A Florida teen found dead last week in a burglarized Port Charlotte home is being hailed a hero after his family said he died while protecting his 5-year-old sister.
The body of Khyler Edman, 15, was discovered by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office after deputies canvassed the area following the arrest Ryan Clayton Cole, 27, for burglary.
Deputies first responded to the area at around 4:00 p.m. Thursday over reports of an “injured white male walking in the streets.” The suspect later identified as Cole fled the area behind a home on Starlite Lane, police said.
At the same time, police received a separate 911 call from a home on Conway Blvd. that an unknown man had entered the residence.
After a short foot pursuit, police apprehended Cole, who was found with several stab wounds on his hands and side. He was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
After his arrest, police searched the area for more homes and that’s when they discovered Khyler’s body and his sister, “uninjured.”
“It is believed that Cole received his injuries inside the same residence during a violent encounter,” police said in a news release.
On Monday, Khlyer’s family also released a statement on GoFundMe calling him a “hero.”
“On September 26th Khyler lost his life being a hero protecting his 5-year-old sister, when a man broke in our home in Port Charlotte,” they said before adding that he “lost his life due to a senseless act of a stranger.”
“My son had a long life ahead of him, that was taken too soon,” the family wrote.
Cole has not been charged in the teen’s death but he is facing burglary of an occupied dwelling and petit theft.
Originally appeared on Fox News
Two Ohio day care workers face child endangerment charges after police said they failed to stop a violent assault against a 5-year-old girl in a disturbing incident that was caught on camera last month.
Authorities said the shocking Aug. 13 footage shows several older students “grabbing, pulling, dragging, swinging, and just ‘bullying’ the victim,” who appeared so frightened that she kept her eyes closed and tried “to curl up into a fetal position.”
During the horrific incident at Worthington Learning Center in Columbus, suspects Emma Dietrich and Joshua Tennant just sat in their chairs and watched the cowardly attack unfold right in front of them, police said in a news release this week.
Dietrich, 31, and Tennant, 27, were arrested Tuesday following an investigation by the Columbus Division of Police.
Authorities said the video eventually shows Tennant grabbing the victim — first by her right ankle and then her left leg — and carrying her upside down to a nearby rug.
Police on Wednesday released a single frame from the video showing the moment Tennant appears to be holding the girl by her leg.
The attack began around 11:20 a.m. after one of the bullies brought the victim to Dietrich’s classroom. At one point, police said, “the victim attempts to get away from the other students & they continue to ‘bully’ her by grabbing her & holding her down.”
The Worthington Learning Center has cooperated with the investigation, according to the release.
The day care owner, Lisa Rowe, told local station WBNS that she was “heartbroken” over the incident and that both suspects have been fired.
The girl’s mother told the station that the episode only came to light because one of the kids who witnessed the brutal incident told a parent, who then called authorities.
Originally appeared on NY Daily News
Ready or not, here cops come!
More than 3,000 people planned a giant game of hide-and-seek at an IKEA store in Scotland — but a team of police officers weren’t playing around and broke up the fun, according to reports.
Revelers planned to turn the sprawling furniture chain in Glasgow into an impromptu playground on a Facebook event page last week, prompting the store to call police, according to The Scotsman newspaper.
Five cops stayed at the shop for the entire day on Aug. 31 to gauge whether folks were browsing for a cheap desk — or actually hunting the perfect spot to hide.
“People are stopping everyone who looks like they are here for a game of hide and seek,” one customer, Lewis Phillips told the paper.
Ultimately, there were no arrests, and no major “issues” for cops to deal with, a rep for the store said.
In Europe, the trend of playing the game at IKEAs has picked up steam in recent years, with a stunning 32,000 Facebook users signing up for one event in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Players hide in everything from refrigerators to bed frames and say the 300,000-plus square foot shops are the perfect spot to play.
Originally appeared on The New York Post
A massive storm surge in the Bahamas killed about 200 dogs and 50 cats in an animal shelter during Hurricane Dorian, according to staffers at the shelter.
Felicia Telfort, the shelter supervisor at the Humane Society of Grand Bahama, says she and five co-workers did everything possible to save the animals. They were looking after 190 dogs and 85 cats when the storm hit.
Elizabeth Burrows, executive director of the humane society, said they thought the building was safe. It was built in 2008 with an elevated foundation, specifically to avoid the danger of flooding. Since recent storms didn’t flood the shelter, Burrows thought they could survive Dorian.
But the slow-moving Category 5 hurricane hovered over the islands and delivered an unexpected amount of rainfall. A massive storm surge washed over the island and water invaded the interior of the animal shelter.
The staff desperately tried to save the dogs by elevating their crates, even as water rose up to their chests, Telfort said. Cell phone video shows a vehicle outside almost entirely submerged in the flood, and water inside the building.
But eventually the water rose so high the shelter staff had to save themselves. Telfort said they were in the middle of rearranging the cages and had no time to do anything to move to safety.
The staff climbed into the attic through a small hole in the ceiling, Telfort said. With no stairs or ladders, they had to pull each other up.
There was no way to bring the animals. The staff stayed in the attic as the storm raged, listening to the crying and howling of the kenneled dogs.
Then the howling and crying stopped. The silence meant 90 had died in the flooding, according to Telfort and Burrows. The shelter staff survived.
Most of the animals were waiting to be adopted, but a few had been left behind by families that fled the island or went to shelters that don’t allow pets.
Though she couldn’t have predicted the depth of the flood waters, Burrows said she feels responsible — and “devastated.”
“My heart is broken for the sheltered animals that we lost,” she said. “I feel so bad for the people who entrusted their animals to us and ultimately we couldn’t protect them.”
After the storm receded, a few more dogs died, leaving 75 dogs and 50 cats surviving, they said. The shelter is caring for the surviving animals, but the flood destroyed all of the shelter’s medical supplies, food and vehicles.
Originally appeared on CNN
A group of New Hampshire high school football players was captured in a sick video beating a duck with a broomstick then strangling it to death, according to new reports.
Several student-athletes who attend Kennett High School in North Conway were suspended from upcoming football games after video emerged of the animal being killed at a training camp in late August, news station WMUR reported.
Footage showed the teammates luring ducks out of the water before one of the players hit the animal over the head. The animal was later strangled to death, the Conway Daily Sun reported.
“The heinous activity of a duck being hit over the head with a broomstick is what ended up happening,” Kennett Consolidated School District Superintendent Kevin Richard said, adding “it was maimed pretty badly.”
The duck-bashing video was shared online, prompting several concerned calls to school officials, the news station reported.
Students seen in the clip were suspended for up to three games based on their role in the alleged animal torture, according to the Daily Sun.
“There are very strong opinions both ways, and you try to come back with what you think is reasonable, and also recognizing that these are adolescents that make bad choices and this was a grievous mistake,” Richard told WMUR.
Originally appeared on The New York Post
A French couple is facing years of jail time after stealing almost 90 pounds of sand from Sardinia, the Italian island known for its picturesque beaches. The alleged thieves told police they were taking the sand home because they wanted to keep it as a “souvenir,” Italian media reported.
According to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, two French citizens poured white sand into 14 plastic bottles from Chia, a beach in southern Sardinia, and put them in the trunk of their SUV. The couple wanted to take it home as a memory of their vacation, but instead were caught on a ferry en route to Toulon, France.
The pair was charged with theft under aggravated circumstance for having stolen from a public beach. They face between one and six years of jail time, according to the report.
Sand theft is a growing concern on the island. Tourists bottle the sand up to then auction on online sites, BBC reports.
“Sandy beaches are one of the main attractions of Sardinia,” a local environmental scientist told the BBC. “There are two threats: one is due to erosion, which is partly natural and partly induced by the increasing sea level due to climate change; the second is sand stealing by tourists.”
A 2017 law made trade in sand, pebbles and shells illegal and punishable with fines of up to $3,300. – CBS NEWS
Four girls were arrested Thursday in what police described as “sick and disgusting crimes,” after a group of teens was caught on video beating a 15-year-old girl with special needs.
Police Lt. Ozzie Valdez, the acting commander of Area Central, said earlier Thursday that three girls – ages 13, 14, and 15 – were charged in the attack. Two of the girls were charged with aggravated battery and the other was charged with mob action.
A fourth girl, age 15, was also arrested Thursday afternoon and charged in connection with the attack, police said. Police did not release the specific charges against the fourth girl.
The charges come as CBS 2 has learned the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is also involved.
Police said the teens who attacked the girl knew the victim before the attack, and she believed they were her friends.
“It broke my heart to see this group of young people turn on her and escalate it into what we saw, a physical assault,” Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said. “There simply cannot be room for this type of divisive and hateful behavior.”
Video of the beating was posted on social media, and Chicago police began investigating after CBS 2 sent them a link to the video.
Valdez has said the girl met with several teens who “she thought were her friends” on the day of the attack. Those friends taught her how to flash gang signs before the beating.
A family friend has said the girls who attacked the victim were upset that she did not want to participate in a sex act they were planning and that was going to report it to police.
Johnson did not specifically confirm that claim.
“There was some things going on that these young ladies wanted her to do that she didn’t do, but we’ll leave it at that for now,” Johnson said Thursday afternoon at police headquarters.
Police have said they also are investigating whether the girl was sexually assaulted, based on her statements to detectives, but Johnson would not discuss that investigation.
“We’re not prepared to talk about that at this time,” he said.
Meanwhile, the girl’s father spoke out on Thursday, as CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov reported.
“I’m hopeful, right, thankful, right, that my daughter has been found,” he said. “And her condition, right, I hope that it improves.”
CBS 2 is not identifying the girl’s father or other relatives, to shield her identity because she is a victim, possibly of a sexual assault.
