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Andy Rose, CNN

2022-03-20 13:07:16

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/20/us/south-carolina-lake-shooting-self-defense/index.html

South Carolina: A man was fatally shot by his rescuer after falling in a lake. The shooting has been ruled self-defense - CNN

South Carolina prosecutors decided not to file charges in a case where a man who fell off a recreational watercraft was fatally shot by his rescuer, according to the Oconee County Sheriff's Office.

us, South Carolina: A man was fatally shot by his rescuer after falling in a lake. The shooting has been ruled self-defense - CNN

A man was fatally shot by his rescuer after falling in a South Carolina lake. The shooting has been ruled self-defense

(CNN)South Carolina prosecutors decided not to file charges in a case where a man who fell off a recreational watercraft was fatally shot by his rescuer, according to the Oconee County Sheriff's Office.Prosecutors ruled the shooting self-defense, the sheriff's office said in a statement.The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon, when a man and woman -- neither wearing life jackets -- fell off a Jet Ski into Lake Keowee, the sheriff's office said in an earlier news release, citing the information and evidence gathered in the investigation.A couple on a nearby pontoon boat saw the man and woman "in distress in the water" and brought them on board, the sheriff's office said, as the Jet Ski continued doing circles in the lake."The man, who had been rescued, became agitated and began assaulting the couple on the pontoon," the statement said. "Investigators have been told that the man may have wanted to get back to the Jet Ski."Read MoreThe rescued woman tried to de-escalate the situation by pushing the agitated man back into the water, the statement said. The couple then helped him back in the boat a second time.Another confrontation occurred, the sheriff's office said, and the man on the pontoon boat "shot the man fearing for his and his wife's life while being assaulted."The man died on the pontoon boat, per the sheriff's office.Ultimately, 10th Circuit Solicitor David Wagner found the shooting was done in self-defense, per the sheriff's office, after investigators met with the solicitor's office this week to present evidence in the case.CNN's Dakin Andone contributed to this report.

Laura Studley, CNN

2022-03-19 23:56:08

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/19/us/sierra-jenkins-virginian-pilot-reporter-killed-shooting/index.html

Virginian-Pilot reporter and former CNN news assistant Sierra Jenkins killed in shooting - CNN

Virginian-Pilot newspaper reporter and former CNN news assistant Sierra Jenkins was among the individuals shot and killed in an early Saturday morning shooting that left one more person dead and three others injured, Norfolk, Virginia, police said.

us, Virginian-Pilot reporter and former CNN news assistant Sierra Jenkins killed in shooting - CNN

Virginian-Pilot reporter and former CNN news assistant Sierra Jenkins killed in shooting

(CNN)Virginian-Pilot newspaper reporter and former CNN news assistant Sierra Jenkins was among the individuals shot and killed in an early Saturday morning shooting that left one more person dead and three others injured, Norfolk, Virginia, police said.She was 25.Jenkins was leaving a downtown Norfolk restaurant, Chicho's Pizza Backstage, when an argument started outside the establishment, followed by gunfire.Officers responded to the scene around 2 a.m. and found Jenkins and two men with life-threatening gunshot wounds. One of the men, 25-year-old Devon M. Harris, was pronounced dead on scene, and the second was transported to the hospital, police said in a news release.Jenkins was also transported to the hospital, where she later died, police said.Read MoreTwo more men found by police at the scene with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds were also taken to the hospital for treatment, according to police. Jenkins was "a bright and talented woman with so much promise," said Virginian-Pilot editor-in-chief Kris Worrell. "Her passion for journalism was undeniable and our community is better because of her reporting. She brought both energy and empathy to her work as an education reporter.""To have the life of such a talented young person cut short is devastating," Worrell added. "Our thoughts are with Sierra's family and all those who knew and loved her. We are absolutely heartbroken."After hearing about the shooting, a newspaper editor attempted to contact Jenkins, who was on a breaking news shift Saturday morning, but couldn't reach her, Worrell told CNN."When he didn't hear back, we called in another reporter," Worrell said. "In reporting the story of the shooting, we discovered that Sierra was one of the victims."Jenkins had also been an editorial research intern with CNN for three months in summer 2020, and a news assistant with CNN Health from September to December 2020. She began her job at the Virginian-Pilot shortly after as a breaking news reporter. Jenkins had recently been reporting on school policies and issues across the region, the newspaper said on Facebook. She had also previously worked as an editorial researcher at Atlanta Magazine.'Everyone loved her,' father saysSpeaking to the Virginian-Pilot newspaper, Jenkins' father, Maurice Jenkins, described his daughter as a hard-working young woman who loved being a journalist."She wasn't much of a going-out kind of person at all," Maurice Jenkins said. He said her childhood best friend was in town and the two decided to go out together."Everyone loved her," he said. "She was such an energetic, caring and giving person. A real go-getter. She'd do anything for anyone."Both Virginia's governor and Norfolk's commonwealth's attorney expressed their condolences to the families of the victims on Saturday."Locally, we will do our utmost to seek justice and accountability with the laws we have, but the solutions to gun violence start with good personal choices and sensible reforms to our national and state laws to keep guns out of the hands of bad actors. We must come together," Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk commonwealth's attorney said on Twitter. Authorities say they're continuing to investigate the shooting and are asking the public to come forward with any information.CNN's Samantha Beech and Kiely Westhoff contributed to this report.

Alexandra Meeks, CNN

2022-03-20 12:51:40

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/20/us/five-things-march-20-trnd/index.html

5 things to know on March 20, 2022: Start your week smart: Ukraine, Cosmonauts, Canada mosque, Covid-19, Medical debt - CNN

Here's what you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

us, 5 things to know on March 20, 2022: Start your week smart: Ukraine, Cosmonauts, Canada mosque, Covid-19, Medical debt - CNN

Start your week smart: Ukraine, Cosmonauts, Canada mosque, Covid-19, Medical debt

Today is the first day of spring! It's time to sweep away those dry winter leaves, open a window and inhale the fresh smell of a new season. And when you see flowers bloom this month, let that serve as a reminder of how beautiful change can be. Here's what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.The weekend that was• Russian forces have bombed an art school where hundreds of people were sheltering in the besieged city of Mariupol, the city council said. Information on casualties is still unclear but people remain trapped under the rubble. Follow CNN's full coverage of Russia's attack on Ukraine here.• A trio of Russian cosmonauts arrived at the International Space Station on Friday wearing bright yellow flight suits trimmed with blue, raising questions about whether the three were showing solidarity with Ukraine by wearing its national colors and rebuking their own government's invasion.• Worshipers at a mosque in the Canadian city of Mississauga yesterday subdued a man who discharged bear spray while brandishing a hatchet in what police said was a possible hate crime.Read More• The number of deaths in the US involving alcohol jumped more than 25% between 2019 and 2020, the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to research published Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.• Three of the largest credit reporting agencies in the US are removing nearly 70% of medical debt from consumer credit reports, the companies announced in a joint statement Friday.The week aheadMondayThe Senate Judiciary Committee is set to begin hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court. For her historic nomination as the first Black woman on the nation's highest court, Jackson will be formally introduced during televised hearings, followed by two days of questioning and one day of testimony from additional witnesses. Democratic leaders have set a goal of reaching a final Senate vote by April 8.TuesdayTuesday marks the one-year anniversary of the Colorado supermarket mass shooting, which left 10 people dead. Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, the man accused of opening fire at the King Soopers store in Boulder, was found mentally incompetent to stand trial last year. A review hearing to evaluate his competency is set for next month. The newly renovated store -- which reopened last month for the first time since the shooting -- will be closed Tuesday "to honor the 10 lives lost and all who have been impacted by the senseless tragedy," a store spokesman said. WednesdayCuddle your furry friends! It's National Puppy Day. Research shows that dogs are an important part of our health in different ways -- from being the best motivators to giving us routines. One recent study even found that dogs can help reduce pain among patients suffering in the emergency room after just 10 minutes. They really do help when things get ruff!ThursdayPresident Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Europe to meet with world leaders and discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Biden will be in Brussels, participating in a NATO summit and will also join a European Council meeting, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. The trip, which will be one of the most closely watched visits to Europe by an American president in decades, comes weeks after Russia launched its attack on Ukraine. During the summit, Biden will "discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts" and reaffirm the United States' commitment to its NATO allies, Psaki said. SaturdayThe Solar Orbiter spacecraft, which has captured the closest images of the sun ever taken, is gearing up for its closest approach to the sun on Saturday. The joint mission between NASA and the European Space Agency has already provided an unprecedented look at the sun's increasingly active surface. Scientists say it's important to understand the solar cycle and monitor these images because space weather caused by the sun can impact power grids, satellites, GPS, airlines, rockets and astronauts in space.Want more 5 Things? This week on the Sunday edition of the 5 Things podcast, CNN Legal Analyst Joan Biskupic previews the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. She examines the historic nature of her nomination and how Republicans are struggling to message against her. Listen here! Photos of the week Photos: The week in 35 photosUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky receives a standing ovation as he virtually addresses the US Congress on Wednesday, March 16.Hide Caption 1 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosCatherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, accepts flowers from children as she and her husband, Prince William, attend a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday, March 14.Hide Caption 2 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosA ceiling is damaged at a supermarket in Shiroishi, Japan, on Thursday, March 17, after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Japan the night before.Hide Caption 3 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosA mother and son rest in Lviv, Ukraine, while waiting to board a train to Poland on Saturday, March 12. More than 3 million refugees have fled war-torn Ukraine in the last few weeks.Hide Caption 4 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosTennis star Naomi Osaka talks to referee Clare Wood after being heckled by a fan during a match in Indian Wells, California, on Saturday, March 12. The fan appeared to yell out "Naomi, you suck," and the comment brought her to tears on the court. She would go on to lose the match in straight sets.Hide Caption 5 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosPerformers take part in the closing ceremony of the Winter Paralympics in Beijing on Sunday, March 13. See the best photos from the Paralympics.Hide Caption 6 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosA woman wears face paint in Puyo, Ecuador, on Tuesday, March 15. Indigenous communities from the Amazon basin were meeting in Puyo to demand that South American governments halt extractive industries that damage the rainforest. Hide Caption 7 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosThis satellite image, provided by Maxar Technologies, shows the Drama Theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, on Monday, March 14. In front of the building and behind it, Maxar said, were large white letters that said "children." Hundreds of people were taking shelter in the theater when it was bombed on Wednesday, according to local authorities. The coastal city has been encircled for weeks by Russian forces.Hide Caption 8 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosWill Smith accepts the best actor award at the Critics' Choice Awards on Sunday, March 13. Smith won for his role in the film "King Richard."Hide Caption 9 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosEthiopian Orthodox deacons take part in the burial ceremony of Abune Merkorios, fourth patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, at the Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday, March 13.Hide Caption 10 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosA woman wears a protective mask and a traditional Japanese kimono as she crosses a street at the Ginza shopping district in Tokyo on Wednesday, March 16.Hide Caption 11 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosGabriel Boric, the new President of Chile, arrives at the Government Palace of La Moneda to give his first speech on Friday, March 11.Hide Caption 12 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosJuan Carlos Rodriguez shows the amputated claw of a rescued sloth in San Antonio de Los Altos, Venezuela, on Saturday, March 12. Rodriguez and his wife, Haydee, have transformed their home into a sloth rescue and rehabilitation center.Hide Caption 13 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosHall of Fame basketball player Kevin Garnett receives a standing ovation as his number was retired by the Boston Celtics on Sunday, March 13.Hide Caption 14 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosA member of the Benedictine Military School is kissed while marching in the St. Patrick's Day parade in Savannah, Georgia, on Thursday, March 17.Hide Caption 15 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosChildren play football on a concrete slab in the Kenyan settlement of Mukuru Kwa Njenga on Thursday, March 10. Structures were demolished in November to pave the way for the construction of the Nairobi Expressway.Hide Caption 16 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosA model walks the runway at the Brain & Beast fashion show in Madrid on Friday, March 11.Hide Caption 17 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosPeople ski at the Navacerrada ski resort in Madrid on Wednesday, March 16. Strong winds from Storm Celia, off the northwest coast of Africa, picked up dust from the Sahara desert and lofted it into the atmosphere. The southerly winds then pushed the dust northward into Europe.Hide Caption 18 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosMariana Vishegirskaya's husband, Yuri, holds their newborn daughter, Veronika, at a hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, on Friday, March 11. Vishegirskaya survived the bombing of a maternity hospital earlier in the week.Hide Caption 19 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosFrench police intervene as fishermen, protesting the soaring price of fuel, block an oil depot in La Rochelle, France, on Thursday, March 17.Hide Caption 20 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosHockey players from Italy and the Czech Republic compete at the Winter Paralympics on Friday, March 11.Hide Caption 21 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosA professional surfer takes part in a Surf League event in Netanya, Israel, on Tuesday, March 15.Hide Caption 22 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosSan Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is swarmed by his players after he became the winningest coach in NBA history on Friday, March 11.Hide Caption 23 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosMigrants are seen in the English Channel as they try to cross from France into Britain on Monday, March 14.Hide Caption 24 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosA model presents a creation by Spanish brand Andres Sarda during a fashion show in Madrid on Friday, March 11.Hide Caption 25 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosUkrainian soldiers take cover from incoming artillery fire in Irpin, Ukraine, on Sunday, March 13.Hide Caption 26 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosRevelers sing hymns at the Radha Rani temple as they take part in Holi celebrations in the Indian village of Barsana on Friday, March 11. The Holi festival of colors is a Hindu celebration marking the arrival of spring.Hide Caption 27 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosMarina Ovsyannikova, a Russian state television journalist who protested the invasion of Ukraine during a live news broadcast, leaves a court in Moscow on Tuesday, March 15. She was fined 30,000 rubles ($280) after being found guilty of organizing an "unauthorized public event." Hide Caption 28 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosPeople watch the dyeing of the Chicago River on Saturday, March 12. The river is dyed green every year for St. Patrick's Day.Hide Caption 29 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosTexas Southern basketball coach Johnny Jones is drenched by his players in the locker room after they won their First Four game at the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday, March 15.Hide Caption 30 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosDom Charland, dressed as Batman, looks out over New York City as he poses on the Edge, an outdoor observation deck, on Thursday, March 10. Hide Caption 31 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosRescue workers search for victims after a landslide was triggered by heavy rains in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday, March 11.Hide Caption 32 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosThe United States hockey team celebrates Sunday, March 13, after winning the gold medal at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing.Hide Caption 33 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosSupporters of Sri Lanka's main opposition protest outside the president's office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday, March 15. The protesters were demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the country suffers one of its worst economic crises in history.Hide Caption 34 of 35 Photos: The week in 35 photosThe Wat Arun Buddhist temple is illuminated at dusk Thursday, March 17, in Bangkok, Thailand. See last week in 30 photos.Hide Caption 35 of 35Check out more moving and fascinating images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.What's happening in entertainmentBen Affleck and Ana de Armas bring the heat in 'Deep Water'Seeing real-life exes Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas on screen together is an undeniable attraction for "Deep Water," CNN's Brian Lowry writes. Adapted from the novel by Patricia Highsmith ("The Talented Mr. Ripley"), the story hinges on the strange marriage between Vic (Affleck) and Melinda (de Armas), a picture-perfect couple that outwardly have everything, including wealth and an adorable young daughter. The two have reached an apparent understanding, however, that allows her to take on different lovers, creating an unhappily-ever-after dynamic that causes some discomfort. "Deep Water" premiered on Hulu Friday and is available to stream now.What's happening in sportsMarch MadnessIt's still early in March Madness, but we may not see a bigger shock in the men's NCAA basketball tournament than last week's stunning defeat of the No. 2-seeded Kentucky Wildcats by the No. 15 seed Saint Peter's. Kentucky holds NCAA records for the most tournament appearances, most games played and most victories. But in the face of the Goliath-like challenge, Saint Peter's didn't bow under pressure, winning 85-79 in overtime and busting brackets around the world. The second round of March Madness games got underway yesterday and the Sweet 16 begins Thursday. The NCAA championship game is set for April 4. Quiz time! Take CNN's weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 43% of fellow quiz fans have gotten an 8 out of 10 or better this week. How well can you do?Play me offTake it easyThis is a gentle reminder to relax and appreciate the little things on this beautiful Sunday. Enjoy Lionel Richie's live rendition of "Easy" to brighten your mood. (Click here to view)

CNN Editorial Research

2013-09-02 15:45:16

news

americas

https://www.cnn.com/2013/09/02/world/americas/mexico-drug-war-fast-facts/index.html

Mexico Drug War Fast Facts - CNN

Read CNN's Fast Facts to learn more about how the Mexican government has been fighting against drug traffickers since December 2006.

americas, Mexico Drug War Fast Facts - CNN

Mexico Drug War Fast Facts

(CNN)Here's a look at the Mexican Drug War. The Mexican government has been fighting a war with drug traffickers since December 2006. At the same time, drug cartels have fought each other for control of territory.FactsEnrique Peña Nieto, who was president from 2012 to 2018, continued the fight started by President Felipe Calderon against the cartels and drug-related violence. A huge victory for his administration was the 2014 arrest of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the boss of one of Mexico's most powerful drug trafficking operations, the Sinaloa cartel.Mexican drug cartels take in between $19 billion and $29 billion annually from drug sales in the US.According to a July 2020 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, about 125,000-150,000 homicides were organized crime-related from 2006 to 2018.Read MoreThe Mexico drug war: Bodies for billions Major Cartels(Sources: DEA's 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment, US Dept of Justice, CRS reports) Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO) - Founded by the four Beltran Leyva brothers, Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Hector. Formerly aligned with the Sinaloa cartel. All of the brothers have been killed or arrested, but the group continues to operate in parts of Mexico through "loose alliances" with larger cartels, according to the US Drug Enforcement Agency's 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA). The subgroups rely on the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the Juarez Cartel and Los Zetas. Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) - Split from the Sinaloa Cartel in 2010, it is "one of the most powerful and fastest growing in Mexico and the United States," according to the DEA assessment. The US Department of Justice believes it is "one of the five most dangerous transnational criminal organizations in the world," and responsible for egregious violence, loss of life and increasing volumes of polydrug trafficking. Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," is believed to be the group's leader. Guerreros Unidos (GU) - According to the 2020 NDTA, GU is a splinter group from the BLO and has a working relationship with the CJNG, using the same transport networks to smuggle drugs, which has increasingly become heroin, to the US.Gulf Cartel - Based in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, it started in 1920. It split with its enforcers, Los Zetas, by 2010, and the fallout between the two groups had been called the "most violent in the history of organized crime in Mexico," according to a 2019 CRS report. The cartel is now splintered into small, competing gangs. Juarez Cartel and La Linea - Formerly aligned with the Sinaloa Cartel, then began fighting it for control of Ciudad Juarez and the state of Chihuahua. They still hold a stake in the major smuggling corridor between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas.La Familia Michoacana - Based in the Michoacan state. Possibly defunct as of 2011. It announced it would disband in 2010, but some cells are still active in Guerrero and Mexico states, according to a CRS report. Los Zetas Cartel - Comprised of former elite members of the Mexican military. Initially they worked as hit men for the Gulf Cartel, before becoming independent. The group has a reputation for being particularly savage and is known for massacres, killing civilians, leaving body parts in public places and posting killings on the internet. The group's main asset is not drugs, but organized violence, including theft, extortion, human smuggling and kidnapping, according to a CRS report.Sinaloa Cartel - Considered to be the dominant drug trafficking organization in Mexico, but some experts believe in may be in decline due to recent infighting between factions and the rise of CJNG. It was founded and led by Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who was arrested in 2014, escaped in July 2015, and rearrested in January 2016. He was convicted in a US federal court in February 2019. The cartel may now be operating "with a more horizontal leadership structure than previously thought."Tijuana/Arellano Felix Cartel - Based in Tijuana. Most of the Arellano Felix brothers have been apprehended or killed. May be regaining power due to an alignment with CJNG.TimelineDecember 11, 2006 - Newly elected Mexican President Calderon deploys more than 6,500 Mexican soldiers to the state of Michoacán to battle drug traffickers. 2006 - In the first few weeks of the government crackdown on drug trafficking, 62 people are killed. (Mexican government, April 2010)January 2007 - Captured drug lord Osiel Cardena Guillen, alleged former head of the Gulf cartel, is extradited to the United States.February 2007 - More than 20,000 Mexican soldiers and federal police are spread out across Mexico as part of President Calderon's drug war.June 25, 2007 - Calderon fires 284 federal police commanders to weed out corruption. 2007 - In the first full year of the drug war, 2,837 people are killed. (Mexican government, April 2010)January 2008 - Alfredo Beltran Leyva, of the Beltran Leyva Cartel, is arrested by Mexican police in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico.May 1, 2008 - Roberto Velasco Bravo, Mexico's director of investigation for organized crime, is killed in Mexico City. May 8, 2008 - Edgar Eusebio Millan Gomez, Mexico's federal police chief, and two bodyguards are killed in Mexico City. May 9, 2008 - The commander of Mexico City's investigative police force, Esteban Roble Espinosa, is killed outside his home.September 15, 2008 - During an independence day celebration in Morelia's town square, grenades are thrown into the crowd, killing eight people. The incident has been described as the first terrorist-style attack on innocent bystanders in Mexico's drug war. November 1, 2008 - The acting head of Mexico's Federal Police, Victor Gerardo Garay, resigns under suspicion of corruption. 2008 - In 2008, 6,844 people are killed in Mexico's drug war. (Mexican government, April 2010) November 3, 2009 - The reported head of the Los Zetas drug cartel, Braulio Arellano Dominguez, is killed in a gun battle with Mexican forces in Soledad de Doblado. December 16, 2009 - Arturo Beltran Leyva, head of the Beltran Leyva cartel, is killed in a shootout with Mexican forces in Cuernavaca. 2009 - The Mexican government reports 9,635 deaths in 2009 in the drug war. (Mexican government, April 2010)January 2010 - Carlos Beltran Leyva is arrested by Mexican authorities in Sinaloa. He is the third Beltran Leyva cartel brother to be captured or killed in two years.February 25, 2010 - Cardenas Guillen, head of the Gulf Cartel until his capture in 2003, is sentenced to 25 years in prison in Texas. He is also forced to turn over $50 million to the United States.May 26, 2010 - Pedro Roberto Velazquez Amador, allegedly the leader of the Beltran Leyva cartel in San Pedro, is killed in a shootout with federal forces in northern Mexico.June 11, 2010 - Edgar Valdez Villarreal, "La Barbie," an American citizen, is charged with trafficking thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the United States between 2004 and 2006. He remains a fugitive with a $2 million reward for information leading to his capture.June 25, 2010 - A leader in the Sinaloa cartel, Manuel Garibay Espinoza, is arrested in Mexicali.July 29, 2010 - Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel Villarreal, one of the leaders of the Sinaloa drug cartel, is killed in a military raid in Guadalajara's suburbs. August 25, 2010 - The bodies of 72 migrants from South and Central America are discovered on a ranch in Tamaulipas state. It is believed the 58 men and 14 women were kidnapped by the Los Zetas cartel and killed for refusing to traffic drugs. August 30, 2010 - Mexican authorities announce that they have captured "La Barbie." September 10, 2010 - President Calderon tells CNN en Español, "We live next to the world's largest drug consumer, and all the world wants to sell them drugs through our door and our window. And we live next to the world's largest arms seller, which is supplying the criminals." September 12, 2010 - A top leader in the Beltran Leyva cartel, Sergio Villarreal, is arrested in the city of Puebla. November 5, 2010 - Antonio Ezequiel Cardenas Guillen, aka Tony Tormenta, allegedly the head of the Gulf cartel, is killed in a shootout with Mexican forces in Matamoros. January 2011 - The Mexican government says that 34,612 citizens have been killed during the four-year drug war.January 17, 2011 - Flavio Mendez Santiago, one of the original founders of Los Zetas, is captured near Oaxaca. February 15, 2011 - US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila Jr. are run off the road in Mexico and attacked by a group of armed men who open fire. Zapata dies and Avila survives a gunshot wound to his leg. The Los Zetas drug cartel is suspected. February 23, 2011 - Mexican soldiers arrest six members of the Los Zetas drug cartel, including Julian Zapata Espinoza, who is allegedly responsible for the death of US ICE Agent Zapata. March 5, 2011 - Alleged Los Zetas drug cartel member Mario Jimenez Perez is arrested in connection with Zapata's murder.March 7, 2011 - Alleged Los Zetas drug cartel leader, Marcos Carmona Hernandez, is arrested.April 2011 - Several mass graves holding 177 bodies are discovered in Tamaulipas, the same area where the bodies of 72 migrants were discovered in 2010. April 16, 2011 - Mexican authorities announce the arrest of Martin Omar Estrada Luna -- nicknamed "El Kilo," a presumed leader of the Los Zetas drug cartel. Estrada Luna has been identified by authorities as one of three prime suspects behind the mass graves discovered earlier in April.April 29, 2011 - Former drug cartel leader Benjamin Arellano Felix is extradited to the United States.May 8, 2011 - Twelve suspected members of the Los Zetas drug cartel and a member of Mexico's navy are killed in a shootout on a Falcon Lake island. Authorities say the suspected drug traffickers were storing marijuana on the island.May 29, 2011 - Ten police officers, including a police chief, are arrested on charges of protecting the Los Zetas drug cartel. June 2011 - A congressional report shows that about 70% of firearms seized in Mexico and submitted to the ATF for tracing came from the United States. The report covers 29,284 firearms submitted in 2009 and 2010. June 21, 2011 - Mexican federal police capture Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas, also known as "The Monkey," the alleged head of La Familia Michoacana cartel in Augascalientes.July 3, 2011 - Mexican authorities arrest Jesus Enrique Rejon Aguilar, known as "El Mamito," a reported founding member of the Los Zetas Cartel and allegedly connected to ICE Agent Jaime Zapata's death. July 11, 2011 - The US government announces a plan to require gun dealers in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to report the sales of semiautomatic rifles under certain conditions in an effort to stem the flow of guns to Mexican drug cartels.July 27, 2011 - Edgar Jimenez Lugo, known as "El Ponchis" or "The Cloak," a 14-year-old American citizen with suspected drug cartel ties, is found guilty of beheading at least four people. He is sentenced to three years, the maximum for a juvenile, in a Mexican correctional facility. July 30, 2011 - Mexican authorities announce they have Jose Antonio Acosta Hernandez, or "El Diego," in custody. He is the purported leader of La Linea, the suspected armed branch of the Juarez drug cartel, and considered responsible for the death of US Consulate employee Lesley Enriquez and her husband Arthur Redelfs.August 1, 2011 - Mexican federal police arrest Moises Montero Alvarez, known as "The Korean," a suspected leader of the Independent Cartel of Acapulco (CIDA) and allegedly connected with the murders of 20 Mexican tourists in 2010. August 25, 2011 - At least 52 people are killed in an attack on the Casino Royale in Monterrey, Mexico. Witnesses say up to six people entered the Casino Royale and demanded money from the manager. When the manager refused to pay, the building was set on fire.August 30, 2011 - Mexican officials allege that five suspects arrested in connection with the Mexico casino fire are members of the Los Zetas drug cartel. The suspects are identified as Luis Carlos Carrazco Espinosa; Javier Alonso Martinez Morales, alias "el Javo;" Jonathan Jahir Reyna Gutierrez; Juan Angel Leal Flores; and Julio Tadeo Berrones, alias "El Julio Rayas."September 1, 2011 - A Nuevo Leon state police officer, Miguel Angel Barraza Escamilla, is arrested in connection with the casino fire in Monterrey.September 13, 2011 - A murdered man and woman are found hanging from a bridge in Nuevo Laredo. Near their mutilated bodies is a sign saying they were killed for denouncing drug cartel activities on a social media site. The sign also threatens to kill others who post "funny things on the internet." October 12, 2011 - A suspected top Los Zetas drug cartel leader, Carlos Oliva Castillo, alias "La Rana," or "The Frog," is arrested for allegedly ordering the attack on the Monterrey casino.January 4, 2012 - Benjamin Arellano Felix, a former leader of Mexico's Tijuana drug cartel, pleads guilty to charges of racketeering and conspiracy to launder money. The plea deal calls for the forfeiture of $100 million to the United States and a maximum of 25 years in prison.January 11, 2012 - The office of Mexico's Attorney General releases a statement saying that nearly 13,000 people were killed in drug violence between January and September 2011. August 31, 2012 - Eduardo Arellano Felix, an alleged senior member of a Tijuana-based drug cartel, is extradited from Mexico to the United States. Arellano Felix was arrested on October 25, 2008, after a gun battle with Mexican forces. He is later sentenced to 15 years in US prison.September 3, 2012 - In his final state of the nation address, President Calderon defends his government's approach to combating crime and drugs and criticizes the United States for providing criminals with almost "unlimited access" to weapons.September 4, 2012 - Mexican authorities announce the capture of Mario Cardenas Guillen, also known as "M1" and "The Fat One," a suspected leader of the Gulf cartel.September 27, 2012 - Mexican marines capture and arrest a man claiming to be Ivan Velazquez-Caballero, alias "El Taliban." Velazquez-Caballero is one of the top leaders of Los Zetas. After pleading guilty In 2014, Velazquez-Caballero is sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2017.October 9, 2012 - Mexican authorities confirm that Mexican marines killed Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, leader of the Zetas cartel, in a shootout on October 7. Lazcano's body was stolen from a funeral home on October 8, but authorities had already taken fingerprints and photographs to confirm his identity.July 15, 2013 - Los Zetas cartel leader Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, known as Z-40, is detained by Mexican authorities in an operation in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas.August 20, 2013 - Mario Ramirez-Trevino, ranking member of the Gulf cartel and also known as "X-20," is captured in Reynosa, a city in Tamaulipas state. February 22, 2014 - A US official tells CNN that Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the boss of one of Mexico's most powerful drug trafficking operations, has been arrested in Mexico.March 9, 2014 - Cartel leader Nazario Moreno Gonzalez, also known as "El Chayo," "El Doctor" and "El Mas Loco," The Craziest One," is fatally shot during an arrest attempt, according to Mexican authorities. He was one of the leaders and main founders of La Familia Michoacana cartel. This is the second time Mexican officials have claimed Moreno is dead. They also announced his death in 2010.October 1, 2014 - Mexican police capture Hector Beltran Leyva, head of the Beltran Leyva drug cartel, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.October 9, 2014 - Authorities announce that Mexican federal police have captured alleged Juarez Cartel boss Vicente Carrillo Fuentes. In 2019, US authorities announce additional charges against Carrillo Fuentes including "running a continuing criminal enterprise" and other related crimes. He has remained in Mexican custody since his 2014 arrest while authorities continue to seek his extradition to the US.March 4, 2015 - Los Zetas drug cartel leader Omar Trevino Morales is apprehended by Mexican authorities in a suburb of Monterrey. July 11, 2015 - "El Chapo" escapes through a hole in his cell block that led to a tunnel nearly a mile long. Guzman previously escaped from prison in 2001 in a laundry cart and eluded authorities for more than a dozen years until his capture in 2014.January 8, 2016 - Mexican security forces arrest Guzman in Sinaloa. While on the run, he met with actor Sean Penn in October for an interview published in Rolling Stone. January 29, 2016 - A cross-border raid by US and Mexican law enforcement officials results in the arrest of 24 Sinaloa cartel members. The sting also netted weapons and hundreds of pounds of narcotics. February 23, 2016 - Alfredo Beltran Leyva, behind the Beltran Leyva cartel, pleads guilty to participating in an international narcotic trafficking conspiracy before US District Judge Richard Leon. In 2017, Leyva is sentenced to life in prison.January 19, 2017 - Mexico's Foreign Ministry turns Guzman over to US authorities.March 14, 2017 - Veracruz State Attorney General Jorge Winckler confirms that a mass grave containing more than 250 human skulls has been uncovered. The remains appear to be victims of organized crime violence killed in recent years.May 2, 2017 - Dámaso López Nuñez, a high-ranking leader of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel, is arrested in Mexico City. December 19, 2017 - The US Department of Justice announces the extradition from Mexico to the US of two alleged former Mexican drug cartel leaders -- Ramirez-Trevino, alleged former leader of the Mexican Gulf Cartel, and an associate of Guzman, Victor Manuel Felix-Felix, alleged leader of a Mexican money laundering and cocaine trafficking organization. Ramirez-Trevino was charged and arrested in 2013 and has been in Mexican custody since. Felix-Felix was indicted in March 2011.February 9, 2018 - Mexican authorities capture the alleged head of the Los Zetas drug cartel, Jose Maria Guizar Valencia.June 11, 2018 - "La Barbie" is sentenced to 49 years and one month in prison and fined $192,000, the US Justice Department says. February 12, 2019 - Guzmán is convicted of 10 counts in a New York federal court. He faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for leading a continuing criminal enterprise, and a sentence of up to life imprisonment on drug counts. His attorneys say they plan to file an appeal on a number of issues.August 8, 2019 - Mexican police find 19 bodies in Mexico City. Nine of the bodies are found hanging from an overpass alongside a drug cartel banner threatening rival cartels.February 20, 2020 - Tirso Martinez Sanchez, a former associate of "El Chapo," is sentenced to 84 months in prison.June 16, 2020 - Four months after granting the US request to extradite Rubén Oseguera González, the son of alleged CJNG leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, Mexican federal Judge Uriel Villegas Ortiz and his wife, Verónica Barajas, are killed in front of their home in Colima. It is alleged that Oseguera Cervantes ordered the killing in retaliation for his son's extradition.June 26, 2020 - Mexico City's secretary of public security, Omar Garcia Harfuch, is wounded and three others killed during a shooting, says Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum on Twitter moments after the ambush. Following the attack, Garcia Harfuch says on Twitter that he believes CJNG was responsible.August 23, 2021 - Eduardo Arellano Félix is rearrested in Mexico. He had been deported by the United States following his release from federal prison.September 15, 2021 - Vicente Carillo Fuentes, former leader of the Juarez cartel, is sentenced to 28 years in prison.March 13, 2022 - Mexican authorities arrest the alleged leader of the Cartel of the Northeast, Juan Gerardo Treviño, also known as "El Huevo."

