander described the shooting victim, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds, as Black. Eatherly is white.

In audio recorded immediately following the shooting, Eatherly claimed he fired in self-defense. Whether the individuals spoke before the altercation remains unknown. His legal representative, Jacob Fendley, declined to discuss the charges when approached by The Associated Press two days following Eatherly’s detention.

A digital fundraising campaign for Eatherly collected more than $100,000 in a single day to support his legal costs. He has also justified his video content on the fundraising platform as “mild jokes, unfiltered thoughts.”

Though he has previously justified using racial slurs as “edgy, harmless humor,” Eatherly stated, “I know it’s controversial, but it’s my right to speak freely.”

This situation echoes an event from the previous year when a white Minnesota woman was recorded on mobile video acknowledging she used a racist slur toward a child. She collected over $800,000 on GiveSendGo and similarly cited her First Amendment protections.

The free speech defense lacks validity in these situations, according to the 41-year-old livestreamer and content producer known online as SendaRoni Sloscru.

“When you get to terrorizing and doing all this hate speech, that’s when the line gets drawn, especially when nobody is bothering you,” said Los Angeles-based SendaRoni. “Whatever platform is allowing him to get away with that is basically race-baiting, and I just think in this day and time you got people who are going to laugh at it or people who will beat you to death about it.”

“Race-baiting” material poses immediate danger to Black community members, according to Brandon Tucker, senior director of government affairs for civil rights organization Color of Change. A “power imbalance” exists with livestreamers who draw audiences.

“The same free speech that this individual wants to advocate for doesn’t recognize the chilling of my response to know that I cannot react in any reasonable way because my face, my safety, my family’s safety is in jeopardy and being broadcast to an audience that most likely aligns with this person’s views,” Tucker said.

These platforms cannot maintain neutrality while financially incentivizing users for employing racist language to provoke others, he stated.

Eatherly was broadcasting on Pump.fun, a service where users develop and exchange cryptocurrency tokens. Token developers have utilized the livestream function to attract attention through extreme methods including dangerous activities and violence threats. In November 2024, Pump.fun suspended the feature due to users violating service terms by posting abusive, obscene or dishonest content.

“It’s not clear what was done to improve that situation before it was reinstated,” said Kate Ruane, director of the free expression program at the Center for Democracy and Technology. “If you’re relying on users to report and none of the users that are viewing these livestreams disagree or have a problem with what they’re seeing, you might not be getting the user reports that you should.”

Pump.fun did not respond to an email sent Wednesday requesting comment.

Brandon Golob, a criminology, law and society professor at University of California, Irvine, noted that while livestreaming platforms have multiplied, self-regulation can still resemble ‘the Wild West.’

The First Amendment does not provide complete protection from existing laws addressing harassment, hate crimes and provocation.

“The reality is that when it involves two private individuals, state law is going to govern,” Golob said. “We just want to make sure that we’re not conflating government responsibility or government censorship with private accountability.”

SendaRoni reports he has been livestreaming for several years and maintains “tens of thousands” of followers across multiple social media platforms.

“I usually talk about social issues. I speak on trending events, news,” he explained, noting that numerous livestreamers discussed Eatherly’s behavior after the Clarksville shooting.

“I think he tried to find people he’d get a reaction out of,” SendaRoni said. “When you do things such as that the end results are not going to be exciting. You’re acting like no one has a reason not to be disgusted and you made a mockery of yourself.”

Major livestreaming services including YouTube and Twitch maintain content moderation systems and community standards prohibiting hate speech and slurs. They employ automated detection and user reporting mechanisms.

Both Golob and Ruane recommend people understand their rights when dealing with livestreamers who make them uncomfortable. Ruane suggests it’s acceptable “to film them right back.”

“Make sure that you’re sharing a different version of the story because whatever First Amendment rights they might be exercising, you have them too,” Ruane said. “Make sure that is being published at the same time and that can serve as a form of pushback in and of itself.”

A 34-year-old Brooklyn mother received a sentence of 20 years to life in prison Wednesday after killing her three young children by drowning them in ocean waters off Coney Island’s well-known boardwalk.

Erin Merdy had entered guilty pleas earlier this year to charges of first-degree murder in connection with the 2022 deaths of her children: 7-year-old son Zachary, 4-year-old daughter Liliana, and 3-month-old son Oliver.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez released a statement saying “No sentence can fully measure the loss of a seven-year-old, a four-year-old and a three-month-old baby, or the grief their loved ones will carry forever.” He described the children’s deaths as occurring “in the most heartbreaking and unthinkable way.”

Attempts to reach Merdy’s legal representative for comment were unsuccessful.

The urgent hunt for the three children started during the early morning hours of Sept. 12, 2022, when New York City police got a phone call from family members who were worried that Merdy planned to hurt her children.

Police located the mother first, found without shoes and completely drenched, about 2 miles away on the boardwalk from where she resided in the Coney Island area. According to prosecutors, she kept stating that her children were gone and expressing remorse.

Several hours afterward, authorities pulled the children’s bodies from the Atlantic Ocean shoreline, located just steps away from the boardwalk and roughly a dozen blocks from where the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team has their stadium.

The city’s medical examiner determined the deaths were homicides caused by drowning.

Prosecutors said surveillance footage captured Merdy walking with her children toward the water shortly before 1 a.m., which served as evidence in the case.

Family members indicated at the time that she might have been experiencing postpartum depression.

A federal civil rights lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges that a real estate broker was denied the chance to buy property in an Arkansas development because of her Jewish heritage and her interracial family.

The legal action, brought on behalf of Michelle Walker, targets Return to the Land — a development organization whose leadership reportedly requires personal verification that all applicants are white before approval — along with its Ozarks chapter and five officials. The complaint alleges Return to the Land’s founders are “explicitly attempting to establish an all-white community.”

The filing characterizes Return to the Land as a white nationalist group operating in violation of federal and state housing and civil rights laws.

“Its founders believe that white people are genetically superior to other races, advance the view that Jewish people are engaged in a plot to eliminate the white race, and advocate for segregated white communities for the purpose of creating a separate all-white nation state that will help avoid ‘white genocide,’” the lawsuit said.

Historical housing discrimination through racial covenants in mortgages and leases, along with redlining practices that denied loans based on race, prevented Blacks and other minorities from purchasing or renting homes in certain neighborhoods for many years.

Walker, who works as a real estate broker in St. Louis, sought to purchase property last year in Ravenden, Arkansas, attracted by pricing below market rates. The town sits roughly 150 miles northeast of Little Rock, near the Missouri state border.

During the application process, Walker faced questioning about her family background, religious beliefs, and ancestry, the lawsuit states.

Walker identifies as white and attends a Christian church, with Jewish heritage through her mother’s lineage.

Legal representation for Walker includes attorneys from the Relman Colfax law firm, the Legal Defense Fund, and Legal Aid of Arkansas.

Return to the Land has not responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press regarding the lawsuit.

The organization’s website describes itself as a private membership group “for individuals and families with traditional views and common continental ancestry.” Beyond its Ozarks Regional Chapter spanning parts of Arkansas, Missouri and eastern Oklahoma, Return to the Land claims to operate chapters nationwide.

When reports emerged that Return to the Land was considering the Springfield, Missouri area for a whites-only development, Springfield’s city council declared in a Facebook statement last July that such “divisive and discriminatory vision” had no place in their city or anywhere else.

Pennsylvania’s state House approved legislation in April by a narrow 101-100 margin to prevent the establishment of whites-only housing developments. House Bill 2103 emerged following Return to the Land’s reported plans to expand operations into Pennsylvania and additional states.

The Pennsylvania Senate is currently reviewing the proposed legislation.

A 95-year-old Michigan woman whose identity became the foundation for a Grammy-winning rock band’s name has passed away.

Gretna Van Fleet died Monday at a senior living facility in Frankenmuth, Michigan, the same town where the rock group Greta Van Fleet formed in 2012 during her eighties, her obituary states.

While she never performed alongside the musicians who borrowed her name, Van Fleet found humor in the unexpected connection to fame.

“I think they checked out my background to make sure I wasn’t on the Ten Most Wanted list or something, and they went ahead with it,” Van Fleet jokingly told MLive.com in 2019, ahead of the band’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”

“But later, when I met the boys, I said, ‘That’s OK.’ But, no, they did not approach me to begin with,” Van Fleet said.

The band’s name origin traces back to drummer Kyle Hauck, who played with the group in its early formation. Hauck has shared in interviews that when the band needed a name for an upcoming local show, he remembered hearing his grandfather mention assisting a friend named Gretna Van Fleet. The name resonated with him, and after removing the ‘n’ from Gretna, the band’s identity was established.

The musical group achieved significant recognition, earning a Grammy in 2019 for best rock album with “From The Fires” and receiving additional nominations that same year. Their album “Starcatcher” received a nomination for best album in 2024.

According to her obituary, Gretna Van Fleet possessed considerable musical abilities herself, demonstrating skill with multiple instruments including saxophone, violin, tuba and piano.

During her 2019 interview, she revealed that “Flower Power” was her preferred song from the band’s catalog.

“There’s a couple others that I like, but that’s not really my style,” Van Fleet said of the music. “It’s not my era that they’re making popular come back.”

MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. (AP) — A deadly incident in New Mexico has claimed three lives and sent 18 emergency responders to the hospital Wednesday following contact with an unknown substance during what authorities initially believed was a drug overdose call.

According to New Mexico State Police, emergency crews discovered four unresponsive individuals at a residence located east of Albuquerque. Three of those people have since died, while the fourth person remains hospitalized in Albuquerque receiving treatment.

The situation became more complex when 18 emergency personnel who responded to the scene came into contact with the unidentified substance and developed concerning symptoms, including feelings of nausea and dizziness. Medical teams transported all affected first responders to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where they remain under quarantine while doctors monitor their condition.

Officer Wilson Silver with New Mexico State Police reported that two of the emergency responders are currently listed in serious condition.

Specialized hazardous materials teams from Albuquerque Fire Rescue have been deployed to the scene in Mountainair, a rural area east of Albuquerque, working to determine the identity of the dangerous substance.

“At this time, investigators believe the substance may be transmitted through contact and do not believe it to be airborne,” Silver said.

Local officials in Mountainair have assured residents that the public faces no danger and have established a safety perimeter around the affected residence.

Federal transportation safety officials revealed Wednesday that a fatal UPS aircraft accident claiming 15 lives last year could potentially have been avoided if stricter maintenance inspection requirements had remained in place, rather than being reduced at Boeing’s request.