The girl’s father wanted to thank those who helped his daughter. He has also acknowledged that there is now a DCFS investigation into his family.
“At the moment, she’s in protective custody, and whatnot, for her own safety and well-being,” he said, “and that’s it.”
In a statement, DCFS officials also revealed that the department has had prior contact with the family. The reason is something no one wanted to answer.
“Because there is an investigation still that’s going,” said a man with the girl’s father.
The girl’s father reported her missing the day after the attack. Hours later police learned about the video and launched a criminal investigation.
“If you’re dumb enough to post a crime on social media, that just shows you where your head is,” Johnson said.
In the video, the victim is seen trying to defend herself as another girl continues to corner her and hit her – with the help of others.
“One of her friends hit her in the face, striking her in the head, that left lacerations on her forehead,” community activist and family friend Stringer Harris said on Wednesday. “Another friend attacked her brutally and beat her and another gentleman was there as well.”
The victim’s grandmother said the girl’s attackers must face consequences.
“I’m mad that they took advantage of my baby like that,” she said. “They need to get off the street. If they did it to her, they’ll do it to someone else.”
Three of the girls who were charged in the case turned themselves in to police with their parents Wednesday night. Johnson suggested ...
A man who spent decades in prison for fatally stabbing his wife was released after being deemed too old to pose a threat — only to be convicted this week of a nearly identical crime.
It took jurors in Maine less than an hour to find Albert Flick, 77, guilty in the 2018 murder of a homeless mother, Kimberly Dobbie, who was stabbed at least 11 times while her twin sons watched.
That crime is eerily similar to the slaying that sent Flick to jail for 25 years in 1979 — slashing his then-wife Sandra Flick 14 times in front of her daughter.
Flick was freed in 2004 — only to be sent back to jail in 2010 for assaulting another woman.
The judge at the time ignored the recommendation for a longer sentence, saying Flick wouldn’t be a threat because of his age and it didn’t make sense to keep him locked up.
Flick was released four years later in 2014 and moved to Lewiston.
Prosecutors said he met Dobbie, 48, and became infatuated with her, stalking her and dining at the homeless shelter where she was staying.
Assistant Attorney General Bud Ellis told jurors Flick knew Dobbie was planning on skipping town and thought to himself: “If I can’t have her, I will kill her.”
Two days before the murder Flick purchased a pair of knives at a Walmart, prosecutors said.
He then attacked Dobbie in broad daylight in front of a laundromat, piercing her heart and lungs.
Her 11-year-old twin sons witnessed the slaying. It was also caught on surveillance footage.
Elsie Clement, the woman who was a child when she watched Flick stab her mother to death, said the judge who set him free will have to answer to Dobbie’s children.
“I would like to just see [everyone involved] in a line and stand there and tell [Dobbie’s] boys, explain to them how this man was on the streets and how it’s OK,” Clement told the local NBC outlet.
“How the law makes it alright for their mom to now be gone and for them to have to witness it.” – New York Post
A six-year-old girl died Monday after being struck in the head by a golf ball that her father hit. The child was sitting in a parked golf cart on a path to the left of where her father was teeing off.
The young girl was flown to a hospital in Salt Lake City in critical condition and died from her injuries later Monday evening. The child was identified as Aria Hill.
Aria’s uncle told KSL the young girl was her father’s “golfing buddy.” The two were at Sleepy Ridge Golf Course in Orem, Utah, police said.
“She loved doing it and had a good time with it all,” David Smith said. “That was one of their things that they would do together. It was something that was really important to them and something they did all the time.”
The incident is being investigated as a tragic accident, Orem Police Lt. Trent Colledge said, adding that police are not pursuing charges.
The tremor struck around 180 kilometres east of the town of Moyobamba at a depth of 105 kilometres, the USGS reported on Sunday.
A 8.0-magnitude earthquake has rocked northern Peru, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The USGS previously reported a 7.5 quake. The affected countries besides Peru include Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador.
Republican lawmakers displayed the party’s growing distrust toward Google, raising a broad array of tough questions on the search giant’s market power, plans to relaunch service in China, and whether the site suppresses conservative content. At the core of their questions was a concern over the company’s commitment to free expression. “All of these topics — competition, censorship, bias and others — point to one fundamental question that demands the nation’s attention,” said Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the House Republican leader. “Are America’s technology companies serving as instruments of freedom or instruments of control?” “Because a free world depends on a free internet, we need to know that Google is on the side of the free world,” Mr. McCarthy said. Representative Robert W. Goodlatte of Virginia, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, highlighted the importance of scrutinizing Google because of the company’s market power in search, cloud-based email and its Android mobile operating system. Mr. Goodlatte also raised concerns that the liberal-leaning political biases of employees may also affect filtering decisions for its search engine. He mentioned a leaked video the day after the 2016 presidential election showing top officials lamenting the victory of President Trump. “This committee is very interested in what justifies filtering,” Mr. Goodlatte said. “Given the revelation that top executives at Google have discussed how the results of the 2016 elections do not comply with Google’s values, these questions have become all the more important.” Mr. McCarthy is among several Republican members who have made online political bias a talking point in campaign fund-raisers. Claims of anti-conservative bias within the technology of Google, Facebook and Twitter have been disputed by numerous technologists and academics. Democrats had their own set of tough questions for Mr. Pichai on privacy and the company’s competitive practices. But they also expressed frustration with the political bias claims. “I must dispense with the complete illegitimate fantasy dreamed up by some conservatives that Google and other platforms have anti-conservative bias,” said Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the top Democrat on the committee. Praise for Google as Well. Officials were expected to be merciless for Mr. Pichai’s first appearance before Congress. When he declined to appear in a Senate hearing in September, lawmakers called the act “arrogant,” and they put out an empty chair in his absence. Though lawmakers asked Mr. Pichai a variety of pointed questions, they also lauded Google as an American icon. “Your company should really be held out as a success story of America’s free enterprise system,” said Representative Keith Rothfus, a Republican of Pennsylvania. “Despite the nature and scope of today’s hearing, Google is still the story of the American dream,” Mr. Goodlatte said. “We do not want to impose burdensome regulations on your industry,” said Representative Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana. Going into a third hour of the hearing, Republicans offered little detail on how they would follow up on concerns about privacy and anti-conservative bias. Democrats, in large part, defended the company of political bias claims. Representative Ted Lieu, Democrat of California, said negative news coverage of members like Representative Steve King, Republican of Iowa, were perhaps the result of his views on immigration. “Don’t blame Google or Facebook or Twitter, consider blaming yourself,” Mr. Lieu said. During Mr. Pichai’s testimony, the first question from Mr. Goodlatte was about whether consumers understand the frequency and amount of location data that Google collects from its Android operating system. It was the first of many questions directed at Mr. Pichai about the collection of location data and apps that run on Android smartphones, some citing an investigation by The New York Times. Mr. Pichai ...
The chief executive of Samsung Electronics made a public apology on Friday while promising compensation to workers who developed cancer after working at some of its factories. The 2007 death of a Samsung chip factory worker with leukemia sparked concerns over working conditions at the South Korean company.
Samsung Electronics apologised Friday to workers who developed cancer after working at some of its factories, finally ending a decade-long dispute at the world’s top chipmaker.
The father of a dead 22-year-old worker and the company’s co-president Kim Ki- nam signed a formal settlement agreement in Seoul as other disabled ex- employees looked on.
“We sincerely apologise to the workers who suffered from illness and their families,” said the firm’s co-president Kim Ki-nam. “We have failed to properly manage health risks at our semiconductor and LCD factories.”
Samsung Electronics is the world’s biggest mobile phone manufacturer and chipmaker and the flagship subsidiary of the Samsung Group, by far the biggest of the family-controlled conglomerates that dominate the South’s economy.
Samsung currently operates vast semiconductor production compounds in Suwon as well as the cities of Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, as well as Xian in China.
Samsung currently operates vast semiconductor production compounds in Suwon as well as the cities of Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, as well as Xian in China.
Campaign groups say that about 240 people have suffered from work-related illnesses after being employed at Samsung
with around 80 of them -- many of them young women -- dying.
Under a deal announced earlier this month, Samsung Electronics will pay the group’s employees compensation of up to 150 million won ($133,000) per case.
It covers 16 types of cancer, some other rare illnesses, miscarriages and congenital diseases suffered by the workers’ children. Claimants can have worked at plants as far back as 1984.
The scandal emerged in 2007 when former workers at its semiconductor and display factories in Suwon, south of Seoul, and their families said that staff had been diagnosed or died of various forms of cancer.
A series of rulings and decisions by courts, Seoul’s state labour welfare agency and a mediation committee followed over more than 10 years, culminating in Friday’s announcement.
Hwang Sang-ki, who signed the agreement on behalf of the workers and their families, told reporters he was glad to have fulfilled his promise to his daughter, who died of leukaemia in 2007, to prove Samsung was to blame for her death.
But he went on: “The apology honestly was not enough for the families of the victims but we will accept it.
“No amount of apology will be enough to heal all the insults, the pain of industrial injuries and the suffering of losing one’s family.
“I cannot forget the pain she and our family went through. Too many people have suffered the same fate.”
Trade secret
Little is known about possible connections between the production process in the factories and the workers’ illnesses, as Samsung has refused to disclose what specific chemical substances it uses, describing the information as a trade secret.
Hwang and other relatives have sought a court order to compel it to release the details.
“Compensation for industrial injury is important, but what’s more important is prevention,” said Hwang, whose story was made into a movie in 2013.
Samsung has played a key part in the South’s rise to become the world’s 11th- largest economy, but it is also the focus of resentment over the power and influence of the chaebols and has faced accusations of murky political connections.