CNN Editorial Research

2013-03-25 19:46:53

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/25/us/terry-nichols-fast-facts/index.html

Terry Nichols Fast Facts - CNN

Read Fast Facts from CNN about convicted Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols.

us, Terry Nichols Fast Facts - CNN

Terry Nichols Fast Facts

(CNN)Here is a look at the life of convicted Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols.PersonalBirth date: April 1, 1955Birth place: Lapeer County, MichiganBirth name: Terry Lynn NicholsRead MoreFather: Robert Nichols, farmerMother: Joyce NicholsMarriages: Marife (Torres) Nichols (1990-2003, divorced); Lana (Osentoski) Nichols (1981-1989, divorced) Children: with Marife Nichols: Christian and Nicole; with Lana Nichols: Joshua Education: Attended Central Michigan University Military service: US Army, 1988-1989 Other FactsThe FBI accused Nichols of helping build the bomb and arrange a getaway car for Timothy McVeigh after the bombing. Nichols' defense attorneys painted Nichols as a family man who had little to do with the bombing.Nichols was not in Oklahoma City on the day of the bombing but was at home in Kansas. Prosecutors said Nichols helped McVeigh make the bomb the day before. Nichols and McVeigh shared a fondness for guns, interest in survivalist training and a distrust of the US government.Nichols learned how to mix fuel and fertilizer to make bombs while growing up on a farm. His father, a farmer, used such bombs to blow up tree stumps.Nichols' wife Marife complained at Nichols' trial of being jealous of her husband's close relationship with McVeigh. TimelineMay 24, 1988 - Enlists in the Army at the age of 33.1988 - Meets McVeigh while in basic training at Fort Benning. May 1989 - Is given a hardship discharge so he can go home to take care of his son Joshua.Fall 1993 - McVeigh lives with the Nichols brothers, Terry and James, in their farmhouse.March 1994 - Takes a job as a farmhand in Kansas.Fall 1994 - Quits his job as a farmhand to go into business with McVeigh, selling guns and military surplus.October 1994 - Along with McVeigh, steals blasting caps and other explosives materials from a quarry in Kansas.November 5, 1994 - Reportedly robs Arkansas gun dealer Roger Moore to finance the purchase of bomb materials. November 1994-January 1995 - Makes a trip to the Philippines where his wife Marife and daughter Nicole are living. Before leaving on the trip, Nichols gives his ex-wife Lana letters and instructions for McVeigh, which are to be read if he doesn't return from the Philippines. April 19, 1995 - A bomb explodes at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.April 21, 1995 - Nichols surrenders to Kansas police when he hears they are looking for him.December 23, 1997 - Is found guilty on federal charges of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and on eight counts of involuntary manslaughter.June 4, 1998 - Federal Judge Richard Matsch sentences Nichols to life in prison without parole after the federal jury is unable to decide on the death penalty or a life sentence.September 13, 1999 - A federal judge rejects Nichols' request for a new federal trial.September 5, 2001 - The Oklahoma County District Attorney announces that Nichols will face a state trial for his role in the bombing. District Attorney C. Wesley Lane says he is going forward with the trial because he is concerned the federal conviction will be overturned. March 22, 2004 - Nichols' state trial opens.April 20, 2004 - Michael Fortier testifies that McVeigh asked him to help build the bomb because "Terry was backing out." Fortier was sentenced to 12 years in prison as part of a plea deal for testifying against McVeigh and Nichols.May 26, 2004 - Nichols is found guilty in Oklahoma state court on 161 counts of murder. The jury spent five hours deliberating before announcing the verdict. June 11, 2004 - The jury in Nichols' state trial says it is deadlocked over a sentence of life in prison or death by lethal injection.August 9, 2004 - District Judge Steven Taylor sentences Nichols to 161 consecutive life terms, without the possibility of parole.April 1, 2005 - The FBI finds residual bomb making material in Nichols' former residence, not detected in previous searches. May 4, 2005 - In a letter written from his Colorado prison cell, Nichols names Arkansas gun dealer Roger Moore as the man who supplied him and McVeigh with bomb components. Moore denies any involvement. March 16, 2009 - Files a 39-page handwritten lawsuit against the Colorado prison where he is staying for violating his religious and dietary needs. In the lawsuit Nichols requests 100% whole-grain foods, fresh raw vegetables and fruit, a wheat bran supplement and digestive bacteria and enzymes. February 2010 - Goes on a fast, protesting the processed foods he is being served in prison. August 12, 2010 - US District Judge Christine M. Arguello dismisses Nichols' lawsuit over prison food.November 28, 2011 - Jannie Coverdale, grandmother of two victims of the Oklahoma City bombing, reveals she has been corresponding with Nichols for several years and that he apologized and asked for her forgiveness, which he received. In copies of the letters published in The Oklahoman, Nichols admits he knew there was to be a bombing but didn't know the federal building was the target and that the building would be occupied. July 13, 2015 - Nichols files a motion asking the court to force the FBI to turn over approximately ten firearms, belonging to him, that were seized after the bombings. Nichols suggests in the motion that the FBI turn the guns over to his ex-wife to help support his children.April 15, 2016 - Judge Matsch orders the government to destroy the firearms belonging to Nichols, and that the fair market value of $6,922 be applied to his court ordered restitution of $14.5 million.March 9, 2017 - Evidence from Nichols' state trial is transferred to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.December 18, 2018 - Nichols' son Joshua is arrested after a police standoff in Las Vegas. He was wanted for violating probation.

CNN Editorial Research

2014-07-14 14:51:53

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europe

https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/14/world/europe/cristiano-ronaldo-fast-facts/index.html

Cristiano Ronaldo Fast Facts - CNN

Read CNN's Fast Facts about soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo to learn about the all-time leading male goalscorer in international football.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Europe, FIFA, FIFA World Cup, Football (Soccer), Manchester United FC, Portugal, Premier League, Southern Europe, Sports and recreation, Sports events, Sports Figures, Sports organizations and teams, europe, Cristiano Ronaldo Fast Facts - CNN

Cristiano Ronaldo Fast Facts

(CNN)Here's a look at the life of professional soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo.PersonalBirth date: February 5, 1985Birth place: Funchal, PortugalBirth name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos AveiroRead MoreFather: Jose Dinis Aveiro, a gardenerMother: Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, a cookChildren: with Georgina Rodriguez: Alana, 2017; with mother's name unavailable publicly: Eva and Mateo (twins), 2017; with mother's name unavailable publicly: Cristiano Jr., 2010 Other FactsAll-time leading male goalscorer in international football.Portugal's all-time top international goalscorer.Winner of the Ballon d'Or footballer of the year award five times (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017), and the European Golden Shoe four times (2007-08, 2010-11, 2013-14 and 2014-15).One of his acts of charity was paying for the brain surgery of a 10-month-old boy. Other acts have included raising money for survivors of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami and paying for treatment for a 9-year-old cancer patient.His father named him after US President Ronald Reagan. TimelineEarly 1990s - Joins local amateur team Andorinha.Late 1990s - Joins Clube Desportivo Nacional da Madeira, one of Portugal's leading professional football clubs.Early 2000s - Signs with Sporting Clube de Portugal.August 12, 2003 - Signs with Manchester United for £12.24 million ($19.7 million).August 20, 2003 - Debuts for Portugal's national team.June-July 2004 - Represents Portugal in the UEFA Euro and scores a goal in the tournament opener. This is his first major international tournament. July 2004 - Plays for Portugal during the Summer Olympics. Portugal is eliminated in the group stage.2005 - Wins the FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year award. October 2005 - Comes under investigation for an alleged sexual assault but is not charged.June 17, 2006 - Scores his first World Cup goal against Iran. Portugal wins 2-0.2008 - Wins the FIFA World Player of the Year award. 2009 - Transfers to Real Madrid. The deal includes an £80 million (more than $130 million) transfer fee.December 15, 2013 - Opens a museum dedicated to his football career in his hometown of Funchal, Portugal.January 6, 2014 - Scores his 400th career goal.January 20, 2014 - Is named Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry.October 17, 2015 - Officially becomes Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer in the club's 3-0 victory over Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.November 9, 2015 - The documentary "Ronaldo" premieres in London.November 8, 2016 - Signs a "lifetime" endorsement deal with Nike.January 2017 - Is named the inaugural Best FIFA Men's Player of 2016. June 13, 2017 - Is accused of defrauding Spanish authorities of $16.4 million in tax between 2011 and 2014.August 14, 2017 - According to the Spanish Football Federation, Ronaldo is banned for five games following his red card in Real Madrid's 3-1 victory over rival Barcelona. On top of the one-game ban for the red card, he will miss four further games for pushing referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea as he was leaving the field. October 23, 2017 - Wins the FIFA Best Men's Player Award for the second year in a row.December 7, 2017 - Claims his fifth Ballon d'Or, equaling the record set by eternal rival Lionel Messi.July 10, 2018 - Leaves Real Madrid to join the reigning Serie A champion Juventus, based in Turin, Italy, on a four-year contract and a reported $117 million transfer fee.September 27, 2018 - Kathryn Mayorga files a lawsuit in Clark County, Nevada, accusing Ronaldo of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009. She seeks to void a settlement and nondisclosure agreement she says she was coerced to sign by Ronaldo and his legal team. Ronaldo denies the allegations.January 10, 2019 - Las Vegas police spokeswoman, Officer Laura Meltzer, confirms that in the course of investigating a rape allegation against Ronaldo they have sent a warrant to authorities in Italy requesting a sample of his DNA. January 22, 2019 - Ronaldo agrees to settle his tax fraud case with Spanish authorities by paying a fine of $21.6 million and accepting a 23-month suspended prison sentence. Under Spanish law, first-time offenders can avoid prison time if the sentence is under two years.April 20, 2019 - Juventus defeats Fiorentina 2-1 to claim the Italian championship Serie A title. Ronaldo becomes the first player ever to win titles in the Premier League (with Manchester United), La Liga (with Real Madrid) and Serie A (with Juventus).May 8, 2019 - The lawsuit filed in Clark County, Nevada, accusing Ronaldo of rape is voluntary dismissed by Mayorga. Larissa Drohobyczer, Mayorga's attorney, tells CNN that "The state case was dismissed by us because we filed the identical claims in federal court due to federal court rules on serving foreigners, we basically just switched venues, but the claims remain."July 22, 2019 - The Clark County District Attorney's office says that Ronaldo will not face sexual assault charges in Las Vegas. The office says the allegations, which were first made in 2009, cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.August 16, 2019 - Federal court documents reveal that following Mayorga's 2009 accusation of rape, Ronaldo paid Mayorga $375,000 in a settlement and confidentiality agreement. Mayorga is asking the court to invalidate the agreement on the grounds that Ronaldo and his legal team took advantage of her fragile emotional state to coerce her into signing it.September 8, 2020 - Scores his 100th international goal in Portugal's Nations League match against Sweden, becoming just the second man in history to reach the milestone.October 13, 2020 - Has tested positive for coronavirus, according to a statement by the Portuguese Football Federation. September 1, 2021 - Breaks the men's all-time international goalscoring record after scoring two goals against Ireland in the Group A World Cup qualifier in Almancil, Portugal.October 6, 2021 - A federal judge recommends that the rape case against Ronaldo be dismissed because Mayorga's attorneys improperly obtained and used information from leaked documents.March 12, 2022 - Scores his 806th career goal against Tottenham, breaking FIFA's all-time record for most goals in competitive matches in men's football history. Photos: Bronze bust hits the headlines The Aeroporto da Madeira in Funchal has become the "Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport."Hide Caption 1 of 5 Photos: Bronze bust hits the headlines Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Antonio Costa were in attendance to also unveil a bronze bust of Ronaldo during the ceremony in Madeira. Hide Caption 2 of 5 Photos: Bronze bust hits the headlines Ronaldo, born in Funchal, looks after the statue's unveiling.Hide Caption 3 of 5 Photos: Bronze bust hits the headlines The airport's logo now bears the Portugal star's face.Hide Caption 4 of 5 Photos: Bronze bust hits the headlines But it's the bronze bust -- and the way it depicts Ronaldo -- which has hit the headlines. What do you make of it? Have your say on our Facebook page. Hide Caption 5 of 5

Emma Tucker and Peter Nickeas, CNN

2022-03-18 14:01:03

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us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/us/chicago-police-recruiting-standards/index.html

Chicago Police Department is latest to lower hiring standards amid staffing shortages - CNN

The Chicago Police Department is lowering hiring standards for new recruits by dropping the college credit requirement for some candidates, as the agency like others in the country continues to face Covid-related staffing shortages and national and local reckoning that's driven potential new police officers away from the profession.

us, Chicago Police Department is latest to lower hiring standards amid staffing shortages - CNN

Chicago Police Department is latest to lower hiring standards amid staffing shortages

(CNN)The Chicago Police Department is lowering hiring standards for new recruits by dropping the college credit requirement for some candidates, as the agency like others in the country continues to face Covid-related staffing shortages and national and local reckoning that's driven potential new police officers away from the profession.Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown announced last week that the department would waive a college-credit requirement for recruits who have two years of military or peace officer experience, or three years in corrections, social services, health care, trades, or education. Under the old policy, those candidates were required to have 60 hours of college credits. Chicago police officers won't be charged in shootings of Adam Toledo and Anthony AlvarezAbout 3,800 people took the Chicago police department's entrance exam over the four months it was offered last year, compared to as many as 22,000 in recent years. At least two other big-city police departments have made similar moves in recent years. Philadelphia used to require some college for officers, but changed that policy to help ease a staffing shortage. That city's former commissioner called the lowering of standards an "embarrassment." New Orleans police also jettisoned a 60-hour requirement, and the education requirement for new recruits is a GED or high school diploma. That move was also in response to staffing shortages. During a news conference this week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams applauded Chicago's recruitment practices after a trip to the city to meet with Mayor Lori Lightfoot.Read More"We're hearing all over the country that there is a requirement problem with police officers," he said. "There were historical barriers that were preventing people from using life experiences to have waivers.""We're going to look to duplicate that in New York City and so in the brief conversation I had, I know that this is an entry way to learn from each other," he added. "We want to look at best practices of how do we finally turn the generational problem of crime in our cities.""I think this is all about enlarging the pool of applicants you can choose from," said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum. "Some cities are really strapped for candidates, so they have to take a second look, 'What do we have to do to expand the applicant pool?' And also, how do you make sure the candidate pool reflects the community you're serving."There's a broader trend of relaxing standardsPolice departments across the country are struggling to maintain their workforces, according to recent survey data compiled by the Police Executive Research Forum. According to their findings, collected from about 180 police departments of various sizes: • There were 42.7% more resignations in 2021 than in 2019.• Agencies of all sizes reported substantial increases in resignations from 2019 to 2021. • There were 23.6% more retirements in 2021 than in 2019.• Agencies of all sizes reported an increase in retirements from 2019 to 2020, and large agencies saw the largest increase. NYPD top cop pick highlights the slow rise of female police chiefs nationwide"The job has become much more demanding, complicated, sophisticated in terms of technology, in terms of writing, all of the tools -- judgment, decision making -- all of the things we expect that translates into police officers of future," Wexler said. "If you want to change American police culture, you need to hire the best and the brightest. I'm not sure that's where we are today given what we're seeing." Wexler said that not everyone who's gone to college goes on to become a good police officer -- "I know some people who've gone to college and they're complete idiots, absolutely no common sense" -- and there's value in hiring older candidates with life experience who've been in the workforce or couldn't go to school because they're raising a family. But broadly, dropping the education requirement is "worrisome," he said. "We do know a more educated workforce is, you're getting a candidate pool (that) recognizes importance of education." The Chicago move is part of a broader trend of relaxing standards to entice more people into becoming police officers. Relaxing standards could mean allowing tattoos or prior use of marijuana. "But also looking at things, like, how do you attract a larger base of candidates to choose from. If you talk to any chief today, they will tell you they're just not seeing the same number of people they've seen in years," Wexler said. Life experience makes 'a very big difference'In Chicago, about 3,800 people took the police department's entry exam over the four months it was offered in 2021. As many as 22,000 took the exam in 2018, about 14,000 applicants in 2016, and about 19,000 applicants in 2013. The Chicago Police Department's attrition rate more than doubled from 4% in 2020 to 8.5% in 2021, according to Brown. Chicago police declined to comment on how many people took recent entrance exams, or were hired from those exams, but called the pool of candidates "very small." "The 60 hours of college credit requirement can be prohibitive," Brown said last week at a news conference. A deputy chief, at the same news conference, said that "life experience really does make a very big difference." Homicides in 22 US cities continue to rise in 2021 but at a slower pace, report saysBrown said the restrictions on recruit class sizes early in the pandemic to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 had an impact on the overall attrition rate, as well as an outbreak of Covid-19 in the summer of 2020 that prompted a shutdown of the police academy.Chicago's most recent recruit class in February was 48% female, 65% Hispanic, Brown said. The racial and ethnic makeup of the department in its entirety includes 20% African American, 4% Asian, 45% White, 30% Hispanic and "various other categories of diversity" that account for 1% of officers, he added. The city, as of the most recent census, is 33% White, 29.2% Black, and 28.6% Hispanic or Latino. That changed slightly from 10 years earlier, when the city's Black population was larger. Migdalia Bulnes, deputy chief of the newly created recruiting team for the agency, said that their goal was to open the pool of applicants to people who have work experience but were not able to attend college to obtain the 60 credit hours required for the job."There are many, many people just like that in our communities," she said. "They are leaders, they have a job, they have experience, they have communication, they're making decisions, they're filling out reports. So those were the individuals that we thought of when we started talking about this program and exactly what we wanted to see come into this police department."CNN's Sam Romano, Priya Krishnakumar and Laura Studley contributed to this report.

Analysis by Harry Enten, CNN

2022-03-19 20:13:09

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/19/politics/ron-desantis-trump-2024-president-crime-cities/index.html

Ron DeSantis follows the Trump playbook ahead of 2024 - CNNPolitics

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, not surprisingly, remains the top news story this week. That will likely be the case as long as the war and the devastation continue.

politics, Ron DeSantis follows the Trump playbook ahead of 2024 - CNNPolitics

Ron DeSantis follows the Trump playbook ahead of 2024

(CNN)The Russian invasion of Ukraine, not surprisingly, remains the top news story this week. That will likely be the case as long as the war and the devastation continue. Still, there are stories on the domestic front that have also been making waves, both from a statistical angle and for their political implications.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis positions himself for 2024 run against Donald TrumpIf we've learned anything from the last two presidential cycles, it's that free media is worth a lot in presidential primaries. Trump got a historic amount of free media attention in 2016, and now-President Joe Biden led the pack for free media on the Democratic side during the 2020 primary season. DeSantis seems like he's the next major "free media" beneficiary. One of the few non-Ukraine news stories to break through in the last few weeks was the outcry over the new Florida legislation that critics have dubbed "Don't Say Gay." (My colleague Zach Wolf has a strong article on what is actually in the bill and what it means.) Read MoreIndeed, DeSantis is continuing to lap other potential non-Trump 2024 candidates in Fox cable mentions. In about the last six months, "DeSantis" has been mentioned 920 to 950 times (depending on the day you start counting from), per the Internet Archive's Television News Archive. "[Mike] Pence" and "[Ted] Cruz" have been mentioned about 900 times -- combined.The same was true nearly a year ago when I wrote "How the numbers show Ron DeSantis' stock is rising." It doesn't hurt DeSantis that the bill that recently passed in Florida is popular among Republicans, both in-state and nationally, and that he is a strong favorite for reelection as governor this year.The idea behind my piece in 2021 was that DeSantis should be considered a Republican front-runner for 2024, if Trump decided not to run. At this point, I think we can replace "a" with "the" in that last sentence. To be sure, Trump is the favorite for the GOP nomination in 2024 if he runs, but DeSantis is clearly the next most likely nominee. The Florida governor is second in pretty much every national 2024 GOP primary poll that includes Trump as an option. He's also the only other Republican to almost always crack double digits in these polls. When Trump is not included, DeSantis has the advantage in nearly every survey, usually polling in the mid-20s. That's quite similar to where Biden was in early 2020 Democratic primary polls. It's an enviable, though not infallible, position. DeSantis is polling this well despite not being as well known to voters as Trump and Biden. Nearly 40% of Republicans had no opinion of DeSantis, a January Marquette University Law School poll found.But while Trump had a higher favorability rating among Republicans than DeSantis (74% versus 52%), DeSantis' favorability rating among Republicans who were knowledgeable enough to have an opinion was higher than Trump's (about 83% to about 75%). Indeed, the governor is in a much stronger position in the one place where voters know both DeSantis and Trump well -- Florida. DeSantis and Trump are within single digits of each other in an average of polls for a hypothetical 2024 primary in the Sunshine State. Trump calls Florida home now, and he easily won the 2016 Republican primary there over home-state Sen. Marco Rubio. We'll have to see what happens once Republicans nationwide know DeSantis as well as Republicans in Florida do. Violent crime continues to rise in major cities Another story that garnered major headlines this week was about a man who senselessly shot homeless people in New York and Washington, DC. While a suspect is under arrest, the fact is that crime continues to be an issue in American cities.Violent crime rose during the coronavirus pandemic in many American cities. Although we don't know exactly why, it's notable that this increase happened just when daily life was interrupted. This year, the pandemic has been less of an issue, but rates of violent crime still seem to be rising in the biggest American cities. In New York, the number of complaints for violent crime is up 27% from this point last year. In Los Angeles, it's up 5% from this time last year. And in Chicago, complaints of violent crime are up 9% from last year. All three cities have seen similar (in the case of Los Angeles) or larger (45% in New York and 34% in Chicago) increases in their overall crime rates within the past year. The good news from the stats is that the murder (or homicide) rate does seem to be down in all three cities. Unfortunately, the murder rate tells only part of the story.The higher crime rate in these cities is getting people's attention. A record percentage of New York City voters (74%) said crime was a very serious problem, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll. It ranked as the top issue facing the city, the poll found. In Washington, (where violent crime is up 20% and overall crime is up 9% from this point last year), 36% of residents said the No. 1 problem facing the city that they wanted the mayor to solve was crime, violence or guns, per a recent Washington Post poll. No other issue mentioned by DC residents as the biggest problem got more than 14% in the survey.We'll see if this eventually translates into crime becoming a bigger national story. As I pointed out in January, it hasn't yet. For your brief encounters: No one wants to hear about your NCAA bracketOn the lighter side of the news, you may be watching or about to watch an NCAA basketball tournament game. If you have any interest in the topic, I'd suggest you check out my piece on the tournament, how much work productivity is lost during March Madness and the chances of Duke losing. One thing I will point out is that only about 15% of Americans even fill out college basketball brackets every year. Given that low percentage, I can assure you that no one really wants to hear how good or bad you're doing at predicting results. Question of the week: Are you more excited for the NCAA tournament or for the start of Major League Baseball in April? Tell us about it here, and we'll report the results next week. Last week's results: I asked you all last week to give us your thoughts on changing the clocks for daylight saving time. Most of you were in favor of making daylight saving time permanent. For instance, Chris Peterson tweeted, "Daylight Saving time all year, but time zones should shift east by several hundred miles to ensure sunrise times in winter are within a reasonable window." A vocal minority were in favor of keeping standard time all year round. "It's the natural time, defined by the sun and longitude. Why fight nature instead of working with it?" tweeted Kristen Tullo. And Mark Pritchard came in with this novel idea: "What we need is Weekend Savings Time. Clocks move forward one hour every Friday at 4 pm: suddenly it's 5 pm and the weekend! Clocks move back every Sunday night: now you have an extra hour of sleep before Monday."Little did I know then that the US Senate would hear your calls and vote by unanimous consent to make daylight saving time a year-round affair. We'll see what the House and Biden do about it. Leftover pollsSleep problems: Having trouble sleeping? If so, you're not alone. A mere 32% of American adults said they had slept excellent or very good the previous night, according to a new Gallup poll. That compares with 33% who reported "fair" or "poor" sleep. (The rest said "good.") More Americans under age 50 (38%) said they had slept fairly or poorly than those 65 and older (24%). Masks at work: Just 39% of American workers said their workplaces had mask mandates last week, per an Axios/Ipsos poll. At no other time since the question was first asked in August 2021 had that percentage fallen below a majority. This comes as Covid-19 rates are rising in Europe and signs emerge of the potential for similar spikes in parts of the US. French presidential election: Last week, I noted that Biden seemed to be benefiting from a bit of a "rally around the flag" effect following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. One politician who is definitely receiving a bounce in his ratings is French President Emmanuel Macron. He faces reelection in about three weeks, and polls now show him over 30% in the first round, well ahead of the competition. As long as he finishes in the top two ahead of a likely runoff, Macron will be a heavy favorite for a second term.