During testimony before the National Transportation Safety Board, investigators learned that Boeing used outdated information when requesting extended inspection intervals in 2015, failing to properly consider seven documented cases of engine mount component failures on similar aircraft models. The Federal Aviation Administration approved Boeing’s proposal after just one month of review without requesting additional data.

“Safety is a shared responsibility between the airline, the manufacturer, and the regulator. And the NTSB is attempting to parse out the roles and responsibilities of each of those three entities,” aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said.

The expert, who previously worked as a crash investigator, noted that the two-day proceedings revealed critical safety data wasn’t being properly communicated between all parties involved, and suggested federal regulators should have been more questioning of Boeing’s proposal.

Representatives from both Boeing and the FAA admitted they failed to fully comprehend the dangers associated with potential failures of steel bearings and metal sheaths within engine mounting systems prior to the accident. They didn’t realize these components could cause the attachment points securing engines to MD-11 aircraft wings to break. These bearings are located deep within the engine pylon area, making defects difficult to detect without complete engine removal for thorough examination.

Boeing successfully obtained approval to extend mandatory inspection requirements from every 19,900 flight cycles to every 29,260 cycles, allowing airlines to coordinate major maintenance work more efficiently with reduced aircraft downtime. The manufacturer pursued this modification despite having received reports about seven bearing defects that occurred well before aircraft reached their original inspection thresholds. Following the relaxed schedule implementation, three additional instances were identified before the crash occurred.

The aircraft that crashed after losing its engine during takeoff acceleration at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport had completed 21,043 flight cycles, meaning it would have undergone comprehensive inspection under the previous requirements. The accident resulted in the deaths of all three crew members and 12 individuals on the ground, with 23 others sustaining injuries. Only one other crash involving a similar aircraft model losing an engine has occurred in decades, but that incident was attributed to maintenance errors rather than the same structural defect.

Aircraft operators typically don’t deviate from federally approved maintenance protocols, according to Greg Raiff, who owns multiple aviation maintenance businesses and operates aircraft through Elevate Aviation Group.

“I would not expect UPS or any other operator to do it unless it’s specifically on the manufacturer’s design maintenance programs,” Raiff said. “Surely everyone at UPS feels awful about this tragic accident, but it’s not up to individual airlines to reinvent the inspection program for the airplane.”

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy criticized the FAA for not adequately challenging Boeing’s 2015 request, noting that even if regulators weren’t aware of all component failures, they knew the manufacturer had issued service notifications about them and had previously documented two instances.

“I’m confused on why you wouldn’t ask for more information, more testing, and why you would just accept information that Boeing provided in the late 80s during certification, 30 years earlier basically,” Homendy said.

Boeing’s Director of Airframe Service Engineering Justin Konopaske couldn’t always explain his company’s decision-making process because documentation wasn’t available. The MD-11 and its predecessor the DC-10 were originally developed by McDonnell Douglas before that corporation merged with Boeing in 1997. However, he acknowledged Boeing should have provided complete details about known issues to the FAA when requesting the extended inspection schedule.

“I believe transparency is critical in that process. I don’t know what the engineers were considering or how they were considering, or if they considered those bearing failures in that discussion, I can’t say,” Konopaske said.

The NTSB will continue examining all potential contributing factors to this accident before releasing its final report, expected either late this year or next year.

Meanwhile, FedEx has returned its MD-11 fleet to service this month after the FAA approved Boeing’s safety assurance plan. Engine mounts received detailed inspections following the November crash, and new procedures require spherical bearing replacement every 4,000 flight cycles. Homendy noted that documented problems from 2002 to 2009 all occurred between 6,058 and 13,650 cycles.

Defense lawyers for a Tennessee death row prisoner scheduled for execution Thursday are raising alarm that the state may intend to use expired lethal injection drugs, reflecting a nationwide problem as states maintain secrecy around their execution drug supplies.

Legal representatives for Tony Carruthers sent two requests to the Tennessee Department of Correction last month, seeking confirmation that proper drugs had been obtained for his execution date and requesting assurance that the chemicals had not passed their expiration dates.

Assistant Attorney General John W. Ayers’ reply avoided directly addressing the question but stated the department would follow its lethal injection protocol — which requires regular drug inventory checks to track expiration dates.

Carruthers, 57, received a death sentence following his conviction for the 1994 kidnappings and murders of Marcellos Anderson, his mother Delois Anderson, and Frederick Tucker.

When contacted Wednesday by The Associated Press, the Tennessee Department of Correction refused to confirm whether the drugs intended for Carruthers’ execution have expired. Gov. Bill Lee’s office did not immediately respond to a similar request.

Federal Public Defender Amy Harwell explained in an email that expiration dates indicate when a drug can no longer be safely relied upon to achieve the intended outcome.

“In the execution context, this may mean a slow, lingering death without a reliable loss of consciousness, as the body painfully and fitfully shuts down,” Harwell wrote.

Growing public resistance to executions has complicated prisons’ efforts to secure execution drugs, creating ongoing challenges for facilities that use lethal injection. Some states have had to accelerate executions or halt them completely because of drug expiration dates.

South Carolina suspended executions for 12 years while officials struggled to procure drugs. The state only managed to obtain them after enacting a shield law to protect supplier identities.

Tennessee has maintained in court that its shield law covers revealing expiration dates. Prior to Harold Nichols’ December execution, Tennessee Deputy Attorney General Cody Brandon offered instead to provide a sworn statement “attesting that the chemicals to be used in Mr. Nichols’ execution will not expire before his execution and have not expired,” according to court transcripts.

“The fact that TDOC was willing to provide such assurances to Mr. Nichols, but not Mr. Carruthers, raises serious concerns that TDOC is, in fact, intending to use expired drugs,” Harwell wrote in a May 18 follow-up to Ayers’ letter.

In 2017, Arkansas’ then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed death warrants for eight death row prisoners in a rush to use lethal injection drugs before they expired. The state executed four of the men, while four others received stays.

Arkansas has conducted no executions since then, partly due to drug procurement difficulties.

A group of Texas inmates in 2023 unsuccessfully attempted to prevent the state from using drugs they claimed were expired and dangerous. Prison officials rejected their allegations and maintained the state’s drug supply was safe.

Legal counsel for Idaho’s death row inmates expressed similar worries in 2024, when the state planned a second attempt to execute Thomas Creech after the initial try failed.

The Federal Defender Services of Idaho informed a federal judge that prison officials apparently neglected to verify the execution drugs’ expiration date before securing a death warrant for Creech in October 2024. Nine days afterward, the drugs were sent back to the supplier due to expiration, court records show. A new Idaho law has switched the state’s primary execution method to firing squad partly because of lethal injection drug procurement challenges.

Tennessee has experienced previous issues with its execution drugs. In 2022, Oscar Smith was minutes away from execution when Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued an unexpected reprieve that exposed the state’s failure to properly test lethal injection drugs for purity and potency. Executions were suspended for two years to permit an independent review of the problems.

The state attorney general’s office was also compelled to admit in court that two individuals primarily responsible for overseeing Tennessee’s lethal injection drugs at the time “incorrectly testified” under oath that officials were testing the chemicals as mandated.

Tennessee unveiled a new lethal injection procedure in December 2024, and resumed executions in 2025. Multiple death row inmates have filed lawsuits challenging the new protocols, claiming the Correction Department ignored investigation recommendations.

The new process has not proceeded without issues. When Byron Black was executed by lethal injection in August, he said he was “hurting so bad.” Prison officials have provided no explanation for what might have caused the pain.

A federal judge has placed significant limitations on evidence that can be presented during the upcoming arson trial of the individual charged with igniting the catastrophic Palisades Fire near Los Angeles last year.

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, has entered a plea of not guilty to charges that he initiated what would become one of California’s most devastating wildfire disasters. According to prosecution claims, Rinderknecht ignited a blaze on Jan. 1 that continued burning unnoticed in underground root systems before resurging seven days later. The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7, 2025, consuming hillside communities in Pacific Palisades and Malibu and claiming 12 lives.

The trial is scheduled to commence June 8. Rinderknecht’s primary defense counsel, Steve Haney, has maintained that his client is being made a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s inability to completely extinguish the initial fire.

At Wednesday’s court session, Judge Anne Hwang determined that depositions from fire department personnel and a state park ranger would not be admissible during trial proceedings, citing concerns that such information lacks relevance to the charges and might mislead jurors.

The blocked defense evidence contained statements from a firefighter, fire captain and state park ranger indicating that the New Year’s Day 2025 fire was still visibly smoldering when emergency responders departed the location. This testimony had been collected during litigation brought by fire victims against the city.

Hwang additionally prohibited prosecutors from presenting AI-generated images depicting a burning city that authorities claim Rinderknecht produced several months prior to the fire.

Haney described the exclusion of the ChatGPT images as significant for his client, calling them “very, very prejudicial” and contextually misleading.

Other fire department activities remain permissible for discussion, including the department’s original response to and examination of the Jan. 1 brush fire. Haney indicated he intends to challenge whether the government possesses conclusive evidence connecting Rinderknecht to that incident, noting that first responders had detected fireworks near the fire’s origin point.

Prosecutors outlined their approach in an April 29 pretrial document from the U.S. attorney’s office, detailing the defendant’s alleged mental state before the initial fire occurred. They plan to argue that he was frustrated about lacking New Year’s Eve plans and expressed anger toward the world prior to the first blaze being ignited.

Motorists traveling on Abelia Lane are experiencing intermittent lane restrictions today due to ongoing construction work.

The lane closures are affecting the stretch of roadway between Oakridge Place and Willow Creek Lane, with work expected to wrap up by 5:30 PM this evening.

Drivers are advised to allow extra travel time and use alternate routes when possible to avoid delays in the area.

A California court has ordered the charity Kars4Kids to modify its advertising or cease broadcasting within 30 days due to disclosure issues.

The ruling requires the organization to either pull its commercials from California airwaves or revise them to reveal that the charity is connected to a Jewish nonprofit organization located in the Northeast.

The advertisements in question feature the organization’s distinctive jingle performed by children, but according to the court decision, they fail to inform viewers that the majority of donated funds support a Jewish charity’s programming aimed at young adults.

The colorful television spots, known for their memorable tune incorporating the charity’s phone number, have now come under legal scrutiny for their lack of transparency about where the money actually goes.

Students at Harvard University will find it significantly more challenging to achieve top grades under new academic policies approved by faculty members.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that they have voted to cap the number of A grades given to undergraduate students, representing one of the most sweeping attempts by a prestigious university to address rising grade averages. The faculty decision was reached during a vote conducted earlier this month.