Its de facto leader Lee Jae-yong was found guilty of bribing former president Park Geun-hye as part of the corruption scandal that brought her down, and he spent almost a year in prison before most of his convictions were overturned on appeal and he was released.
The cancer scandal is one of the worst instances of indu...
A New Orleans man was arrested at a Willie's Chicken Shack after allegedly claiming he was going to "blow the bathroom up."
Problem is … the guy claims he was talking about butt bombs -- not actual explosives!!!
And yes, this is a real story.
The man in the mug shot is 30-year-old Arthur Posey -- who hit up the Canal Street restaurant at night on Nov. 13.
Employees told police Posey made a violent threat against the place -- allegedly saying, "Y’all about to close right now because I’m going to get a bomb and blow this place up.”
When cops tracked down Posey, he claimed it was a giant misunderstanding -- explaining he told staffers he was going to "blow the bathroom up" … meaning, he was gonna poop his brains out.
Cops didn't buy what Posey was selling and arrested him. He's now facing 2 counts of communicating false information of planned arson.
He's due back in court later this month -- where he'll try to convince a judge the allegations are just a bunch of crap.
| Original Post
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There 's a $5,000 reward for anyone with info leading to the conviction for the person who shot dolphin to death
This Feb. 24, 2016, photo shows a different deceased dolphin being handled by a wildlife specialist on a beach in Argentina. (Fundacion Mundo Marino via AP)
Want to make $5,000? If you know who shot and killed a dolphin in California, the money is yours if you have info that leads to a conviction. "There is NO excuse for such brutality against these beautiful animals," Marine Animal Rescue of El Segundo writes on its Facebook page, next to an "upsetting" picture of the dolphin it retrieved Nov. 8 in Manhattan Beach after receiving a call about it, per NBC News. After the group had the dolphin undergo a necropsy, it was discovered the marine creature had died of a gunshot wound; a doctor was able to pull the bullet out of the dolphin, says MAR President Peter Wallerstein.
"It's just a vicious act of brutality," he adds, noting that he's asked the National Marine Fisheries Service to open an investigation into the killing. Wallerstein says in more than 30 years in the field, he's never seen a shot dolphin. He's also not optimistic the perp will be caught—"we very rarely find these people"—but the $5,000 reward might help convince someone to offer up info. "What the reward does is put on notice," he says. (Sea lions and a seal were shot to death in a "heartbreaking" incident near Seattle.)
| Original Post
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stan Lee, the creative dynamo who revolutionized the comic book and helped make billions for Hollywood by introducing human frailties in superheroes such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk, died Monday. He was 95.
Lee was declared dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to Kirk Schenck, an attorney for Lee’s daughter, J.C. Lee.
As the top writer at Marvel Comics and later as its publisher, Lee was widely considered the architect of the contemporary comic book. He revived the industry in the 1960s by offering the costumes and action craved by younger readers while insisting on sophisticated plots, college-level dialogue, satire, science fiction, even philosophy.
Millions responded to the unlikely mix of realistic fantasy, and many of his characters, including Spider-Man, the Hulk and X-Men went on to become stars of blockbuster films. Recent projects he helped make possible range from the films “Black Panther” and “Doctor Strange” to such TV series as “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Lee was recognizable to his fans — he had cameos in Marvel films and TV projects, his hair gray and his glasses tinted.
“I think everybody loves things that are bigger than life. … I think of them as fairy tales for grown-ups,” he told The Associated Press in a 2006 interview. “We all grew up with giants and ogres and witches. Well, you get a little bit older and you’re too old to read fairy tales. But I don’t think you ever outgrow your love for those kinds of things, things that are bigger than life and magical and very imaginative.”
Lee considered the comic-book medium an art form and he was prolific: By some accounts, he came up with a new comic book every day for 10 years.
“I wrote so many I don’t even know. I wrote either hundreds or thousands of them,” he told the AP in 2006.
He hit his stride in the 1960s when he brought the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Iron Man and numerous others to life.
“It was like there was something in the air. I couldn’t do anything wrong,” he recalled.
His heroes, meanwhile, were a far cry from virtuous do-gooders such as rival DC Comics’ Superman.
The Fantastic Four fought with each other. Spider-Man was goaded into superhero work by his alter ego, Peter Parker, who suffered from unrequited crushes, money problems, and dandruff. The Silver Surfer, an alien doomed to wander Earth’s atmosphere, waxed about the woeful nature of man. The Hulk was marked by self-loathing. Daredevil was blind and Iron Man had a weak heart.
“The beauty of Stan Lee’s characters is that they were characters first and superheroes next,” Jeff Kline, executive producer of the “Men in Black” animated television series, told The Blade of Toledo, Ohio, in 1998.
Some of Lee’s creations became symbols of social change — the inner turmoil of Spider-Man represented ’60s America, for example, while The Black Panther and The Savage She-Hulk mirrored the travails of minorities and women.
Lee scripted most of Marvel’s superhero comics himself during the ’60s, including the Avengers and the X-Men, two of the most enduring. In 1972, he became Marvel’s publisher and editorial director; four years later, 72 million copies of Spider-Man were sold.
“He’s become our Mickey Mouse,” he once said of the masked, web-crawling crusader.
Lee also published several books, including “The Superhero Women” in 1977 and “How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way” the following year, when he was named publisher of the year by the Periodical and Book Association of America.
CBS turned the Hulk into a successful TV series, with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno portraying the doomed scientist from 1978-82. A Spider-Man series ran briefly in 1978. Both characters were featured in animated TV series as well.
The first big-budget movie based on Lee’s characters, “X-Men,” was a smash in 2000, earning more than $130 million at North American theaters. “Spider-Man” did even better, ...
An investigation conducted by 20 Northwestern students found a new witness who cast doubt on the conviction
A Medill Justice Project investigation led by Northwestern University students in 2015 resulted in overturning a murder conviction for a Miami man.
Andre Gonzales, who spent 12 years in prison for a murder he said he did not commit, was freed from prison Tuesday.
“I’m feeling outrageous right now,” Gonzales, who also goes by Tony Brown, told The Medill Justice Project. “I’m just so happy, thrilled.”
Twenty NU students working for MJP investigated Gonzales’s murder conviction, researching and conducting extensive interviews with people involved in the case. The project, part of the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, has investigated potentially wrongful convictions, probed criminal justice issues and conducted groundbreaking research since 1999.
"We are pleased that the Medill Justice Project is able to shine a light on cases that merit additional consideration to ensure that justice is truly served,” said Medill Interim Dean Charles Whitaker. “The Medill students who work myriad hours on these cases learn the tenets of investigative journalism, which they use throughout their careers. We remain committed to this very important work."
This week, Florida prosecutors dropped all charges against Gonzales a month after a Miami circuit court judge vacated his 2005 murder conviction and ordered a new trial.
The September order from Judge Miguel M de la O followed a November 2017 evidentiary hearing where a key eyewitness, Arnold “Maniac” Clark, testified that he witnessed the murder and that Gonzales, now 46, was not the killer. Clark first told his account to The Medill Justice Project in 2015 and said then that he would not testify at the original trial because he was fearful of retribution.
Gonzales credits MJP and the work of the students with his release.
“Let’s not forget now that Medill is the most important thing that happened for me because Medill and the students did such an excellent investigation and it really helped,” he said.
“The Medill Justice Project receives hundreds of letters and tips every year from attorneys, inmates, and their families,” said Medill Associate Dean Beth Bennett. “MJP looks at all requests and then carefully selects cases where there are questionable circumstances around the conviction. The Andre Gonzalez case is exemplary because what the students found was so revealing.”
Philip Reizenstein, Gonzales’ attorney, called Gonzales’ release “one of the highlights” of his career.
“This is why you do public interest law when you can help somebody and free who’ve been wrongly convicted,” Reizenstein said.
In 2005, Gonzales was convicted of second-degree murder, attempted first- degree murder, armed robbery and attempted armed robbery after a shooting that took place outside of a nightclub in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood. Almost 10 years later, MJP identified and tracked down Clark, who said he witnessed the armed robbery and vouched he is certain authorities got the wrong man.
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An investigation is underway after parents from an Ipswich school raised concerns over a pupil who allegedly told their children he was lying about his age.
The pupil, who attends Stoke High School in Ipswich, claims to be 15 years old.
However, pupils have recently told their parents that he may actually much older than he says he is.
The students have claimed that he has been lying about his age to the British authorities so that he could get an education here, as his previous qualifications were not recognized in the UK.
Some people can often come into the UK without any paperwork and it can be difficult to identify a person’s real age. The student in question would have gone through an age test, where they are asked questions about their past.
The Home Office has now taken on the investigation into the age of the individual and how he became enrolled at the school.
When asked for a comment they issued this statement: “We do not routinely comment on individual cases.”
One concerned parent, who did not want to be named, said: “This is extremely concerning. He has told students he has had to lie to go get into high school to complete his GCSEs.”
An image taken on Snapchat by one pupil shows the man dressed in uniform in a year 11 math class. The text across the image reads: “How is there a 30-year- old man in our math class.”
A statement from Stoke High School spokesman said: “This is a matter for the Home Office. They are looking into this after we contacted them.
“We do not comment on individual cases but we have followed government and local authority policies and guidance, as we do for any asylum admissions matter.”
The school takes on asylum seekers as required.
Another parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said:
“My son goes to the school and it is not a nice thought that this man is around children and sitting with them at lunch.”
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Verified
Eleven people were killed and six wounded in a shooting at a synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh on Saturday… Here might be the reason or part of the reason why Robert Bowers decided to commit the crime.
Newspaper Scan
The distance from Randall G. Bowers home to The Tree of Life Congregation… which is just 8 minutes away driving in a vehicle, or 2.2 miles away.