Ramin Mostaghim, Celine Alkhaldi, Ruba Alhenawi, Maija Ehlinger, Arnaud Siad and Jennifer Hansler, CNN

2022-03-19 17:10:10

news

middleeast

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/19/middleeast/iran-uk-us-prisoner-tahbaz-zaghari-ratcliffe-intl/index.html

Iran: Detainee with triple nationality who was released as part of deal with UK is sent back to jail  - CNN

One of the three detained British-Iranians who were released as part of a deal signed by the UK has been returned to jail in Tehran, his lawyer told CNN Friday.

middleeast, Iran: Detainee with triple nationality who was released as part of deal with UK is sent back to jail  - CNN

Detainee in Iran with triple nationality who was released as part of deal with UK is sent back to jail 

Tehran, Iran (CNN)One of the three detained British-Iranians who were released as part of a deal signed by the UK has been returned to jail in Tehran, his lawyer told CNN Friday. Morad Tahbaz, who is also a US citizen, spent 48 hours "under house arrest" with an ankle bracelet before being taken back to prison, according to his lawyer Hojjat Kermani. Fellow British-Iranian nationals Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were released Wednesday and flew back to their homes in England. Tahbaz, an environmentalist who was first detained in January 2018, was released from Evin prison "on furlough to his house in Tehran," UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement on Wednesday. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe released after 6 years' detention in IranTahbaz's lawyer told CNN that "security guards surrounded Morad's home for 48 hours before taking him back to prison." Read MoreOn Friday, a UK Foreign Office spokesperson said "the Iranians have told the UK government that Morad has been taken to Evin to fit an ankle tag that should have been fitted before his release. We hope to see him returned to his home in the coming hours. Morad Tahbaz is a tri-national and we are working closely with the United States to secure Morad's permanent release."Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, left, and Anoosheh Ashoori, who were freed from Iran, wave after landing at RAF Brize Norton in England on March 17, 2022.A spokesperson for the US State Department also told CNN that "Iran made a commitment to the UK to furlough Morad Tahbaz. As the UK government has said, the UK has been told that Morad has been returned to Evin prison solely to be fitted with an ankle tag, after which he will be allowed to go home."The spokesperson added that the US is not "a party to this arrangement, but would join the UK in considering anything short of Morad's immediate furlough a violation of Iran's commitment."US basketball star Brittney Griner is reportedly well and has seen her Russian legal team several times throughout her detention, source saysAs of Saturday morning, CNN cannot confirm whether Tahbaz has been rereleased from prison and back under house arrest. The US is "urgently consulting" with the UK on appropriate responses and said it continues "to work night and day to secure the release of our wrongfully detained citizens, including U.S.-UK citizen Morad Tahbaz."The State Dept. spokesperson added, "simply put, Iran is unjustly detaining innocent Americans and others and should release them immediately."Following the release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Ashoori earlier this week, Truss announced the UK had settled a decades-old £400 million ($524 million) debt owed to Iran, which Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian denied was linked to the prison release on Wednesday.Ramin Mostaghim reported from Tehran, Celine Alkhaldi wrote from Abu Dhabi, Ruba Alhenawi and Maija Ehlinger wrote from Atlanta, Arnaud Siad wrote from London and Jennifer Hansler wrote from the State Department. CNN's Jeevan Ravindran contributed to this report.

Josh Campbell and Elizabeth Joseph, CNN

2022-03-19 16:56:01

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/19/us/san-diego-lucky-phounsy-wrongful-death-lawsuit/index.html

Federal jury awards $85 million to California family in wrongful death lawsuit - CNN

A federal jury has awarded $85 million to the family of a California man who died in 2015 after a confrontation with San Diego County sheriff's deputies, court records show.

us, Federal jury awards $85 million to California family in wrongful death lawsuit - CNN

Federal jury awards $85 million to California family in wrongful death lawsuit after arrest

(CNN)A federal jury has awarded $85 million to the family of a California man who died in 2015 after a confrontation with San Diego County sheriff's deputies, court records show.The jury's verdict came in a negligence and wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Lucky Phounsy against the county and sheriffs."What we asked the jury for is to return a verdict that reflected the truth about his death and that reflected justice for what was taken from this family," said Tim Scott, an attorney for the family, according to CNN affiliate KGTV. "We think that the jury verdict did deliver both truth and justice."The San Diego County Sheriff's Department plans to meet with its legal representatives to "evaluate the verdict further," according to a statement."As always, our ultimate goal is to provide exceptional law enforcement services in San Diego County," the statement said.Read MoreRecently unsealed video shows California man screaming 'I can't breathe' before dying in police custody after 2020 traffic stopOn April 13, 2015, Phounsy, 32, "began experiencing symptoms of a mental health crisis" and called 911 "to report that unknown assailants were trying to harm him," according to the complaint filed on behalf of Phounsy's two children, wife, and mother.Sheriff's deputies who responded to the call "were unnecessarily confrontational, aggressive, and profane," the lawsuit claimed. After deputies attempted to handcuff him, "Lucky became frightened and confused" before an altercation with one of the deputies, the lawsuit says.Deputies, emergency medical technicians and paramedics used a Taser on Phounsy and hog-tied him, and on the way to the hospital paramedics put a sock over his face, according to the lawsuit. According to an incident summary in court documents, the two responding deputies called for back-up units "while they were being assaulted and injured by Phounsy." Both deputies were injured in the altercation, one of them severely, according to the summary.Phounsy was treated in a local hospital and died a few days later, the complaint said.The federal jury found the deputies used excessive force against Phounsy, weren't trained properly, violated Phounsy's civil rights, and were negligent in their duties -- all of which led to his wrongful death, according to court records.Phounsy's family was awarded $5 million for the pain and suffering he experienced -- $2 million for suffering endured before he was placed into an ambulance, and $3 million for suffering endured before his death -- as well as $80 million for their loss of his love, companionship and more, court records show.CNN's Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.

Katie Hunt, CNN

2022-03-19 15:12:42

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/19/world/artemis-rocket-nasa-science-newsletter-wt-scn/index.html

Artemis I moon rocket is a step closer to launch countdown - CNN

Marvel at NASA's mega moon rocket and Orion spacecraft as they roll out to the launchpad, learn about gigantic sinkholes discovered in the Artic seafloor, take a guess at how researchers are luring murder hornets into traps, and investigate more this week.

world, Artemis I moon rocket is a step closer to launch countdown - CNN

Artemis I moon rocket is a step closer to launch countdown

A version of this story appeared in CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. (CNN)A mega moon rocket and the Orion spacecraft have finally emerged from their chrysalis and are towering in place at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The most powerful rocket NASA has ever built, the Space Launch System is now ready for a final prelaunch test for the uncrewed Artemis I mission. Known as a wet dress rehearsal, the trial includes loading the fuel tanks and conducting a launch countdown.Ultimately, the plan is to use the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket to land the first woman and person of color on the moon. The SLS will usher in a new era of deep space exploration.But even as NASA reaches for the stars, I was struck this week by how much of Earth's surface still remains uncharted and how dramatically it can change without us knowing. I'm Katie Hunt, standing in for Ashley Strickland in this edition of Wonder Theory.Read MoreOcean secrets The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) used to record the seafloor is recovered after completing a successful seafloor mapping mission in the Arctic Ocean. Marine scientists have discovered deep sinkholes -- one larger than a city block of six-story buildings -- and ice-filled hills that have formed "extraordinarily" rapidly on a remote part of the Arctic seafloor.Mapping of Canada's Beaufort Sea revealed the dramatic changes, which the researchers said are taking place as a result of thawing permafrost submerged underneath the seabed.It's the first time subsea permafrost has been tracked in this way, and scientists said it was surprising to see changes like these occurring in such a short span of time -- less than a decade. Permafrost is a frozen layer of earth, and it covers a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere, including under the sea. Large swaths of permafrost were submerged as glaciers melted and sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age, around 12,000 years ago.On land, warmer temperatures have led to radical shifts in the Arctic landscape in recent years. Human-caused climate change, however, didn't induce these shifts in the seabed, the researchers said.Wild kingdom When a pack of giant hornets attacks a honeybee hive, the slaughter is brutal and quick. The marauders -- sometimes described as murder hornets -- can decimate a hive in hours. While Asian bees have adapted to protect themselves from the predatory hornets, North American bees have not. Researchers in China have found a way to lure the hornets into traps -- potentially stopping the spread of the invasive species. Their secret weapon might surprise you. Hint: It involves the game of attraction.Consequences Pollen seasons are increasing in length and intensity.Allergies are far more than a sneezy seasonal annoyance -- hay fever can be super disruptive to everyday life. It's also a problem that's being exacerbated by the climate crisis.By the end of the century, the pollen season could begin as much as 40 days earlier than it has in recent decades in the US because of climate crises, according to new research. Annual pollen counts could climb by up to 250%.Typically, different trees such as birch, oak and pine release pollen at different times. But warmer and earlier spring weather means that different pollen varieties will overlap, making the pollen season more intense. DiscoveriesEwww. It turns out your kitchen sponge can grow bacteria better than a petri dish in a lab. A sponge's spatial partitioning -- the way it's divided into different sectors of various sizes -- means it's a paradise for bacteria that thrive in secluded spaces, according to a new study. The aim of the research is to help scientists better understand habitats favored by microbial communities that could produce chemicals of medicinal value, but they did share some tips on how to keep your kitchen sponge relatively germ-free.Defying gravity NASA astronaut Raja Chari is pictured tethered to the International Space Station during a six-hour and 54-minute spacewalk on March 15.The astronauts on board the International Space Station are defying gravity ... and politics. The first spacewalk of the year took place outside the space station on Tuesday, while on Friday three new Russian crew members were welcomed aboard, joining the four Americans, one European and two Russians already there.With Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the cosmonauts' arrival at the space station comes at a time of mounting geopolitical tensions that have seen former US astronaut Scott Kelly clash on Twitter with the head of Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. Such attacks are "damaging" to the space station's mission, a NASA official has warned. The agency said it's still working closely with Roscosmos, and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei will "for sure" return from the ISS later this month aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, as previously planned. The wonderDon't miss these eye-popping stories: -- Underneath Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, archaeologists have made a surprising discovery that could date to the 14th century.-- A new species of armored dinosaur has been unearthed in southwestern China, and it has similar features to a porcupine. -- Rest easy. NASA's asteroid surveillance net got to flex its muscles in real time this week -- and it's doing its job.Like what you've read? Oh, but there's more. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory newsletter, brought to you every Saturday by CNN.

Thomas Lake, CNN

2022-03-19 12:40:59

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/19/us/james-brown-death-investigation/index.html

Prosecutors vowed 2 years ago to examine singer James Brown's death. Newly released documents show they did very little - CNN

A woman told prosecutors in Atlanta in 2020 she thought James Brown had been murdered. The DA vowed to investigate. Two years later, the inquiry is dead -- and potential evidence is missing.

us, Prosecutors vowed 2 years ago to examine singer James Brown's death. Newly released documents show they did very little - CNN

Prosecutors vowed 2 years ago to examine singer James Brown's death. Newly released documents show they did very little

(CNN)On February 12, 2020, Jacque Hollander sat in a conference room on the third floor of an Atlanta courthouse and told prosecutors she thought James Brown had been murdered.District Attorney Paul Howard listened, took notes, and accepted a green plastic bin full of items that Hollander said were corroborating evidence. The DA said his investigators would look into her claims about Brown's death.But it seems not much was done, according to a CNN review of internal documents released in recent weeks. Potential evidence went untested. A key witness died without being interviewed. There is no indication that anyone tried to obtain Brown's medical records. And when the DA's office returned Hollander's property in a cardboard box in March 2022, she said all the most important items she'd handed over were missing, without explanation.The documents obtained by CNN make clear that in nearly two years and under two Fulton County district attorneys, prosecutors did very little to answer lingering questions about Brown's final minutes."They never did anything on this case," Hollander said. "And that's ridiculous."Read MoreCurrent Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis succeeded Howard in 2021 and closed the inquiry without taking action. Her spokesperson, Deputy District Attorney Jeff DiSantis, did not respond to an interview request or a detailed list of questions.Hollander first called me in 2017 to allege that the Godfather of Soul had been murdered at an Atlanta hospital on Christmas Day in 2006. His official cause of death was a heart attack and fluid in the lungs, and his daughter Yamma Brown declined to have an autopsy done. But I found a dozen other people who knew Brown and said they wanted an autopsy or a criminal investigation. Those people included Marvin Crawford, the doctor who signed Brown's death certificate and later told me he was "highly suspicious that somebody perhaps could have given him an illicit substance that led to his death"; and Andre White, a longtime friend of Brown who said he kept a vial of Brown's blood from the hospital in the hope of proving that Brown had been murdered. Jacque Hollander worked as a singer for the Carson & Barnes Circus when she first called a CNN reporter in 2017."I would like to know," White said in a 2017 interview, "who basically killed him?" Early in 2020, about a year after CNN published my investigative series on Brown, Howard agreed to meet with Hollander. In that February 12 meeting, which I also attended and recorded, Hollander said prosecutors should interview the following people to learn more about the circumstances of Brown's death: Daryl Brown, a son of James Brown who said he wanted a criminal investigation into his father's death. Dr. Marvin Crawford, the doctor who treated Brown in 2006 and later said he suspected that Brown had not died of natural causes. Candice Hurst, the green plastic bin's previous owner, a former backup singer and hairdresser for Brown who shared with Hollander what Hollander believed was a confession about Brown's death. (Hurst has denied any connection to Brown's death and said Hollander misinterpreted the conversation, during which Hurst said she had a "vision" of herself in Brown's hospital room the night he died. Hurst told CNN she was not at the hospital with Brown the night he died, and her daughter Kayla Cavazo corroborated Hurst's account in a separate interview.) Shana Quinones, a former employee of Brown's who claimed that Brown's personal manager Charles Bobbit told her that Hurst was at the hospital with Brown. Tony Wilson, an associate of Brown who contradicted Hurst's account of the night Brown died and said Hurst admitted to him she'd been at the hospital with Brown. Andre White, the friend who claimed to have the vial of Brown's blood from the hospital and hoped to have it tested by law enforcement.After Hollander told her story, the district attorney said he had a list of six people to interview. His investigators took the bin into evidence and gave her a property receipt. Video footage released by the DA's office shows two employees cataloguing numerous items and placing them into clear plastic evidence bags. Brown supplied lead vocals for "Atlanta Will Be Rockin'," a song Jacque Hollander wrote in the 1980s to celebrate the Atlanta Falcons. Hollander's property receipt said, "Green Plastic Storage Bin... Bin contains various items of clothing, hair rollers, combs, shoes, etc... (Due to the nature of what is 'said to be contained within the bin' , we did not conduct an inventory; so as not to contaminate the 3rd floor Grand Jury Room)... An inventory will be conducted as soon as practical...""Within a period of six months," Howard told Hollander, "we will see whether or not we can talk to the people that you've described. If at the end of that period, we are not able to substantiate what you've brought to us, we will then call you and return the items to you." Despite the pandemic, a prosecutor vows the investigation will continue In the months after he agreed to examine Brown's death, the district attorney faced one crisis after another.It wasn't just the Covid-19 pandemic. In May 2020, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Howard was under criminal investigation for the alleged misuse of public funds. (Howard paid $6,500 to settle a case with the state ethics commission but predicted he would be "totally exonerated." A spokesperson for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the case has been turned over to the Georgia Attorney General.) In June, Howard was accused of rushing to charge a police officer in the death of Rayshard Brooks before the investigation was complete. Howard responded that he was "just doing his job."In early 2020, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard agreed to look into Jacque Hollander's claims about James Brown's death. Later that year, Howard lost his bid for re-election to challenger Fani Willis.As the pandemic continued, Jacque Hollander wondered what would become of the James Brown inquiry. But on July 7, 2020, according to documents obtained by CNN through the Georgia Open Records Act, she got some reassurance.In a note written that day, Assistant District Attorney Michael Sprinkel apologized for being out of touch. He said the pandemic had hampered grand jury proceedings and in-person interviews. He told her not to worry about "various statements made by various persons to various news outlets." He wrote, "these statements did not dissuade me from pursuing this investigation." "Lastly," Sprinkel wrote to Hollander, "I expect that in the coming weeks and months, we will learn to co-exist with this virus. So this investigation will continue." Sprinkel sent a copy of the note to Chris Hopper, the spokesman for the DA's office. Nine minutes later, he emailed Hopper again: "I'm on the phone with her right now, too."Hollander spent almost four hours on the phone with the assistant district attorney that day, she later told me. She said he wanted to begin issuing subpoenas and applying for search warrants. Hollander and Sprinkel spoke again the next day. She told me Sprinkel told her he would soon be seeking indictments.Sprinkel did not respond to a detailed list of questions I sent for this story, including questions about what he told Hollander.Did Hollander understand correctly? Was an indictment on the horizon? A recording of the call would help answer these questions. Sprinkel sometimes records calls with potential witnesses. I know this because a brief recording of Sprinkel's call to someone else was included in the documents I received from the DA's office. I requested a copy of Sprinkel's call with Hollander, but the DA's legal counsel, Don Geary, told me that no such recording exists.On August 11, 2020, about a month after Sprinkel's long call with Hollander, DA Paul Howard lost a runoff election by a nearly 3-to-1 margin to Fani Willis, his former employee, which meant his term would expire by the end of the year.Two days later, Jacque Hollander said she received a phone call from Candice Hurst. Hollander said it sounded as if Hurst knew something that Hollander didn't know. (I tried to reach Hurst by phone for this story, but my calls were not returned.) Hurst also texted Hollander several pictures of herself in skimpy clothing and suggestive poses. Hollander informed Sprinkel about the call and the text messages and offered to forward them to Sprinkel.Candice Hurst, former hairdresser for James Brown, at CNN Center in 2017. "Yes, please send them," Sprinkel texted Hollander on August 14. "Why on earth is she doing this? Is it because of the election? Like I said, it's not like a forthcoming changing of the guard magically makes the case disappear from the consideration of the Fulton County D.A.'s Office."The DA's office released the text message chain between Sprinkel and Hollander in response to CNN's open-records request."She has no reason to believe [that the investigation is closed] other than the recent election results, which aren't nearly as relevant to the investigation as she believes," Sprinkel wrote to Hollander, referring to Hurst. "So don't worry about it -- the investigation continues..."Two days later, Hollander texted Sprinkel to ask why he hadn't called her back."I'm sorry about these issues with Candice, and no, I haven't walked away - I would absolutely tell you if we ended the investigation," Sprinkel wrote on August 24. "Right now, however, my Supervisor, Adam Abbate (he was in the meeting with Thomas earlier this year), has ordered me to attend to the recent influx of homicides in Atlanta. Basically he wants me to get these cases ready for Grand Jury presentment whenever the court re-opens. So special investigations, such as this, will be addressed on the resumption of normal operations. This isn't too much of a deviation from where I was previously - my investigatory powers are greatly reduced without a sitting Grand Jury to which I may Subpoena witnesses."Something appeared to change after that. From August to the following January, according to the text chain released by the DA's office, Hollander wrote to Sprinkel more than 40 times. But Sprinkel never replied again.Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Michael Sprinkel testifies at a trial in March 2018 in Atlanta. Meanwhile, the situation kept getting worse for Sprinkel's boss. In September, Howard's spokesman confirmed that Howard had received a federal grand jury subpoena for records related to his compensation. (Howard denied wrongdoing; the Justice Department did not respond to a request for information on the case.)I tried to assess the situation. Would Sprinkel lose his job when the new DA took over? Where would that leave the James Brown matter? Hoping to gain some insight, I wrote a note and mailed it to Sprinkel's home address. He did not reply.When I reached Howard by phone in August 2021, after he'd left the DA's office and gone into private law practice, he did not sound like the same man who met with Hollander the previous year."I just don't recall," Howard said when I asked what became of the Brown investigation. "I have to say James Brown is not within the scope of my memory or consciousness." A new DA takes over, and the case takes a perplexing turn District Attorney Fani Willis took office on January 1, 2021. She kept Michael Sprinkel on her staff of prosecutors. And she inherited the James Brown matter, which the previous DA had left unresolved. On January 26, Jacque Hollander called to ask about the case and the green plastic bin she'd left in Howard's care. She was transferred to Chief of Investigations Capers Green, who emailed Sprinkel just before noon: Please contact Ms. Jacque Hollander about the status of the case on the Death of Mr. James Brown.She explained that she spoke to you and Paul Howard about James Brown being murdered and she wants to know what happen to the evidence that she brought you.Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis took office in 2021. She is best known her office's ongoing investigation into whether former President Donald Trump and others committed crimes by pressuring Georgia officials to overturn Joe Biden's 2020 presidential election victory.A long email chain ensued, during which an investigator said the bin was still in an evidence room. Eventually Sprinkel gave several high-ranking colleagues a summary of the case.He did not mention Marvin Crawford, the doctor who treated Brown and said he was "highly suspicious that somebody perhaps could have given him an illicit substance that led to his death." He did not mention that Hollander had given him 1,256 pages of text messages from her iPhone. He did not tell his colleagues that the green plastic bin contained the "James Brown duffle bag" that Hurst referred to in one of the text messages on Hollander's phone, or that Hurst wrote it contained "the dope he was doing the last week of his life," or that she wrote, "Everything will look so wrong."Instead, Sprinkel wrote that after he'd spoken with Hollander for "probably 10+ hours," he didn't have "reasonable suspicion that a crime occurred." He continued: "This will make getting James Brown's medical records difficult because we don't have P.C. (probable cause) for a search warrant, and we can't even get them with a Subpoena (not that the hospital would likely honor one if we tried). This is because I can't articulate a crime to form the basis of a theoretical indictment, which must necessarily back the Subpoena."Building a criminal case in Brown's death would be difficult given the passage of time, the death certificate that cited natural causes, and questions about chain of custody with regard to potential evidence. In 2020, Tom Ruocco, then-chairman of the police investigative operations committee at the International Association of Chiefs of Police, spoke with me after reading CNN's story on Brown's death. Ruocco said, "Somebody's going to have to find that piece that's going to blow open this whole thing."By early 2021, such a breakthrough seemed unlikely. In his email to colleagues on January 26, Sprinkel wrote that after he received the letter I mailed to his home, "I reached out to our P.R. guy at that time and was told not to respond to the reporter and because of this case getting media attention, to not do anything until further notice. So I've put the case on the back burner for the time being."Here was a potential explanation for Sprinkel's sudden unresponsiveness to Jacque Hollander. But I've never heard of a media spokesman with the power to tell a prosecutor to stop investigating a case. Nor is it plausible that an investigation would shut down because of media attention; if so, no high-profile case would ever be resolved.I asked Sprinkel and the DA's office for the name of "P.R. guy" mentioned in Sprinkel's email, but I've gotten no response. I also called and emailed a spokesman who worked for Paul Howard at that time to ask for his recollections on this episode, but I have not heard back.Dr. Marvin Crawford treated James Brown during his last hospital stay in 2006 and later said he was "highly suspicious that somebody perhaps could have given him an illicit substance that led to his death." Even after Sprinkel sent the email saying he didn't have reasonable suspicion, others in the DA's office showed potential interest in the case. Deputy Chief Investigator Michael Green sent an email in February 2021 asking Sprinkel to type his handwritten notes from the 2020 meeting between Howard and Hollander and send them along. Sprinkel complied.It's not clear what Green did with the information. The batch of emails I received from the DA's office includes nothing from the ensuing three months.Potential evidence goes missingIn May 2021, Jacque Hollander told me yet another odd story: For the second time in about nine months, someone close to Brown had called to taunt her.This time, she said, it was a series of phone calls from a mysterious man known as Ghost. He also goes by Christian St. John, Van St. John, and Christian Van St. John, among other names. In 2018, a police detective in metro Atlanta tried and failed to discover his true identity. Ghost has called me several times as well. He claims to be related to James Brown. In 2016, he sent Hollander a text message that indicated he knew something about Brown's death. He asked her about "the lace poisoning" that was "used to poison him."Jacque Hollander walks behind the Carson & Barnes circus tent after performing. "There is something very wrong here," she told CNN about the missing items in the evidence bags.Hollander said Ghost called her again on May 25, 2021. The calls were disturbing enough that she filed a report with her local police department. She says he told her, "You and Lake are f---ing liars and you're going to burn in hell," and "the district attorney is doing nothing, because she knows you're both pieces of s---."Two days later, there was a brief flurry of activity at the DA's office. Deputy Chief Operating Officer Dexter Q. Bond Jr. emailed Sprinkel with the subject line "James Brown Case" and asked whether or not there was a police report. Sprinkel wrote back, "Are you referring to the James Brown that was a famous musical artist?" About an hour later, Sprinkel forwarded the email chain from January — which included his summary of the case — to four other colleagues, including Executive District Attorney George Jenkins, who replied, "Thanks Mike for the update..."What investigators did next is unknown. Some requested emails were missing from the trove of documents the DA's office gave me. Geary provided no emails from District Attorney Fani Willis, even though I emailed her about the case in March 2021 and a copy of that email should have appeared in the search.On October 11, 2021, Sprinkel submitted a memo on the case. I don't know what it said. According to Geary, the memo contains confidential legal conclusions that are not subject to the Georgia Open Records Act.But that Sprinkel memo was cited in another memo I did receive. This one was dated October 28. Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love wrote to DA Fani Willis, "My review of the facts of and basis for the inquiry, and of the memorandum of Chief Sr. ADA Sprinkel, has led me to conclude that there is an insufficient basis for the initiation of a Grand Jury investigation into the death of Mr. Brown."According to Geary, the district attorney accepted Love's recommendation to close the case.Now, two years after Jacque Hollander visited District Attorney Paul Howard, she does not have the green plastic bin. She said she made repeated inquiries to the DA's office, but no one would tell her where it was. Her attorney, Bryan Ward, shared with me an email he sent to Sprinkel on February 16 asking for the return of her property. On March 10, Ward got an email from William Chris Clark, assistant chief of evidence for the DA's office."We have shipped the items requested," Clark wrote in the email, which Hollander shared with me.Jacque Hollander handed over this bag of items to the Fulton DA's office in 2020 as potential evidence in James Brown's death. When the DA's office sent it back to her in March 2022, she says, it was empty. No one has explained what happened to the missing items.Hollander received a cardboard box via FedEx on Monday morning. It weighed 14.65 pounds, according to the FedEx shipping receipt, considerably less than the green plastic bin weighed when Hollander turned it in two years earlier, and the box was smaller than the green plastic bin. I spoke with Hollander after she opened the box. She said many of the items listed on her receipt from the DA's office — including hair rollers, a black stiletto shoe, and clothing — were missing. So were other items not listed on the receipt, including a handwritten note.Hollander told me that most of what she received in 2022 were old newspaper articles that had something to do with James Brown. It appears the DA's office did not send her any of the items that officials had put in evidence bags two years earlier.Even stranger, she said, the box contained two older mobile phones that she did not remember seeing in the green plastic bin when she turned it in. The phones' batteries had been removed, she said, but they had small red lights that were glowing red."There is something very wrong here," Hollander said.There was no inventory letter from the DA's office or any explanation for the missing items. I made inquiries with spokesman Jeff DiSantis but did not get a reply. I filed an open-records request for all documents related to the chain of custody for Hollander's items at the DA's office, but legal counsel Don Geary said no such documents existed beyond the original property receipt."Don't employees from the DA's office have to sign a log when they handle evidence?" I wrote back in an email to Geary. "Isn't there a system for keeping evidence secure?""One would expect," Geary replied, "however, there are no other documents concerning the property."A witness dies, taking his secrets with himNothing in the case file released to me gives any indication that investigators tried to contact even one of the six people Howard told Hollander they would interview. The documents make no mention of any contact with Daryl Brown, Dr. Marvin Crawford, Candice Hurst, Shana Quinones or Tony Wilson. They do make an indirect reference to Andre White, the friend who said Brown was murdered.White was alive in February 2020, when the inquiry began. I missed a call from him in March of that year, as the pandemic intensified. When I called back, he sounded ill and said he'd called me by accident. Later I found out he was in the hospital that day, March 27, along with his wife, Joyce. They were two of Georgia's early victims of the coronavirus. His wife died April 2. Andre White, a former pro football player and close friend of James Brown, died in 2020, about three years after telling a CNN reporter he had a vial of Brown's blood.Mr. White recovered enough to come home, his daughter Racquel later told me, although he was too weak to stand on his own. "Then all of a sudden he couldn't breathe," she said. When I think of Andre White now, I remember something he told me in 2017: "I'm gonna fight 'til I die trying to find out what happened."White died on June 9, 2020, about four months after the DA pledged to look into James Brown's death. His daughter told me that as far as she knew, no one from law enforcement had spoken with him. When I asked what happened to the vial of blood he claimed to have kept, she said, "Honestly, I don't know."At his memorial service, his friend Barbara Mobley, a former Georgia state representative, said this about White: "By the way, Andre, a close friend of James Brown, never ever accepted the official cause of death reported for James Brown. Not for a second. And seemed pleased when early this year, there was a media report of a re-investigation into Brown's cause of death."Jacque Hollander told me she sent Sprinkel a link to a Facebook video of White's memorial service. Their text-message chain confirms this. Which is why it was surprising to read what Sprinkel wrote in an email to colleagues in January 2021, almost a year after the inquiry began and seven months after Andre White's death. "Perhaps someone can knock on the door of the guy that is believed to have the vial of blood," Sprinkel wrote, "and ask him if he still has it."The DA's office closed the file about nine months later, leaving many questions unanswered. Why did Sprinkel seem so interested in July 2020 and so much less interested shortly thereafter? Why didn't he talk to the other people? What happened to the green plastic bin and the items that were in the evidence room? And what really happened to James Brown in the hospital?In 2017, I sat in Andre White's car as he considered this last question. His voice was breaking, and tears came to his eyes. "How certain are you that someone did kill him?" I asked. "Just as sure as you're sittin' in the car," he said. In the ongoing story of James Brown's life and death, one mystery always leads to another. I remember another thing White said in the car that summer morning."It's just certain things that I have to take to my grave," White said.Four years later, he did.