The policy change addresses concerns that excellent grades have become too widespread to effectively identify outstanding academic performance. Faculty members supporting the new rules pointed to university statistics showing that over 60% of undergraduate grades awarded in recent years fell within the A category.

Harvard joins other prestigious institutions that have grappled with similar grading concerns. Princeton University implemented a 2004 policy restricting A-level grades to 35% of all awarded grades, but eliminated the system ten years later following complaints that it hurt students competing for employment and graduate school opportunities.

According to U.S. Department of Education statistics, grade-point averages at four-year public and nonprofit institutions increased by more than 16% from 1990 to 2020.

“The Harvard faculty voted to make their grades mean what they say they mean,” stated members of the faculty subcommittee responsible for proposing the modifications.

The committee members explained that the changes would guarantee that “a Harvard A grade will now tell students, as well as employers and graduate schools, something real about what a student has achieved.”

Amanda Claybaugh, Harvard’s dean of undergraduate education, described grade inflation as a “complex and thorny issue” and a “problem that many people have recognized, but no one has solved” in her Wednesday statement.

Starting in fall 2027, professors teaching letter-graded classes at Harvard College will be permitted to give A grades to a maximum of 20% of enrolled students, plus four additional students. The restriction will not apply to other letter grades, including A-minus marks.

Faculty members also approved using average percentile ranking instead of grade-point average when evaluating students for academic honors, awards and prizes.

A different proposal that would have permitted classes to bypass the A-grade restriction by switching to a pass/fail system with a new SAT+ designation for outstanding work was rejected.

The new grading policies will undergo evaluation after three years of implementation. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences represents Harvard’s largest academic division, encompassing 40 departments and housing both Harvard College’s undergraduate programs and all doctoral degree programs.

Civil rights lawyers filed legal action Wednesday representing students and advocacy groups in Massachusetts, claiming the state unlawfully operates racially divided schools that funnel Black and Latino children into underfunded, high-poverty districts with limited educational resources.

The legal challenge targets Massachusetts’ system of enrolling students in schools based exclusively on residential address, a practice attorneys say mirrors housing segregation within educational systems.

This litigation represents another attempt to combat educational segregation and funding disparities through state court action. Integration initiatives have declined significantly from their height decades earlier when federal authorities stepped into school systems nationwide, even before the Trump administration moved to ease court-mandated desegregation requirements in Southern states.

Nine students and four advocacy organizations from segregated school systems throughout Massachusetts brought the case, representing districts in Springfield, Holyoke, Boston, Lawrence, Brockton, Lynn, and Worcester. These districts sit adjacent to wealthier, majority-white school systems where the students cannot gain admission.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education responded that it lacks authority to alter district boundaries or force schools to accept students from neighboring areas. The agency stated in writing that the state has funded initiatives to close graduation rate disparities and pursued additional resources for high-poverty districts.

“Massachusetts leads the nation in student achievement, and we are committed to building on this progress to strengthen our education system for every student in our state,” spokesperson Jacqueline Reis said.

A state advisory council report from 2024 determined that 63% of Massachusetts schools are segregated or intensely segregated, finding the state education department had not met its oversight responsibilities. Schools with higher percentages of students of color showed poorer results in areas like graduation rates and college enrollment.

Though the state constitution promises students adequate education and equal legal protection, it has not delivered on that promise for Black and Latino students in reality, according to Jillian Lenson, senior attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights, which brought the case alongside Brown’s Promise.

“It’s not student potential, it’s the conditions of their schools that drive these disparate outcomes, conditions that the state has maintained and perpetuated for decades,” Lenson said.

The case filed in Massachusetts state court in Suffolk County seeks to force the state to remedy inequities created by policies that place students in schools based on where they reside.

GeDá Jones Herbert, chief legal counsel at Brown’s Promise, explained the lawsuit does not demand forced integration, but rather investment in research-supported approaches that help all students.

These strategies include growing regional magnet school programs and increasing funding for under-resourced schools. While the state operates regional vocational schools and voluntary inter-district transfer programs, complicated opt-out systems and limited program capacity block equal access, according to plaintiffs.

“Black and Latino students are blocked out of access to those opportunities, and that’s unconstitutional,” Jones Herbert said.

Similar state-level legal challenges have also concentrated on tackling residential segregation effects.

In 2018, the Latino Action Network and New Jersey’s NAACP chapter, along with other plaintiffs, filed suit claiming the state’s residence-based student assignment system created racially segregated schools. In Minnesota, a 2015 case alleged that school segregation in Saint Paul and Minneapolis resulted in inadequate and unequal education for students of color.

Both cases continue moving through state court systems without final resolution.

These state lawsuits emerge as federal school desegregation enforcement has shifted. By the early 2000s, multiple Supreme Court decisions had severely restricted districts’ available tools for meaningful racial integration in schools.

State constitutions, which frequently contain equality and education provisions, can provide avenues for challenging segregation stemming from economic and housing patterns, said Robert Williams, professor of law emeritus at Rutgers University.

“The government knows about it, but it’s not the government that did it directly,” Williams said. “These cases argue that having so many different school districts that align with housing patterns and having laws that say that you have to go to school where you live, all of those things sort of amount to government segregation.”

Federal authorities announced Wednesday they have placed financial sanctions on over a dozen individuals and businesses allegedly connected to the Sinaloa cartel’s deadly fentanyl trafficking operations.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control focused on Jesus Gonzalez Penuelas, a fugitive also called Chuy Gonzalez, who officials say is involved in smuggling narcotics into the United States and washing money for the criminal organization. The State Department has maintained a $5 million bounty for information leading to his capture since 2024.

The sanctions also target Armando de Jesus Ojeda Aviles, who authorities claim assists in cleaning drug proceeds for the cartel’s benefit.

Among the businesses sanctioned is Gorditas Chiwas, a restaurant located in Chihuahua that operates under the control of previously sanctioned businessman Alfredo Orozco Romero.

These financial penalties disconnect the targets from American banking systems, prohibit business dealings with U.S. citizens, and freeze any American assets they may hold. Officials have not disclosed how deeply these individuals and companies are integrated into U.S. financial networks.

Treasury Scott Bessent stated that Treasury “will continue to target terrorist cartels and their fentanyl trafficking networks to protect our communities and Keep America Safe.”

The synthetic opioid fentanyl represents the most lethal drug threat facing America currently. Just 2 milligrams entering the human body can cause death.

Though drug overdose fatalities rose dramatically over the past twenty years, climbing roughly 520% between 1999 and 2023, recent CDC statistics show overdose deaths dropping nearly 3% from 2022 to 2023.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, which fights illegal drug smuggling, Mexico and China serve as the main sources for fentanyl and related substances entering the United States directly. Chinese companies supply virtually all the chemical ingredients required for fentanyl production, frequently using false return addresses and incorrect product labels to evade law enforcement detection.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly proposed deploying American military forces against the cartels, and his administration classified the Sinaloa cartel as a terrorist organization in 2025.

Mexico’s financial intelligence division collaborated with Treasury officials and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to identify the targets of Wednesday’s sanctions.

Motorists traveling on Route 15 southbound should expect delays this afternoon due to ongoing construction activity.

The right lane is currently blocked between Route 10 (Willow Grove Road) and Bison Road, creating a traffic bottleneck for drivers in the area.

State transportation officials say the lane restriction will remain in place until 4PM today as crews complete their work.

Drivers are advised to use caution when approaching the construction zone and allow extra time for their commute.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Eleven historic locations across America have been designated as the nation’s most at-risk heritage sites by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, including the Stonewall National Monument, the President’s House Site, and the Women’s Rights National Historic Park.

Released Wednesday, the 2026 roster celebrates America’s upcoming 250th birthday by focusing on the fundamental belief that all people are created equal, explained Carol Quillen, the nonprofit’s president and CEO. These eleven locations demonstrate how Americans have continuously battled inequality and championed justice throughout history, she noted.

“We wanted to think about those ideas, especially this notion that all human beings are created equal and find places, sometimes unsung places … that not all Americans routinely think about,” Quillen told The Associated Press.

The endangered locations stretch nationwide — spanning from New York and California on opposite coasts, to Alabama and Texas in southern states, to Michigan in the heartland and the Four Corners region encompassing Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah in the Rocky Mountain area.

Three locations — Stonewall, the El Corazon church in Texas and President’s House in Philadelphia — have faced endangerment due to Trump administration policies.

“We want to save these places,” Quillen said, “not just because the bricks and mortar is important but because the stories these places hold are important.”

In a first since the program began in 1988, every location on the 2026 roster will be awarded a $25,000 one-time grant to emphasize their ties to equality principles and combat the dangers they encounter.

The 11 locations include:

This establishment provided sanctuary for Black individuals during the era of enforced racial segregation in the South. Extended periods of abandonment have led to building decay, while the surrounding historic Centennial Hill area faces development pressures. The facility accommodated important Civil Rights Movement figures, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rev. Ralph Abernathy. The Conservation Fund revealed in November its commitment to help preserve the property.

Originally called the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, this facility began as a camp but evolved into a segregation center where Japanese Americans deemed disloyal to America were held. Now operating as a national monument under National Park Service management, only 37 acres of the original 1,100-acre location remain protected. The majority faces potential permanent modification from a nearby proposed construction project.

Operating as the West Coast’s primary immigration gateway from 1910 to 1940, this station particularly processed Asian and Pacific immigrants. Hundreds of thousands underwent processing, detention, and interrogation based on racial factors. The facility now confronts physical, environmental, political and economic challenges. Extra funding is required for structural improvements and educational programs to boost public awareness.

Acknowledged as the state’s oldest surviving Quaker meeting house, this 1701 structure served as sanctuary for a congregation escaping religious persecution while seeking a secure worship location. The facility has remained shuttered for years and requires extensive restoration.

Established in 1921, this organization represented one of Detroit’s first Black groups to own their headquarters facility, acquired in 1941. However, the building has been shuttered since 2024 following burst water pipes that caused interior damage. Financial support is needed to help the organization reopen the facility.

This terrain represents ancestral territory maintained for more than a thousand years by Pueblo and Hopi peoples, yet faces threats from federal land policy modifications that could expose large areas to oil and gas extraction. Permanent safeguards and tribal consultation are essential to maintain its cultural significance.

This park chronicles the story of the inaugural Women’s Rights Convention, conducted in Seneca Falls during July 1848. It confronts a deferred maintenance deficit exceeding $10 million. Additional funding and assistance are required to preserve the park as an educational site about women’s rights history.