According to the article on the newspaper, Randall G. Bowers who faced prosecution in a rape case, was found dead of an apparent suicide. He was found in a picnic area near the Tionesta Dam. According to troopers, he had shot himself in the chest with a .22 caliber rifle. He was about to undergo trial in connection with the sexual assault of a 20-year old woman in the 5600 block of Beacon Street, Squirrel Hill.
Statement : This news item from 39 years ago would seem to shed some light on the mental condition of the shooter. Notice that the alleged rape took place in the same Squirrel Hill community where the congregation was attacked. As yet, Bowers has no known connection to that neighborhood. Was he targeting his father's accusers? Let us know what you think
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A soccer star was found dead in a bush “almost beheaded and with his genitals severed,” according to reports.
Sao Paulo star Daniel Correa Freitas, 24, was discovered in Sao Jose dos Pinhais, a city in Brazil’s southern state of Parana, on Saturday night.
A tweet from his Serie A club — the top division in Brazil — posted in the early hours of Sunday confirmed the worst. It read: “The Sao Paulo football club deeply regrets the death of midfielder Daniel Correa Freitas. The club sympathizes and pays condolences to the athlete’s family.”
The official cause of death has not been confirmed. But a detailed report in local newspaper Band B claimed Freitas was the victim of “torture.”
Quoting a municipal guard, the report stated: “From the appearance of the body, it was a very violent situation. The man had two deep cuts on his neck, his head was nearly beheaded, and his genitals were severed.”
It was claimed that people walking through the area discovered the body.
The report went on to say: “This road is a bit deserted and already known for the dumping of corpses. Everything indicates the man was executed here on the street and dragged for about 100 feet.”
Known as Daniel, the attacking midfielder started his career with Botafogo before moving to Sao Paulo in 2015.
Sao Paulo is one of the biggest and most popular soccer teams in Brazil.
Correa Freitas spent the last two years away from the club on loan, first with second-division side Coritiba, before moving to Ponte Preta and then fellow second-tier side Sao Bento — the club he was playing for at the time of his death.
Botafogo was among the clubs to offer their condolences.
A tweet read: “Note of regret: Botafogo regrets the demise of former player Daniel Correa Freitas and expresses solidarity with friends and family.”
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Willie Jones Jr. was found hanging from a tree outside at the home of his child’s mother on Feb. 8th in the Mississippi county of Scott County.
Now seven months later, his family has joined together with the Scott County Chapter NAACP, the New Black Panther Party, the Jackson Chapter of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, and two Jackson lawyers to learn more information about Jones death.
October 22 about two dozen people came to the Masonic lodge near the Jackson State University campus to plan the next steps to garner community support for the case the Jackson Free Press reported.
“I can’t sleep, and I won’t sleep until justice is served,” Tammie Townsend, Jones’ mother, said.
In a statement released by the family stated Jones had been dating a white woman in her 20’s off and on for a few years and they had a child together. Jones accompanied his child’s mother to her home just before he died.
The woman and Willie were alleged to have an argument, “Less than an hour later, Willie’s mother, Tammie Townsend, received a call saying her son was hanging from a tree in his child’s mother’s front yard” according to the statement.
Scott County Sheriff Mike Lee said that his untimely death is consistent with suicide and has no evidence of a racially motivated crime according to the Associated Press.
Lee said witnesses told his office that Jones got into an altercation with his girlfriend and threatened to hang himself shortly before he was found dead near her home.
However, Jones mother does not believe her son committed suicide.
“Saying my son hung himself—I don’t believe it. I’ll never believe it,” Townsend said. “There is nothing they can do to make me believe my child hung himself. He didn’t have a drug problem, he wasn’t depressed. He was always smiling. He’d give you the shirt off his back. And I know this is what he would want me to do.”
Thomas Bellinder, one of the lawyers working this case pro bono, stated that this case is ongoing and could appear before the grand jury in November.
Bellinder condemned the legal system that he says is built to protect the investigation, and “in reality the investigator.”
“We need all eyes on this case to pressure the county and the state to do what it’s supposed to do,” Bellinder told the newspaper.
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BARTOW, Fla. — Two middle school girls in central Florida brought knives to school in a foiled plot to kill classmates, cut them up and drink their blood before killing themselves, police officials said Wednesday.
The two girls, ages 11 and 12, were armed with knives Tuesday at Bartow Middle School before they were caught, according to arrest affidavits released by the Bartow Police Department. No one was hurt.
The girls face charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and possession of a weapon at school, among other charges. It will be up to prosecutors to decide whether the girls will be charged formally as juveniles or adults, Deputy Police Chief Bryan Dorman said in an email.
After their arrest, the girls were sent to a juvenile detention facility.
Bartow is located in the heart of Florida’s citrus belt.
The girls planned to stake out a school bathroom and wait for smaller students to enter, according to the police affidavit. They planned to cut their victims’ throats, cut up their bodies, eat the flesh and drink their victims’ blood, authorities said.
The students then planned to fatally stab themselves.
“The plan was to kill at least 1 student but were hoping to kill anywhere from 15-25 students,” the affidavit said. “Killing all of these students was in hopes it would make them worse sinners ensuring that after they committed suicide … (they) would go to hell so they could be with satan.”
Detectives said the girls devised the plot while watching “scary” movies at one of their houses over the weekend.
The alleged plot was foiled when administrators searched for them after they didn’t show up for class Tuesday. The administrators found them in a bathroom stall and brought them back to their offices where they found the girls in possession of four knives, a pizza cutter and a knife sharpener, police said.
Officials with Polk County Schools said that extra police officers and guidance counselors would be at the school this week.
“School staff quickly responded to a report of suspicious behavior; the students were taken into custody, and no one was harmed,” school officials said in a tweet.
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SAN LEANDRO — The discovery of a latent fingerprint has led to the arrests of two teenagers in connection with a series of burglaries at public schools, police said Wednesday.
Those burglaries, at Jefferson, McKinley, Roosevelt, Washington, and Wilson elementary schools, happened in May and June, and losses were Apple iPads and MacBook laptops, police said.
The fingerprint discovered at one crime scene led police to identify a 13-year-old San Leandro resident who formerly attended Washington Elementary and now attends Bancroft Middle School.
On the strength of the fingerprint, police found the teen at home and arrested him, and soon after learned of a second suspect, identified as a fellow 13-year-old Bancroft student who lives in Oakland.
A search of the second suspect’s home yielded several items belonging to the San Leandro Unified School District that apparently were stolen during the burglaries, police said. The second suspect was also arrested.
“We are extremely pleased to have made arrests in these cases and return the items to the classroom where they are much needed,” San Leandro police Lt. Isaac Benabou said.
“It’s unusual for us to arrest such young suspects responsible for a series of burglaries. These are brazen acts, and we hope that their arrests will prevent this behavior in the future.”
Police said the investigation into the burglaries will continue, as more missing items are expected to lead to other suspects.
Anyone with information should call San Leandro police’s criminal investigative division at 510-577-3230, leave anonymous tips at 510-577-3278 or text “TipSLPolice” to 888777.
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CHICAGO (AP) — With the Mega Millions lottery jackpot at a record $1.6 billion, people are snapping up tickets across the U.S.
The Powerball jackpot also has climbed. It’s up to an estimated $620 million for Wednesday’s drawing. That would make it the fifth-largest jackpot in U.S. history.
But much of the focus has been on Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing and what would be the largest jackpot prize in U.S. history.
From San Diego to New York, people are dreaming of how they would spend the money should they beat the astronomical odds of winning.
Little Rock, Arkansas, housekeeper LaCrystal White initially said her first order of business would be to pay off bills and student loans, then buy herself a house and car. But the 34-year-old quickly reconsidered.
“Well, first I’m going to give something back to charity. That’s what I’m going to do,” White said. “I am. I’m going to give back to charity and then I’m going to splurge. Put up college funds for my kids and just set myself up for the rest of my life.”
Then she told everyone who was at the gas station where she bought two Mega Millions tickets on Sunday that she would give them $1 million each if she won. She went on to add that she planned to buy more tickets later.
Arkansas is one of 44 states where the Mega Millions is played. It’s also played in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Nathan Harrell was in downtown Chicago for work Saturday when he stopped in at a 7-Eleven and handed the clerk two $20 bills — one for 10 Powerball tickets at $2 each and the other for 10 Mega Millions at $2 each. It’s been a few years since he’s spent anything on the lottery.
“It’s gotta be in the news for me to think about it,” the 36-year-old, who works in finance and lives on the city’s North Side, said.
He said he and his wife have talked over the years about what they’d do if they won, and she said she’d keep working. “So she probably wouldn’t want me to quit my job,” he said.
Harrell said that as he rode the train to work, he had thought about what else he would do. He figures he’d set up a trust fund for his two children.
“We wouldn’t sweat the small stuff anymore,” he said. “Nothing crazy, but who knows.”
In Phoenix, Tim Masterson, a 41-year-old scientist, ran into Kings Beer & Wine, an upscale convenience store and beer bar, to buy seven Mega Millions tickets while his family waited in the car outside.
Masterson paused when asked what he’d do with the money if he won. After looking at the wide variety of beers and ales on the shelves, he said: “I’d buy a brewery.”
Nebraska mom Michelle Connaghan said she had mentioned the huge Mega Millions jackpot to her children, which led to a discussion of what the family would do with all that money.
“Other than paying off bills and taking care of family, I think I’d have the most fun going around and doing surprise good deeds for people,” said Connaghan, 48, as she picked up pizza for her family and a Mega Millions lottery ticket at an Omaha convenience store. “I think that would be wonderful, to have the ability to help somebody who really needs it.
“And I’m sure we’d take some pretty awesome vacations while we were going around doing our surprise good deeds.”