Zoe Sottile, CNN

2022-03-19 10:28:55

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/19/business/mike-tyson-ear-shaped-edibles-trnd/index.html

Mike Tyson is selling ear-shaped edibles called 'Mike Bites' - CNN

More than two decades after Mike Tyson bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield's ear at the 1997 WBA Heavyweight Championship fight, the legendary boxer has released a line of edibles -- in the shape of ears.

business, Mike Tyson is selling ear-shaped edibles called 'Mike Bites' - CNN

Mike Tyson is selling ear-shaped cannabis-infused edibles called 'Mike Bites'

(CNN)More than two decades after Mike Tyson bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield's ear at the 1997 WBA Heavyweight Championship fight, the legendary boxer has released a line of edibles -- in the shape of ears. The cannabis-infused gummies are called "Mike Bites" in homage to Tyson's most notorious moment.Holyfield, the only four-time world heavyweight champion, defeated Tyson at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in 1996. The following year, during their highly anticipated rematch, Tyson bit off a small section of Holyfield's ear, spit it onto the canvas and was promptly disqualified. The gory incident marked the rematch as one of the most bizarre fights in the history of boxing.Tyson, who was the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title, has launched several cannabis-related ventures in recent years. Tyson 2.0, the company releasing "Mike Bites," describes itself as "a premier cannabis company formed with legendary boxer, entrepreneur and icon Mike Tyson." In 2021, the company expanded its sales to over 100 locations in California.On Twitter, Tyson himself vouched that "These ears actually taste good!"Holy ears! They're finally here! Go get your Mike Bites now 👂😤 pic.twitter.com/BCbXcdYcra— ItsTyson20 (@itstyson20) March 15, 2022 Read MoreTyson is part of a wave of celebrities who have launched their own cannabis-related products and brands. In 2015, rapper Snoop Dogg debuted "Leafs by Snoop," a branded line of cannabis products. Similarly, in 2019, hip-hop artist Drake announced that he was going into business with a Canadian cannabis firm. Joining the trend, Martha Stewart launched her own line of CBD-infused dog treats in 2021, and Jaleel White released a strain of -- wait for it -- Purple Urkel cannabis.Tyson hasn't been shy about his strong relationship with cannabis. The former heavyweight champion admitted in 2019 that he spends $40,000 a month on weed at his 40-acre cannabis ranch. Tyson opened the farm in 2018 after California legalized recreational marijuana. Tyson 2.0's website explains that "When Mike was in his prime, he used cannabis to relax his body and focus his mind."Tyson and Holyfield have reconciled since the infamous "Bite Fight." The two appeared in a humorous Foot Locker ad together and in 2014, Tyson delivered the speech for Holyfield's induction into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.

Jamiel Lynch, CNN

2022-03-19 03:41:03

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/us/florida-bridgetender-manslaughter-charge/index.html

Drawbridge operator charged with manslaughter for death of woman who fell when bridge opened - CNN

The bridgetender controlling a Florida drawbridge when a woman walking across fell to her death was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of manslaughter by culpable negligence, West Palm Beach police said in a release.

us, Drawbridge operator charged with manslaughter for death of woman who fell when bridge opened - CNN

Drawbridge operator charged with manslaughter for death of woman who fell when bridge opened

(CNN)The bridgetender controlling a Florida drawbridge when a woman walking across fell to her death was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of manslaughter by culpable negligence, West Palm Beach police said in a release. Artissua Lafaye Paulk, 43, was on duty February 6 when 79-year-old Carol Wright fell to her death as she was walking her bike across the Royal Park Bridge over the Intercoastal Waterway when it opened.In Paulk's statement to police outlined in a probable cause affidavit, she described the measures she took to ensure that no one was on the bridge, including visually checking several times from the balcony, turning the traffic lights red, closing the pedestrian gate, and making announcements that the bridge was going to open. Paulk said she didn't see any people or bicycles inside the gates when she checked before opening the bridge. "Based on the above investigation, video evidence contradicts Artissua Paulk's statement that she walked out onto the balcony and visually checked the bridge for vehicles or pedestrians prior to opening the bridge," a police officer says in the affidavit. Read More"Artissua Paulk's actions showed reckless disregard of human life and the safety of a person, specifically Carol Wright," the officer writes. Paulk was charged with one count of manslaughter by culpable negligence, police said in their release. CNN has reached out to Paulk's public defender for comment on the case. Investigators also found a discrepancy in Paulk's reporting of how many times the bridge opened that day, the affidavit said. Paulk told police she opened the gate five times, but when investigators reviewed the log, she had only noted four openings.Surveillance video showed the gate opened six times during her shift, according to the affidavit. The affidavit notes that when reviewing the surveillance video of the balcony, it does not show anyone coming out on it after 9:03 a.m. that day. "The door does not open and there is no movement on the balcony at any other time during Paulk's shift on 2/6/22," it says. The affidavit states that during a forensic review of Paulk's phone, officers note that there were several incoming and outgoing messages between 12:52 p.m. (seven minutes before the bridge opening procedure began) and 4:26 p.m. (when she gave her statement to police,) including messages from the bridge supervisor. According to the affidavit, a message from the supervisor, that police say was deleted from Paulk's phone, said, "When they talk to you make dam sure you tell them you walked outside on balcony 3 diff times to make sure no one was past gates n delete this msg after one time to make sure card stop 2nd time after gates lowered and 3rd time before you raised spans ok now delete this I know ur upset but u gotta tell them step by step how u do opening." The court document says that a response to that message of "I did" from Paulk's phone was also deleted. Wright family attorney Lance Ivey said in a statement the police investigation confirmed their long-standing position that Wright was lawfully on the bridge. Ivey also said Paulk didn't make a required announcement over an intercom that the bridge would be raised."Carol was there to be seen. The activation to raise the bridge resulted in a several minute mental and physical death sentence for Carol," he said. "The thorough and intensive investigation conducted by the city of West Palm Beach Police Department gave Carol back her voice (to let truth prevail) that was unimaginably and prematurely taken from her on February 6th," Court records show Paulk has bonded out of the Polk County Jail.

Paradise Afshar, CNN

2022-03-19 03:37:49

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/us/nevada-father-arrested-son-death/index.html

Nevada father arrested on murder charge after allegedly beating his 5-year-old son who died - CNN

A Nevada father was arrested on an open murder charge after allegedly beating his 5-year-old son who later died, according to police.

us, Nevada father arrested on murder charge after allegedly beating his 5-year-old son who died - CNN

Nevada father arrested on murder charge after allegedly beating his 5-year-old son who died

(CNN)A Nevada father was arrested on an open murder charge after allegedly beating his 5-year-old son who later died, according to police.Gerald Oglesby, 33, was arrested Wednesday after he whipped his son with an electrical cord and punched him in the stomach after he became frustrated with the child for "not listening to him and talking back to him," according to an arrest report obtained by CNN affiliate KTNV. In the report, Oglesby said he knew "something was wrong" after the incident because his son "was not acting normal." The boy began to vomit, was unable to walk properly and had trouble breathing, the report states. Oglesby attempted compressions and rescue breaths on the child but couldn't get him to start breathing on his own, according to the report. The father said he didn't want to call the police for help because he was worried about losing custody of his child, adding that officers "would not understand his method of discipline," the report says.Read MoreAfter Oglesby realized his son was dead, he texted his sister and told her that his son "had died because he had whipped him too hard," the report noted.Oglesby then started smoking a marijuana cigarette and called 911, according to the report. He told authorities that the last time he saw his son breathing was about 13 minutes prior to the 911 call, the report states.When first responders arrived, the child was lying on his back on a couch with visible injuries to his face and torso, and his head rested on a stuffed bunny rabbit and his feet on a pillow, the report noted. They tried to revive him, but the child was declared dead after multiple attempts. Oglesby is due in court for an arraignment on March 21, court records show. CNN has been unable to determine if Oglesby has legal representation.

Shawna Mizelle and Jamiel Lynch, CNN

2022-03-19 01:46:39

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/politics/south-carolina-firing-squad-executions/index.html

South Carolina can now carry out firing-squad executions - CNNPolitics

The South Carolina Department of Corrections said Friday that it can now carry out executions by firing squad in the state should death row inmates choose the method.

politics, South Carolina can now carry out firing-squad executions - CNNPolitics

South Carolina can now carry out firing-squad executions

Washington (CNN)The South Carolina Department of Corrections said Friday that it can now carry out executions by firing squad in the state should death row inmates choose the method.The department informed state Attorney General Alan Wilson on Friday that it had completed renovations on the death chamber at the Broad River Correctional Institution and had established protocols, making it able to conduct such executions, according to a news release.There are currently no scheduled executions in South Carolina. Executions there had been paused until the state was able to accommodate the firing squad option.In May 2021, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, signed a bill into law that made the electric chair the state's primary means of execution but allowed inmates the option to instead choose firing squad or lethal injection if available. The change was made to South Carolina law as states around the country hit barriers executing those on death row due to problems administering lethal injections, the widely preferred method in the US. Difficulties finding the required drugs have essentially put executions in many states on hold.The department on Friday detailed the room setup and protocols for how a firing squad execution would be carried out, noting that an inmate would be strapped into a chair with a hood placed over the person's head. A member of the execution team would place a small aim over the person's heart, according to the release. The rifles used by the three-member firing squad will not be visible to witnesses, the department said.Read MoreMembers of the firing squad must meet certain qualifications and are volunteer department employees, according to the release. The department spent about $53,600 to make the necessary changes to accommodate firing-squad executions.There are 35 men on death row in South Carolina, and the state last executed an inmate by lethal injection in 2011, according to the Department of Corrections website.

Omar Jimenez, CNN

2022-03-19 01:13:24

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/us/kenosha-officer-knee-girl-20-seconds-video/index.html

Off-duty officer put knee on 12-year-old's neck for over 20 seconds while breaking up school fight, video shows - CNN

Surveillance video released by the Kenosha Unified School District Friday shows an off-duty Kenosha police officer put his knee on the neck of a 12-year-old girl to restrain her for more than 20 seconds while attempting to break up a fight in the cafeteria of Lincoln Middle School.

us, Off-duty officer put knee on 12-year-old's neck for over 20 seconds while breaking up school fight, video shows - CNN

Off-duty officer put his knee on a 12-year-old's neck for more than 20 seconds while breaking up school fight, video shows

(CNN)Surveillance video released by the Kenosha Unified School District Friday shows an off-duty Kenosha police officer put his knee on the neck of a 12-year-old girl to restrain her for more than 20 seconds while attempting to break up a fight in the cafeteria of Lincoln Middle School. The video, which includes different angles of the incident without sound, shows a fight begin between two students as an off-duty officer, working school security at the time, attempts to break it up before either being hit or falling backward with one of the students. It appears he hits his head on the edge of a nearby table. Shortly after, the officer is seen on top of the student and appears to push her head into the ground with one hand and then place his knee on her neck for about 25 seconds, appearing to apply the pressure of his body weight at some points.The 12-year-old girl is eventually handcuffed, picked up, and led away, the video shows. CNN is not naming the 12-year-old as she is a minor. The family's attorney, Drew DeVinney, said the officer's knee was on her neck for an "unconscionable duration."Social media video released earlier appeared to show a fight between two students as the off-duty officer attempted to break it up before either being hit or falling backward. Shortly after, he is seen on top of the student."This was a cruel and heartless act of violence aimed at a child and is unacceptable in our society," the attorney said in a statement. Read MoreThe girl's father received the surveillance video Friday, is "appalled by what he has seen," and is demanding the Kenosha Police Department "immediately terminate" this officer, the statement added. The officer was off-duty at the time and working part-time as a school security guard, but he has since resigned from his position with the school district. CNN reached out to the Kenosha Police Department inquiring about his status as a police officer but has not received a response. The department also did not respond when asked about the extent of any injuries the officer may have sustained as part of this incident.Off-duty officer resigns from school district role after being seen on video putting his knee on the neck of a 12-year-old to break up a fightPolice did confirm to CNN this week, however, that a criminal charge of disorderly conduct has been referred to the court system for "both juveniles involved in the incident." The Kenosha County District Attorney's Office indicated there is generally a 40-day window before the facts of any juvenile case like this, if not settled beforehand, could make it to their office for any potential decision on a formal charge. "There is no pretty arrest," Mac Hardy, Director of Operations for the National Association of School Resource Officers, told CNN Friday, but added, "We are never trained to put our knee on the back of anyone's neck." "I've never been aware of any training anywhere" in regards to that, he said.Hardy also pointed to specific factors that would help determine the type of response used in a school fight circumstance like this, including the "age and the size of the children" involved. "I would've liked to see more teachers and more school staff in that situation than that school security officer," he said, as he acknowledged being in school is "different than what you get on the streets. Not every police officer is cut out to be an SRO (School Resource Officer)." What school policy says about restraintIn regards to the restraint used, a school incident report provided by DeVinney, the girl's attorney, indicates there was "pressure or weight on the student's neck or throat, or an artery, or that otherwise obstruct the student's circulation or breathing," and that the student was placed in a "prone position." The report also says the restraint did not cause any chest compression and there was adequate care to protecting the student's head, despite a screenshot appearing to show the off-duty officer holding the student's head to the ground. Kenosha Unified School District policy says that physical restraint on a student would be permissible in certain circumstances, including when a student is presenting a "clear, present and imminent risk" to the safety of others and as long as it's not a prohibited maneuver or technique. But putting "pressure or weight on the student's neck or throat, on an artery, or on the back of the student's head or neck, or that otherwise obstruct the student's circulation or breathing," is among those prohibited maneuvers or techniques, as is placing a student in a prone position "chest down, back up." The internal employment investigation has concluded, Tanya Ruder, chief communications officer for the Kenosha Unified School District, told CNN Friday. Ruder added that, "as it appears that this incident may lead to litigation, the district will provide no further details at this time." The Kenosha Professional Police Association had no official comment when reached by CNN.

Tierney Sneed, CNN

2022-03-18 20:47:15

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/politics/republican-attacks-scotus-nominee-sentencing-record/index.html

GOP senators push misleading portrayal of Ketanji Brown Jackson's record on child porn cases - CNNPolitics

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's writings, remarks and decisions as she wrestled with the highly sensitive issue of child pornography crimes are the focus of a new GOP line of attack on President Joe Biden's pick for the Supreme Court.

politics, GOP senators push misleading portrayal of Ketanji Brown Jackson's record on child porn cases - CNNPolitics

GOP senators push misleading portrayal of Ketanji Brown Jackson's record on child porn cases

(CNN)Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's writings, remarks and decisions as she wrestled with the highly sensitive issue of child pornography crimes are the focus of a new GOP line of attack on President Joe Biden's pick for the Supreme Court.Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley zeroed in on that area of Jackson's record, with a Wednesday night Twitter thread highlighting examples that he sensationally described as "a pattern of letting child porn offenders off the hook for their appalling crimes" -- including a law review note she published as a law student, her work on the US Sentencing Commission and her approach to cases as a judge."Every parent in America cares about child porn offenders. I do," Hawley told CNN on Thursday. "I think everybody watching these hearings is gonna want to hear these questions asked." But a CNN review of the material in question shows that Jackson has mostly followed the common judicial sentencing practices in these kinds of cases, and that Hawley took some of her comments out of context by suggesting they were opinions, rather than follow-up questions to subject-matter experts.Other Republicans have signaled that they expect the issue to come up in her confirmation hearings, which start on Monday, with Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn's office telling CNN she planned to bring it up during next week's proceedings. More broadly, the line of attack fits in with the "soft-on-crime" criticisms Republicans are already launching against Democrats in the context of her nomination. Read MoreSenate Democrats and the White House are pushing back on Hawley's narrative, with White House spokesperson Andrew Bates calling it "toxic and weakly-presented misinformation that relies on taking cherry-picked elements of her record out of context -- and it buckles under the lightest scrutiny." As long as Senate Democrats keep their caucus unified behind Jackson, they will have the 50 votes they need for her confirmation. And recognizing this reality -- and the lower stakes of Jackson replacing a fellow liberal justice -- Republicans have generally previewed that they will keep temperatures cooler around this nomination than the contentious fights that have surrounded other recent Supreme Court nominations. But at stake is also whether Jackson's nomination will be a political boon to Democrats, as Biden fulfills a historic promise he made during the campaign to nominate a Black woman to the highest court. Any line of attack that undermines the widespread support she's received and helps rally the GOP base will be of value of Republicans, who so far have publicly struggled to coalesce around a strategy for Jackson's nomination.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that he was "not at all concerned" about the line of attack. "They do this all the time," Schumer said. Jackson's record on the benchHawley pointed to seven specific cases where Jackson -- who spent eight years as a trial judge and sentenced more than 100 people -- handed down lighter sentences for child pornography offenders than what the Justice Department was seeking and what was recommended by the US Sentencing Guidelines, a formula based on statutes. Hawley told CNN on Thursday that he had not found a "single" Jackson case of that kind where she sentenced within the guidelines and that her sentences were "almost always below the government's recommendation." Her approach to child porn cases did not come up in her 2021 appellate court confirmation hearing, but in a 2020 opinion she wrote that "the possession and distribution of child pornography is an extremely serious crime because it involves trading depictions of the actual sexual assault of children, and the abuse that these child victims endure will remain available on the internet forever." Jackson's specific record, as well as the bigger picture of how courts tend to approach these cases, put her in the mainstream, and not the outlier that Hawley describes. According to the White House, her sentences in five of the seven cases were the same as or greater than what the US probation office recommended.The individual reports the probation office offers the court -- which analyze the offender's background and other factors that lead the office to suggest increasing or lowering a sentence -- are kept out of the public view. But a public filing from the defendant in one case highlighted by Hawley shows that Jackson's sentence of 60 months came after the probation office recommended that exact sentence.It's also not surprising that Jackson's sentences ended up lower than the guidelines, as it has become a norm among judges to issue sentences below the guidelines in these child porn cases that don't involve producing the pornography itself. The guidelines are viewed as out-of-date by many judges, particularly for how they treat the use of computers and other elements that can enhance a sentence under the guidelines."Many of the judges don't apply (the enhancement) because it is so archaic," attorney Kira Anne West, who represented one of the defendants in the relevant cases, told CNN.Less than a third of non-production child porn defendants received sentences within the guidelines in 2019, according to a report last year from the US Sentencing Commission, and for 59% of the offenders, the variance was downward."It is clear that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is not an outlier," National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers President Martín Sabelli told CNN. He pointed to 2021 commission data showing that, in the hundreds of child porn cases where the sentence varied downward from the guidelines, the average variance was 50 months. "She exemplifies the approach of the vast majority of federal judges in this context and in other contexts."This context helps explain why, in two of the cases highlighted by Hawley, federal prosecutors also recommended sentences lower than what was established by the Sentencing Guidelines, while in several others the prosecutors' recommendation was at the very bottom of the guidelines.In three of the seven cases singled out by Hawley, Jackson filed sentencing statistics to the dockets that show that her ultimate sentences in those case were either just below or above the what's typical for equivalent offenders.Jackson's role on the Sentencing CommissionHawley says he's troubled not just by her judicial record, but the views she's elaborated on the policy for how these cases should be handled.As a vice chair of the US Sentencing Commission from 2010-2014, she was at the center of what has historically been a push-and-pull between Congress and the courts over the discretion judges should be given in sentencing.The topic of sex crimes was put squarely in front of the US Sentencing Commission, which studied the guidelines for child porn cases while she was vice chair.Hawley has highlighted three comments she made during a 2012 commission hearing, suggesting these were positions she took showing leniency toward child pornography. But a fuller reading of the transcript indicates she was asking questions to clarify comments made by experts who had been testifying.The Sentencing Commission hearing focused on child abuse offenses, the gravity of certain crimes, offenders' motivations and the serious consequences for all child victims.At the hearing, the GOP-appointed Vice Chairman William Carr called it "one of the most difficult and controversial guidelines we deal with."The Jackson remarks now being spotlighted by Republicans represent a small portion of her questions and responded specifically to testimony offered by the many experts who testified. A review of the hearing transcript and interviews with two experts who testified belie the claim that Jackson showed leniency toward child pornography during the daylong session.In one of the Jackson comments being highlighted by Republicans, she asked those appearing before the commission whether there could be "a less-serious child pornography offender who is engaging in the type of conduct in the group experience level because their motivation is the challenge, or to use the technology." The full transcript shows that she was basing this question on the specific testimony that was just given by one of the witnesses.Hawley, in a press release defending his critiques of Jackson, said that her words "speak for themselves." "When she does quote from or refer to previous testimony, she does so with approval and indicates the witness has changed her mind on child porn offenders," Hawley said.An expert who testified at the hearing told CNN on Thursday that judges could distinguish between serious and less serious offenders -- a point he said that Jackson picked up on in the 2012 hearing."These are all horrible crimes, but you have to differentiate them, and it's fair to ask whether there should be different sentences," University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Professor Brian Levine told CNN on Thursday. Levine, who is in the College of Information and Computer Sciences, testified at the hearing regarding his forensic work for investigations related to child abuse materials.Levine added that the targeted remarks were "pulled out of a very complicated context" and, he said, "This is a very emotional issue. Nobody wants to hear about these horrible crimes. But there are pedophiles who don't abuse children and people who abuse children who are not pedophiles."Another hearing witness, Jennifer McCarthy, then of the Sex Offender Treatment Program at the New York Center for Neuropsychology and Forensic Behavioral Science, told CNN that Jackson's comments did not stand out during the witness testimony. "I wanted to give them some idea that this is not a one-size-fits-all problem, to give them some insight into the different types of offenders and treatments." McCarthy, who is now in private practice, said on Thursday, of Jackson. "Her questions were in keeping with the discussion, in general, about these types of offenders. Republicans are also pointing to Jackson commentary dating back to her days studying at Harvard Law, where she published a 1996 law review note now being touted by Hawley.She argued that courts were applying "problematic" and "unprincipled" frameworks to decide whether various sex crimes regulations -- like registries, communication notification requirements and DNA testing -- were constitutional. Her conclusion was what Hawley highlighted in his tweets. Jackson wrote that "in the current climate of fear, hatred, and revenge associated with the release of convicted sex criminals, courts must be especially attentive to legislative enactments that 'use ... public health and safety rhetoric to justify procedures that are, in essence, punishment and detention.'"A 'collision' with CongressThe GOP skepticism to Jackson now echoes how Republicans -- including Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who will get to question Jackson next week -- viewed the judges' call for retooled guidelines in these cases then.Grassley and other Republicans submitted a letter to the commission in 2012 expressing concerns that "the Federal judiciary fails to appreciate the severity of child pornography to the victims and to the society at large."The tension between Congress and the courts was on Jackson's mind as well, according to notes from a 2011 commission forum that are now being referenced in a research document prepared by the conservative group, Article 3 Project. "[I]s this an area in which Congress and the Judiciary are headed for a collision?" said the notes, which were included in her publicly released Senate confirmation documents. "What, if anything, can the Commission do to bridge the gap between the branches on the question of the appropriate sentences for child pornography offenders?"Notably, when the commission published the 2012 report on its work studying child porn sentences, the report was issued unanimously. The commission includes several Republican appointees, and among those signing off on the report was Dabney Friedrich, who was later appointed to the federal bench by former President Donald Trump. On Thursday, Jackson was asked by CNN about Hawley's allegations as she traveled through the Capitol halls. She did not comment, but at next week's hearings, it's almost guaranteed she'll be asked to explain some of the cases and comments Hawley has zeroed in on. "I mean, this woman's record has been carefully reviewed three different times and ended up with a bipartisan support. She has the support of law enforcement, victims' rights organizations, and it's just a lie to suggest that," said Durbin, who is the Senate's no. 2 Democrat.Hawley insisted he wasn't trying to tarnish her reputation or degrade the proceedings that Republicans have promised will be substantive and above board."This is her record. This isn't a personal attack on her," he told CNN. "This is her record, her cases. These are her words, her statements and it's on a really serious policy issue."CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the number of cases, among those being scrutinized, in which Jackson handed down a sentence that was the same as or greater than what the US probation office recommended.CNN's Jessica Schneider, Joan Biskupic, Ariane de Vogue, Manu Raju, Lauren Fox and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.