America’s first and sole national monument devoted to LGBTQ+ history became subject to Trump administration measures that resulted in the rainbow Pride flag’s removal from its flagpole earlier this year before being restored. The National Park Service had taken down the flag in February, referencing federal guidelines that restricted the agency to displaying only American, Interior Department and POW/MIA flags. However, the Trump administration changed direction in April when agreeing to settle litigation filed by advocacy and preservation organizations seeking to prevent the flag’s removal.

Following Trump’s return to office, he terminated diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and numerous references to transgender individuals were removed from the Stonewall monument’s website and materials. Trump’s administration has similarly scrutinized national parks, museums and landmarks for messaging, seeking to eliminate or modify materials it considers “divisive or partisan” or “inappropriately disparage Americans.”

The Trump administration suddenly eliminated displays about nine enslaved individuals’ lives at this location during the 1790s under George Washington, America’s first president, who resided there when Philadelphia functioned as the nation’s capital. The displays were removed as part of the administration’s broader initiative to eliminate information it considers “disparaging” to Americans from federal properties. The matter is currently under litigation between the city and federal government.

The Battle of Hanging Rock represented a crucial engagement in the Revolutionary War’s Southern Campaigns and is viewed as a Patriot triumph that helped elevate morale and ultimately diminish British authority in South Carolina. Only sections of the primary battlefield receive protection and public access, with the region expecting population increases and mounting development pressures.

This adobe church, over a century old, functioned as sanctuary and worship space for Mexican and Mexican American agricultural communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border along the Rio Grande River. Abandoned since the 1950s, the building has received ongoing restoration from the nonprofit Friends of the Ruidosa Church but continues facing threats from proposed U.S. border wall construction that could approach within several hundred yards of the site.

NEW YORK (AP) — When Stephen Colbert first took over hosting duties for ‘The Late Show’ in 2015, he immediately targeted Donald Trump during his debut episode while eating Oreos, comparing his compulsion for the cookies to his compulsion for criticizing the future president.

‘Look, you don’t own me. I don’t need to play tape of you to have a successful TV show,’ he told Trump’s image. ‘Someone on television should have a modicum of dignity and it could be me.’

During the following 11 years, Colbert never lost his taste for Trump jokes, frequently transforming his program into a comprehensive attack on MAGA policies. Trump responded by calling him a ‘dead man walking.’

The public battle between these two figures appears to conclude Thursday night when Colbert’s highest-rated late-night television show broadcasts its last episode, essentially eliminating a prominent voice critical of the White House.

‘The legacy of this show needs to be that we remember it as the show that was canceled because a presidential administration wanted it off the air,’ states Heather Hendershot, a professor of communication studies and journalism at Northwestern University. ‘We haven’t connected every single dot on that, but it’s very clear that this was a political decision. And I think 20, 30, 40 years later, that is going to be strongly remembered about this show — that this was a moment of authoritarian triumph.’

CBS announced last summer that Colbert’s program would conclude in May, citing financial considerations, but many people — including Colbert himself — have questioned whether Trump’s constant attacks on the show played no role in the decision.

The show’s end followed CBS parent company Paramount’s agreement to pay $16 million to resolve Trump’s lawsuit regarding a ’60 Minutes’ interview, while Paramount’s sale to Skydance Media required Trump administration approval. Colbert described the settlement as a ‘big fat bribe.’

Trump celebrated the cancellation on Truth Social, posting ‘I absolutely love’ that the host ‘got fired.’ He added: ‘I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.’ Two months afterward, ABC temporarily suspended Kimmel — host of its late-night program — after pressure from Trump’s Federal Communications Commission chair and affiliate networks following his comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Television analysts noted few instances of successful programs being terminated due to political influence. In 1969, CBS suddenly ended ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,’ which had featured comedy segments opposing the Vietnam War and supporting civil rights.

Colbert, who previously worked on ‘The Daily Show,’ spent nine years portraying a foolish conservative pundit on Comedy Central’s ‘The Colbert Report.’ His transition to ‘The Late Show’ wasn’t universally accepted by those he had mocked, with Rush Limbaugh declaring ‘CBS has just declared war on the heartland of America.’

Throughout both Democratic and Republican presidencies, Colbert and fellow late-night comedians have provided commentary on current events that differed from conventional news coverage.

‘In given moments, like when something big happened, you really do want that perspective that says, ‘Here’s another way to look at it,” explains Dustin Kidd, a professor of sociology at Temple University. ‘Or when it feels really overwhelming, you want that reminder that there’s still some way to laugh at it. And so the more you lose those ways to laugh at it, the more we all decline.’

‘The Late Show’ featured celebrity interviews, musical performances and jokes about Arby’s and Spirit Airlines, similar to other late-night programs. However, Colbert added his personal touch, openly displaying his Catholic beliefs and his love for his wife and regular guest, Evie McGee Colbert.

Following his opening monologue, he presented unique segments including ‘Meanwhile,’ international affairs coverage in ‘What’s Going On Over There?,’ technology discussions with ‘Cyborgasm’ and youth culture explanations in ‘Stephen Colbert Presents: That’s Yeet. Dabbing on Fleek, Fam!’

‘The Late Show,’ which started in 1993 with host David Letterman, earned two Emmys during Colbert’s tenure, plus a Peabody Award. Starting Friday, the 11:35 p.m. slot will feature ‘Comics Unleashed,’ a talk show whose host Byron Allen has promised to avoid political content.

‘There’s just going to be a huge void,’ states Lisa Rogak, author of the 2011 biography ‘And Nothing But the Truthiness: The Rise (and Further Rise) of Stephen Colbert.’ ‘And I don’t think anybody’s going to really want to step up and fill it.’

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, a regular guest, regrets Colbert’s departure. While Johnny Carson previously featured scientists, Tyson observes that few current TV hosts follow that practice. Colbert even created a segment showcasing new discoveries called ‘The Sound of Science.’

‘Science doesn’t have many opportunities to access centerline pop culture,’ Tyson notes.

Unlike past conflicts, other late-night hosts have supported Colbert. Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers — who joined Colbert for the ‘Strike Force Five’ podcast during Hollywood strikes — recently appeared on ‘The Late Show.’

NBC’s ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ and ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!,’ which normally compete with ‘The Late Show,’ will show reruns Thursday instead.

Catholic viewers will also miss a late-night host who could recite Psalms from memory and discussed faith with guests, even exploring death through ‘The Colbert Questionert.’

‘We’re losing a very well-known Catholic and someone who shares his religious ideas freely and intellectually, too,’ says Stephanie Brehm, author of ‘America’s Most Famous Catholic (According to Himself): Stephen Colbert and American Religion in the Twenty-First Century.’

She highlighted meaningful moments including Colbert’s conversation with then-Vice President Joe Biden about losing his son, his grief discussion with Anderson Cooper and his examination of faith and comedy with Dua Lipa.

Brehm observed Colbert establishing himself as a moral voice while embracing progressive Catholic social justice values: ‘He is playing up that moral quality by standing up for American moral values like freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and he’s doing it with a Catholic jargon, with Catholic language.’

J.R.R. Tolkien enthusiasts also appreciate Colbert’s contributions. As a devoted fan of ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Lord of the Rings,’ he promoted Tolkien through sketches, references and contests, notably defeating James Franco in trivia challenges.

‘I think if you step back and reflect on his career, everything he’s done is for the betterment of the community,’ says Duane Cronkite, head of live programming for the Fellowship of Fans forum and news site.

Timothy Lenz, part of The Mythopoeic Society leadership committee, a group focused on Tolkien study and appreciation, credits Colbert with inspiring new readers.

‘Stephen Colbert is easily the most enthusiastic celebrity fan of Tolkien’s works,’ he explains. ‘That sort of public, unapologetic enthusiasm for stories that in Colbert’s youth would have been considered like nerdy and uncool, that really helps to encourage fans of all ages to let their geek flag fly.’

Appropriately, Tolkien provides Colbert’s next project after his show ends. He’s collaborating on a new ‘Lord of the Rings’ film.

‘He’s living the fan dream right now,’ Lenz concludes.

Two law enforcement officers in Norfolk, Virginia are facing disciplinary action after raising concerns about facility usage policies at their police station. Officers Megan Grabow and Martin Powers received suspensions following their objections to a male colleague who identifies as a woman being permitted access to women’s restrooms and changing areas at the Norfolk Police Station.

The suspended officers shared their account with Independent Women’s Features, expressing concerns that their employment may be terminated as a result of their position on the matter. Both officers indicated they worry about facing job loss for voicing their objections.

This incident reflects broader tensions across Virginia regarding transgender policies, with similar disputes emerging in educational institutions and making their way through the state’s court system.

Two advocacy organizations focused on children’s welfare have formally requested that federal trade regulators examine the popular gaming platform Roblox, alleging the company employs misleading safety claims and manipulative spending tactics targeting young users.

Fairplay and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation submitted their petition to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday, requesting an investigation into potential violations of the Federal Trade Act’s section 5, which bars deceptive or unfair business practices in commerce.

In their formal request, the organizations claim Roblox misleads families regarding platform safety measures while using manipulative tactics to pressure children into making purchases for premium gaming features and special access.

This petition arrives amid growing global concerns about the gaming company’s practices. Roblox currently faces more than 140 federal court cases alleging the platform knowingly enables sexual exploitation of children by creating a system that allows predators to identify and communicate with minors despite marketing itself as child-friendly.

A company representative said Roblox “strongly disputes” the allegations outlined in the advocacy groups’ letter. The spokesperson noted that the platform mandates age verification for U.S. users before enabling chat functions and restricts minor users to communicating only with peers in similar age ranges.

When contacted for response, a Federal Trade Commission representative declined to provide comment on the matter.

A death row inmate in Arizona is scheduled to die by lethal injection Wednesday for a deadly arson attack that claimed a man’s life more than two decades ago.

Leroy Dean McGill, 63, faces execution at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence for the murder of Charles Perez in July 2002.

Officials say McGill doused Perez and his girlfriend, Nova Banta, with gasoline before igniting a match while the couple was sitting on a couch in a Phoenix apartment on July 13 that year. The attack came after Perez and Banta had confronted McGill about allegedly taking a firearm from their residence. McGill had been awake for multiple days while under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the incident.

While Banta managed to survive the assault, Perez succumbed to his injuries.

The execution would mark the 13th carried out nationwide this year, with additional executions planned in Tennessee and Florida on Thursday.