In New York City’s financial district, Juan Ramirez, 69, said he would retire from at least one of his jobs. He works as a school maintenance worker and short order cook.
“I’d spend it carefully. I’d be prepared before I cash in, go see a financial adviser,” he said, saying he would invest the money.
“I’ve got two jobs. I’d retire from one, maybe two. When I win the billion dollars, I will decide which one to quit.
“I would donate some money to charity, think about the homeless, people with less than me. I would help somebody.”
Guillermo Carrillo, 42, of San Diego, works as a roofer and as a dishwasher at a restaurant.
Carrillo, who was buying tickets in suburban National City, dreams of buying a house for his mother in his native Guatemala. Th...
This week is a sad one for the community of San Leandro, as the body found at Lake Chabot was indeed the one of missing 18-year-old, Mariah Davis. A memorial was held for Mariah Davis at San Leandro High School at 2:00 pm by students and staff. Many community members, students, and staff attended. Read More on the Memorial here Today Anthony Pimentel who was arrested for murder on Monday after turning himself into the San Leandro Police Department; had his arraignment at the East Hall of Justice at 2:00 pm Anthony admitted to police that he strangled Mariah and left her body covered in branches before taking her car from the murder scene, according to court documents According to a probable cause affidavit, Pimentel walked into the lobby of the San Leandro Police Department about 5:10 a.m. Monday and turned himself in. He told investigators he killed Davis and told them where she was. Authorities soon found a body matching the description Pimentel gave. In interviews, Pimentel admitted to investigators that he strangled Davis with his arms until she fell unconscious, authorities said. He then told investigators that he released his arm grip and used both of his hands until she was no longer responsive. “News of this situation was shocking and unreal to (his family), especially since Anthony has no criminal convictions,” Castillo said. “Anthony and his family are extremely remorseful for what happened to Mariah.” He said they wish they could personally express their condolences to her family and “take back that tragic day.” Castillo said the incident occurred “during an act of haste” without reflection or judgment. He said they’ll be looking closely into the circumstances surrounding her death to help determine if this occurred ruing a “heat of passion” situation. He is still being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail and has a set date for a plea hearing on Monday, 10/08/2018 at the East Hall of Justice at 9:00 am in Dept. 712. If he pleads guilty, he is looking at the minimum of 25 years to life for 1st-degree murder behind bars. The post Anthony Ivan Pimentel, went to court today appeared first on DAPULSE.
A memorial event was held today at 2:00 pm by students and staff at San Leandro High School. Students, staff, and community members were invited to attend to show support for the lives lost of both Mariah Davis and Caleb Poole. The billboard sign at the front of the building was decorated with flowers and art, all to show support to fellow friends and family of Mariah and Caleb and remember both individuals for who they truly were. Click to view slideshow. Some of the images were provided by students in attendance of the event, a special thanks to @sydollaasign and @itzzz.jaki_ on Instagram.
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“Anthony Ivan, Pimentel” was arrested today 10/01/2018 at 1:15pm after turning himself in. He is currently being held with no bail at Santa Rita Jail where he was booked in at 4:31pm 10/01/2018. His arraignment has been scheduled for 10/03/2018 at 2:00pm at the East County Hall of Justice Dept. 712. He is being charged with first-degree murder PC: 187(A)F for the murder of Mariah Davis, an 18-year-old Richmond Teen. DAPULSE, LLC The post Suspect Arrested In Homicide Of Richmond Teen Girl Found In Chabot Park appeared first on DAPULSE.
SAN LEANDRO (KRON) – The body that was found near Lake Chabot in San Leandro Monday morning is believed to be a missing 18-year-old Richmond woman, her family tells KRON4. Mariah Davis was last seen Wednesday leaving La Pinata Restaurant in San Leandro. Davis’s mother Alfreda James tells KRON4 the San Leandro Police Department told her they found a body and they believe it’s Mariah Davis. However, police have not confirmed this. James also tells KRON4 that police told her the woman’s ex-boyfriend has turned himself into police and is being questioned. KRON4 is working to get more information.
— Ella Sogomonian (@EllaSogomonian) October 1, 2018 The post The body of missing 18-year-old Mariah Davis found; family confirms appeared first on DAPULSE.
An Arizona border patrol agent started a wildfire during a “gender reveal” party involving a firearm and explosives, likely making it the most expensive such celebration in the history of the ridiculous ritual. Dennis Dickey was off-duty when he celebrated the revelation of his unborn child’s sex on state-owned property close to Madera Canyon in April 2017, reports the Arizona Daily Star. A forest service agent wrote in a court affidavit that Dickey shot a target filled with the explosive Tannerite. The color of the powder plume that exploded from the target was intended to correlate with the expected sex of the baby—blue for a boy, pink for a girl. This particular method has recently gained popularity among gun enthusiasts, and several examples of the execution have been uploaded to YouTube. The area was under a fire watch at the time, the Green Valley Fire Department chief told the Daily Star. According to the affidavit, the colored explosion ignited one and Dickey immediately reported the fire, saying he had started it. The Sawmill Fire eventually spread across 47,000 acres over the course of a week and drew nearly 800 firefighters. According to a release from the Department of Justice, the blaze caused $8.2 million in damage. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries or damaged buildings. Dickey pleaded guilty on Friday to the misdemeanor offense of causing a fire without a permit, the Daily Star reports. He was ordered to pay $220,000 in restitution and serve five years of probation. Dickey’s attorney Sean Chapman told the Daily Star that he believes his client will keep his job as a border patrol agent. The post Border Agent Who Started Wildfire With Explosive ‘Gender Reveal’ Party Must Pay $220,000 appeared first on DAPULSE.
The dogs have already passed the quarantine and are in the South Korean presidential palace. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presented South Korean President Moon Jae-in with two Pungsan hunting dogs during the third inter-Korean summit, held in Pyongyang on September 18 and 19. The dogs have already passed the quarantine and arrived at the presidential palace in Seoul on September 27. The Moon Jae-in Administration indicated that the South Korean president already has a dog of this Korean breed named Maru. On September 20 it was learned that the North Korean leader had already sent as a gift two tons of mushrooms ‘matsutake’ (pine mushroom, very common in Asia) to his South Korean counterpart in the framework of the inter-Korean summit.
평양에서 열린 2018 남북정상회담 당시 북측은 풍산개 암수 한 쌍을 선물로 전달했습니다. 개들은 동물검역 절차를 진행한 후 지난 주 목요일인 9월 27일에 청와대에 왔습니다. 풍산개는 북한 천연기념물 제368호로 주인을 잘 따르며 용맹한 성격으로 알려져 있습니다. pic.twitter.com/wxOib9APCI — 대한민국 청와대 (@TheBlueHouseKR) September 30, 2018
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Juventus star denies he assaulted 34-year-old American at Las Vegas hotel in 2009
A US woman has gone public with her claim that soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel nine years ago. Kathryn Mayorga, a 34-year-old Las Vegas native, tells Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine she met the Portuguese soccer player in the city’s “Rain” nightclub in June 2009. Later, in his penthouse in the Palms Place Hotel, she claims the player raped her anally, then apologized. Lawyers for Ronaldo on Friday said they would sue the magazine for publishing “blatantly illegal” accusations. Ronaldo’s lawyer Christian Schertz said in a statement the report was “an inadmissible reporting of suspicions in the area of privacy”, and that he would seek legal redress for his client from the magazine. In January 2010, Mayorga and Ronaldo agreed a $375,000 settlement in which she agreed to drop all charges in exchange for the payment. Mayorga, who studied journalism before working as a model, says she signed the settlement out of fear. “I didn’t want a trial, nobody should know what happened to me,” she told the magazine. But silence had not helped her process the experience, she said, and she had given up her job as a school teacher. She hired a new lawyer who questions the legality of the out-of-court settlement. He showed Der Spiegel a preliminary version of a statement about the night, allegedly from Ronaldo. In it, he says: “’I took her from behind, the rough way . . . she said ‘no’, and ‘don’t do that’ several times. Afterwards, I apologized.” His admissions vanished from later versions of the statement, the magazine claims. In 2009, Mayorga worked in “Rain” as a promoter, financing her studies by encouraging guests to have fun and drink more. “There was champagne but I only drank a bit as I was on a diet,” she said. Paparazzi pictures from the evening show her and Ronaldo talking and dancing. She didn’t know who he was, she claims until she read up on him on the internet. They exchanged numbers and she later got a text from him inviting her and a friend to a party in his suite. He suggested they go swimming in his pool, she says, but while she changed in the bathroom he came in with his penis exposed and asked her to touch it. After asking her for a kiss, she alleges he “touched me all over . . . I pushed him away and again said ‘no’.” He began to pull off her underwear, she told Der Spiegel, then pinned her down. “When he was finished he still didn’t want to let me go,” she said. “He looked at me, full of guilt, and started calling me ‘baby’. I can’t remember exactly what he said but he said sorry, asking if I had pain. Then he went down on his knees and said: ‘99 percent of me is a good guy, I just don’t know about the other one percent.’” Her friend, also in the penthouse, said Mayorga emerged from the bathroom “in a complete state, her hair was disheveled and her make-up smudged”. She filed a rape report with the police the following day. After Der Spiegel’s first report last year Ronaldo’s lawyers threatened to sue the authors for producing “journalistic fiction”. The magazine says it is still waiting. – Additional reporting: Reuters The post A woman goes public with rape claim against Cristiano Ronaldo appeared first on DAPULSE.