Sean Lyngaas, Kylie Atwood and Brian Fung, CNN

2022-03-18 13:46:27

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/politics/information-campaign-ukraine-russia-schwarzenegger/index.html

Hackers, nurses and Arnold: Inside the struggle to get information on the Ukraine war to Russians - CNNPolitics

The information campaign over Russia's invasion of Ukraine is in full swing as a wide cast of characters -- from the US State Department to Ukrainian hackers to Arnold Schwarzenegger -- tries to circumvent Russian censors to get the truth about the war on Ukraine to Russian citizens.

politics, Hackers, nurses and Arnold: Inside the struggle to get information on the Ukraine war to Russians - CNNPolitics

How hackers, Arnold Schwarzenegger and the State Department are trying to pierce Putin's digital Iron Curtain

Washington (CNN)The information campaign over Russia's invasion of Ukraine is in full swing as a wide cast of characters -- from the US State Department to Ukrainian hackers to Arnold Schwarzenegger -- tries to circumvent Russian censors to get the truth about the war on Ukraine to Russian citizens. The efforts echo Cold War-era radio broadcasts into the Soviet Union, but messaging apps and other free digital tools mean that an array of outsiders, from digital activists to Schwarzenegger, the Hollywood icon who posted a video addressing Russians on Thursday, can more easily join the campaign. The State Department created an account on Telegram, a messaging app popular with Russians, four days into the war in Ukraine as it became clear that Washington was missing an opportunity to interact with Russians, a senior department official told CNN. A series of posts on the account in Russian have amplified President Joe Biden's denunciations of the war and cautioned Russians about Moscow's propaganda machine. Mounting Russian casualties in Ukraine lead to more questions about its military readiness"Long before the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it had stepped up its campaign of disinformation and censorship of independent media and continues to do so even during the war of aggression," the department said from its Telegram account Thursday. Read MoreRussian engagement with the State Department Telegram account to date appears to be very modest — the account had 1,911 subscribers as of Friday afternoon Moscow time and the country's total population is around 142 million.Analysts say it is unlikely that any single platform or messaging campaign is going to break through with the Russian public in a significant way. But the goal shared by a range of actors trying to pierce the digital iron curtain is to chip away, cumulatively, at Russian public support for the war and the morale of Russian soldiers.The State Department also has an account on Russian messaging platform VK, has set up a website to rebut Russian disinformation in recent weeks and has worked to get US officials on Russian-language broadcast platforms, the official said. Not a 'silver bullet'"None of it is a silver bullet," the State Department official said, acknowledging the formidable wall of censorship in Russia, which has blocked access to Twitter and Facebook.But some critics have suggested the US government needs to do more and aim to emulate the huge propaganda effort of the Cold War when significant resources were dedicated to pushing messaging toward the Soviet population.Russian authorities have detained thousands of people protesting the war in Ukraine. A Russian state television journalist who interrupted a live news broadcast Monday holding a sign that said "NO WAR" was detained and fined about $270 but could still face prison time."This is a real Achilles' heel for Putin," James Clapper, who served as President Barack Obama's director of national intelligence, told CNN. The US government, he said, should be using any social media platform available to bring images of dead Russian soldiers and prisoners of war to Russian citizens. Several Russian prisoners of war have appeared at news conferences held by Ukrainian authorities. That may be a questionable practice under the Geneva Convention, which forbids states from causing unnecessary humiliation to prisoners of war.Zoom calls, graphic videos and mass media: How Zelensky meets Americans where they are"This sort of thing lends itself to covert action on the part of the US government," Clapper said. "And I trust and hope that we are doing something along those lines."The US intelligence community is closely watching public opinion in Russia, but it's not clear whether there is any planning underway to conduct any form of clandestine information operations."We're watching what's happening in Russia," said one Western source familiar with the intelligence, who added that it is not clear yet whether public opinion is breaking for or against the war. There are less shadowy ways of supporting the free flow of information into Russia.Alina Polyakova, president of the nonprofit Center for European Policy Analysis, said the State Department's Telegram account is "a step in the right direction, but frankly it's not creative enough."Russians today don't appear to trust Western media or government officials as sources of information the way they did in the waning days of the Cold War, said Polyakova, who grew up in Kyiv in the 1980s. "We really need to be more creative about thinking who the right messengers are," she added, pointing to the numerous journalists who have fled Russia in recent weeks as the Kremlin has criminalized independent reporting on the war in Ukraine. Western governments and philanthropic organizations now have a "huge opportunity" to support these journalists as they will likely continue reporting from abroad and connecting with Russian audiences who trust them, Polyakova said.'We should bring real news to them'While the State Department lobs carefully worded messages to Russian citizens, a loose band of volunteer hackers from Ukraine and abroad are being more confrontational. The so-called Ukrainian IT army, which Kyiv is actively encouraging, has looked to hack Russian news sites and post information about Russian casualties in Ukraine, according to Yegor Aushev, a Ukrainian cybersecurity executive who said he helped organize the hacking collective on behalf of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.Russian citizens "don't know a lot about what's going on here," Aushev said by phone from Ukraine. "That's why we decided that one of the most important targets should be media. We should bring real news to them."But reaching a Russian audience doesn't require breaking into a computer. Americans are among the many people who have sent text messages to Russians using a website built by an international group of volunteer programmers known as Squad303.Stacey McCue, a Florida nurse, has sent roughly 100 text messages and hundreds of emails to Russians using the platform. She began personalizing the messages with her own voice, saying that Moscow has been lying to its citizens and that the war has killed civilians. So far, McCue has gotten only three responses: "F--- off," "Crimea is ours" and one reply threatening to "forward your message to the appropriate authorities! Stop making such calls!"The hostile responses haven't deterred McCue.Russia has attacked Lviv. Here's why the western city is so important to Ukraine's defense"I think it's better to be proactive, to make a stand, even if it's a small thing to try to influence the overall situation," she told CNN.More high-profile Americans are joining the cause. Schwarzenegger, the "Terminator" star and ex-California governor, addressed "the Russian people" in a video with Russian subtitles he posted Thursday to his 5 million Twitter followers and more than 19,000 Telegram subscribers."I hope that you will let me tell you the truth about the war in Ukraine and what is happening there," Schwarzenegger said before detailing the Russian bombing of a Ukrainian maternity ward.It wasn't immediately clear how much traction Schwarzenegger's video may have gotten within Russia. But on Friday, the term "Arnie" had broken into Twitter's top 10 list of trending topics within Russia, and numerous containing Schwarzenegger's video were accompanied by both praise and criticism by Twitter users. A source close to Schwarzenegger told CNN that the former bodybuilder made the video on his own accord and wasn't asked to do so by the US government. But the State Department Telegram account wasted no time in sharing the video, and others in the information ecosystem followed suit.Blake Ferrell, a plumber from Indiana, told CNN that he sent Schwarzenegger's video to several Russians on Telegram, and still images of the actor's speech to other Russians via the Squad303 texting platform. Ferrell hasn't received any replies yet, but he wants to keep trying to reach a Russian audience."For me, it's the excitement of actually reaching another person," he said.CNN's Katie Bo Lillis and Dana Bash contributed reporting.

Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN

2022-03-18 19:45:37

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/politics/west-virginia-gop-lawmaker-capitol-riot-pleads-guilty/index.html

Former GOP state lawmaker pleads guilty in Capitol riot - CNNPolitics

A former West Virginia state lawmaker who resigned after participating in the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol pleaded guilty on Friday to a felony related to the deadly riot.

politics, Former GOP state lawmaker pleads guilty in Capitol riot - CNNPolitics

Former GOP state lawmaker pleads guilty in Capitol riot

(CNN)A former West Virginia state lawmaker who resigned after participating in the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol pleaded guilty on Friday to a felony related to the deadly riot.Derrick Evans had just been elected as a state delegate when he livestreamed himself pushing inside the US Capitol, screaming his own name, according to prosecutors."We're in, we're in!" Evans shouted in the livestream, according to his plea agreement. "Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!"Prosecutors also say Evans encouraged other people to swarm the building, at one point saying, "If (Vice President Mike) Pence betrays us, you better get your mind right because we're storming that building."The felony, a civil disorder charge, could result in up to five years in prison, though it is unlikely Evans will be given the statutory maximum when he is sentenced in June. Evans has also agreed to pay $2,000 in restitution for damage done to the Capitol building by the mob.Read MoreEvans was arrested two days after the riot, and later resigned his seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates."I take full responsibility for my actions, and deeply regret any hurt, pain or embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends, constituents and fellow West Virginians," he said in a statement at the time.Evans isn't the only politician charged in connection to January 6. Couy Griffin, a county commissioner in New Mexico and founder of Cowboys for Trump, is set to go to trial in Washington, DC, next week. He was charged with two misdemeanors for illegally entering Capitol grounds, but maintains his innocence.More than 225 people have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the insurrection.

Holmes Lybrand, CNN

2022-03-18 18:55:48

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/politics/virginia-police-officer-january-6/index.html

Off-duty Virginia cop who stormed US Capitol pleads guilty, is cooperating with DOJ - CNNPolitics

An off-duty police officer from Virginia who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of conspiracy, after striking a plea deal with the Justice Department and agreeing to cooperate against a police colleague who was also charged.

politics, Off-duty Virginia cop who stormed US Capitol pleads guilty, is cooperating with DOJ - CNNPolitics

Off-duty Virginia officer who stormed US Capitol pleads guilty, is cooperating with DOJ

(CNN)An off-duty police officer from Virginia who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of conspiracy, after striking a plea deal with the Justice Department and agreeing to cooperate against a police colleague who was also charged.Jacob Fracker, a former officer for the Rocky Mount Police Department, faces a maximum sentence of five years behind bars for the felony, though it's unlikely he will receive the statutory maximum. He and his colleague -- and co-defendant -- Thomas Robertson were both fired from the police department after their involvement in the riot became public.Robertson is scheduled to go to trial later this year. He has pleaded not guilty to the four counts against him, including obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony.The development of Fracker's cooperation against his onetime colleague and friend is a big victory for prosecutors, who have previously described Robertson as a dangerous criminal who is interested in fomenting political violence.The duo are part of a sizable chunk of rioters facing charges who have ties to the law enforcement or military communities.Read MoreAccording to the plea agreement read aloud at a court hearing on Friday, Fracker and Robertson were off-duty on January 6. They wore gas masks during the attack, prosecutors say, and brought tactical gear and other supplies with them to DC. Prosecutors also alleged that Robertson used a stick to stop police officers during the assault on the Capitol. After the riot, Robertson allegedly began stockpiling weapons and posting support for future political violence online."I have learned that if you peacefully protest than you will be arrested, fired, be put on a no-fly list," one post highlighted by prosecutors said. "I have learned very well that if you dip your toe into the Rubicon... cross it. Cross it hard and violent and play for all the marbles." Investigators say they found a rifle and bomb-making material in his home, and learned that he bought another 37 guns on the Internet.

Cheri Mossburg, CNN

2022-03-18 17:04:34

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/us/caifornia-arrests-security-officer-tv-news-crew/index.html

Police arrest suspects in murder of former police officer who was protecting TV news crew - CNN

Police are holding two men on homicide charges and are seeking a third in the killing of a former police officer who was working security for a TV news crew in Oakland, California, last fall, the city's Police Chief, LaRonne Armstrong, said Thursday.

us, Police arrest suspects in murder of former police officer who was protecting TV news crew - CNN

Police arrest suspects in murder of former police officer who was protecting TV news crew

(CNN)Police are holding two men on homicide charges and are seeking a third in the killing of a former police officer who was working security for a TV news crew in Oakland, California, last fall, the city's Police Chief, LaRonne Armstrong, said Thursday.Kevin Nishita was shot during a robbery attempt of a KRON4 field crew on November 24 and died days later. He previously worked for the San Jose Police Department for more than a decade. The men police say are responsible have been identified as Laron Gilbert, Herschel Hale and Shadihia Mitchell. Oakland police have arrested Hale and Mitchell, and are asking for the public's help in finding Gilbert. The US Marshals are assisting.As recently as a couple of months ago, Gilbert was in police custody in connection with another case but was not charged, Armstrong said in a news conference.The Alameda County District Attorney has charged all three men with murder, attempted second degree robbery, and assault with a semi-automatic firearm. Mitchell was arraigned on Friday, according to the district attorney's office. He will be back in court on April 15 to enter a plea.Her murder stumped investigators for 34 years. Now, DNA evidence points to a neighbor as her killer, police sayRead MoreHale's arraignment has not been set. CNN has not been able to identify legal representation for either of the men arrested. The Alameda County Public Defender's Office told CNN no one there has been assigned to represent either of the men.After the shooting in November, Oakland police released a surveillance photo of a vehicle that had a sunroof but no front license place, which they believed was involved in the killing of Nishita. The police also offered a reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.Authorities had said at the time that the attack followed "an extremely violent week" when they said armed roving caravans inundated Oakland, targeting businesses.Tips from the public helped police identify the suspects' vehicle, which was outside Oakland's city limits, and the men allegedly involved."Even in other cities, community members brought forth information so we would know where to look," Armstrong said. "Well, that was a tremendous help.""Nothing brings back your loved one, but this is something that that people can feel some sense of justice as a result of this arrest," said Armstrong. "We continue to wrap our arms around his family, and their law enforcement family continues to support them as well."CNN's Andy Rose, Melissa Alonso, Stella Chan and Chris Boyette contributed to this story.

Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN

2022-03-18 16:45:31

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/us/san-diego-cold-case-solved/index.html

San Diego cold case: Her murder stumped investigators for 34 years. Now, DNA evidence points to a neighbor as her killer, police say - CNN

When Diane Lynn Dahn missed her shift at the San Diego Transit Corporation on May 2, 1988, a coworker went to her apartment to check on her.

us, San Diego cold case: Her murder stumped investigators for 34 years. Now, DNA evidence points to a neighbor as her killer, police say - CNN

Her murder stumped investigators for 34 years. Now, DNA evidence points to a neighbor as her killer, police say

(CNN)When Diane Lynn Dahn missed her shift at the San Diego Transit Corporation on May 2, 1988, a coworker went to her apartment to check on her. Her coworker discovered her lifeless body in her bedroom. Dahn's 2-year-old was wandering around the apartment complex.Dahn had been bludgeoned and stabbed, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. Her cause of death was stab wounds to the chest and her death was ruled a homicide, investigators said. At the time, the San Diego County Sheriff's homicide unit conducted an extensive investigation, but the department came up short on identifying a suspect -- until now.Dahn's family, including Mark Beyer, her then 2-year-old son who has no recollection of the incident, spent 34 years wondering who murdered her and why, but thanks to investigative genetic genealogy, investigators were able to track down the suspect, Warren Robertson, a man who also lived in the same apartment complex as Dahn in 1988, according to investigators. Read MoreDecades of wondering what happenedBeyer was adopted by a family friend and said he saw his grandparents and biological family as often as he could."Looking back, some of the struggles you go through is you feel alone because of what you went through, you lost your mother," he told police. "You know you have family, you know you have family who loves you, but sometimes you do feel alone all the time." Mark Beyer, who was 2-years-old when his mother was murdered. Family members who knew Dahn described her as a goofy, funny person who loved to draw -- qualities Beyer said, he too, has within him.Victoria Dahn-Minter, Dahn's sister, said not knowing what happened almost consumed her all these years. She described Dahn as an amazing person who played the violin and guitar. Las Vegas police use DNA testing and genealogical research to solve 42-year-old homicide of teen girl"It's unfortunate my nephew never had the chance to know his mom," Dahn-Minter said during a police news conference. "She was a great mother." In 1988, Robertson worked as local tow truck driver in San Diego, according to investigators, but after Dahn's murder, he left his family and moved about 20 miles away to Lakeside, California. A year later, Robertson moved to Indiana and lived there until he died at age 39, in a house fire on November 25, 1999, investigators said.Warren Robertson was Diane Lynn Dahn's neighbor inside the same apartment complex in San Diego, California in 1988.Cold Case detectives couldn't figure out the connection between Robertson and Dahn. They did, however, find that both were racing enthusiasts and attended stock car races at the El Cajon Speedway around the time of Dahn's murder. The crime scene outside of the apartment complex where both Robertson and Dahn lived on May 2, 1988.How investigative genetic genealogy helped track down the killerTraditionally, investigators will take DNA from a crime scene and compare it to a suspect's DNA or they enter the crime scene DNA into a national database, also known as CODIS, to see if there's a match with a known criminal offender. But if the person isn't a known offender, they won't be in the CODIS system and, therefore, no match would be present.In October 2000, a sample of DNA was taken from underneath Dahn's fingernails. Further testing was done in 2001, but the profile was "insufficient to place into a federal database of DNA from unsolved crimes or CODIS," police said. Ten years later, investigators opened Dahn's case again, looking for new leads and use of new technology. A strand of hair that was found in Dahn's hand was processed, a profile in CODIS was created, but it didn't produce any leads even though it was consistent with the sample found underneath her fingernails.It started as a hobby. Now they're using DNA to help cops crack cold casesIn May 2020, investigators started using investigative genetic genealogy, which combines DNA evidence and traditional genealogy, to find biological connection between people.In this case, investigators were looking for relatives whose DNA matched those of the unidentified suspect in Dahn's murder. The suspect's profile was created and uploaded into commercial genealogy sites that allow law enforcement agencies to participate, police said. After what investigators called an exhaustive process, nine family trees were created with nearly 1,300 people connected to Robertson either through blood or marriage. Eventually, direct relatives of Robertson gave their DNA samples and confirmed his identification and matched the hair strand that was found in Dahn's hands.For over 60 years, the identity of a girl whose body was found in an Arizona desert has been a mystery. Now, 'Little Miss Nobody' has a nameThis is the fifth time the Sheriff's Homicide Unit has used investigative genetic genealogy to solve a cold case.Beyer said he was "blown away" when he heard how his mother's case had finally been solved."Like how you go from what little information you have to building a case like that was truly impressive," he said. "The answers that my family received is closure and closure is everything even after so much time had passed."

Story by Reuters

2022-03-18 14:41:22

news

uk

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/uk/sarah-everard-wayne-couzens-rape-gbr-intl/index.html

UK police officer jailed for murder of Sarah Everard charged with more sex crimes - CNN

A former London police officer, who was jailed for life last year for a rape and murder that horrified the nation, was charged on Friday with four new counts of indecent assault that took place just weeks earlier.

uk, UK police officer jailed for murder of Sarah Everard charged with more sex crimes - CNN

UK police officer jailed for murder of Sarah Everard charged with more sex crimes

A former London police officer, who was jailed for life last year for a rape and murder that horrified the nation, was charged on Friday with four new counts of indecent assault that took place just weeks earlier.Wayne Couzens, 49, whose job was to guard diplomatic premises, abducted marketing executive Sarah Everard on a London street as she walked home from visiting a friend in March last year, using his police credentials to force her into his car.Sarah Everard was raped and murdered by PC Wayne Couzens in March 2021.Her body was later found in woodland about 50 miles (80 km) away in southeast England.His actions provoked anger at the failure of police and wider society to tackle violence against women, and he was told he would go to prison for life with no chance of parole.Five UK police officers shared violent sexual images in relation to Sarah Everard's murder, police watchdog saysThe Crown Prosecution Service said it had now authorized Couzens to be charged with four more suspected offenses of exposing himself, which had taken place less than a month before he attacked Everard.Read More"Following a referral of evidence by the Metropolitan Police, the CPS has authorised four charges of indecent exposure against Wayne Couzens," said Rosemary Ainslie, Head of the CPS Special Crime Division. "The four alleged offences took place between January and February 2021."People look at flowers placed in tribute to Sarah Everard on Clapham Common in London on March 15, 2021. Police failures exposed by Sarah Everard murder underpin culture of misogyny in the force, activists sayHe is due to appear at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court on April 13.In January, the government announced there would be a public inquiry into whether Couzens could have been stopped before he murdered Everard. Her death led to public rallies and outpourings of anger from women who recounted their own experiences and fears of being out alone at night.Last week, the High Court in London ruled that police had acted unlawfully when they used Covid-19 rules to force campaigners to cancel an outdoor vigil for Everard, which ended with officers using heavy-handed tactics to arrest several women and provoked widespread condemnation.

CNN Editorial Research

2017-01-18 23:47:58

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/18/world/joaqun-el-chapo-guzmn-fast-facts/index.html

El Chapo Fast Facts - CNN

Here's a look at the life of Joaquín Guzmán, otherwise known as "El Chapo," a Mexican drug trafficker who has repeatedly broken out of prison.

world, El Chapo Fast Facts - CNN

Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Fast Facts

(CNN)Here's a look at the life of Joaquín Guzmán, otherwise known as "El Chapo," a Mexican drug lord who has repeatedly broken out of prison. He was recaptured in January 2016 and later extradited to the United States to stand trial on federal charges.PersonalBirth date: December 25, 1954 or April 4, 1957 (Officials have released conflicting birth dates)Birth place: La Tuna, Badiraguato, Sinaloa, MexicoBirth name: Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán LoeraRead MoreFather: Emilio Guzmán Bustillos, subsistence farmerMother: María Consuelo Loera PérezMarriages: Believed to have been married at least three times, the most recent being to Emma Coronel Aispuro (2007-present)Children: Is purported to have fathered between 12 and 13 childrenOther FactsThe nickname, "El Chapo," means "Shorty." Guzmán stands 5'6" tall.Former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, which the US Justice Department describes as "one of the world's most prolific, violent and powerful drug cartels," moving billions upon billions of dollars in marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.Was able to continue running the Sinaloa Cartel in prison through bribes.The Sinaloa Cartel controls roughly 40% to 60% of Mexico's drug trade, with earnings at around $3 billion annually.Claimed in 2014 that he has killed 2,000-3,000 people.Is said to be semi-illiterate, receiving no formal education beyond third grade.Is known for using intricate tunnel systems for both evading authorities and moving the massive quantities of drugs that made the Sinaloa Cartel so powerful.His cartel has produced, smuggled and distributed marijuana, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and other types of drugs.According to the US Treasury Department, he was considered the most "powerful drug trafficker in the world."Guzmán is perceived by some as a hero, with many narcocorridos, "drug ballads," that glorify kingpins, written in his honor.There have been charges brought against Guzmán in 10 legal cases in Mexico, as well as federal charges in Arizona, California, Texas, Illinois, New York, Florida and New Hampshire. He was convicted on 10 counts related to federal drug offenses in February 2019 after a trial in Brooklyn, New York.Timeline1960s - Begins planting marijuana with his cousins.1970s - Begins running drugs to major Mexican cities and the US border and working with major drug traffickers such as Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, leader of the Guadalajara Cartel.1980s - Member of the Guadalajara Cartel. After the arrest of Felix Gallardo, the cartel splits into factions. Guzmán becomes leader of the Sinaloa Cartel Pacific coast faction.February 1992 - Police find the bodies of six of Guzmán's top lieutenants dumped along Tijuana highways; the six men had been tortured and shot.November 1992 - Six people are gunned down at a discotheque in Puerto Vallarta by gunmen working for Guzmán, whose targets are traffickers in the Tijuana Cartel.May 1993 - Gunmen with the Tijuana Cartel attempt to assassinate Guzmán in retribution, firing upon a vehicle at an airport. Guzmán escapes unharmed, but Cardinal Archbishop of Guadalajara Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampa is killed accidentally, along with six others.June 9, 1993 - Wanted on charges of drug trafficking, murder and kidnapping, he is arrested in Guatemala and extradited to Mexico. Guzmán is subsequently sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in a maximum security prison.Early 2000s - Violence across Mexico escalates as El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel attempts to encroach upon Tijuana and Gulf Cartel territory.January 19, 2001 - Escapes the maximum-security Puente Grande prison in Jalisco, Mexico, in a laundry cart. The planned escape requires bribes and cooperation allegedly costing him $2.5 million, according to Malcolm Beith's book, "The Last Narco."2004 - The US government announces a $5 million reward for information leading to Guzmán's arrest and conviction.May 2008 - Guzmán's son, Edgar, is murdered in a parking lot shootout near Culican, Mexico.2009 - Guzmán and other cartel leaders are indicted on charges of conspiring to import more than 264,000 pounds of cocaine into the United States between 1990 and 2005.August 2011 - Guzmán's wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, who has dual US-Mexican citizenship, gives birth to twin girls in a hospital outside of Los Angeles.2012 - The US Treasury Department uses the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act to freeze the US assets of his relatives.February 22, 2014 - Guzmán is apprehended at a beach resort in Mazatlán, Mexico.July 11, 2015 - Escapes the maximum-security Altiplano Federal Prison near Toluca, Mexico, by crawling through an opening in the shower area of his cell block leading to a nearly mile-long tunnel.October 2015 - While on the run, he meets with movie star Sean Penn and Mexican actress Kate del Castillo. Penn's interview with Guzmán subsequently runs in Rolling Stone magazine. "I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world," Guzmán is quoted in the interview. "I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats."January 8, 2016 - Guzmán is recaptured by Mexican authorities in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, after a raid leads to a shootout in which five people connected to Guzmán are killed.May 9, 2016 - A judge in Mexico approves the United States' request to extradite Guzmán, who faces charges in seven states. Once extradited, he will be sent to Brooklyn, New York, to stand trial on federal charges.January 19, 2017 - Mexico's Foreign Ministry turns Guzmán over to US authorities.January 20, 2017 - Enters a plea of not guilty at his arraignment in US District Court for the Eastern District of New York.November 13, 2018 - Guzmán's long-awaited criminal trial begins in a New York federal district court amid unprecedented security measures, including armed escorts for the anonymous and partly sequestered jurors, as well as heavily armed federal marshals and officers with bomb-sniffing dogs standing guard outside the courthouse.January 15, 2019 - Guzmán once paid a $100 million bribe to former Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, according to testimony given by a former close personal aide to Guzmán during his trial. Peña Nieto's former chief of staff denies the allegation.February 12, 2019 - Guzmán is convicted of all 10 federal criminal counts against him, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds, international distribution of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other drugs, and use of firearms. He faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for leading a continuing criminal enterprise, and a sentence of up to life imprisonment on the remaining drug counts. His attorneys say they plan to file an appeal on a number of issues.February 21, 2019 - The US Justice Department announces Joaquin Guzmán Lopez and Ovidio Guzmán Lopez, two sons of "El Chapo," are charged with conspiracy to distribute drugs to be imported into the US.July 3, 2019 - A federal judge denies Guzmán's request for a new trial.July 17, 2019 - Guzmán is sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. He is also ordered to pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture. Restitution will be determined later.October 17, 2019 - Mexican security forces temporarily detain Ovidio Guzmán Lopez during a shootout with suspected cartel members in Sinaloa state. Guzman Lopez is released and the operation suspended in order to save lives.February 22, 2021 - Guzmán's wife is arrested at Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Coronel is facing charges of conspiracy to distribute 1 kilogram or more of heroin, 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana and 500 grams or more of methamphetamines for unlawful importation into the country, according to a news release from the Justice Department.June 10, 2021 - Coronel pleads guilty to three counts: conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine for importation into the United States; conspiracy to launder monetary instruments; and violating the Kingpin Act by engaging in transactions and dealings in property of Guzmán.November 30, 2021 - Coronel is sentenced to three years in prison and four years of supervised release. She must forfeit $1.5 million and pay a $300 special assessment fine for each of the three counts to which she pleaded guilty.January 25, 2022 - A panel of appellate judges upholds the 2019 conviction of Guzmán, rejecting his assertions that he was treated unfairly. In their decision, the three judges rule that US District Judge Brian Cogan, who oversaw Guzmán's federal case in Brooklyn, conducted the three-month trial "with diligence and fairness, after issuing a series of meticulously crafted pretrial rulings."