During McGill’s trial, Banta gave testimony describing how McGill warned her and Perez against speaking negatively about others. Officials reported that McGill then set the victims ablaze before they had a chance to reply.

Both victims fled the burning apartment. A resident helped extinguish the flames on Banta using a blanket, though she sustained severe third-degree burns across most of her body. Perez later died at a medical facility after enduring what prosecutors called excruciating suffering.

Banta positively identified McGill as her attacker during court proceedings.

In October 2004, a jury took less than 60 minutes to find McGill guilty of murder in Perez’s death. Additional convictions included attempted murder for the attack on Banta, arson charges, and endangering other residents who had to evacuate when flames spread to neighboring units.

Defense attorneys sought a lighter sentence by highlighting McGill’s history of childhood trauma, mental disabilities, and psychological development issues. However, the jury ultimately imposed capital punishment.

Earlier this year, McGill’s legal team attempted one final effort to have his sentence reduced, but a trial court denied the request. The state’s highest court also refused to delay the scheduled execution.

McGill turned down an interview opportunity with The Associated Press and chose not to pursue clemency.

Arizona most recently carried out executions in 2025, putting to death Richard Kenneth Djerf for murdering four Phoenix family members in 1993 and Aaron Gunches for the 2002 fatal shooting of his girlfriend’s former husband.

The state performed three executions in 2022 after an almost eight-year pause caused by challenges securing lethal injection drugs and backlash over a problematic 2014 execution. During that execution, Joseph Wood received 15 injections of a two-drug mixture over two hours, causing him to make repeated snorting sounds and gasp hundreds of times before dying.

Current execution procedures involve administering two doses of the sedative pentobarbital, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.

The state currently houses 109 inmates awaiting execution.

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas residents are expressing outrage over the removal of a treasured downtown whale mural as the city prepares to host World Cup soccer matches this summer.

“I see that mural almost every day on my way to school and then one day they were painting it over,” Katy Rose Cusick said. “And it was just so incredibly shocking to me that that could happen so quickly.”

Crews have been working this month to cover the massive artwork that has adorned two complete sides of a downtown parking structure for almost three decades. The space will be used for new artwork connected to the approaching World Cup games. Wyland, who originally painted the mural, expressed his disappointment in a public statement, saying the elimination has left him “deeply disheartened.”

“When a piece that has carried meaning for generations can be erased without dialogue, it raises serious questions about how we value public art, artists, and the communities these works were created to serve,” Wyland said.

Two high school seniors, Cusick and Joshua Hurston, who attend a local arts-focused school, launched an online petition through Change.org to bring attention to protecting historical artwork. Their effort has collected hundreds of supporters, many sharing childhood memories of seeing the whale artwork.

“If we couldn’t save necessarily the mural, making sure that something like this doesn’t happen again,” he said.

A representative from the regional World Cup planning organization stated they anticipate “unveiling a new piece that captures this current historical moment and reflects the energy, unity, and global spirit surrounding the World Cup 2026.” They noted that a “portion” of Wyland’s original work will remain “as a tribute to its lasting impact on the city.”

The city will host more World Cup games than any other venue in the tournament shared between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Nine matches are scheduled at AT&T Stadium in nearby Arlington, the home field of the Dallas Cowboys. During the World Cup, the stadium with the retractable roof will be renamed Dallas Stadium.

Downtown Dallas Inc. confirmed in a statement that they participated in initial conversations about the artwork and verified it was not included in the city’s official public art collection before connecting the World Cup organizers with the property owners. A representative for the building owners, Slate Asset Management, said they were contacted by Downtown Dallas Inc. and the organizing committee this year about donating the wall space for a new public art piece created by a local artist.

The whale artwork, called “Whaling Wall 82,” was unveiled in 1999. Wyland has created more than 100 similar whale-themed murals worldwide as part of his efforts to promote ocean conservation.

“This was more than paint on a wall — it was part of my work, alongside the Wyland Foundation, to bring people together to protect our oceans and clean water,” he said.

A Virginia assistant principal dismissed multiple alerts from staff members about a 6-year-old carrying a weapon that was subsequently used to injure his teacher, according to prosecutors who spoke during Tuesday’s court proceedings.

The criminal trial began for Ebony Parker, facing eight felony child neglect charges stemming from the January 2023 incident at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. The shooting injured first-grade educator Abby Zwerner while she was in her classroom.

Before the incident occurred, multiple school staff members informed Parker of their suspicions that the child was carrying a weapon in his backpack, but Parker reportedly responded that the student’s parent would arrive shortly for pickup, according to special prosecutor Josh Jenkins.

“Does she say ‘search the child’? No,” Jenkins told the jury. “Does she say ‘call the police,’ or does she call the police? No. Does she remove the child from the classroom and separate him? No.

“She didn’t even get up from her desk. She didn’t leave her office. Warning after warning after warning, she did nothing.”

However, Parker’s defense attorney, Curtis Rogers, argued that teaching staff should have taken action if they suspected a weapon was present, suggesting they should have at minimum removed the child from among approximately 19 other students in the room.

“That did not occur,” Rogers said. “Each one of those individuals had the authority to move those classmates.”

Rogers stated that prosecutors must demonstrate Parker’s behavior reflected reckless endangerment of lives. He instead attributed responsibility to Zwerner and other staff who had observed the child’s behavior before the shooting occurred.

“What about these other people who had direct contact with this child?” Rogers said.

The school’s protocols at that time mandated reporting crisis situations to administrative staff who were obligated to respond, Jenkins explained. A counselor had requested authorization to search the student, but Parker refused since only administrators or security personnel could conduct searches. The security officer was stationed at a different school during this time.

This meant Parker and the building’s principal were the only ones authorized to take action, but the principal remained unaware of the situation because Parker had not informed her, Jenkins stated.

“There was only one person in the school that day that had both the authority to act and the knowledge of the ongoing crisis, and that person, you will see, was Dr. Parker,” Jenkins said.

Zwerner testified as the initial witness in the proceedings. She described how the student had thrown her phone to the floor several days prior and displayed a “violent” demeanor on the day of the shooting.

While outside during recess, the student kept both hands inside the pockets of an oversized jacket throughout the entire period. Zwerner sent a text message documenting this observation to a reading specialist who had received earlier tips from students about the weapon and had reported this information to Parker.

Following recess, the student maintained the jacket in the classroom, where Zwerner sustained her injury at a reading table. Zwerner required hospitalization for almost two weeks, underwent six surgical procedures, and has lost complete function in her left hand. The bullet came close to striking her heart and remains lodged in her chest.

The eight charges Parker confronts include one count for each bullet contained in the weapon brought into the classroom, according to prosecutors. Each charge could result in up to five years of imprisonment if convicted.

Legal experts note that criminal prosecution of school administrators following shooting incidents is uncommon. The incident created widespread concern throughout this military shipbuilding community and nationally, raising questions about how such a young child obtained access to a firearm and harmed his educator.

A jury granted $10 million to Zwerner during a civil proceeding last November where Parker, who has since left the school, served as the sole defendant.

The student’s parent received nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons violations.

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — Authorities ordered more than 17,000 residents to evacuate Tuesday as a dangerous wildfire bore down on suburban communities in Southern California.

The Sandy Fire, fueled by strong winds, erupted Monday in hillsides overlooking Simi Valley, located roughly 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

As of Tuesday morning, the blaze had burned through more than two square miles of dried vegetation and leveled at least one residence, the Ventura County Fire Department reported.

Initial wind gusts exceeding 30 mph drove the flames forward, but overnight conditions brought some relief to firefighting crews, according to department spokesperson Andrew Dowd.

“We’ve made a lot of progress against this fire with those improved weather conditions,” Dowd said. He noted that teams were working to gain additional ground before wind speeds pick up once more.

Officials reported no containment of the fire. Investigators are working to determine what sparked the blaze.

Evacuation directives and advisories remained active across multiple neighborhoods throughout Simi Valley, which houses more than 125,000 residents.

Separately, fire crews were working to control a massive 23-square-mile fire burning on Santa Rosa Island off the Southern California coastline. That blaze consumed a cabin and equipment building while prompting the evacuation of 11 National Park Service workers.

Santa Rosa serves as a favored spot for outdoor recreation and provides habitat for island foxes, spotted skunks and elephant seals.

A 56-year-old woman lost her life Monday night after falling into an exposed utility hole on a busy Manhattan street, according to police and utility company officials who are now investigating the tragic incident.

Authorities report the woman had positioned her Mercedes-Benz SUV directly beside the uncovered opening at Fifth Avenue and East 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan when she stepped out of her vehicle and fell into the hole just before 11:30 p.m. Medical personnel later declared her dead at a nearby hospital.

Officials have not yet explained why the opening lacked proper covering at the time of the accident.

Con Edison, the utility company responsible for the area, announced it is conducting a full investigation into the incident.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole,” the company said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, and safety remains our top priority.”

Family members speaking to WABC-TV expressed their devastation over the loss and said they are demanding additional details about what led to the tragedy.

Police officials reported that emergency responders discovered the woman unconscious at the bottom of the opening after receiving a 911 emergency call. The city’s chief medical examiner’s office will conduct an investigation to establish the official cause of death.

Rising fuel costs are pushing Americans to find inventive alternatives to traditional driving, with some solutions more creative than others.

Mali Hightower, a 30-year-old handyman from Ellenwood, Georgia, discovered his unique transportation method in someone else’s garbage. He transformed a discarded pink Power Wheels Barbie Dream Camper by installing a two-gallon, one-piston engine from a power washer. The modified toy car, standing less than four feet tall, now takes him to the grocery store with a simple pull of its lawnmower-style starter cord.

With his 1996 Mercedes-Benz convertible requiring about $90 to fill up, Hightower made a practical choice. “That’s too much,” said Hightower, who added a roof rack for carrying groceries. “I drive this when I can.”

While Hightower’s approach stands out, expensive gasoline is changing daily routines and sparking innovative solutions nationwide. Americans, traditionally devoted to their vehicles, especially larger SUVs and trucks that consume more fuel, are exploring options like mass transit or limiting their travel radius.

According to AAA data from May 18, regular gasoline averaged $4.52 per gallon across the nation, representing an increase from approximately $3 before the Iran war began. A Washington Post and ABC News Ipsos survey conducted April 28 found that 44% of Americans had reduced their driving.

Some entrepreneurs are turning the economic challenge into business opportunities. Renee Tocci, executive director of Camp Farley in Mashpee, Massachusetts, developed a marketing strategy after spending nearly $40 extra to fuel her Buick Enclave. She began promoting sleep-away camp as a money-saving option for parents facing expensive summer transportation costs for their children.