Juventus star denies he assaulted 34-year-old American at Las Vegas hotel in 2009
A US woman has gone public with her claim that soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel nine years ago. Kathryn Mayorga, a 34-year-old Las Vegas native, tells Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine she met the Portuguese soccer player in the city’s “Rain” nightclub in June 2009. Later, in his penthouse in the Palms Place Hotel, she claims the player raped her anally, then apologized. Lawyers for Ronaldo on Friday said they would sue the magazine for publishing “blatantly illegal” accusations. Ronaldo’s lawyer Christian Schertz said in a statement the report was “an inadmissible reporting of suspicions in the area of privacy”, and that he would seek legal redress for his client from the magazine. In January 2010, Mayorga and Ronaldo agreed a $375,000 settlement in which she agreed to drop all charges in exchange for the payment. Mayorga, who studied journalism before working as a model, says she signed the settlement out of fear. “I didn’t want a trial, nobody should know what happened to me,” she told the magazine. But silence had not helped her process the experience, she said, and she had given up her job as a school teacher. She hired a new lawyer who questions the legality of the out-of-court settlement. He showed Der Spiegel a preliminary version of a statement about the night, allegedly from Ronaldo. In it, he says: “’I took her from behind, the rough way . . . she said ‘no’, and ‘don’t do that’ several times. Afterwards, I apologized.” His admissions vanished from later versions of the statement, the magazine claims. In 2009, Mayorga worked in “Rain” as a promoter, financing her studies by encouraging guests to have fun and drink more. “There was champagne but I only drank a bit as I was on a diet,” she said. Paparazzi pictures from the evening show her and Ronaldo talking and dancing. She didn’t know who he was, she claims until she read up on him on the internet. They exchanged numbers and she later got a text from him inviting her and a friend to a party in his suite. He suggested they go swimming in his pool, she says, but while she changed in the bathroom he came in with his penis exposed and asked her to touch it. After asking her for a kiss, she alleges he “touched me all over . . . I pushed him away and again said ‘no’.” He began to pull off her underwear, she told Der Spiegel, then pinned her down. “When he was finished he still didn’t want to let me go,” she said. “He looked at me, full of guilt, and started calling me ‘baby’. I can’t remember exactly what he said but he said sorry, asking if I had pain. Then he went down on his knees and said: ‘99 percent of me is a good guy, I just don’t know about the other one percent.’” Her friend, also in the penthouse, said Mayorga emerged from the bathroom “in a complete state, her hair was disheveled and her make-up smudged”. She filed a rape report with the police the following day. After Der Spiegel’s first report last year Ronaldo’s lawyers threatened to sue the authors for producing “journalistic fiction”. The magazine says it is still waiting. – Additional reporting: Reuters The post A woman goes public with rape claim against Cristiano Ronaldo appeared first on DAPULSE.
Sarah Palin’s oldest son Track Palin is in legal hot water once again. He was arrested in Wasilla, Alaska, on new domestic violence charges on Friday night. Alaska State Troopers were called-out to his home following a disturbance. The police say that he reportedly assaulted a female acquaintance at the house before taking her phone away when she tried to call for help. The 29-year-old resisted the troopers while being placed under arrest. He was charged with fourth-degree domestic violence assault, interfering with a report of domestic violence, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Palin is currently being held without bail at the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility. This is not his first run-in with the law. He was infamously arrested last December for allegedly breaking into his parent’s house and beating up his father Todd Palin – his famous mother had to call the police on him. He pled guilty and that case is currently being heard in Alaska’s Veterans Court. Palin was also arrested in January 2016 after an altercation with his girlfriend at the time.
Reddit: Is this the same son who cut the brake lines on a school bus as a “prank” and caused it to crash? “Yes, it is. He did that with four other teenagers back in 2005. After stealing a bottle of vodka from a local liquor store in the small Alaskan town of Wasilla, they went to commit a spree of vandalism throughout the town. Doing that to a school bus was one of the things that they did.”
Dispatch: Any charges reported in these press releases are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. AK18070648 Location: Wasilla Type: Assault IV (DV), Interfering with a report of DV, DC and Resisting Arrest Dispatch Text: On 9/28/18 at approximately 2237 hours, the Alaska State Troopers responded to a residence on W Angela Dr. in Wasilla for a report of a disturbance. Investigation revealed Track Palin, age 29, of Wasilla, assaulted an acquaintance at his residence. When the acquaintance attempted to call authorities, he prevented her by taking away her phone. While being placed under arrest, Palin physically resisted troopers. Palin was arrested for Assault IV (DV), Interfering with Report of a DV, Resisting Arrest and Disorderly Conduct. Palin was remanded to MSPT where he was held without bail. Posted on 9/29/2018 2:33:45 AM by DPS\clrussell The post Sarah Palin’s Son Track Arrested For New Domestic Violence Incident appeared first on DAPULSE.
Sarah Palin’s oldest son Track Palin is in legal hot water once again. He was arrested in Wasilla, Alaska, on new domestic violence charges on Friday night. Alaska State Troopers were called-out to his home following a disturbance. The police say that he reportedly assaulted a female acquaintance at the house before taking her phone away when she tried to call for help. The 29-year-old resisted the troopers while being placed under arrest. He was charged with fourth-degree domestic violence assault, interfering with a report of domestic violence, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Palin is currently being held without bail at the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility. This is not his first run-in with the law. He was infamously arrested last December for allegedly breaking into his parent’s house and beating up his father Todd Palin – his famous mother had to call the police on him. He pled guilty and that case is currently being heard in Alaska’s Veterans Court. Palin was also arrested in January 2016 after an altercation with his girlfriend at the time.
Reddit: Is this the same son who cut the brake lines on a school bus as a “prank” and caused it to crash? “Yes, it is. He did that with four other teenagers back in 2005. After stealing a bottle of vodka from a local liquor store in the small Alaskan town of Wasilla, they went to commit a spree of vandalism throughout the town. Doing that to a school bus was one of the things that they did.”
Dispatch: Any charges reported in these press releases are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. AK18070648 Location: Wasilla Type: Assault IV (DV), Interfering with a report of DV, DC and Resisting Arrest Dispatch Text: On 9/28/18 at approximately 2237 hours, the Alaska State Troopers responded to a residence on W Angela Dr. in Wasilla for a report of a disturbance. Investigation revealed Track Palin, age 29, of Wasilla, assaulted an acquaintance at his residence. When the acquaintance attempted to call authorities, he prevented her by taking away her phone. While being placed under arrest, Palin physically resisted troopers. Palin was arrested for Assault IV (DV), Interfering with Report of a DV, Resisting Arrest and Disorderly Conduct. Palin was remanded to MSPT where he was held without bail. Posted on 9/29/2018 2:33:45 AM by DPS\clrussell The post Sarah Palin’s Son Track Arrested For New Domestic Violence Incident appeared first on DAPULSE.
Viewers were greeted to a new sight in Saudi Arabia when they tuned to one of the state-owned TV channels on Thursday: a woman presenting the main evening news bulletin! Weam Al Dakheel entered the history books when she appeared alongside anchor Omar Al Nashwan to become the first female in the history of state-owned Saudi TV Channel 1 to present the nightly 9:30 newscast. Traditionally, men have dominated hard newscasts in Saudi Arabia, while female presenters focused more on soft morning newscasts, women’s programmes, cooking shows, and weather updates. “Jumanah AlShami was the first women to present morning newscasts in 2016. Today history repeats itself as #WeamAlDakheel becomes the presenter of the main nightly newscast, setting a precedent in a historic first for Saudi TV 1,” Saudi TV said on its official Twitter channel. The empowerment of Saudi women is a key pillar of Saudi Vision 2030, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and a series of reforms initiated in the Kingdom were aimed at the empowerment of women. Notable among these moves was a Royal Decree issued in September 2017 by King Salman bin Abdulaziz allowing women to drive as of June 24, 2018. Vision 2030 also aims to increase the percentage of women in the workforce. The past year saw the entrance of some 600,000 Saudi women to the workforce. The post In Saudi Arabia, anchorwoman presents evening newscast appeared first on DAPULSE.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Wednesday during his presentation to the UN National Assembly that his country is a permanent victim of diplomatic, economic and media aggression by the United States. “I bring the voice of a country that has refused to surrender throughout history, to injustice, to empires, yesterday slave and colonial; today also neocolonial slavers. I bring the voice of a historic people, who rose up from the aborigines, from the native peoples who for centuries resisted the domination of the colonial empires, “he said at the beginning of his speech. Criticizes Trump He questioned the president of the United States Donald Trump for having spoken with disdain of his Government. He accused him of playing a role of judge of the party and police of the world. “Our country is harassed, Trump attacked the noble people of Venezuela, raising the doctrine that 200 years ago founded the empire of the states and determined since then what was going to constitute its interventionist role,” he said. Just a day before Trump told reporters at the UN headquarters that the Chavista president could be quickly overthrown by the military if that will existed. Venezuela quickly responded through its foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, who said that his country is ready to defend the regime and that “the example of Vietnam, a military failure of the United States, may be short.” He asks for dialogue At another point in his speech, he said that despite the ideological, historical, social, abysmal differences with the president of the United States, Donald Trump is willing to shake his hand and sit down to discuss their bilateral differences. “Donald Trump is worried about Venezuela, I am willing to talk with an open agenda about all the topics he wants to talk about, with humility, with sincerity. Venezuela holds the flags of the dialogue of civilizations as president, promotes the practice of international political dialogue, through the understanding of politics, and not of force. “ Requests investigation of the attack He demanded the implementation of an “independent investigation” on the attack with drones that he suffered on August 4. Maduro asked the United Nations to appoint a “special delegate” to take charge of this “international” investigation and linked the United States and several Latin American countries with what happened. “Venezuela is open. The doors of our country, of our justice system, are open to establishing the direct responsibilities of this aggression, ” said the Venezuelan leader. He reiterated his accusation that the attack “was planned from the territory of the United States” and said that he has transmitted to Washington the “name” of the “intellectual authors, financiers and planners” of the same. This is not the first time that Maduro attends the UN General Assembly, in which he already participated in 2014 and 2015. On those occasions, he had said that Venezuela permanently supports a conspiracy of the imperial forces and allies of the United States, which claim Undermine democracy. This article appeared first on DAPULSE The post Maduro at the UN: Venezuela is a permanent victim of diplomatic and economic aggression appeared first on DAPULSE.