Mark Morales, CNN

2022-03-18 05:17:32

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us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/us/homeless-shooter-washington-dc-and-new-york-details/index.html

New details emerge in shootings of homeless men in NYC and DC - CNN

His victim begged for mercy, police say. But all Gerald Brevard allegedly did, according to court documents, was pull the trigger, then sit on a nearby curb. A surveillance camera picked up music playing.

us, New details emerge in shootings of homeless men in NYC and DC - CNN

A victim begged for mercy before Gerald Brevard allegedly pulled the trigger, surveillance footage shows

(CNN)His victim begged for mercy, police say. But all Gerald Brevard allegedly did, according to court documents, was pull the trigger, then sit on a nearby curb. A surveillance camera picked up music playing.New details have emerged in court documents that describe the shooting spree in which Gerald Brevard allegedly preyed on five homeless men, killing one victim in Washington, DC, and another in New York City.Court records released by Superior Court of the District of Columbia on Wednesday show evidence investigators have gathered on Brevard. Investigators from DC Metropolitan Police have multiple surveillance videos of the man they believe is Brevard at each shooting scene. The investigators from each agency also have cell phone data confirming his location and a tipster who led police to Brevard, according to the court document.What we know about the suspect in the New York and DC shootings of homeless menWhen contacted by CNN, Brevard's attorney declined to comment.Read MoreSurveillance recordings from H Street in Washington, DC, the sound of a gunshot, then a male voice saying "no, no, no" and "please don't shoot" just before 1:30 a.m. on March 8.A witness to the shooting told Metropolitan Police they saw Brevard allegedly fire one shot at the homeless victim, who was sitting in a lawn chair. The victim screamed and ran but Brevard followed, allegedly firing his weapon several more times, the witness told police. When he was done shooting, surveillance footage caught audio of Brevard playing music from what appeared to be a mobile device, Metropolitan Police said, according to the court document. The homeless victim suffered gunshot wounds to his head, face, chest, thigh, buttock and hand, according to court records. The unknown victim survived and still has not spoken to investigators because of the nature of his injuries.Metropolitan Police believe this was Brevard's second shooting. The first is believed to have taken place on March 3 in Washington, DC, where Brevard allegedly shot another homeless person twice in the lower back and the victim suffered a graze wound to the arm, according to the court document. That victim survived, DC Metropolitan Police say. Then, on March 9, police responded to a fire on New York Avenue in Washington, DC just before 3 a.m., where they found a victim, Morgan Holmes, 54, dead with several burn injuries, according to the charging document. The DC Medical Examiner later determined Holmes suffered multiple stab wounds, at least two gunshot wounds along with burns to most of his body and ruled his death a homicide. New York City announces plan to increase safety, address homelessness in subway systemAfter canvassing the area for surveillance photos, Metropolitan Police spotted a man they say is Brevard in almost the same outfit as he wore in the previous shooting attacks: a black hood, a black face mask, a quilted black jacket, blue gloves, black pants and black sneakers with white markings on the toe and ankle area. He was holding a mobile device and a white cord, similar to those used for head phones.Multiple cameras caught the man investigators suspect is Brevard walking around the area where Holmes was found. After a few minutes, a man police believe was Brevard left and was seen on another camera at a nearby gas station trying to pump gas into a cup. The man police believe is Brevard was later seen back at the area where Holmes was found. After crouching down multiple times, the video shows a fire being lit, the court document shows. Brevard then allegedly traveled to New York, first shooting a sleeping homeless victim in the arm just after 4:30 a.m. on March 12 on a street in lower Manhattan. He survived and described his attacker to police.Later that day, the New York Police Department responded hours later to a homeless man who was found dead on Howard Street, less than a mile from where the first shooting took place, according to the court document. NYPD later determined, after analyzing the ballistic evidence and partnering with Washington DC's Metropolitan Police, that both homeless men had been shot by Brevard, the court record shows.After several photos of Brevard -- whose identity was not known at the time -- were released by law enforcement in New York and Washington, a tipster reached out to Metropolitan Police and said they recognized the man in the photo. A detective scrolled through social media. What he noticed helped catch a person wanted for shooting homeless men in 2 citiesAfter Metropolitan Police showed the tipster multiple photos of Brevard, the tipster gave them Brevard's Instagram handle, date of birth and phone number, according to the court document. That's when investigators saw a recent post from Brevard, showing him in some of the same clothing he had been wearing in surveillance footage from the shooting scenes, and another photo with the caption "Feeling Devilish Feeling Godly," which was taken in DC.Investigators were also able to obtain Brevard's cell phone number from a "social media provider" and then use the cell phone provider to get his location during the previous days. Investigators saw the cell phone data that showed he had been in Washington, DC and in New York. It coincided with the incidents they were investigating, the court document said. Then, on March 15 at 2:30 a.m. investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spotted Brevard and, after his brief attempt to run, he was taken into custody near Pennsylvania Avenue. Further microscopic testing was done on the shell casings that were found at the scene of each shooting, and it was determined that they all came from the same gun, according to the court document.

Nicole Chavez and Rebekah Riess, CNN

2022-03-18 02:08:30

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/us/maryland-park-police-lawsuit/index.html

Maryland park police officers said they wanted Black Lives Matter protesters dead, lawsuit says - CNN

A group of police officers in Montgomery County, Maryland, are being accused of repeatedly making hateful comments against people of color in a group text message chain -- including that they hoped Black Lives Matter protesters would die.

us, Maryland park police officers said they wanted Black Lives Matter protesters dead, lawsuit says - CNN

Maryland park police officers said they wanted Black Lives Matter protesters dead, according to lawsuit

(CNN)A group of police officers in Montgomery County, Maryland, are being accused of repeatedly making hateful comments against people of color in a group text message chain -- including that they hoped Black Lives Matter protesters would die. One of their colleagues, Mark Miles, filed a lawsuit this week claiming his supervisor at the Maryland-National Capital Park Police and other officers sent the text messages in a chain meant to discuss work assignments. They also "mocked, demeaned, ostracized and humiliated" him for being Black, according to the lawsuit.Miles' unit patrolled parks, primarily those in Montgomery County. The lawsuit, which was filed Monday in the US District Court for the District of Maryland, accuses the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and Stephanie Harvey, his supervisor in her official capacity, of harassment, discrimination and retaliation.The agency manages parks and planning in Montgomery and Prince George's counties.LA public defender's office has 100 cases involving Torrance officers accused of racist and anti-Semitic textsRead MoreWhen Miles, who joined the park police in 2019, started working in Harvey's unit in 2020, he realized it was "common practice" for the unit to make offensive comments about people who are not White, including himself, the lawsuit says.More than a dozen text messages are described in the lawsuit as examples. They include offensive comments about Black, Asian, Jewish and Hispanic people as well anti-LGBTQ remarks. When the officers discussed Black Lives Matter protesters, Harvey texted it was "time to start killing" and "Well they got the Army out there sooooo ... hopefully they will get to kill some people," and, "Kill em all," according to the lawsuit. In the months after the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a White police officer in Minneapolis and the protests that followed, Harvey complained about the department's position on Black Lives Matter protests and said the agency should not support protesters, the lawsuit says. Harvey also referred to Miles as "colored" during a roll call meeting on August 4, 2020, the document states.Another text message appears to indicate that Harvey was aware her comments made in the group chat were offensive. "Joke, don't turn these texts over to [Internal Affairs] and get me fired for hate speech!," she wrote in a text message, according to the lawsuit. CNN has reached out to Martin Oliverio, a lawyer who represents Harvey, but has has not received a response.In a statement, the Maryland-National Capital Park Police said the agency launched an investigation when the series of text messages came to their attention but did not specify when that took place.The lawsuit states Miles first reported Harvey's behavior to a captain on August 2020, "continued harassment and retaliation" by Harvey and other officers to Internal Affairs on February 2021 and to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on March 2021.Several officers were suspended and referred to the disciplinary process for termination, the Maryland-National Capital Park Police said, adding that it could not discuss further details on the employment status of the officers involved in the text messages.Third lawsuit filed against DC police department alleging racism and a toxic cultureBut the lawsuit notes Harvey was suspended in March 2021 and some of the other officers were promoted since Miles filed his complaints.The department declined to share details about the disciplinary actions taken and said "the suggestion that Park Police management ignored allegations of misconduct by this group of officers is simply incorrect, and we will make the results of the trial board process public at the appropriate time." "Our Park Police leadership team does not tolerate racism or harassment in the workplace and will not hesitate to put a stop to any such behavior whenever it arises," the park police added.Jay Holland, one of the attorneys representing Miles, said there is a "toxic culture" within the police department and the work environment that his client endured was horrific. "A culture where racism and bigotry is the norm cannot be allowed to stand," Holland said. "Officer Miles has been further victimized by his fellow officers and the department for bravely coming forward. After coming forward, he was ostracized by his colleagues, moved to a night shift and he fears for his safety." The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 30, the union representing active and retired officers of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, declined to comment on the lawsuit.But the union said in a statement that it "works tirelessly to see that all members are treated fairly, have the best possible work environment and are afforded their due process rights as defined by law."Miles faced pressure to leave the unit after he made complaints about the harassment, and ultimately "involuntarily transferred to another, less desirable night shift," last November, the lawsuit says.Attorneys for Miles filed the lawsuit after the Department of Justice issued a right-to-sue letter earlier this month in connection with his complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.He is seeking economic and compensatory damages, a judge order to ensure park police refrain from retaliating against him, the appointment of an independent monitor to ensure compliance of the court's decision, punitive damages against Harvey and the termination of her employment."I think this is really indicative of the larger issue of racism that is endemic in policing today," said Erika Jacobsen White, another of Miles' attorneys. "The natural outgrowth of this type of overt and systemic racist mentality in policing is what leads to the kind of police abuses we are seeing across the country."

Travis Caldwell, CNN

2022-03-09 07:43:13

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world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/09/world/brittney-griner-russia-arrest-trevor-reed-paul-whelan/index.html

Brittney Griner: The basketball star is the latest American to be detained in Russia as supporters work desperately to free them - CNN

Brittney Griner, the star basketball player detained in Russia over alleged drug charges, has become the latest of several Americans who have yet to secure their freedom from a country increasingly isolated from the rest of the world.

world, Brittney Griner: The basketball star is the latest American to be detained in Russia as supporters work desperately to free them - CNN

Basketball star Brittney Griner is the latest American to be detained in Russia as supporters work desperately to free them

(CNN)Brittney Griner, the star basketball player detained in Russia over alleged drug charges, has become the latest of several Americans who have yet to secure their freedom from a country increasingly isolated from the rest of the world. Russia's invasion of Ukraine brought forth global condemnation from governments and peoples alike, who have since boycotted Russian goods, frozen Russian access to banking systems and enacted crippling sanctions. And amid the growing economic repercussions, families and supporters of Griner and other detained Americans, like Trevor Reed and Paul Whelan, are working to free their loved ones as diplomatic channels fade. Russian authorities said Griner, 31, had cannabis oil in her luggage while in a Moscow airport last month and accused her of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance -- an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison. A Moscow court has extended her arrest until May 19, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Reed, 30, and Whelan, 52, were arrested and convicted separately for alleged crimes they've emphatically denied well before the Russian incursion of Ukraine, and the pair remain in prison serving extended sentences denounced by US officials as unfair. Here's what we know so far about their detentions.Three Americans detained in Russia, from left to right: Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan and Trevor ReedRead MoreGriner's whereabouts haven't been shared by authoritiesGriner, a two-time Olympic basketball gold medalist, is a star player in both the US and Russia and has been a regular centerpiece in the successes of her teams, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg.Many details of her detention in Moscow remain in question, including the exact date of the arrest and her current location. US Rep. Colin Allred, whose office has been in touch with the US State Department, said Griner was arrested in Russia on February 17.A photo, posted to social media on February 16, appears to show Griner at a hotel in New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Four days later, Griner's Russian team played in a game and she was not in the lineup.Those close to Griner have expressed their frustration over the detention and lack of clarity provided by Russian authorities. In an Instagram post, Griner's wife, Cherelle, described the agony of waiting."There are no words to express this pain. I'm hurting, we're hurting," she said.Brittney Griner: Why so many WNBA stars play basketball overseasAlthough a State Department official told CNN the US had been denied consular access to Griner, a source close to the situation told CNN that Griner's Russian legal team has seen her several times a week throughout her detention, and she is well. The Biden administration is working to get Griner out of Russia, members of the Congressional Black Caucus said after meeting last week with President Joe Biden.Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents Griner's hometown of Houston, said she spoke of Griner during the meeting and noted there is a "need for her to be immediately released and for her to receive the help of the United States to demand and facilitate that release."But a US representative cautioned to CNN last week that getting her home is "going to be very difficult." "Our diplomatic relationships with Russia are nonexistent at the moment," Rep. John Garamendi, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said.The state-owned Russia 24 channel said this photo of Brittney Griner was taken at a police station.Reed family spoke with President BidenReed, a former US Marine detained in Russia since 2019, was sentenced to nine years in prison in July 2020 for endangering the "life and health" of Russian police officers after a night of drinking, according to state-run news agency TASS.Russian authorities claimed Reed resisted arrest and attacked officers as they responded to complaints of a disturbance, according to Russian state-run news agency RIA-Novosti. Alina Tsybulnik, Reed's girlfriend who was with him that night, heavily disputed police allegations, telling TASS, "(The police) constantly change their story ... in my opinion, Reed was too drunk to resist them."JUST WATCHEDParents of former US Marine jailed in Russia speak outReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHParents of former US Marine jailed in Russia speak out 05:23Reed and his family have denied the charges and US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan called the trial "theater of the absurd" after the 2020 sentencing.Joey and Paula Reed, Trevor's parents, spoke with Biden on March 8, shortly after waving at the President's passing motorcade in Fort Worth, Texas, the family said.An attempt to set up a meeting with Biden ahead of the visit was declined, the family said, but Biden later spoke with them via phone. "I just can't imagine what you're going through," Biden could be heard saying on the cell phone's speaker by a CNN producer and other reporters at the scene. "I don't want you to think that it's not something I constantly think about."Family of former US Marine detained in Russia speaks with Biden after his Texas stopThe Reeds grew emotional and stepped away from reporters for the remainder of the conversation with the President, but Paula Reed later shared details of the call, including that Biden told them he "thinks of Trevor every day and that he feels horrible that he hasn't been able to bring Trevor home yet. And he said, 'We're not going to stop.'""He said he prays for our son every day and that he said a rosary, before he came to Fort Worth, for our son," Joey Reed told CNN's Brianna Keilar on "New Day."In recent calls to his parents, including Wednesday morning, Trevor Reed said he had been coughing up blood, had intermittent fevers and had pain in his chest, according to Joey Reed -- and the family is concerned he has tuberculosis. The son delivered more bad news Wednesday: He said he'd had "some sort of accident" that's hurt his chest further, Joey Reed said."He called and could barely talk," the father said. "He believes he might have broken a rib. So now as he's coughing, he has shooting, stabbing pains in his chest." Paula Reed added she thought her son said something had fallen on him from a shelf. Joey Reed also said Trevor told them he would be sent to a hospital prison on Friday to be checked. Although he believed Trevor has been honest about his health, Joey Reed expressed uncertainty that his son's injury was an accident. "It just seems to be getting worse and worse," he said.The parents told their son about their phone call with Biden."He said he was very excited for us, but he's still cautiously optimistic," Paula Reed said Wednesday. "I think he doesn't want to get his hopes up too much, so for him it works better if he just kind of downplays everything." Family pushes for Whelan's releasePaul Whelan, a US, Irish, British and Canadian citizen and former US Marine, was detained at a Moscow hotel in 2018 and arrested on espionage charges, which he has consistently denied. He was convicted and sentenced in June 2020 to 16 years in prison in a trial widely denounced as unfair by US officials.In a call with CNN in June, Whelan described the grim conditions of the remote labor camp where he spends his days working in a clothing factory that he called a "sweatshop," and said, "getting medical care here is very difficult." Paul Whelan's family stays focused on his release as he nears 3 years in Russian detentionWhelan was getting through his plight "day by day," he told CNN, and was trying to keep "a positive mental attitude" about the situation.His family said Whelan has been the subject of retaliation, including serving time in solitary confinement where he was not permitted to shower or exercise. Whelan's siblings have spent the past three years staying in contact with him and advocating on his behalf to lawmakers in Washington, DC, and his sister, Elizabeth Whelan, lauded American officials in Moscow for their work. But the latest strain in relations between the two nations is likely to complicate efforts. "An unfortunate component about advocating for someone who is wrongfully detained is you have to make your presence known. There's always a crisis going on, and you have to keep reminding people that there is an American who is being held by a hostile foreign nation, often one that we have relations with of some sort, and that this situation has to end," Elizabeth Whelan told CNN in December.She praised her brother's perseverance, adding that he "is bound and determined to survive this situation, and he is not going to give in to the Russians. He is not going to show weakness."CNN's Paul P. Murphy, Holly Yan, Lucy Kafanov, Rosa Flores, Wayne Sterling, Chris Boyette, Maegan Vazquez, Ashley Killough, Ed Lavandera, Raja Razek, Chandelis Duster, Jason Hanna and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.

Holly Yan, CNN

2022-03-07 23:04:02

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world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/07/world/what-we-know-brittney-griner-arrest-russia/index.html

What we know about Brittney Griner's arrest in Russia - CNN

A month after US basketball star Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia, it's still not clear exactly where she's being held.

world, What we know about Brittney Griner's arrest in Russia - CNN

What we know (and don't know) about the arrest of US Olympic champion Brittney Griner in Russia

(CNN)A month after US basketball star Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia, it's still not clear exactly where she's being held. But a Moscow court has ordered the 31-year-old to stay in custody until at least May 19, the Russian state news agency TASS reported March 17."The court granted the request of the investigation and extended the period of detention of the US citizen Griner until May 19," the court said, according to TASS.Russian court extends US basketball star Brittney Griner's arrest until May 19, TASS reports Griner is a championship-winning player with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury who has spent her past several offseasons playing for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg.But last month, Russian authorities accused Griner of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance after flying from New York to a Moscow airport.Read MoreNow, the mystery surrounding her detainment in a country she's worked in for years has come to symbolize the growing tensions between the US and Russia during Russia's continued invasion of Ukraine.Here's what we know (and don't) about what happened to the two-time Olympic champion: Why was Griner detained? The Russian Federal Customs Service said an American was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after being found with hash oil.'It's the most audacious hostage taking by a state imaginable,' former captive says about Griner's case"As a US citizen was passing through the green channel at Sheremetyevo Airport upon arriving from New York, a working dog from the Sheremetyevo customs canine department detected the possible presence of narcotic substances in the accompanying luggage," a statement from the customs service said. "The customs inspection of the hand luggage being carried by the US citizen confirmed the presence of vapes with specifically smelling liquid, and an expert determined that the liquid was cannabis oil (hash oil), which is a narcotic substance."The Russian statement did not identify Griner by name, but said the detainee is an American professional basketball player and two-time US Olympian. The customs agency said the US citizen was placed in pretrial detention. It said a criminal case was underway for smuggling significant amounts of narcotic substances -- an offense carries a potential punishment of five to 10 years in prison. Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, has publicly called for the release of her wife. USA Basketball, the Women's National Basketball Association, the Phoenix Mercury and the WNBA players' union have all publicly shared their concerns for Griner.When was Griner arrested? The Russian customs agency said in a statement a US citizen was detained "in February of 2022," after flying to Moscow from New York, but did not say what day. US Rep. Colin Allred, whose office has been in touch with the US State Department, said Griner was arrested in Russia on February 17. A State Department spokesperson said the department is "aware of and closely engaged on this case."Where is Griner now? As of March 17, Griner's exact whereabouts were not clear. Ekaterina Kalugina, a representative of Moscow's Public Monitoring Commission -- which observes the treatment of prisoners -- visited Griner at her pre-trial detention center, TASS reported. A court advocate said Griner should be kept under house arrest because their jail beds are a foot too short for Griner, who is 6 feet 9 inches tall, according to the Russian news service RIA Novosti.Can Griner communicate with anyone in the US? Allred said Griner has been in contact with her Russian lawyer, who is in touch with her agent and her family in the US. But Griner's consular service has been blocked, which is "extremely concerning," Allred said. Brittney Griner is among the latest Americans to be detained in RussiaTASS quoted Kalugina as saying the US consul had not yet visited Griner, despite Russian authorities' willingness to "create all conditions" for their visit. CNN has reached out to Russian officials and the US Embassy in Moscow for comment on Griner's consular access but has not heard back.Although a State Department official told CNN the US has been denied consular access to Griner, a source close to the situation told CNN Griner's Russian legal team has seen her several times a week throughout her detention, and she is well. The source added that the Russian investigation is ongoing, and a trial date has not been set.Her high school basketball coach, Debbie Jackson, said she worries Griner's case will be used for political purposes."My biggest fear is that ... she will become a political pawn," Jackson told CNN.What was Griner doing in Russia? "Griner was in Russia for work: playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg, where in 2021 she helped the team win its fifth EuroLeague Women championship," wrote Tamryn Spruill, a journalist who covers women's basketball. What could be next for Brittney GrinerSpruill started the "Secure Brittney Griner's Swift and Safe Return to the U.S." petition on Change.org. "Like many athletes competing in the WNBA, Griner plays abroad during the WNBA offseason because her salary is exponentially higher in other countries," Spruill wrote on the petition's page. "For WNBA players, that means playing abroad, while NBA rookies who haven't played a professional game yet are handed salaries many-times higher than what title-winning, All-Star designated WNBA veterans could ever hope for," Spruill said."These realities are not the fault of the players. They simply want to be paid their worth like their male counterparts, and they do not deserve to be entangled in geopolitical turmoil for doing so."Are there any other WNBA players in Russia? In early March, the WNBA confirmed to CNN that no other players were in Russia nor Ukraine.What are the odds of getting Griner out of Russia?A member of the US House Armed Services Committee said "it's going to be very difficult" to get Griner out of Russia. "Our diplomatic relationships with Russia are nonexistent at the moment," Democratic Rep. John Garamendi of California told CNN on March 7. It'll be 'very difficult' to get detained US basketball star Brittney Griner out of Russia, lawmaker says"Perhaps during the various negotiations that may take place, she might be able to be one of the solutions. I don't know."He also noted "Russia has some very, very strict LGBT rules and laws" -- though it's not clear whether those rules and laws might impact Griner's case. Russia has passed LGBTQ-related legislation and outlawed the "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations around minors."But the Biden administration is working on trying to get Griner out of Russia, members of the Congressional Black Caucus said after meeting with President Joe Biden on March 7. "The best news we got today was that they know about it and that she's on the agenda," Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents Griner's hometown of Houston, Texas, told reporters.Noting a potential 10-year sentence for Griner, Jackson Lee added: "We know about Britney Griner, and we know that we have to move on her situation." View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄 𝐓. 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐑 (@cherelletgriner) In an Instagram post, Griner's wife described the agony of waiting. "People say 'stay busy.' Yet, there's not a task in this world that could keep any of us from worrying about you. My heart, our hearts, are all skipping beats everyday that goes by." Cherelle Griner posted on Instagram on Monday. "There are no words to express this pain. I'm hurting, we're hurting."CNN's Lucy Kafanov, Homero De la Fuente, Richard Greene, Wayne Sterling, Rosa Flores, Allie Malloy, Ben Church, Elizabeth Joseph and Valery Yegorov contributed to this report.

Chris Hippensteel and Christina Maxouris, CNN

2022-03-18 01:06:55

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us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/us/david-mcatee-former-louisville-officer-pepper-balls-indicted/index.html

Ex-Louisville officer indicted for firing pepper balls in the moments before David McAtee's fatal shooting - CNN

A former police officer is facing a federal charge of using unreasonable force against an individual in the moments leading up to the fatal police shooting of Black restaurant owner David McAtee during the 2020 summer police brutality protests in Louisville.

us, Ex-Louisville officer indicted for firing pepper balls in the moments before David McAtee's fatal shooting - CNN

Ex-Louisville officer indicted for firing pepper balls in the moments before David McAtee's fatal police shooting

(CNN)A former police officer is facing a federal charge of using unreasonable force against an individual in the moments leading up to the fatal police shooting of Black restaurant owner David McAtee during the 2020 summer police brutality protests in Louisville.The indictment, filed Wednesday, alleges that former Louisville officer Katie Crews violated the constitutional rights of an individual -- identified only by the initials "M.M" -- when she fired a pepper ball, striking the person, who was "standing on private property and not posing a threat" to other people. An attorney representing the officer declined to comment. McAtee's popular restaurant, YaYa's BBQ, was near a parking lot where officers -- including Crews -- fired pepper balls in attempts to clear a crowd on June 1, 2020. McAtee was shot as police and Kentucky National Guard members tried to disperse the crowd, according to police, who have said officers were returning fire after being fired upon. One video showed McAtee, 53, at the restaurant door with his right arm extended. Moments later, he is seen clutching his chest, and falling to the ground. No one has been charged in McAtee's killing. Family of Louisville shooting victim David McAtee sues police officers, National Guard membersIn a wrongful death lawsuit filed later that year, McAtee's family alleged police and Kentucky National Guard members chased protesters who were out past the city's dusk-to-dawn curfew to the area where McAtee's business was located and began firing pepper balls in front of the restaurant. Some people attempted to escape by entering the kitchen door while McAtee was inside, unaware of what was happening, the lawsuit alleged. Read MoreMcAtee's niece, Machelle, was hit with pepper balls "multiple times," according to the suit. "David McAtee stepped out of the kitchen door to try and defend his restaurant, home, family, and customers. Immediately, the police shot and killed him," the lawsuit alleged. David McAtee's nephew had also previously told CNN affiliate WAVE that the chef was shot while reaching out to grab his niece. Steve Romines, an attorney representing the McAtee family, confirmed to CNN the individual identified by initials in the indictment is Machelle."We agree with the Grand Jury's decision today that criminal activity by LMPD in the unwarranted shooting at innocent bystanders outside of YaYa's BBQ is what directly (led) to the death of David McAtee," the attorney told CNN in a statement Thursday.If convicted, Crews could face up to ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release, according to the indictment.Dozens came out to remember David McAtee on June 1, 2021, one year since the Louisville barbecue owner was shot and killed.The aftermath of the shootingThe fatal shooting happened amid widespread protests against police brutality and racial injustice that erupted across the city -- and the country -- following the police killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville. No charges will be brought against law enforcement over the fatal shooting of a Louisville restaurant owner last yearCrews is the second former Louisville officer to face federal charges of using excessive force during those protests. Former officer Cory Evans pleaded guilty last year to hitting a kneeling person in the head who was surrendering during an arrest in May 2020. He was sentenced last month to two years in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Louisville's police chief was fired hours after McAtee's killing after officials discovered that two officers at the scene -- Crews and Austin Allen -- had either not worn or activated their body cameras, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer had said. Both Crews and Allen were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the shooting. National Guard members involved in the incident were not identified, CNN previously reported. Crews was fired on February 7, 2022, according to Louisville police. The department declined to comment further on the matter. CNN has also reached out to the police department for an update on Allen's status.The lawsuit filed by McAtee's family in 2020 named Crews and Allen individually because they were seen in surveillance video shooting pepper balls into the crowd where McAtee was last seen alive, Romines previously told CNN. The suit also accused 10 unnamed Louisville officers and 10 unnamed state National Guard members with using excessive force, among other charges. Louisville officer charged with allegedly hitting a person in the head who was surrendering for arrestKentucky authorities determined that bullets fired from the Kentucky National Guard were responsible for McAtee's death, J. Michael Brown, the secretary for the governor's executive cabinet, said in a statement on June 9, 2020.Nearly a year later, in May 2021, Kentucky Commonwealth Attorney Thomas B. Wine announced the investigation into McAtee's killing would not go to a grand jury for further review, or for potential charges against any Louisville police officers or National Guard soldiers who fired their weapons. Louisville officers and National Guard members "were authorized to discharge their firearms in defense of human life, including their own, when they reasonably believed, based on the facts and circumstances, that Mr. McAtee posed an immediate threat of death or serious injury to them or to another person," Wine concluded. McAtee used to feed officers for freeMcAtee's mother, Odessa Riley, previously said that local officers knew her son well. "He fed all the policemen," Riley said in June 2020. "Police would go in there and talk with him and be with him. He fed the police. He fed them (for) free."Louisville BBQ man who was fatally shot when police dispersed crowd used to feed officers for freeFischer, the mayor, called McAtee a "wonderful citizen" in a statement following the killing. "David was a friend to many, a well-known barbecue man," the mayor said. "They've nurtured so many people in their bellies and in their hearts before, and for him to be caught up in this, not to be with us today, is a tragedy."In an interview that had appeared in the West of Ninth photo blog several months before the shooting, McAtee said he had been cooking and selling BBQ for roughly 30 years, and had been at his West Louisville location for about two years. He'd always wanted to be at that location and was hoping to buy the lot and build a more permanent restaurant, he told the blog. "I gotta start somewhere, and this is where I'm going to start," he had said. "It might take another year or two to get to where I'm going, but I'm going to get there."