“My colleague was like, ‘That is hysterical,’” Tocci said. “And I was like, seriously, I’m going to put it all over social media.” She started incorporating fuel expenses into her online content and promotional emails to increase camp registration.

“Here’s a budgeting tip no one talks about: Send your kids to overnight camp,” reads one of her posts.

Content creator Dafne Flores, 28, typically drives from her Silverdale, Washington residence to Los Angeles multiple times annually to see friends. During her latest two-month visit, she left her vehicle parked in Glendale and relied on public transportation for local travel.

“We’re used to expensive gas prices, but never this expensive,” said Flores.

Her Toyota Highlander now costs at least $95 to fill, prompting her to limit trips to within five miles and avoid fuel stations near highways, where she’s observed prices approaching $9 per gallon.

Public transportation offers her the ability to work on video editing while avoiding parking fees. Flores notices similar behavioral changes among her online community: “I’m seeing a lot of videos of people taking the bus.”

This shift appears nationwide. Maine’s Bangor public bus system has experienced a 21% ridership increase since January, according to transit administrator Laurie Linscott, with most growth occurring during rush hour periods.

“I started watching people and trying to get some kind of demographic,” said Linscott. “It was every walk of life.”

Recent promotional events highlight the financial strain. On a Thursday in El Segundo, California, drivers endured wait times exceeding one hour at a gas station where tourism agency Visit Las Vegas distributed up to $100 in fuel to the first 100 people in line, hoping to encourage city visits.

However, most participants weren’t considering vacation plans.

Robert Jackson of El Segundo explained the fuel would only sustain him briefly. “I have to walk and take the train now,” he said. “It’s tough. It really is.”

Segette Frank of Los Angeles described changing her shopping habits across the expansive metropolitan area. “I stay close now because I don’t want to run out of gas,” she said.

In Chicago, CityPoint Community Church plans to distribute $5,000 worth of $25 gas cards over the coming weeks. Pastor Demetrius Davis reported giving away more than 70 cards following Mother’s Day services.

“Transportation is not a luxury for many families,” he said. “It’s survival.”

The current situation hasn’t triggered a major increase in electric vehicle sales, but it has provided validation for existing EV owners, particularly Tesla drivers who faced political criticism related to CEO Elon Musk last year.

John Stringer, president of Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley, a Tesla enthusiast organization, recently shared a TikTok video featuring a gas station sign displaying extremely high prices.

“Oh man, wish that was a problem that I had to deal with,” Stringer says playfully, before panning the camera toward his Cybertruck.

Though intended humorously, Stringer acknowledged his genuine relief.

“I don’t know the last time I looked at gas prices, except for that video.”

Service will return to the Long Island Rail Road on Tuesday following a labor agreement that brings an end to a work stoppage that crippled the nation’s largest commuter rail network.

Tuesday morning’s rush hour will remain challenging for suburban New York City travelers, since train service won’t restart in time for the morning work commute, railway officials announced following Monday night’s agreement.

The LIRR advised passengers to continue working remotely on Tuesday when feasible. Limited complimentary shuttle bus service will continue operating from select Long Island stops to New York City subway terminals.

Work stoppage began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday when five labor organizations representing approximately half of the railway’s employees walked off the job, disrupting service for about 250,000 daily riders who depend on the system linking New York City with its eastern suburban communities.

Among the exhausted Long Island travelers celebrating the strike’s conclusion was Hallie Kessler. Without train service available, the 24-year-old speech therapist spent three hours traveling home Monday from her position at a public school in the New York City borough of Queens.

“Obviously I wish trains would be running when peak hours start so I could avoid the long morning commute, but happy to not deal with it in the afternoon when I’m leaving work,” Kessler said. “Curious what the deal says about future fares, which has been a big concern, but we’ll see.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and railroad officials have said they’re not at liberty to disclose details of the new contract terms until they’re voted on and approved by union members. But the Democrat, who is up for reelection, stressed the deal won’t increase fares or taxes and will give unionized workers the fair wages they deserve.

Weekend disruptions first affected baseball enthusiasts who needed alternative transportation to reach Citi Field in Queens for the New York Mets game against their crosstown rivals the New York Yankees.

Hochul said the deal ensures basketball fans won’t meet the same fate as they travel to watch the New York Knicks continue their playoff run on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, which is located directly above the LIRR’s Penn Station hub in Manhattan.

The unions — which represent locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen and others — and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had been negotiating a new contract since 2023, but talks had stalled over salaries and healthcare.

The unions have said raises were needed to help workers keep up with inflation and the rising cost of living in the New York City area. The MTA had said the union’s initial demands would lead to fare increases and set a difficult precedent for negotiations with other transit unions.

The strike was the first walkout for the LIRR since a two-day strike in 1994.

A tragic incident at a San Diego mosque has resulted in the deaths of at least three individuals following an assault carried out by two teenage perpetrators, according to law enforcement officials. Authorities report that both attackers died by suicide after conducting the violent attack.

In political news, six states are conducting primary elections on Tuesday, with several key contests serving as an important gauge of President Trump’s ongoing impact within the Republican Party and among its voter base.

Additionally, President Trump has withdrawn an Internal Revenue Service lawsuit, clearing the path for a potential settlement agreement.

Federal safety officials will begin a comprehensive two-day investigation starting Tuesday to determine what led to a deadly UPS cargo aircraft accident in Louisville that resulted in 15 fatalities.

The nation’s leading safety investigators will examine the circumstances surrounding the crash, which occurred shortly after the aircraft departed from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport last year.

The hearing represents a critical step in understanding the factors that contributed to the tragic incident involving the cargo plane.

Mark Fuhrman, a former detective with the Los Angeles Police Department who became a central figure in the 1995 OJ Simpson murder trial, has passed away.

Fuhrman’s courtroom testimony became a pivotal element in the high-profile case. The former officer later entered a no contest plea to charges of perjury.

SALT LAKE CITY — Defense attorneys for Tyler Robinson, the man charged with murdering conservative activist Charlie Kirk, will present arguments Tuesday requesting that sections of an upcoming crucial hearing be closed to the public and certain evidence be kept sealed, after a judge denied their motion to exclude news cameras from the courtroom.

Robinson’s legal team contends that televised coverage generates excessive media attention that frequently portrays their client unfairly and might prejudice prospective jurors. The attorneys want to keep certain segments of his preliminary hearing private, which is set for July 6-10, during which prosecutors must demonstrate sufficient evidence exists against Robinson to move forward with a trial.

The scheduled July proceedings will represent the most substantial disclosure of case details so far in a matter that has centered primarily on public access issues during its initial eight months.

If Robinson, age 23, is found guilty, prosecutors plan to pursue capital punishment. He faces charges including aggravated murder for the Sept. 10 shooting death of the conservative activist at the Utah Valley University campus. Robinson has not yet submitted a plea.

Before his death, Kirk and the conservative youth organization he established, Turning Point USA, became a significant influence in American politics and was viewed as crucial in helping President Donald Trump win a second term.

While public interest has intensified, state District Judge Tony Graf has implemented measures to safeguard Robinson’s courtroom rights, though he refused earlier this month to exclude cameras.

Throughout the preliminary hearing, prosecutors indicate they will present forensic analysis, surveillance footage, recorded witness interviews, autopsy results and purported messages from Robinson confessing to the crime.

Defense lawyers have requested the judge seal numerous exhibits to “prevent infecting the potential jury pool,” based on a court filing submitted Monday.

Prosecutors maintain the preliminary hearing should stay open, but they concur that media should be prevented from viewing or reproducing certain exhibits that might be utilized in a subsequent trial.

Prosecutors have revealed that Robinson left a message for his romantic partner concealed beneath a keyboard stating, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” They have also indicated he wrote in a text message regarding Kirk: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

Officials have stated that DNA matching Robinson’s was discovered on the rifle trigger used to kill Kirk, the discharged shell casing, two unused cartridges and a towel used to cover the weapon.

Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander noted in court papers that some evidence they intend to present in July constitutes “reliable hearsay,” or out-of-court statements deemed highly credible. Such testimony is generally permitted in preliminary hearings but excluded at trial, where evidentiary standards are more stringent.

Robinson’s lawyers are concerned the statements will circulate broadly following the preliminary hearing, damage their client and then be inadmissible at trial.

Prosecutors dispute this concern, stating in a court document, “There is nothing to suggest that the substance of the evidence is inadmissible.”

Federal aviation safety officials will conduct investigative hearings this week to determine what caused an engine to detach from a UPS cargo aircraft during takeoff last year, resulting in a fatal accident that claimed 15 lives, and to examine why Boeing failed to address the known defect earlier.

The engine broke away from the MD-11’s wing while the aircraft was gaining speed on the runway at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport in November, resulting in the deaths of three pilots aboard the aircraft and 12 individuals on the ground.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigative sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday will concentrate on determining the cause of this incident. The agency’s complete report will likely not be completed until more than a year following the accident because the NTSB will examine all potential contributing factors to the crash.

Here’s what you should know:

The UPS aircraft, which was bound for Hawaii carrying packages and fuel, had just become airborne and passed the airport perimeter when it struck multiple nearby Louisville commercial buildings and generated an enormous explosion.

Striking photographs released by the NTSB following the accident revealed the engine separating and launching up and over the wing while flames burst from the wing. The final photographs show the aircraft on fire as it becomes airborne, trailing smoke behind it.

The accident was similar to a 1979 accident in Chicago involving a DC-10, which was the predecessor aircraft to the three-engine jet that crashed in Louisville. The left engine also separated in that accident that resulted in 273 fatalities.

That earlier accident resulted in the global grounding of 274 DC-10s. The aircraft returned to service because the NTSB concluded that maintenance personnel damaged the aircraft that crashed while incorrectly using a forklift to reinstall the engine. This meant the crash wasn’t the result of a fatal design defect despite there having already been multiple accidents involving DC-10s.

However, even then the aircraft’s manufacturer, McDonnell Douglas, expressed concerns about the spherical bearing that helps attach the engines to the wings. McDonnell Douglas subsequently merged with Boeing.

The NTSB stated soon after the Louisville accident that investigators had discovered cracks in some of the components that secured the engine to the wing. Those cracks had not been detected in routine maintenance performed on the aircraft, which raised questions about the sufficiency of the maintenance schedule. The last time those critical engine mount components were thoroughly examined was in October 2021, and the aircraft wasn’t scheduled for another detailed inspection for approximately 7,000 more takeoffs and landings.