Billy, Rene, and Walt were born male, but they all felt uncomfortable with their sex. So they underwent sex reassignment surgery, believing it would end their distressing condition, which is known as gender dysphoria – feeling uncomfortable with your birth sex. However, becoming female only brought problems, disappointment, and regret. The post RT releases video from the other perspective of the transgender community appeared first on DAPULSE.
A man, armed with a BB gun, attempted to rob a Waffle House in Villa Rica. But he was the one who ended up getting shot, authorities said. The suspect entered the restaurant on Ga. 61 around 12:30 a.m. Thursday and pointed his weapon at employees, Villa Rica police said. A customer then shot the suspect, who dropped what turned out to be a BB gun and ran away, the post said. Witnesses told police the suspect left in a small, dark-colored vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to contact Villa Rica police at 678-840-1320.
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Big Beer is looking to help out in a big way in the wake of Hurricane Florence. Anheuser-Busch, which has sent emergency canned water to disaster-hit areas for more than two decades, has 300,000 cans of water on the way to the region expected to be hit by the storm targeting the Carolina coasts. Also chipping in: Miller Coors, which has 200,000 12-ounce cans of water en route. At the request of the American Red Cross, Anheuser-Busch has delivered canned drinking water to communities hit by disasters for more than 20 years. It has six truckloads of water headed to Florence, the company says. Last year, A-B sent more than 3 million cans of water to Puerto Rico and across the U.S. in response to wildfires, floods, and hurricanes. MillerCoors is donating 200,000 12-ounce cans of water from its brewery in Shenandoah, Va., to those impacted by Hurricane Florence. The water cans will be distributed by the American Red Cross and community shelters. (Photo: MillerCoors) MillerCoors has 80 pallets of 12-packs of water cans headed from its Shenandoah, Virginia, brewery to the American Red Cross and community shelters. In the recent past, the company donated more than 550,000 cans of water to Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean after hurricanes. “We hope this water donation provides some relief and comfort to residents and first responders in Hurricane Florence’s path,” said Karina Diehl, MillerCoors senior director for national community affairs, in a statement. “It’s a MillerCoors priority to do our part in helping the communities where our consumers, employees, and distributors call home.” AB’s canned water has always been produced at its Cartersville, Georgia, plant, but the company has converted its Fort Collins, Colorado, brewery to be able to send more water when needed. The brewer ran a commercial during the Super Bowl in February showing off how its brewery can switch to canning water, as opposed to beer. “This year, as part of Budweiser’s Super Bowl commercial launch, we committed to expanding our emergency drinking water program,” said Bill Bradley, vice president of community affairs at Anheuser-Busch, in a statement. “Today, we’re pleased to be officially delivering on that promise, doubling our production capacity to help our fellow Americans in times of need.” The post Budweiser, Coors sending 500,000 cans of water for Hurricane Florence relief appeared first on DAPULSE.
Mac Miller died Friday of an apparent overdose … TMZ has learned. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … Mac was found Friday at around noon at his San Fernando Valley home and was pronounced dead at the scene. We’re told authorities were alerted by a male friend who placed a 911 call from Mac’s home. Miller has battled substance abuse issues for years … something that came up in the wake of his breakup with Ariana Grande. The rapper wrecked his G-Wagon by wrapping it around a utility pole back in May and was arrested for DUI and hit and run. He fled the scene but cops say he later confessed at his home. He blew 2 times the legal limit. After his arrest Ariana tweeted, “Pls take care of yourself” and was clearly concerned about substance abuse. Some people blamed Ariana for Mac’s DUI, and she responded, “I am not a babysitter or a mother and no woman should feel that they need to be. I have cared for him and tried to support his sobriety & prayed for his balance for years.” She added, “Of course I didn’t share about how hard or scary it was while it was happening but it was.” Sources close to Mac tell TMZ, friends of his warned people not to bring up the subject of his relationship with Ariana because it was “too touchy.” After their breakup, Ariana made it clear … his substance abuse had been a deal breaker in their 2-year relationship. His 2014 mixtape, “Faces,” was almost autobiographical on the subject of drug use. There were also references to premature death. A profile of Mac was just published Thursday by Vulture — among other things, Mac said he had enormous pressure growing up in the public eye … “A lot of times in my life I’ve put this pressure to hold myself to the standard of whatever I thought I was supposed to be, or how I was supposed to be perceived. And it creates pressure.” Thursday night Mac posted video of a record player and you hear his song, “So it Goes,” which includes lyrics, “Nine lives, never, die, f*** a heaven, I’m still gettin’ high.” Mac was supposed to start a tour next month. Story developing … The post Mac Miller Dead at 26 … Apparent Overdose appeared first on DAPULSE.
NEW YORK (AP) — Twitter’s decision to permanently ban conspiracy-slinger Alex Jones shows it’s serious about enforcing its policy against abuse. But it has a long way to go. Along with Facebook and other tech companies, Twitter sees promise in using artificial intelligence to rid its service of objectionable posts, photos and videos. To this end, CEO Jack Dorsey said repeatedly during congressional hearings on Wednesday that he does not want to place the burden of reporting abuse on the victims. Instead, he said Twitter is committed to developing automated tools that could delete abusive posts even without an actual person making a complaint, which is the only way Twitter takes down such posts now. But as the Alex Jones ban shows, even the human moderators that social media companies employ have trouble drawing clear lines around what counts as harassment and abuse rather than humor or healthy debate. How could artificial intelligence do better, when it is still well behind humans in understanding the nuances of language? Twitter said Thursday it has permanently banned Jones and his Infowars show for “abusive behavior,” referencing videos posted Wednesday that showed him berating CNN journalist Oliver Darcy for some 10 minutes between two congressional hearings on social media.
Facebook, meanwhile, has yet to remove similar videos from Jones’s personal page, even though it has banned Infowars and other pages owned by Jones last month and suspended Jones himself for 30 days, a time-out that has just ended. Facebook said it will continue to review complaints and take action in line with its community standards, but the company didn’t say why Jones is still allowed on the service. On Twitter and elsewhere, Jones has behaved badly before — calling survivors of a shooting in Parkland, Florida, “crisis actors” and saying the mass killing at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012 was fake. Videos of the latest exchange show Jones calling Darcy “a possum that climbed out of the rear end of a dead cow,” referencing his “skinny jeans” and repeatedly saying, “just look at this guy’s eyes” and “look at that smile.” Twitter had previously suspended Jones for a week but had resisted muzzling him further until now. One of Twitter’s executives once called the service the “free speech wing of the free speech party.” Other tech companies, including YouTube, Apple, and Spotify, have limited Jones by suspending him for longer periods and taking down his pages and podcasts. But this time, Twitter went a step further , saying it will continue to monitor reports about other accounts potentially associated with Jones or Infowars and will “take action” if it finds any attempts to circumvent the ban. Jones had about 900,000 followers on Twitter. Infowars had about 430,000. In a voicemail left with The Associated Press, Jones expressed disbelief that the incident with Darcy could have led to his ban. “He says horrible lies about me and edits things I’ve said,” Jones said. “He’s the one that’s been abusing me.” Darcy referred questions to a CNN spokeswoman, who offered no comment. Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey praised Twitter’s action in a tweet. “Glad Twitter is taking steps to put an end to the abusive behavior from Alex Jones & Infowars,” the tweet stated. “Tweets designed to threaten, belittle, demean and silence individuals have no place on this platform.” Critics said there was still a lack of transparency about how large services carry out their policies. Media Matters for America, a nonprofit dedicated to criticizing conservative media outlets, said the move was “about time” but also noted the behavior was “par for the course” for Jones. David Greene, civil liberties director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said Jones’ ban is almost a distraction to a real debate he believes people should have about how posts should be moderated on services controlled by just a few giant companies. “Whether the stuff he posted yesterday real...