Patrick Oppmann, Marlon Sorto and Valentina Di Donato, CNN

2022-03-17 23:21:23

news

americas

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/americas/cuba-protest-sentencing-intl/index.html

Cuba's anti-government protesters sentenced up to 30 years behind bars - CNN

Cuba's Supreme Court sentenced more than 100 protesters in Havana to prison terms that ranged between four and 30 years for violence committed during demonstrations last year, it announced Wednesday in a statement.

americas, Cuba's anti-government protesters sentenced up to 30 years behind bars - CNN

Cuba's anti-government protesters sentenced up to 30 years behind bars

(CNN)Cuba's Supreme Court sentenced more than 100 protesters in Havana to prison terms that ranged between four and 30 years for violence committed during demonstrations last year, it announced Wednesday in a statement. "The citizens are accused of committing and provoking serious disturbances and acts of vandalism, with the purpose of destabilizing public order, collective security and citizen tranquility," the Supreme Court said.Last July, hundreds of Cubans across the country defied the government and took to the streets against chronic shortages and lack of basic freedoms. Despite widespread calls following the protests for amnesty, the Cuban government has come down hard on demonstrators -- meting out lengthy prison sentences.Shortly after the protests started, police and special forces went door to door looking for those who participated.Read MoreProtesters demonstrate in rare protests in Havana, Cuba, on July 11, 2021.Cuban courts have since been trying hundreds of protestors in mass trials that have been criticized by international observers for their lack of transparency and due process. "They threw stones and bottles at various officials, law enforcement officers National Revolutionary Police facilities, patrol cars; They overturned a motorcycle and cars...and caused injuries to other people and serious material damage," reads the statement from the Supreme Court. They dared to protest last July. Now these Cubans are facing years in jail The protests, from July 11 to 12, rapidly spread across the island as Cubans openly defied the communist-run government -- which blames Cuba's economic woes on US sanctions -- in a way not seen since the 1959 revolution.Cubans chanted "freedom" at last year's protests, showing their rage about food shortages, medicine, and electricity when Covid-19 cases had skyrocketed in the country. In Havana, a CNN team witnessed demonstrators being forcibly arrested and thrown into the back of vans by police officers. There were also violent clashes, where protesters turned over a police car and threw rocks at officers.Those protests -- and now the trials -- mark a before and after in the island's history for many Cubans. Some of the protesters' family members say regardless of the mass trials and harsh sentences, anti-government resentment will continue to simmer.

Hannah Rabinowitz and Holmes Lybrand, CNN

2022-03-17 22:17:26

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/politics/justice-department-defendant-pleads-guilty/index.html

January 6 defendant pleads guilty after Justice Department admitted to violating his rights - CNNPolitics

A Texas man pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting a police officer with a pole during the US Capitol riot, three days after the Justice Department admitted that his speedy trial rights were violated.

politics, January 6 defendant pleads guilty after Justice Department admitted to violating his rights - CNNPolitics

January 6 defendant pleads guilty after Justice Department admitted to violating his rights

(CNN)A Texas man pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting a police officer with a pole during the US Capitol riot, three days after the Justice Department admitted that his speedy trial rights were violated.The defendant, Lucas Denney, was arrested in December and left in jail awaiting a hearing because of what prosecutors called "unintentional" errors -- a clear violation of his constitutional right to a speedy trial. The federal judge handling the case previously blasted the "multiple screwups" by prosecutors.At a court hearing, Denney admitted to one count of assaulting police.Last week, Denney's lawyers asked the judge to throw out the case, arguing that prosecutors had missed the deadline to secure an indictment. Two days later, prosecutors went to a grand jury and indicted Denney on the one count of assaulting police, which he pleaded guilty to on Thursday.His defense lawyer, William Shipley, said at a Monday hearing that by pleading guilty to the rushed indictment with just one criminal charge, Denney could avoid potentially harsher charges or a longer sentence. Read More"They ran to the grand jury last Monday before a court hearing to get to this place today," Shipley said, calling the move a "bad faith intention to short circuit" the judge. Denney now faces a maximum of 20 years behind bars when he is sentenced in June, though most defendants get much less than the statutory maximum.During the plea hearing Thursday, prosecutors said they have not yet decided if they would charge Denney again in the future. According to prosecutors, Denney and fellow militia member Donald Hazard attempted to recruit other members to their small militia, the "Patriot Boys of North Texas," before traveling to DC together. Denney told Hazard he was in touch with the Proud Boys who they would join up with and that he would pick up a helmet for Hazard and pepper spray, according to court documents. During the attack on the Capitol, Denney attempted to pull down barriers, tried to hit police with a long pole and was part of a mob who pushed against the line of police guarding the Lower West Terrace tunnel to the Capitol, prosecutors allege. According to the Justice Department, Hazard grappled with police during the riot and one officer fell down a set of stairs with Hazard and "was knocked unconscious and sustained injuries to his head, foot, and arm." Hazard was charged in December and hasn't yet entered a plea. His next hearing is slated for April 5.In the wake of the attack, Denney told Hazard -- who had been sending messages and posting comments venerating the riot -- to "keep [quiet] this week," according to court documents. "Remember don't talk about certain things to anyone. You know what I mean," Denney allegedly wrote to Hazard.

Taylor Romine and Elizabeth Joseph, CNN

2022-03-17 08:54:55

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/us/california-edward-bronstein-police-custody-death-video/index.html

Recently unsealed video shows California man screaming 'I can't breathe' before dying in police custody after 2020 traffic stop - CNN

A federal judge has unsealed a video taken by the California Highway Patrol that captures the death of Edward Bronstein, a 38-year-old man who was in their custody following a March 2020 traffic stop in Los Angeles County.

us, Recently unsealed video shows California man screaming 'I can't breathe' before dying in police custody after 2020 traffic stop - CNN

Recently unsealed video shows California man screaming 'I can't breathe' before dying in police custody after 2020 traffic stop

(CNN)A federal judge has unsealed a video taken by the California Highway Patrol that captures the death of Edward Bronstein, a 38-year-old man who was in their custody following a March 2020 traffic stop in Los Angeles County.Bronstein is heard repeatedly telling officers, "I can't breathe," while pinned on the ground. Those three words would tug at the world's conscience less than two months later when repeated by George Floyd before his death while being restrained by Minneapolis police. Floyd's killing in May 2020 sparked national and global protests against police brutality and racial injustices, spurring a national reckoning over the way law enforcement treats Black Americans. The officer who killed Floyd, Derek Chauvin, was convicted of murder in April 2021.George Floyd changed the world after US kept its 'knee on our neck,' Sharpton saysThe CHP video was released for use in a federal wrongful death lawsuit brought by Bronstein's family against the state of California, CHP and individual officers who were on scene when Bronstein died. No officers have been charged in connection with Bronstein's death. Read MoreThe decision to unseal the video Tuesday was made because "the public's interest in the conduct of its peace officers outweighs other interests and any risk of particularized harm," US Magistrate Judge John McDermott explained in his order.The lawsuit, filed in the Central District of California, alleges officers used "excessive and objectively unreasonable" force against Bronstein, who was "unarmed, restrained, and surrounded by uniformed peace officers." That excessive force "was also a result of the negligent employment, negligent retention, and negligent supervision" of the officers by the CHP, the lawsuit says.The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory damages and requests a jury trial.The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office tells CNN it is reviewing the case, and CHP declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.Gov. Gavin Newsom's office did not reply to CNN's request for comment.Luis Carillo, an attorney representing Bronstein's family, told CNN in a statement the officers who restrained him had no "reverence for human life.""EVEN after he said he would 'willingly' obey the officers STILL BRUTALIZED HIM ANYWAY," Carillo said. "NOBODY should die this way. The family will always suffer the loss of love of Edward." Bronstein said he couldn't breathe several times, video showsAfter the early morning traffic stop on March 31, 2020, the lawsuit alleges, Bronstein was taken into custody and transferred to the CHP Altadena Station where officers attempted to take a blood sample at the garage area of the station.At the start of the nearly 18-minute video, Bronstein is placed on his knees by two officers while handcuffed behind his back. At least five uniformed officers are visible during various parts of the video.Bronstein expresses multiple times that he will comply and questions why police officers are taking his blood sample."Have a seat and provide your arm. This is your last opportunity. Otherwise, you're going face down on the mat, and we're going to keep on going," an officer is heard saying.Bronstein agrees but expresses some hesitancy by asking for "a minute," and is heard saying "I can't do it" when almost immediately officers bring him face down to the mat. Bronstein is seen screaming and crying while five uniformed officers are restraining him. One officer is seen appearing to place his knee onto Bronstein's neck, and Bronstein is heard repeatedly telling officers, "I'll do it willingly."3 recordings. 3 cries of 'I can't breathe.' 3 black men dead after interactions with policeLess than a minute later, Bronstein says a combination of "I can't breathe" and "let me breathe" at least 12 times within a 30-second span.Several uniformed officers tell him to stop moving and an off-camera voice is heard saying, "The more you move, the worse it's going to be bro."Bronstein then yells out, "Put your leg down! I can't breathe!" He gradually stops speaking and can only be heard making grunting noises. About three minutes into the video, Bronstein appears to stop moving.For several minutes, officers and what appears to be a medical professional are seen in the video continuing to check Bronstein for any sign of life while continuing to take his blood sample.More than 12 minutes into the video, officers are instructed by an off-camera voice to "uncuff him." At the 14-minute mark, officers on site are still checking Bronstein for signs of life."Is that a pulse? ... Is he breathing? ... If he's got a pulse and he's not breathing, he still needs rescue," the same off-camera voice is heard saying. During the last three minutes of the video, the medical professional and officers are seen administering medical aid to Bronstein, who appears unresponsive.The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner's office later determined Bronstein died from "acute methamphetamine intoxication during restraint by law enforcement." It listed the manner of death as "undetermined."The trial date in the federal lawsuit is scheduled for December 13, court documents show.

David Williams, CNN

2022-03-17 20:12:46

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/us/ufc-fighter-restaurant-shooting-trnd/index.html

UFC fighter Kevin Holland disarms gunman at a Houston sushi restaurant - CNN

UFC fighter Kevin Holland says he used a chokehold to subdue a suspected gunman who fired a shot into the ceiling of a Houston, Texas, sushi restaurant.

us, UFC fighter Kevin Holland disarms gunman at a Houston sushi restaurant - CNN

UFC fighter Kevin Holland disarms gunman with chokehold at a Houston sushi restaurant

(CNN)UFC fighter Kevin Holland says he used a chokehold to subdue a suspected gunman who fired a shot into the ceiling of a Houston, Texas, sushi restaurant.Holland told CNN affiliate KPRC that he was having dinner on Monday night at RA Sushi restaurant when he heard the shot."When I heard the big bang, I thought it was maybe the table behind me popping a champagne bottle because they were having a birthday party," he told KPRC. "Realized quickly it wasn't no champagne when I turned around and seen people running, glass breaking."Holland said he saw another man trying to wrestle the gun away from the suspect and rushed to help."I grab the gun with the guy, we face (the gun) down towards the ground," Holland told KPRC. "And then I'm like, 'We're upstairs -- this shouldn't be facing down.' So we point it towards the bar and face it up in the air." Holland told KPRC he hit the gunman's wrist and they were able to get the gun away from him.Read More"I pull him back, sit him in my lap, put him in the rear-naked choke, and yeah we choked him out," he told KPRC.The rear-naked choke is a martial arts chokehold applied from behind an opponent.Kevin Holland prepares for a March 5 fight in Las Vegas.The 29-year-old welterweight fighter is 22-7-0 and won his most recent fight on March 5 by knockout.A Houston police spokesman said it was against department policy to identify witnesses, so they could not identify Holland, but he did confirm that the 24-year-old suspect was disarmed and subdued until police arrived."Thankfully no one was injured. That was the best outcome we could have," public information officer Shay Awosiyan told CNN.He said the suspect's motive is still under investigation.The suspect was charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon and deadly conduct and is in jail on $30,000 bond, according to court records.CNN's Hayley Wilson contributed to this story.

Tara Subramaniam and Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN

2022-03-17 18:37:30

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/politics/january-6-doj-wisconsin-man-attack/index.html

Justice Department charges Wisconsin man who said it was 'satisfying' to attack police on January 6 - CNNPolitics

The Justice Department unsealed charges on Thursday against a 23-year-old Wisconsin man who allegedly told associates it was "satisfying" to assault US Capitol Police officers on January 6, 2021, and threatened to return to Washington, DC, with paintball guns that resembled an automatic rifle.

politics, Justice Department charges Wisconsin man who said it was 'satisfying' to attack police on January 6 - CNNPolitics

Justice Department charges Wisconsin man who said it was 'satisfying' to attack police on January 6

(CNN)The Justice Department unsealed charges on Thursday against a 23-year-old Wisconsin man who allegedly told associates it was "satisfying" to assault US Capitol Police officers on January 6, 2021, and threatened to return to Washington, DC, with paintball guns that resembled an automatic rifle.Riley Kasper was arrested on Thursday and is facing six federal charges, including assaulting law enforcement using a deadly or dangerous weapon. He is scheduled to make his first appearance in federal court Thursday.According to videos highlighted in court documents, Kasper pepper-sprayed police officers who were standing between him and the Capitol building. In a Facebook message, Kasper said he was part of the first group to knock down the gate and force police to retreat."I pepper sprayed 3 cops so bad they got undressed and went home," he wrote, adding, "I basically organized my own little militia and we f--ing took over Congress.""I didn't drive 14 hours for nothing," Kasper added.Read MoreThe day after the insurrection, prosecutors say, Kasper brainstormed how he could disguise paintball guns as automatic rifles to trick and "incapacitate" police officers should he return to DC and described how "satisfying" it was to assault police."But yeah, one dude got pulled into the crowd and slammed on the ground on his back and his club, pepper spray, cuffs, radio everything got ripped from his belt," Kasper said in one message highlighted in court documents. Kasper said he "took out his baton" and screamed at the officer to "just go home.""I'm pretty sure dude thought he was gonna die that day lol," Kasper allegedly messaged.More than 245 people are facing charges for assaulting or impeding law enforcement on January 6, and overall, nearly 800 people have been charged in connection with the insurrection.

Analysis by Zachary B. Wolf, CNN

2022-03-04 00:26:51

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/03/politics/putin-war-crimes-russia-ukraine-us-what-matters/index.html

War crimes: How Putin could be tried in the International Criminal Court - CNNPolitics

There is a loud and growing chorus of calls for the International Criminal Court to pursue Russian President Vladimir Putin for his actions in Ukraine. Located in The Hague, Netherlands, the ICC operates independently. The US, Russia and Ukraine are not members.

politics, War crimes: How Putin could be tried in the International Criminal Court - CNNPolitics

Everything you need to know about war crimes and how Putin could be prosecuted

A version of this story appeared in CNN's What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. (CNN)There is a loud and growing chorus of calls for the International Criminal Court to pursue Vladimir Putin for his unprovoked attack on Ukraine. President Joe Biden said his opinion is that Putin is a war criminal.The top war crimes prosecutor for the ICC has traveled to Ukraine to investigate. The US Embassy in Kyiv argued earlier in the war that specific Russian attacks constituted war crimes.JUST WATCHEDInternational Criminal Court to Russia: 'The world is watching'ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHInternational Criminal Court to Russia: 'The world is watching' 13:43"It is a war crime to attack a nuclear power plant," the embassy said on its official Twitter feed. "Putin's shelling of Europe's largest nuclear plant takes his reign of terror one step further."Read MoreRussia's bombing of hospitals and a theater where children were seeking refuge along with its suspected use of cluster bombs and so-called vacuum bombs in dense areas with many civilians have also been described as war crimes."The law is clear on this, it is a crime to intentionally target civilians, it is a crime to intentionally target civilian objects," Karim Khan, the ICC's chief prosecutor, told CNN's Anderson Cooper. But Khan added there is a burden of proof and a process that must play out. Here's a very broad look at war crimes and the international justice movement. Note: Some of what's below comes from CNN's research library, which compiled information about the International Criminal Court.What is a war crime?The International Criminal Court has specific definitions for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. Read about them in this guide published by the ICC.Specifically, targeting civilian populations, violating the Geneva Conventions, targeting specific groups of people and more could be potential Russian war crimes.Khan said there can be justified attacks in civilian areas if they are being used to launch attacks. But even then, he said, attacks in civilian areas cannot be disproportionate. There is a method of gathering evidence from testimony, satellite images and elsewhere to meet a burden of proof. What is the International Criminal Court?Located in The Hague, Netherlands, and created by a treaty called the Rome Statute first brought before the United Nations, the International Criminal Court operates independently.Most countries on Earth -- 123 of them -- are parties to the treaty, but there are very large and notable exceptions, including Russia and the US. And, for that matter, Ukraine.Who can be tried by the court?Anyone accused of a crime in the jurisdiction of the court, which includes countries that are members of the ICC, can be tried. The court tries people, not countries, and focuses on those who hold the most responsibility: leaders and officials. While Ukraine is not a member of the court, it has previously accepted its jurisdiction.Putin could, therefore, theoretically be indicted by the court for previously ordering war crimes in Crimea. However, the ICC does not conduct trials in absentia, so he would either have to be handed over by Russia or arrested outside of Russia. That seems unlikely.What crimes does the court handle?The ICC is meant to be a court of "last resort" and is not meant to replace a country's justice system. The court, which has 18 judges serving nine-year terms, tries four types of crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and war crimes.How does the ICC bring proceedings?Court proceedings can be brought in one of two ways: Either a national government or the UN Security Council can refer cases for investigation.Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has veto power over council actions. It was requests by 39 national governments, most of them European, that sparked this current investigation.Khan previously told CNN, "I want to emphasize that I'm willing to speak to all sides, and not just the Ukrainian side, but also the Russian Federation, state parties and non-state parties alike. This institution is not political. We're not part of the geostrategic or geopolitical divisions that we witness around the world." What will the ICC investigate in relation to Ukraine?In its new investigation into Russia's possible war crimes, the ICC has said it will look at all actions in Ukraine from 2013 to the present. Russia first entered Crimea, which has been part of Ukraine, in 2014. The ICC was already investigating crackdowns on protesters by a previous Ukrainian government that was pro-Russian. This new referral seems to put all potential war crimes together.How long do these investigations take?If justice in general moves slowly, international justice barely moves at all. Investigations at the ICC take many years. Only a handful of convictions have ever been won.A preliminary investigation into the hostilities in eastern Ukraine lasted more than six years -- from April 2014 until December 2020. At the time, the prosecutor said there was evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Next steps were slowed by the Covid-19 pandemic and a lack of resources at the court, which is conducting multiple investigations.That perception of slow and ineffective justice will test the system of international law, Khan told Cooper."This is a test for the court. It's a test for me, it's a test for the office," he said.What are cluster bombs and vacuum bombs? In addition to attacks on hospitals and civilian apartment buildings, the feared use of banned weapons meant to kill without discrimination is another very specific war crime.With a cluster bomb, a missile is fired and explodes thousands of feet in the air, releasing smaller bombs that each detonate when they fall to the ground. See an illustration from The Washington Post. Amnesty International said a Russian cluster bomb fell on a Ukrainian preschool."Vacuum bombs," or thermobaric weapons, suck in the oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a powerful explosion and a large pressure wave that can have enormous destructive effects. Russia previously used them in Chechnya.Why would a Ukraine prosecution be different?The international outcry against Russia is unique, and that could give the court the ability to operate differently, according to Ryan Goodman, a law professor at New York University and co-editor-in-chief of Just Security, an online forum."It's hard to judge the ICC's investigation based on past practice," Goodman said in an email after the court initially launched its investigation. "In the Ukraine situation, the prosecutor is buttressed by an extraordinary outpouring of support from dozens of countries, which I expect will be followed by an infusion of resources."How would an ICC case affect the conflict?"For better or for worse, the ICC investigation may affect the diplomatic space for negotiations," said Goodman, arguing Putin and other Russians might not want to risk arrest if they travel outside the country.The investigation could also, he argued, weaken Putin at home."Russians may come to realize this is another reason Putin can no longer serve their country," Goodman said.What happened before the ICC?Previous trials for war crimes were brought by special UN tribunals, such as those empaneled for the former Yugoslavia, focusing on the Serbian autocrat Slobodan Milosevic, and for the Rwandan genocide. All of this stems from the precedent of the Nuremberg trials to bring Nazis to justice after World War II and held by the Allies, including the US, the Soviet Union, France and Germany.So it is interesting that neither the US nor Russia are members of the ICC.Why aren't the US and Russia ICC members?Both the US and Russia are signatories to the treaty that created the court -- meaning their leaders signed it -- but neither is a member of the court.Russia pulled out of the court in 2016 days after an ICC report published what CNN called a "damning verdict" on Russia's occupation of Crimea in 2014. The court also launched a probe in 2016 into Russia's 2008 efforts to support breakaway regions in Georgia.At the time, France had also accused Russia of committing war crimes in Syria.As for the US, while President Bill Clinton signed the treaty creating the court in 2000, he never recommended the Senate ratify it. The George W. Bush administration, to a fair amount of criticism, pulled the US from being a party to the treaty in 2002. The Pentagon and many US policymakers have long opposed joining such an international court system since it could open US servicemembers to allegations of war crimes."The president (George W. Bush) thinks the ICC is fundamentally flawed because it puts American servicemen and women at fundamental risk of being tried by an entity that is beyond America's reach, beyond America's laws and can subject American civilians and military to arbitrary standards of justice," then-White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said at the time.How has the US supported the court?Opposing America joining the court did not mean the Bush administration opposed the court itself. It supported ICC efforts to seek justice for genocide in Sudan.There has always been an awkwardness to how American presidents deal with the court, noted CNN's Tim Lister in 2011. He wrote about Barack Obama applauding ICC efforts to bring justice to people like former Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, while not endorsing the court for oversight of the US.This story has been updated with additional details.

Omar Jimenez, Raja Razek, Chris Boyette, Caroll Alvarado and Kathryn Jaeger, CNN

2022-03-17 00:03:33

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/us/kenosha-officer-kneel-girl-neck/index.html

Kenosha off-duty officer resigns from school district role after being seen on video putting his knee on the neck of a 12-year-old to break up a fight - CNN

A Kenosha Police Department off-duty officer who was seen on video putting his knee on the neck of a 12-year-old to break up a fight has resigned from his role at the Kenosha Unified School District.

us, Kenosha off-duty officer resigns from school district role after being seen on video putting his knee on the neck of a 12-year-old to break up a fight - CNN

Off-duty officer resigns from school district role after being seen on video putting his knee on the neck of a 12-year-old to break up a fight

(CNN)A Kenosha Police Department off-duty officer who was seen on video putting his knee on the neck of a 12-year-old to break up a fight has resigned from his role at the Kenosha Unified School District. The officer resigned "effective Tuesday, March 16. As it appears that this incident may lead to litigation, the district will provide no further details at this time," Kenosha Unified School District spokeswoman Tanya Ruder told CNN. The school district said the officer was working as a security guard at the time of the incident. Social media video appeared to show a fight between two students as the off-duty officer attempted to break it up before either being hit or falling backward. It appears he hits his head on the edge of a nearby table. Shortly after, he is seen on top of the student and appears to hold her head against the ground with one hand and place his knee on her neck, though it's not clear for how long, as the cell phone footage ends shortly after. Controversial Police Encounters Fast FactsThe Kenosha Police Department confirmed he was an off-duty officer and said the 37-year-old has four years of experience with the department. CNN has reached out to the KPD to inquire on his current employment status there but has not gotten a response. Read MoreIn a statement, the department said, "K.P.D. has watched the video clip and has seen the photo which has been widely shared on social media over the weekend. We are keenly aware of the significant sensitivity surrounding the photo. K.P.D., together with K.U.S.D. is investigating the incident in its entirety while being cautious not to make conclusions based off of a small piece of information shared on social media," part of the statement read.CNN is not naming the 12-year-old daughter as she is a minor. CNN has attempted to reach the Kenosha officer who was involved in the incident but has not gotten a response. CNN also attempted to reach out to the Kenosha Professional Police Association for comment but did not get a response.Father of 12-year-old angered by videoThe 12-year-old's father, Jerrel Perez, is angry. "Looking at that picture, it destroyed me," he told CNN Tuesday. "All it takes is just a little bit, especially for a 12-year-old girl. We've seen a grown man die from that same situation, just imagine a fragile 12-year-old's neck," he added in apparent reference to the killing of George Floyd. Floyd was killed as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin applied sustained pressure from his knee to Floyd's neck for more than nine consecutive minutes. This situation at Lincoln Middle School appeared to unfold in a matter of seconds and it's unclear how long pressure may have been applied.An initial school notification report, filled out by an assistant principal the day of the incident, describes what staff observed happened before, during and after "the incident," along with the type of physical restraint used on the student. A redacted version of the report was provided by the family's attorney. Bans on chokeholds for federal officers latest in nationwide push to hold police to a 'higher standard' In regards to the restraint used, the report indicates there was "pressure or weight on the student's neck or throat, or an artery, or that otherwise obstruct the student's circulation or breathing," and the student was placed in a "prone position." The report also says the restraint did not cause any chest compression and there was adequate care to protecting the student's head, despite a screenshot appearing to show the off-duty officer holding the student's head to the ground. According to Kenosha Unified School District policy, reasons why a physical restraint on a student would be permissible include a student presenting a "clear, present and imminent risk" to the safety of others, as long as it's not a prohibited maneuver or technique. However, among those prohibited maneuvers or techniques: one that would place "pressure or weight on the student's neck or throat, on an artery, or on the back of the student's head or neck, or that otherwise obstruct the student's circulation or breathing," and placing the student in a prone position "chest down, back up." The report indicated that before the incident, a "student engaged in a physical altercation with another female student." Video released on social media picks up right in the middle of the altercation and does not show who or what may have started the fight. "During the incident," the school report read, the officer "witnessed the two students engage in a physical altercation and attempted to separate the students." The officer then placed Perez's daughter under arrest. Perez says his daughter told him "when (the officer) was on her neck she kept telling him get off her neck, get off her neck because she couldn't breathe because her face mask was on. And I asked her, 'What did you feel?' and she said, 'I couldn't breathe.'" "She just said he had his knee on her neck until he cuffed her," he added. Why police forces are struggling to recruit and keep officersFrom the video released on social media, it's unclear what was said between the officer and the student. Both the notification report and family attorney Drew DeVinney indicate the entire incident was recorded on surveillance video. The family told CNN they have yet to see the footage despite saying they requested it from the school. The school district has not released any surveillance video of the incident, citing an ongoing investigation. The school notification report also read that after the incident, the "student was suspended and released into police custody." It also confirms the incident involved law enforcement that was affiliated with the school district as a security guard. Shortly after the altercation, Perez said his family eventually picked her up from a Kenosha Police station. He also said the school told him they would be laying out disciplinary steps for his daughter's future -- he replied that he would not be bringing her back to that school, Perez told CNN.Perez said he was initially told that an officer had to get hospitalized, that the officer hit the back of his head and that his daughter punched the officer."When I got to my daughter, I said, 'Hey you don't fight, you don't do this,' she started telling me, 'Dad, my neck hurts, my neck hurts.' I wasn't aware of any pictures or videos, so when we got home, I told her to go to her room like any parent would," Perez told CNN. "My daughter kept complaining about her pain, I'm thinking she's just trying to get out of punishment."Later on, he said another one of his daughters, who also attends the school, was sent video of the actual incident and she showed it to him. He said he was "shocked" and immediately took his 12 year old to the emergency room. "They said she had a head injury and a neck sprain," Perez said. Police also confirmed to CNN Tuesday that a criminal charge of disorderly conduct has been referred to the Kenosha County District Attorney's Office for "both juveniles involved in the incident." Family attorney Drew DeVinney says it's now up to the DA's office to decide whether to levy a formal charge and they haven't been made aware of a decision just yet. In an earlier statement provided to CNN the school district said, "The Kenosha Unified School District is aware of an incident that occurred between two students at Lincoln Middle School on Friday, March 4, 2022, that required intervention by KUSD staff, as well as assistance from the Kenosha Police Department. This part-time KUSD employee, who was hired as an off-duty Kenosha police officer, is currently on a paid leave from the district." CNN's Dakin Andone and Amir Vera contributed to this report.