Boeing had recorded in 2011 there were four previous failures of a component that helps attach the MD-11’s engines to the wings on three different aircraft, but at that time the aircraft manufacturer “determined it would not result in a safety of flight condition.”

The service bulletin that Boeing released didn’t mandate aircraft owners to make repairs like an FAA airworthiness directive would, and the agency didn’t issue such a directive. At that time, Boeing simply recommended replacing the bearings with a redesigned component that was less prone to failure.

Some MD-11s, a mainstay of the cargo fleet, are now back in service after the FAA approved Boeing’s plan to replace the spherical bearing on each aircraft and increase inspections.

FedEx resumed using the aircraft to deliver packages on May 10, but UPS has stated it plans to retire its fleet of MD-11s. Western Global also operates MD-11s but hasn’t announced what it plans to do with the aircraft.

Some experts predicted after the crash that the MD-11s might never fly again if the repair proved to be more costly than it was worth in these older aircraft. But Boeing found a way to address the safety concerns with just replacing the bearing and increasing inspections.

A medical examiner’s report issued Monday verified that a Haitian immigrant’s death following months in an Arizona immigration detention center stemmed from dental complications, supporting claims made by his relatives.

However, the findings also revealed that 56-year-old Emmanuel Damas had refused multiple dental treatment recommendations to extract problematic teeth, contrary to his brother’s earlier assertions that he died from an untreated tooth infection.

The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Damas succumbed to complications from a chest infection accompanied by abscesses in his neck and throat regions. The official cause of death also cited his serious dental conditions.

Damas passed away while held at the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Center in Florence, Arizona, marking him as one of no fewer than 51 detainees who have perished in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since President Donald Trump’s second term commenced in January 2025.

Similar to his case, medical examiners have classified most of these deaths as resulting from natural causes. Medical professionals have noted that many stem from conditions that could be prevented through prompt and adequate healthcare.

His death stands as the sole case where dental issues have been identified as a cause or contributing element among three dozen fatalities for which such information has been made public by medical examiners and coroners.

The autopsy findings indicated that Damas was placed on a waiting list following an October dental examination that recommended extraction of a specific tooth. When the opportunity for removal arrived three months afterward, the report stated he refused the procedure, claiming the tooth no longer caused pain.

During a follow-up appointment in mid-February, Damas again rejected advice to have teeth extracted. Several days later, when Damas reported throat pain and stomach discomfort, detention facility personnel recommended he visit the medical unit, but he declined, the autopsy report noted.

Medical staff transported him to a hospital on Feb. 19 due to respiratory failure and subsequently transferred him to additional hospitals for advanced treatment. He passed away on March 2 at a Scottsdale hospital.

Raymond Audain, an attorney representing Damas’ relatives, stated in a release that Damas died due to failures by ICE and the private corrections corporation operating the Florence facility to deliver essential medical treatment.

The family also commissioned a private pathologist to perform an independent autopsy on Damas, although Audain refused to provide that report when requested by The Associated Press.

The county’s autopsy “confirms what Mr. Damas’s family has determined through its own investigation: that Mr. Damas died of sepsis as a result of a descending infection from his head and neck that started with him experiencing tooth pain. Mr. Damas begged prison staff for medical care on numerous occasions including the night before he was hospitalized, but he was ignored,” Audain wrote.

CoreCivic, the company that manages the Florence facility, issued a statement saying it regards detainee deaths at its locations with gravity.

“While we’re unable to share specific information about a detainee’s medical care due to federal privacy laws, we are committed to providing safe, humane and respectful care for everyone entrusted to us,” CoreCivic said. “We take seriously our obligation to adhere to all applicable federal detention standards and will continue to ensure that all detainees receive appropriate and timely medical attention

The AP left a message with ICE seeking comment on the autopsy report.

A dismissed Connecticut law enforcement officer is now facing manslaughter charges after state investigators determined he improperly handled a deadly encounter with a Black man experiencing a mental health emergency.

Joseph Magnano, who was terminated from the Hartford Police Department, shot and killed Steven Jones on Feb. 27. Jones, age 55, had a documented history of mental health issues and was seen walking down a street carrying a large blade.

The Connecticut Inspector General filed charges against Magnano on Monday after he surrendered to authorities, Hartford Police Union President James Rutkauski confirmed.

Details regarding Magnano’s legal representation were not readily accessible.

The fatal incident sparked significant community backlash and raised concerns about Hartford’s procedures for handling individuals experiencing mental health emergencies.

Video from body-worn cameras revealed that when Magnano reached the location, three fellow officers were already attempting to peacefully communicate with Jones, who had inflicted cuts on himself and was experiencing suicidal thoughts, based on a 911 call placed by his sister.

The other officers maintained distance from Jones and used calm voices, but Magnano immediately started yelling commands for him to drop the weapon. Within less than 60 seconds of exiting his patrol car, he discharged nine rounds at Jones.

Monday’s arrest warrant from the Connecticut Inspector General stated that their probe determined Magnano “did not engage in de-escalation measures (and) he failed to make reasonable attempts to use non-lethal force.”

The investigation also determined that Jones “did not pose an imminent threat to bystanders,” and that Magnano had “ample space” to retreat from the situation.

“To the extent Magnano subjectively believed that Jones posed a risk of serious physical injuries to bystanders in the area, Magnano made no effort to move bystanders out of any perceived harm’s way,” the warrant noted.

In his official incident documentation, Magnano stated he was “fearful of Jones making a sudden lunge towards either an officer or citizen.”

During Monday’s press briefing, Rutkauski, the police union head, accused the inspector general’s office of rushing its findings, adding that Magnano was “defending his fellow officers, the community, himself.”

Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who represents Jones’ relatives, described the charges as a “necessary and meaningful step toward accountability.”

“Stevie was in the middle of a mental health crisis, and instead of receiving the care he needed, he was shot nine times,” Crump said in a statement. “This charge reflects what the family has known all along, that what happened to Stevie was not justified.”

BOISE, Idaho — Mark Fuhrman, the former Los Angeles police detective whose testimony became a focal point of controversy during the OJ Simpson murder trial, has passed away.

Fuhrman was among the initial pair of detectives assigned to investigate the 1994 murders of Simpson’s former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles. During the investigation, he claimed to have discovered a blood-stained glove at Simpson’s residence, but his testimony faced intense scrutiny as defense attorneys questioned whether racial prejudice influenced his work.

During cross-examination, Fuhrman stated under oath that he had not used anti-Black racial epithets in the decade prior, but audio recordings created by someone seeking to write screenplays revealed he had used such language on multiple occasions.

According to Lynn Acebedo, the chief deputy coroner in Kootenai County, Idaho, Fuhrman passed away on May 12. County policy prohibits releasing details about the cause of death.

Following Simpson’s acquittal in 1995, Fuhrman left the Los Angeles Police Department. He relocated to Idaho with his wife Caroline and their two children, a daughter and son.

Fuhrman faced perjury charges in 1996 and entered a no contest plea. He went on to work as a television and radio analyst and authored “Murder in Brentwood,” a book detailing the killings.

A Michigan man who served almost 21 years behind bars for the 1990 killings of two hunters has reached a $5.25 million settlement agreement after claiming law enforcement withheld crucial evidence that could have aided his defense, his attorney announced Monday.

Jeff Titus walked free in 2023 when his murder convictions were dismissed following a prosecutor’s request. The Innocence Clinic at University of Michigan law school and two investigators successfully convinced officials that an Ohio serial killer may have actually committed the 1990 hunter murders.

Titus had consistently maintained his innocence throughout his imprisonment.

“It’s been a long road for Jeff,” attorney Wolf Mueller said. “He’s 74. He lost two decades of his life. The money doesn’t make up for the loss of decades, but it allows him to put this part of his life behind him.”

Attempts to reach the attorney representing a retired homicide detective named in the lawsuit were unsuccessful.

Doug Estes and Jim Bennett were shot and killed near Titus’ Kalamazoo County property in 1990. While Titus was initially ruled out as a suspect, murder charges were brought against him 12 years later. Prosecutors painted Titus as someone with a temper who was hostile toward trespassers.

University of Michigan law school students and faculty were working to secure a new trial when investigators uncovered a 30-page file from the original case at the county sheriff’s office. The discovery proved significant: it mentioned Thomas Dillon of Magnolia, Ohio, as an alternative suspect.

Jacinda Davis from the TV network Investigation Discovery and Susan Simpson from the “Undisclosed” podcast had questioned Titus’ guilt and explored Dillon’s potential involvement.

Dillon passed away in prison in 2011. He was taken into custody in 1993 and eventually admitted guilt in the deaths of five Ohio residents who were hunting, fishing or jogging.

Monday’s settled lawsuit did not focus on Dillon as an alternative perpetrator. Instead, law enforcement was accused of denying Titus his constitutional rights by withholding information that could have undermined a crucial witness’s trial testimony, Mueller explained.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Officials reported Monday that a rapidly expanding wildfire ignited by a deadly medical aircraft crash near Ruidoso, New Mexico, has forced evacuations in a rural region north of the Capitan Mountains and led to closures within the Lincoln National Forest.

The aircraft was traveling from Roswell Air Center to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport when it went down in the early morning hours Thursday, claiming the lives of all four individuals on board. The victims have been named as pilots Keelan Clark and Ali Kawsara from Generation Jets, along with flight nurses Jamie Novick and Sarah Clark from Trans Aero MedEvac.

“Our hearts remain with the families and loved ones navigating an unimaginable loss,” Matt Goertz, vice president of Trans Aero MedEvac, said in a joint statement with Generation Jets.

Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting investigations into the crash.

The blaze expanded dramatically throughout the weekend due to arid and gusty conditions, growing to nearly twice its size from Sunday to Monday morning, now covering more than 19 square miles (50 square kilometers). The fire remains uncontained in a lightly populated region, despite efforts from over 600 firefighters representing the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and multiple interagency Hotshot crews.

Adam Turner, a public information officer for the fire, explained that the challenging, mountainous landscape has prevented crews from directly attacking the flames.

“This is what firefighters call ‘mountain goat territory,’” said Turner, noting that crews were focusing instead on containment efforts and directing the fire away from evacuated cattle ranches to the northeast and the community of Arabella to the west.

Southern New Mexico remained under a red flag warning Monday, with anticipated wind speeds of 20-30 mph (32-50 kph).

Alex Murdaugh has initiated legal action in federal court against the former court clerk whose misconduct during his murder trial resulted in the South Carolina Supreme Court reversing his convictions and life sentence for killing his wife and son.