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on memorial services for the late Sen. John McCain (all times local): 12:10 p.m. Family, friends and a roster of current and former Washington officials are paying tribute to John McCain at the Capitol. Vice President Mike Pence was joined by top White House officials including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Chief of Staff John Kelly, National Security Adviser John Bolton, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Military brass included members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Click to view slideshow. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman and actor Warren Beatty are among those pausing at McCain’s casket as the senator lies in state under the dome. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan delivered remarks. Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer were flanked by scores of lawmakers, including former prisoner of war, GOP Rep. Sam Johnson of Texas. AP | John McCain Memorial Washington
___ 11:50 a.m. At a memorial service in the Capitol, Vice President Mike Pence says John McCain will be missed and that President Donald Trump respected the late senator’s service to the country. Pence says, “In every country there are those who put country first, who prize service ahead of self, who summon idealism from a cynical age. John McCain was such a man.” The vice president closed his remarks in the Capitol Rotunda by echoing the senator’s own words for how he once said he wished to be remembered. “On behalf of a grateful nation,” Pence says, “we will ever remember that John McCain served his country and John McCain served his country honorably.” McCain is lying in state on Friday. A public viewing will be held in the afternoon. ___ 11:30 a.m. A memorial for John McCain is underway at the U.S. Capitol where elected officials, family and friends are gathered in the Rotunda. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says they’re there, “to recognize a great loss and celebrate a great life.” McConnell says “generations of Americans will continue to marvel at the man who lies before us.” He described “the cocky, handsome Naval aviator who barely scraped through school, but then fought for freedom in the skies” and “who became a generational leader” in the Senate. House Speaker Paul Ryan says McCain may never have reached his goal of the White House, but he achieved something “far more enduring – the abiding affection of his fellow citizens and an example for future generations.” ___ 11:15 a.m. Vice President Mike Pence greeted John McCain’s mother, Roberta McCain, in the Capitol Rotunda ahead of the senator’s memorial service in the Rotunda. Pence is filling in for President Donald Trump, who was not invited by the McCain family for the services this week honoring the Republican senator. He attended with his wife, Karen. The vice president is among several officials who are expected to deliver remarks. Roberta McCain is 106. ___ 10:45 a.m. The hearse carrying the casket of John McCain has arrived at the Capitol as a memorial begins for the Republican senator. McCain’s wife, Cindy McCain, and other members of his family watched from the steps of the East Plaza as his casket was carried into the Capitol. Family, friends, lawmakers and other guests, including some celebrities, gathered in the Capitol’s Rotunda for the service. Congressional leaders are expected to deliver remarks. It’s the first of two days of services honoring the Arizona senator in the nation’s capital where he served for more than 30 years in elected office. ___ 12:20 a.m. It’s Washington’s turn to say goodbye to the late Sen. John McCain. And McCain is saying farewell — his way. The six-term Republican senator from Arizona, who lived and worked in the nation’s capital over four decades, will lie in state under the U.S. Capitol rotunda Friday for a ceremony and public visitation. On Saturday, McCain’s procession will pause by the Vietnam Memori...
WASHINGTON (AP) — John McCain’s rebellious streak didn’t come out of nowhere. His mother, Roberta, had a habit of speeding behind the wheel and racking up tickets. When told during a trip to Europe that she was too old to rent a car, she went out and bought a Peugeot. Her son once answered the telephone to hear his mother say she was on a cross-country driving trip — by herself, in her 90s. Now 106, the wife of a Navy admiral and mother of a Navy captain lived a life full of travel and adventure, punctuated by her sass and determination. She once said her son liked to hold her up as an example of “what he hopes his lifespan will be.” But in the end, she is mourning him instead of the other way around. Though slowed by a stroke, she is expected to attend memorial and burial services in Washington and Maryland later this week for the middle son she called “Johnny,” the Vietnam prisoner of war, congressman, senator and the two-time presidential candidate who died of brain cancer on Saturday at age 81. The senator said in one of his books that “my mother was raised to be a strong, determined woman who thoroughly enjoyed life, and always tried to make the most of her opportunities. She was encouraged to accept, graciously and with good humor, the responsibilities and sacrifices her choices have required of her. I am grateful to her for the strengths she taught me by example.” McCain’s father, too, had a penchant for living large, with the senator recalling that a predilection for “quick tempers, adventurous spirits, and love for the country’s uniform” was encoded in his family DNA. A native of Muskogee, Oklahoma, Roberta Wright was nearly 21 and a college student in southern California when she eloped to Tijuana, Mexico, in January 1933 with a young sailor named John S. McCain Jr. He would go on to become a Navy admiral, like the father he shared a name with, and the couple would have three children — Jean, John and Joseph — within a decade. With her husband away on Navy business most of the time, Roberta McCain raised the kids. She didn’t complain and loved Navy life. The family lived in Hawaii, the Panama Canal Zone — where the senator was born in 1936 — Connecticut, Virginia and many points in between. “To me, the Navy epitomizes everything that’s good in America,” she told C-SPAN in 2008 during the presidential contest John McCain lost to Barack Obama. John McCain followed his father and grandfather’s footsteps into the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he’ll be laid to rest on Sunday. He became a fighter pilot and joined the combat action in Vietnam. He was on his 23rd bombing run over North Vietnam when he was shot out of the sky and taken a prisoner in October 1967. His parents were in London getting ready to attend a dinner at Iran’s embassy when a special phone that Roberta McCain says she never touched rang while her husband was in the shower. She answered and listened as a friend told her two planes had been shot down and none of the pilots had ejected. She told her husband when he came out of the shower, and they kept to their plans. “We went and decided we were not going to say one word at this dinner,” she said in the 2008 interview. She said that later learning her son was alive and had become a prisoner of war was “the best news I ever had in my life.” Roberta McCain missed watching her son’s release from Vietnam on television in 1973. Someone telephoned and told her to watch the TV, something she said she did little of. “These people came off and the television stopped, so I turned off the television,” she explained. “I didn’t know that between ads he did come off … and I missed it.” She later said she was “ashamed” of her son for the “terrible language” he used toward the Vietnamese captors who tortured him. “I never would have believed in this world he would ever use language like that, but he did,” Roberta McCain said in the interview, which was conducted at her Washington home. Well into her 9...
LBANY, N.Y. (AP) — John Lennon’s killer has been denied parole for a 10th time. Mark David Chapman appeared before New York’s parole board Wednesday. A denial decision obtained by The Associated Press says Chapman was told his release “would be incompatible with the welfare and safety of society.” The 63-year-old Chapman is serving 20-years-to-life in the Wende (WEHN’-dee) Correctional Facility in western New York. He shot and killed the former Beatle outside Lennon’s Manhattan apartment Dec. 8, 1980. In its decision, the state Board of Parole said releasing Chapman would not only “tend to mitigate the seriousness of your crime,” but also would endanger public safety because someone might try to harm him out of anger or revenge or to gain notoriety. Chapman will be up for parole again in August 2020.
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BROOKLYN, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa college student who was allegedly abducted by a stranger while running last month in a small Iowa town was killed by “multiple sharp force injuries,” investigators announced Thursday. Preliminary autopsy results from the state medical examiner’s office also determined that 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts was the victim of a homicide, the Division of Criminal Investigation announced in a press release. The agency did not release additional details about the injuries Tibbetts suffered or what caused them, but said further examination of her body may result in additional findings. Autopsy reports are confidential under Iowa law, except for the cause and manner of death. The man charged with first-degree murder in Tibbetts’ death, Cristhian Bahena Rivera, allegedly led investigators to her body early Tuesday in a cornfield outside of Brooklyn, Iowa, the town where she was last seen last month. While investigators were confident then that the body was that of Tibbetts, the autopsy definitively confirmed her identity. Prosecutors allege that Rivera abducted Tibbetts while she was out for an evening run in Brooklyn on July 18, killed her and disposed of her body in the secluded location.
A criminal complaint alleges that Rivera confessed during a lengthy interrogation that began Monday to following Tibbetts in his car, getting out on foot and chasing after her. Rivera told investigators that he panicked after Tibbetts threatened to call police on her cell phone, he blacked out and later came to when he was unloading her bloody body from the trunk of a car, it says. Rivera worked for the last four years at a dairy farm a few miles from where Tibbetts was last seen. He and Tibbetts have no known connections, other than that Rivera allegedly told investigators that he saw her running previously. Investigators zeroed in on him as the suspect after obtaining footage from surveillance cameras showing a vehicle connected to him circling the area of Tibbetts’ running route. Earlier this week, investigators said they were uncertain how Tibbetts was killed or whether she was sexually assaulted. They’ve made no mention of recovering a weapon linked to the death. Rivera, a native of Mexico who is suspected of being in the U.S. illegally, made his initial court appearance Wednesday and is being jailed on a $5 million cash-only bond. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. Within hours of the arrest, President Donald Trump seized on the news that Rivera was allegedly in the country illegally and called for stricter immigration laws. And in an interview that aired Thursday, he told “Fox & Friends” that Tibbetts was a “beautiful young girl” who was killed by “a horrible person that came in from Mexico, illegally here.” The president also claimed the suspect was “found by” agents from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, an agency that some liberals have called for abolishing because of tactics they view as overly harsh. An ICE spokesman said Thursday that its agents worked with state and local investigators in “identifying, locating and interviewing the suspect.” Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt agreed that ICE played a “significant role” in the case, particularly in helping confirm Rivera’s identity and immigration status. Rivera’s defense attorney, Allan Richards, has denounced Trump for prejudging his client’s guilt, saying the president’s comments would make it hard for Rivera to get a fair trial. “Let’s let the process go,” he said Thursday. “The process is about truth-finding in a rational, peaceful and efficient manner. We’re only at the very preliminary stages.” The post Autopsy finds Iowa student killed by ‘sharp force injuries’ appeared first on DAPULSE.
1:15 PM PT — We just FaceTimed with Post, who told us he doesn’t like flying, to begin with, and he was super scared. Now that’s he’s on the ground, he needs alcohol!! 12:53 PM PT — Post’s plane just touched down safely at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, NY. 12:26 PM PT — The plane is about to land. We’re told there are 9 fire trucks, at least 25 personnel and 12 ambulances on standby. 11:31 AM PT — Post’s plane has been diverted to another airport in New York, it will continue to hover above and burn fuel until landing.
Post Malone is currently onboard a plane that’s set to perform an emergency landing after two of the plane’s tires allegedly blew out after takeoff. Malone and his team left from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey Tuesday headed to London. A law enforcement source at Teterboro tells us the private plane’s tires blew off during takeoff and the pilot circled back around to perform an emergency landing. In air traffic audio — obtained by TMZ — the pilot makes it clear, they’ve lost a tire, and asks for permission to circle above … he also makes it known there are 16 people on the plane. Our source says air traffic control then informed the pilot to continue the flight to Massachusetts in order to burn more fuel for a safer possible crash landing. We’re told the plane had 3,700 gallons of fuel to burn. A video — obtained by TMZ — shows emergency personnel on the ground in Teterboro in position for the plane before it was decided they should land it elsewhere. The post POST MALONE: Jet Lands Safely After Emergency appeared first on DAPULSE.