The federal lawsuit, filed on Sunday, names former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill and alleges she violated Murdaugh’s constitutional right to a fair trial. The legal action demands punitive and compensatory damages plus attorney fees. Court documents show Murdaugh paid $600,000 for his trial defense.

The state’s highest court issued a unanimous decision on Wednesday determining that Hill “egregiously attacked Murdaugh’s credibility” by indicating to jury members during his 2023 trial that the formerly influential attorney was guilty and his testimony was unreliable.

Since discovering the bodies of his wife Maggie and younger son Paul outside their residence in 2021, Murdaugh has maintained his innocence in their deaths.

The federal complaint charges Hill with “reckless or callous indifference to Mr. Murdaugh’s federally protected right to trial before an impartial jury” and claims her actions stemmed from “evil motive or intent.”

Hill’s legal representative, Will Lewis, had not responded to requests for comment by Monday.

During a Monday press conference, Murdaugh’s lawyer Jim Griffin stated the lawsuit aims to hold Hill responsible for her actions and expose the “entire scope of her conduct.”

“She’s yet to be thoroughly investigated by the state, and she’s not been held accountable by the state,” he said.

Griffin described Murdaugh’s emotional reaction to the Supreme Court ruling.

“‘I’m reading it. I see it says reversed but I still have a hard time believing it,’” Griffin recalled Murdaugh saying.

Several jury members reported that Hill, who was responsible for managing evidence and jury oversight during the proceedings, instructed them to observe Murdaugh’s physical demeanor during his testimony and warned them not to be deceived or misled by his statements.

The South Carolina Supreme Court determined Hill’s actions were driven by the “siren call of celebrity” and aimed at boosting sales of her trial-related book titled “Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders.” The publication was withdrawn following accusations of plagiarism.

Hill has admitted guilt to providing false information about her statements and actions during the trial, including displaying disturbing crime scene photographs to multiple journalists.

Prosecutors have announced their intention to pursue a new trial against Murdaugh, indicating another extended legal proceeding is likely. The case gained widespread attention through various streaming series, popular books, and numerous true crime podcasts.

Law enforcement officials concluded that Murdaugh’s opioid addiction and elaborate financial fraud schemes targeting clients and his family’s legal practice were being exposed, leading him to murder his wife and son as a distraction while he searched for solutions to his mounting problems.

Murdaugh continues his incarceration. He admitted to embezzling approximately $12 million from clients and is currently serving concurrent sentences: 40 years federal time and 27 years state time for his financial offenses.

While America is home to numerous structures that date back hundreds of years, the majority of today’s construction professionals lack training in maintaining these historic properties. An innovative New Hampshire initiative is bridging this knowledge gap by instructing teenagers in traditional restoration methods.

The program focuses on teaching high school students the specialized skills needed to preserve and repair historic buildings, techniques that have largely disappeared from modern construction education.

Drivers using southbound Route 15 should expect delays this afternoon due to ongoing construction work that has forced the closure of the right travel lane.

The lane restriction affects the stretch of roadway between Wooded Way and Bison Road, with traffic reduced to the left lane only in that section.

Transportation officials indicate the lane closure will remain in effect until 4 PM today as crews complete their construction activities.

Motorists are advised to allow extra travel time and use caution when approaching the work zone area.

Two Navy aircraft crashed in a dramatic midair collision during an Idaho air show Sunday, but remarkably all four crew members aboard both planes managed to eject safely before the jets plummeted to the ground in a fiery explosion.

The incident occurred during the “Gunfighter Skies” air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base, located approximately 57 miles southwest of Boise.

According to Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, just one of the four crew members sustained injuries and received hospital treatment Monday. The injuries were described as non-life-threatening.

Aviation expert Billie Flynn, a former F-35 senior test pilot and demonstration specialist, described the successful ejections as “truly remarkable.”

“It is astonishing considering the way the airplanes impacted each other — incomprehensible even,” Flynn stated.

The aircraft involved were two U.S. Navy EA18-G Growlers from Electronic Attack Squadron 129 based at Whidbey Island, Washington. Each plane carried two crew members.

The EA-18G Growler spans 60.2 feet in length and completed its inaugural flight in August 2006, marking the first new electronic warfare aircraft design in over 35 years, Navy records show. The aircraft saw its first combat deployment in Libya during 2011 and has since operated globally.

Spectator footage captured the moments before impact, showing one aircraft positioned slightly behind the other. Upon collision, the jets became locked together, with one plane’s underside pressed against the top of the other aircraft.

The combined wreckage then spun and rocked together, momentarily pointing skyward before rotating downward toward the earth. The ground impact created a massive fireball with black smoke billowing upward.

The crew members ejected in rapid sequence, their parachutes deploying as the aircraft began their fatal descent.

Flynn analyzed the collision footage and suggested pilot error as the likely cause.

The video evidence indicates the pilots were attempting to align their aircraft closely in a wing-tip to wing-tip formation but failed to complete the standard rejoining maneuver safely, Flynn explained.

“This is clearly a pilot error,” Flynn concluded.

Military officials have not disclosed any details about potential contributing factors to the crash. Umayam confirmed an investigation is ongoing while recovery operations for the destroyed aircraft continue.

“Our priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of our personnel, as well as security of the aircraft during the recovery,” Umayam stated in correspondence with The Associated Press.

John Cox, an aviation safety specialist and CEO of Safety Operating Systems, noted that air show pilots represent the elite tier of aviators, but operate within extremely narrow safety margins.

“Air show flying is demanding. It has very little tolerance,” Cox explained. “The people who do it are very good and it’s a small margin for error. I’m glad everybody was able to get out.”

The air show sector has pursued enhanced safety measures across approximately 200 annual events nationwide. The most recent fatal air show incidents occurred in 2024, claiming two lives in separate crashes at different venues.

Sunday’s Gunfighter Skies event marked the first air show at the base since 2018, when a hang glider pilot perished during a performance crash.

The base previously experienced a 2003 Thunderbirds aircraft crash during a maneuver attempt. That pilot avoided injury by directing the plane away from spectators and ejecting moments before ground impact.

John Cudahy, president and CEO of the International Council of Air Shows, reported significant safety improvements over recent decades. Annual U.S. air show fatalities averaged 3.8 deaths from 1991 to 2006, but have declined to an average of 1.1 deaths yearly since 2017, even accounting for a 2022 Dallas collision between vintage aircraft that killed six people. No air show deaths occurred in 2025 or 2023, and no spectator fatalities have happened at U.S. air shows since 1952.

A Minnesota county prosecutor filed criminal charges Monday against a federal immigration officer who shot a Venezuelan man during an immigration enforcement operation earlier this year.

Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of filing a false crime report in connection with the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who announced the charges during a press conference. Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Castro.

The shooting occurred after Castro and another federal officer pursued a different individual to an apartment duplex shared by that person and Sosa-Celis. During the incident, the federal officer shot Sosa-Celis in the leg, Moriarty said. She noted that both Sosa-Celis and the other resident were in the United States legally.

Initially, federal authorities claimed that Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna had attacked an officer using a broom handle and snow shovel during the confrontation. However, a federal judge subsequently dropped those charges, and federal officials launched an inquiry into whether the two immigration officers provided false testimony under oath regarding the events.

Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor Justice Department officials responded immediately to requests for comment. DHS has previously stated that providing false testimony under oath constitutes a “serious federal offense” and that dishonest statements could lead to termination or criminal prosecution of officers.

Last month, Minneapolis officials made public surveillance footage of the incident, which was recorded from a distance by a municipal security camera.

The federal government deployed thousands of officers to the Minneapolis and St. Paul region as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide deportation initiative. The Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency, labeled Operation Metro Surge as its most extensive immigration enforcement effort to date and declared it successful.

However, the multi-week operation generated significant tensions, and the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers sparked widespread protests and raised concerns about officer behavior.

Hennepin County, which encompasses Minneapolis, has been examining several incidents from the operation and brought charges last month against another ICE agent for alleged misconduct while performing official duties.

Minnesota officials and the Trump administration have disagreed over which government level has authority to investigate and prosecute officers for actions taken during official operations. The Trump administration has questioned whether Minnesota officials possess proper jurisdiction.

State authorities have expressed distrust in the federal government’s ability to investigate its own personnel or ensure accountability.

Hennepin County is still investigating the deaths of Good and Pretti and filed a lawsuit against the administration in March seeking access to evidence in those cases and the Sosa-Celis matter. While Moriarty has not brought charges in either death, she has expressed confidence that her office’s investigations will provide transparency, regardless of whether criminal charges result.

The nation’s top aviation official plans to acknowledge before lawmakers Tuesday that federal regulators ignored critical warning signs ahead of a devastating January aircraft collision that claimed 67 lives near Reagan Washington National Airport.

The National Transportation Safety Board concluded in January that multiple systematic breakdowns within the Federal Aviation Administration contributed to the deadly mid-air crash between a commercial regional aircraft operated by American Airlines and a military helicopter, marking the nation’s worst aviation tragedy in more than twenty years.

“Our airspace system was providing warning signals prior to that tragic evening. The issue was not a lack of data — it was a failure to translate that data into action,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford will tell a U.S. Senate Commerce subcommittee in written testimony. “That is the gap we are urgently closing.”

Bedford highlighted that the FAA has implemented multiple safety improvements, including a March decision to halt the practice of visual separation between aircraft and helicopters at major aviation facilities.

The March regulatory changes referenced two recent close-call situations, including a dangerous encounter between an American Airlines aircraft and a police helicopter near the San Antonio airport.

The administrator described an extensive internal restructuring currently underway at the FAA “that includes streamlining leadership roles (and) eliminating silos which hinder transparency and information sharing.”

Investigators determined the collision resulted from the FAA’s choice to permit helicopter operations near the airport without proper safeguards to maintain distance from commercial aircraft, combined with the agency’s inability to analyze data and implement recommendations for relocating helicopter routes away from the facility.

Data shows that beginning in 2021, Reagan airport experienced 15,200 air separation incidents involving commercial planes and helicopters, with 85 classified as close-call situations.

Following the 2025 tragedy, the FAA implemented helicopter traffic limitations around Reagan Airport and established similar restrictions at Baltimore, Las Vegas and Washington Dulles airports. The agency also decreased the rate of incoming flights at Reagan.

In related developments, the U.S. Department of Transportation is requesting Congressional approval for an additional $10 billion to advance air traffic control modernization efforts, building on $12.5 billion allocated in the previous year.

“With more than 18,000,000 flights managed and over one billion passenger movements traveling across our skies annually, our current system has reached its limits,” Bedford stated.