Holly Yan, Caroll Alvarado and Aaron Cooper, CNN

2022-03-17 12:13:17

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/us/homeless-shootings-suspect-background/index.html

Homeless shootings: What we know about the suspect in the DC and NYC attacks - CNN

It's still not clear why someone would shoot several homeless men in New York City and Washington, DC. But police in both cities say they believe the same man, 30-year-old Gerald Brevard III, is responsible for the shootings that left two men dead.

us, Homeless shootings: What we know about the suspect in the DC and NYC attacks - CNN

What we know about the suspect in the New York and DC shootings of homeless men

(CNN)It's still not clear why someone would open fire on several homeless men in New York City and Washington, DC.But authorities in both cities say they believe the same man, 30-year-old Gerald Brevard III, is responsible for the shootings that left two men dead. Here's what we know about the suspect -- and how authorities linked him to cases more than 200 miles apart. The suspect's arrest record stretches back more than a decadeBrevard has faced numerous charges -- such as assault and battery -- in multiple states.Read MoreIn 2010, Brevard was charged with malicious destruction of property in Maryland. That case was resolved with a guilty plea and probation. In 2018, he was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in Washington, DC. He was found incompetent to stand trial in June 2019 before being found competent the next month. DC authorities identify suspect arrested in connection with shootings of 5 homeless men there and in NYCBrevard accepted a plea agreement and entered a guilty plea. He was given a 12-month suspended sentence and two years of supervised release, also suspended. Brevard was also ordered to undergo mental health and substance abuse assessments, along with drug treatment if it was deemed appropriate.Another special condition required him to "cooperate with any housing assistance offered."Court records show he violated conditions of release both before and after the conviction on the assault with a dangerous weapon charge. It's not clear which conditions he violated.In 2020, Brevard was charged in two different incidents in Fairfax County, Virginia. He was found guilty of a charge of assault and battery and sentenced to a 12-month suspended sentence and 12 months probation. He was also found guilty of entering property to cause damage and sentenced to 12 months, with one month suspended, and 12 months of probation. In November 2020 in Maryland, court records show Brevard was also charged with 33 counts including theft, credit card theft and theft from a vehicle. He did not appear, and a bench warrant was issued in February 2021. Brevard's bond was forfeited, the case remains open and the warrant still appears to be active. And last month, on February 8, Brevard was charged with probation violation in Virginia. A hearing on the revocation of probation was set for March 17.How this month's shootings unfolded Authorities say they believe Brevard is responsible for shooting five men experiencing homelessness: -- The first shooting happened around 4 a.m. on March 3 in Washington, DC police said. A man wounded in the 1100 block of New York Avenue Northeast was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.-- The second shooting happened around 1:21 a.m. March 8 in the 1700 block of H Street Northeast in Washington, police said. A man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.-- Shortly after 2:50 a.m. on March 9, a DC Police member noticed a fire in the 400 block of New York Avenue Northeast. After the flames were extinguished, a man's remains were discovered, police said. The cause of death was determined to be multiple stab and gunshot wounds. -- The fourth and fifth shootings happened in New York City early Saturday, March 12. The attacks happened about 90 minutes apart in Lower Manhattan and were caught on surveillance cameras, the New York Police Department said. Police described what the videos showed but did not release them to CNN.In one of the New York shootings, video shows a man sleeping near the corner of King Street and Varick when an attacker approaches and shoots him in his forearm, police said. The 38-year-old victim was taken to a hospital for treatment.The other New York shooting happened around 6 a.m. outside 148 Lafayette Street. There, officers found a man in a sleeping bag with gunshot wounds to his head and neck, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.How the suspect was foundCapt. Kevin Kentish, a Queens native who now works with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, was scrolling through his social media when something caught his eye. A detective on social media helped catch a suspect wanted for shooting homeless men in 2 citiesKentish, who kept up with news from his home state, saw footage that New York City police had released of a person of interest wanted in connection with the shootings of two homeless people there.In Washington, Kentish and his team were investigating the March 9 killing of a homeless person. The detective flagged the photos to his colleagues and they reached out to New York and federal law enforcement agencies and began comparing evidence, including shell casings left behind at the scenes. "Our partners at the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) tested our evidence that was recovered, they tested the evidence that was recovered in New York and we got a hit," Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said. They were looking for the same person. ATF agents found and arrested Brevard on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington at around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said. He was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to kill in connection with two non-fatal shootings of homeless people and with first-degree murder while armed for the killing of 54-year-old Morgan Holmes, who had no fixed address, Washington police announced Tuesday. CNN was not immediately able to identify an attorney for Brevard.NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said although authorities in New York City have not yet announced charges, they believe the same person is responsible for the shootings of two homeless people in that city because of connections through ballistic evidence and clothing in pictures. "We don't have enough to make an arrest, we're working with the Manhattan district attorney, we're gathering all our evidence," Essig said. "I'm very confident we'll get there."Suspect has mental illness, his family saysThe alleged shooter's father, Gerald Brevard Jr., extended condolences to the victims' families and told CNN his son suffers from mental illness.Brevard received psychiatric treatment several years ago after being found mentally incompetent to stand trial for a separate assault charge, according to his father and court records. After three months, Brevard was found competent to stand trial and transferred back to jail, according to court records.But before he was released, his father urged authorities to have him transferred back to a psychiatric hospital because he "wasn't well," but was told that was not possible, he told CNN. "The bigger picture is not that he has mental illness, but the number of times that he's been within the judicial system and how the system has failed regarding the treatment of so many, including my son."He said that his son has lived on and off with his great-aunt but has been experiencing homelessness in the last few years. The suspect's cousin, Rosaline Law, told CNN affiliate WUSA that he has suffered from mental illness "for a long time."She said her mom "took him in and gave him a chance to get himself together but if you don't get help it's going to keep going to the next level."CNN's Christina Maxouris contributed to this report.

Christine Sever and Chris Boyette, CNN

2022-03-17 11:09:44

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/us/bonne-terre-missouri-police-officer-killed/index.html

Bonne Terre, Missouri police officer killed and another wounded in shooting at a motel - CNN

One officer is dead and another has been airlifted to a hospital in St. Louis after a man opened fire on two Bonne Terre police officers responding to a disturbance at a motel early Thursday, according to Missouri state troopers.

us, Bonne Terre, Missouri police officer killed and another wounded in shooting at a motel - CNN

1 officer killed and another wounded in shooting at a Missouri motel

(CNN)One officer is dead and another has been airlifted to a hospital in St. Louis after a man opened fire on two Bonne Terre police officers responding to a disturbance at a motel early Thursday, according to Missouri state troopers. The officers returned fire and the man was shot and killed, Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. Dallas Thompson said.Around 12:24 a.m., the two officers from the Bonne Terre Police Department were dispatched to the Motel 6 in Bonne Terre for a reported disturbance. When the officers arrived, a man exited the motel room and began firing shots at them, Thompson said.The officer who died was in his early 30s and had been with Bonne Terre Police about five years, Thompson said. The second officer, who was shot in the leg, is 28 years old and been with the department about seven years.At the request of the Bonne Terre Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol will take over the investigation, Thompson said.Read MoreBonne Terre is a city southwest of St. Louis. According to the police department's website, the department is comprised of 10 full-time officers, six part-time officers and four auxiliary officers.

Sam Fossum and Kevin Liptak, CNN

2022-03-16 19:22:37

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/politics/biden-calls-putin-a-war-criminal/index.html

Biden on Putin: 'I think he is a war criminal' - CNNPolitics

President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" Wednesday, a rhetorical leap that came as civilian deaths mount in Ukraine.

politics, Biden on Putin: 'I think he is a war criminal' - CNNPolitics

Biden on Putin: 'I think he is a war criminal'

(CNN)President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" Wednesday, a rhetorical leap that came as civilian deaths mount in Ukraine.It was the harshest condemnation of Putin's actions from any US official since the war in Ukraine began three weeks ago. Previously, Biden had stopped short of labeling atrocities being documented on the ground in Ukraine as "war crimes," citing ongoing international and US investigations.But on Wednesday, speaking with reporters at an unrelated event, Biden affixed the designation on the Russian leader."I think he is a war criminal," the President said after remarks at the White House. The shift from the administration's previous stance came after an emotional address to Congress from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who aired a video showing Ukrainians suffering amid Russia's onslaught. Zelensky asked American lawmakers and Biden for more help defending itself, including a no-fly zone and fighter jets.Read More Interactive: Zelensky's address to Congress, annotated Biden responded in his own address a few hours later, laying out new American military assistance to Ukraine -- including anti-aircraft and anti-armor systems, weapons and drones -- but stopping short of acceding to Zelensky's requests.Still, Biden acknowledged the horrors transpiring on the ground."We saw reports that Russian forces were holding hundreds of doctors and patients hostage in the largest hospital in Mariupol," Biden said. "These are atrocities. They're an outrage to the world. And the world is united in our support for Ukraine and our determination to make Putin pay a very heavy price."It wasn't until a few hours after that that Biden responded to a question about Putin being a war criminal. Biden initially said "no," but immediately returned to a group of reporters to clarify what had been asked. When asked again whether Putin was a war criminal, he answered in the affirmative.On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Biden's remarks were "absolutely unacceptable and inexcusable."Officials, including Biden, had previously avoided saying war crimes were being committed in Ukraine, citing ongoing investigations into whether that term could be used. Other world leaders have not been as circumspect, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who said last week war crimes were being committed. The International Criminal Court at the Hague has also opened an investigation into war crimes. And the US Senate unanimously asked for an international investigation into war crimes on Tuesday. US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said last week that actions committed by Russia against the Ukrainian people "constitute war crimes," marking the first time a senior US official directly accused Moscow of war crimes since last month's attack on Ukraine began.Analysis: Why Zelensky won't get what he wants most from BidenIn Poland last week, Vice President Kamala Harris called for international investigations into war crimes, and made clear she believed atrocities were underway. She said the intentional targeting of civilians would constitute war crimes.After Biden delivered his assessment, the White House said the administration's investigation into war crimes would continue."The President's remarks speak for themselves," press secretary Jen Psaki said. She said Biden was "speaking from the heart."State Department spokesman Ned Price echoed Psaki later Wednesday, telling CNN's Erin Burnett on "OutFront" that "when you are speaking from the heart, speaking as a human and you're seeing what we've all seen, these searing images on TV, a Russian strike on a maternity hospital in Mariupol, strikes against residential buildings, against schools, against civilian neighborhoods, it's hard not to walk away with that conclusion.""What we are doing here at the State Department, we are collecting every single piece of information, we're evaluating it, we're documenting it and sharing it with our partners. There is a process that is involved in this and there are people working almost around the clock to document, evaluate, share as we all watch what is happening with some horror." Pressed as to how Putin's actions don't currently amount to war crimes, Price reiterated that "there is a formal process here at the department under international humanitarian law to document war crimes. We're involved in that."While the term "war crimes" is often used colloquially -- as Biden appeared to be doing Wednesday -- they do have a legal definition that could be used in potential prosecution. That includes in the Geneva Convention, which specifies intentional targeting of civilians as a war crime.Six takeaways from Zelensky's address to Congress and Biden's responseYet in order to prosecute a war crime, solid evidence is required. And for Russian officials to be held accountable, they would need to travel outside of the country.Still, an official designation of war crimes -- backed up with evidence -- would still present the West with a symbolic tool in framing Putin's actions in Ukraine. Biden has come under increasing pressure to do more to help besieged Ukrainians as Russia's campaign intensifies. On Wednesday, a theater in Mariupol where civilians were sheltering was bombed, the latest example of Russia's indiscriminate shelling.The pressure was only likely to increase after Zelensky's dramatic appeal to lawmakers for more help. He compared what is happening in Ukraine to Pearl Harbor and September 11, and said "we need you right now" to offer more support.Biden watched the address from the library of his private residence, and later called it a "convincing" and "significant" speech."Putin is inflicting appalling, appalling devastation and horror on Ukraine, bombing apartment buildings, maternity wards, hospitals," he said afterward. "I mean, it's godawful."Next week, Biden plans to travel to Brussels for an extraordinary session of NATO leaders, where he hopes to demonstrate western unity amid Russia's aggression.This story has been updated with additional reporting.

Jamiel Lynch and Aya Elamroussi, CNN

2022-03-17 10:00:42

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/us/north-carolina-gas-stolen-from-station/index.html

Nearly 400 gallons of gas were stolen from a North Carolina gas station after the payment system was bypassed, owner says - CNN

Nearly 400 gallons of gas were stolen from a North Carolina gas station this week, prompting the owner to take extra security precautions amid historically high gas prices nationwide.

us, Nearly 400 gallons of gas were stolen from a North Carolina gas station after the payment system was bypassed, owner says - CNN

Nearly 400 gallons of gas were stolen from a North Carolina gas station after the payment system was bypassed, owner says

(CNN)Nearly 400 gallons of gas were stolen from a North Carolina gas station this week, prompting the owner to take extra security precautions amid historically high gas prices nationwide. Hardik Patel said he will start shutting off the power to his pumps after business hours after 398 gallons of gas were stolen from his Bizzy Bee Grocery Store and Gas Station in High Point, North Carolina, Monday.Store manager chases van after thieves steal more than 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel from family-owned gas stationSurveillance footage showed a car pull up near the pumps and someone appeared to use a device to bypass the payment system, Patel said. After that, more than 15 cars pulled up and filled their tanks over the course of 45 minutes, taking $1,600 worth of gas, Patel said."I've been in business for 15 years and owned other gas stations. I have never seen something like this," Patel told CNN. "It wasn't free, they were stealing." Patel said police were alerted to the theft by people who called to report several cars at the station after-hours.Read MoreThe incident comes as gas prices have climbed to recent record highs. The national average reached $4.33 a gallon Monday after setting four records in a row last week. As of Thursday morning, the average was $4.29 a gallon, according to AAA. The spike in gas prices is partially a result of sanctions against oil producer Russia over its invasion of Ukraine as well as a market that was already inflated by lowered production during the Covid-19 pandemic. Police are warning drivers to protect against gas thefts as oil prices soar. Here's what they recommendThe soaring prices have prompted police around the country to warn drivers to protect the gas in their tanks by either purchasing a locking gas cap, parking in a visible well-lit area or avoiding parking in public places for long periods of time. In North Carolina, Patel said if his station is subjected to gas theft "too often," he'll have to consider whether he should stay in the business. "If I lose more than I make, there might be some things to think about," he said. The High Point Police Department is investigating the theft at Patel's station and has not made any arrests. CNN's Paradise Afshar, Amy Simonson, Chris Isidore and Susannah Cullinane contributed to this report.

Laura Studley, CNN

2022-03-17 08:12:58

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/us/new-jersey-boy-abuse-murder-charge/index.html

New Jersey man faces murder charge over allegedly abusing his 6-year-old son, including forcing the boy to run on a treadmill, officials say - CNN

A New Jersey man has been charged with murder after allegedly abusing his 6-year-old son, including forcing him to run on a treadmill, according to prosecutors and court documents.

us, New Jersey man faces murder charge over allegedly abusing his 6-year-old son, including forcing the boy to run on a treadmill, officials say - CNN

New Jersey man faces murder charge over allegedly abusing his 6-year-old son, including forcing the boy to run on a treadmill, officials say

(CNN)A New Jersey man has been charged with murder after allegedly abusing his 6-year-old son, including forcing him to run on a treadmill, according to prosecutors and court documents. Christopher Gregor, 29, is also charged with endangering the welfare of a child, according to a news release from Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Barnegat Township Police Chief Keith A. Germain. Gregor is being held without bail, according to the county inmate locator. Gregor's attorney, Mario Gallucci, maintains his client "had nothing to do with the death of this child."Gregor took his son to the hospital on April 2, 2021, after the boy was showing symptoms of nausea and shortness of breath. The son, whose name was withheld from the probable cause affidavit and a police statement, began having seizures and was pronounced dead the same day, the affidavit said.The Ocean County Medical Examiner's Office conducted a post-mortem investigation and noted several bruises and hemorrhaging of the liver. Child abuse hotline calls and texts rose during the pandemic. Here's how to helpRead MoreProsecutors asked Dr. Thomas Andrew of White Mountain Forensic to review the findings, the affidavit said, and he found the boy's cause of death to be "blunt impact injuries of the chest and abdomen with laceration of the heart," among other injuries. The manner of death was determined to be homicide. Andrew also found that the child's injuries were consistent with abuse that occurred over time, finding evidence of chronic abuse, the affidavit states.Prosecutors allege Gregor weighed his son frequently and made him work out to lose weight. Documents state that the boy told his mother Gregor "made him run on the treadmill because he is fat."According to the affidavit, surveillance footage shows Gregor and his son enter a gym in the Atlantic Heights apartment complex where Gregor lived. The boy is seen running on a treadmill and falling off six times. Gregor appears to increase the speed of the treadmill, and his son falls off again, the affidavit said. He is then seen picking the boy up by his shirt and putting him back on the moving treadmill, according to the affidavit."The decedent appears to struggle to gain footing, while Gregor appears to be biting on the top of the decedent's head," according to the document.Concerns about unreported child abuse loom large despite easing Covid restrictionsThe 6-year-old's mother and grandmother both feared Gregor was abusing the boy, according to the affidavit. His mother took him to a pediatrician and to a hospital the day before he died because of bruising on his body, the affidavit explains. Both the mother and grandmother reported the alleged abuse to New Jersey's Department of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) on numerous occasions, according to the affidavit. CNN reached out to DCP&P for comment Wednesday evening.Other instances of alleged abuse against the child were detailed in the affidavit. The child's grandmother told police Gregor kept her grandson overnight against her will, and when he returned in the morning he had "blood on his shirt and mouth." Separately, a past partner of Gregor told police that she observed Gregor throwing the child off a boat after getting angry while crabbing, later claiming he was just "rough housing," according to the affidavit.Anyone worried about the possibility of abuse or neglect can contact the national child abuse hotline: 1-800-422-4453 or childhelphotline.org. Crisis counselors answer calls 24/7 and provide crisis intervention, information and referrals.

Omar Jimenez and Christina Maxouris, CNN

2022-03-16 23:28:58

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/us/jussie-smollett-released-bond/index.html

Jussie Smollett has been released from jail pending an appeal of his conviction - CNN

Jussie Smollett was released from jail Wednesday night, after an Illinois appeals court granted an emergency motion by his defense attorneys. Smollett's legal team is looking to delay his sentence and grant him bond until their appeal on his conviction is decided on.

us, Jussie Smollett has been released from jail pending an appeal of his conviction - CNN

Jussie Smollett has been released from jail pending an appeal of his conviction

(CNN)Jussie Smollett was released from jail Wednesday night, after an Illinois appeals court granted an emergency motion by his defense attorneys. Smollett's legal team is looking to delay his sentence and grant him bond until their appeal on his conviction is decided on.The former "Empire" actor was sentenced last week to 30 months of felony probation -- including 150 days in jail -- and ordered to pay restitution of more than $120,000 and a $25,000 fine for making false reports to police that he was the victim of a hate crime in January 2019."There is no room for politics in our court system," defense attorney Nenye Uche said in a news conference shortly after the actor's release. "Regardless of what you think about this case ... the real question is, should Black men be walked into jail for a Class 4 felony?"Jussie Smollett sentenced to 150 days in jail for lying to police in hate crime hoax"That's a disgrace," the attorney added. Uche, as well as other attorneys from the team who spoke Wednesday, criticized the judge who sentenced Smollett last week. Cook County Judge James Linn spoke to the actor for more than half an hour, criticizing his actions. "The judge spent a great deal of time chastising, berating my client," Uche said. "I've never seen that before."Read MoreOver the past six days in jail, Smollett did not eat anything besides ice water, Uche said.The appeals court order, entered on Wednesday, says Smollett "shall be released from custody ... upon posting of a personal recognizance bond (I Bond) in the amount of $150,000." A personal recognizance bond in Illinois means that a person is released on the condition that they will attend all required future court proceedings, usually without having to pay any money.Smollett's defense filed the emergency motion last week, arguing he would be "irreparably harmed" if he serves a sentence for convictions that may be reversed, adding that he will likely serve his jail time before the completion of his appeal.The attorneys added that exposure to Covid-19 is a serious risk because Smollett is immunocompromised.The court granted the attorneys' motion, reasoning that it would be "unable to dispose of the instant appeal before the defendant would have served his entire sentence of incarceration."In their response filed Wednesday, prosecutors vehemently disagreed with the defense's reasoning, arguing that there is "no emergency that warrants the extraordinary relief" of delaying Smollett's sentence while his appeal is pending."Mr. Smollett asserts that he is entitled a stay because he will most likely serve his short, 150-day jail sentence before his appeal on the merits is decided," part of the response read. "According to this logic, every defendant sentenced to a term of imprisonment less than a few years would automatically receive a stay pending appeal."Actor Jussie Smollett walked out of jail Wednesday night.Smollett had an outburst in court last weekSmollett was found guilty in December on five counts of felony disorderly conduct for making false reports about what he said was an anti-gay and anti-Black hate crime.Jussie Smollett's return to acting 'up in the air,' says representativeThe actor, who is Black and gay, told Chicago police that two unknown men attacked him on one January 2019 night, yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him, poured bleach on him and wrapped a noose around his neck. But investigators said they determined the actor orchestrated the attack and paid two brothers he knew from the Fox drama series to stage the act for publicity.Smollett maintained his innocence under oath during his trial.But during last week's sentencing, Judge James Linn told Smollett, "You're not a victim of a racial hate crime, you're not a victim of a homophobic hate crime. You're just a charlatan pretending to be a victim of a hate crime."The judge spoke for more than half an hour during the proceeding, telling the actor that while many people vouched for Smollett and his character and asked the judge for a lenient sentence, Smollett's premeditation in the act he orchestrated was an "aggravating factor" in the case. "You do have quite a record of real community service," the judge said Thursday. "I'm mindful of pleas of mercy, particularly from people that are in the arena." But, ultimately, the judge said, this act showed Smollett's "dark side."Following the announcement of his sentence, Smollett addressed the judge, saying "I did not do this," before turning to the court and exclaiming he was not suicidal, and that "if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that."The judge ordered Smollett to be held in protective custody "by Mr. Smollett's request and this court's recommendation," CNN previously reported. On Friday, the actor was being housed "in his own cell, which is monitored by security cameras in the cell and by an officer wearing a body worn camera who is stationed at the entrance of the cell to ensure that Mr. Smollett is under direct observation at all times," the Cook County Sheriff's Office said, stressing that the actor was not being held in solitary confinement.JUST WATCHEDUnpacking media baggage in the Jussie Smollett caseReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHUnpacking media baggage in the Jussie Smollett case 02:38Attorney calls charges unconstitutionalSmollett was initially indicted in March 2019 on 16 counts of felony disorderly conduct after police determined his reports were false. In a stunning reversal days later, prosecutors announced they were dropping all charges. In a Chicago Sun-Times op-ed published last week, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx defended her office's decision, saying Smollett had already forfeited a $10,000 bond, had not been accused of a violent crime before and had paid a "reputational price" for what he did. The incident effectively ended Smollett's acting career. Jussie Smollett convicted in hate crime hoax. Here's how we got here Dan K. Webb, the special prosecutor later assigned to the case, announced he would further prosecute Smollett. In February 2020, a Cook County grand jury returned a six-count indictment against the actor for making false reports -- five counts of which Smollett was eventually convicted of and sentenced for.A disorderly conduct charge for a false crime report is a Class 4 felony and punishable by up to three years in prison and a $25,000 fine.Webb said last week he was "extraordinarily pleased" with the sentence Judge Linn handed down and that the judge's comments showed "he clearly has understood ... that this was a course of conduct that deserved severe punishment."But during Wednesday night's news conference, Uche, one of Smollett's attorney's, called the proceedings in the case unconstitutional, as Smollett had already been charged before, had paid $10,000 and done community service."When this case was initially re-indicted, when this case was prosecuted, when this case was sentenced, at each of those steps I wondered to myself whether Chicago has ceded from the Union. Because in this country, you cannot punish a person twice," the attorney said. "While everyone was focused on the sensationalism surrounding this case, people were not focused on the constitutionality of the prosecution."

Christina Maxouris, CNN

2022-03-16 05:29:12

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/us/suspect-investigation-homeless-people-shootings/index.html

Homeless people shootings: What a detective noticed helped catch a suspect wanted in 2 cities - CNN

Capt. Kevin Kentish, a Queens native who now works with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, was scrolling through his social media over the weekend when something caught his eye.

us, Homeless people shootings: What a detective noticed helped catch a suspect wanted in 2 cities - CNN

A detective scrolled through social media. What he noticed helped catch a person wanted for shooting homeless men in 2 cities

(CNN)Capt. Kevin Kentish, a Queens native who now works with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, was scrolling through his social media over the weekend when something caught his eye. Kentish, who still stayed up to date with news from his home state, saw footage that New York City police had released of a person of interest wanted in connection with the shootings of two homeless individuals there, one of whom was killed.In Washington, Kentish and his team were investigating the March 9 killing of a homeless person. The detective flagged the photos to his colleagues and they reached out to New York and federal law enforcement agencies and began comparing evidence, including shell casings left behind at the scenes. "Our partners at the ATF tested our evidence that was recovered, they tested the evidence that was recovered in New York and we got a hit," Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said. They were looking for the same person. DC authorities identify suspect arrested in connection with shootings of 5 homeless men there and in New York CityAuthorities in Washington tied two more local shootings to the suspect. Leaders from both cities held a joint news conference Monday and appealed to the public for help in identifying the suspect. An anonymous tip helped lead to his identity.Read MoreATF agents found and arrested 30-year-old Gerald Brevard III on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington at around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said. He was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to kill in connection with two non-fatal shootings of homeless people and with first-degree murder while armed for the killing of 54-year-old Morgan Holmes, who also had no fixed address, Washington police announced Tuesday. CNN was not immediately able to identify an attorney for Brevard."We've got our man," Contee said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference. "This case is an example of what happens when there is good police work, science and community support."In a separate news conference, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said although authorities in New York City have not yet announced charges for the individual, they believe it is the same person as the Washington suspect because they have connected the gun through ballistic evidence and his clothing through pictures. "We don't have enough to make an arrest, we're working with the Manhattan district attorney, we're gathering all our evidence," Essig said. "I'm very confident we'll get there."NYPD investigators were canvassing high-definition cameras across New York City to build a complete timeline of where the suspect went while he was in the city, a law enforcement official told CNN.On Wednesday, a judge in DC ordered that Brevard remain detained. His next status hearing is scheduled for April 1. 'A jarring act against a defenseless person'The first known shooting happened around 4 a.m. on March 3 in DC, police said. Officers responded to sounds of gunshots and found a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, who was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. On March 8, DC authorities responded to reports of another shooting a little after 1:20 a.m., and found a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds who was also treated for non-life threatening injuries. Both victims are recovering, Contee said this week. On March 9, at about 2:52 a.m., a DC police member noticed a fire. The remains of a man -- who police later identified as Holmes -- were discovered and he was pronounced dead at the scene. A medical examiner determined the victim died of multiple stab and gunshot wounds. All three victims appeared to be experiencing homelessness, DC police said. At about 4:30 a.m. on March 12, officers in New York City responded to a 38-year-old man who had been shot in the arm while sleeping, Essig said. Roughly 90 minutes later, another man who was sleeping on a sidewalk was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead on the scene, Essig said. "You're kind of taken aback and you're shocked that someone can commit such a jarring act against a defenseless person," Essig said.As soon as they linked the two shootings, New York police held a news conference Saturday night and released images of their person of interest. That's when Kentish, the DC detective, saw the pictures, according to officials.Washington police contacted the NYPD on Sunday morning, Essig said, and by 2 p.m., "it is confirmed that all five instances -- the three in DC and the two in New York City -- are a match and are a ballistics' lead."Authorities say they're still investigating how the suspect moved between the two cities, but suspect he may have taken public transportation, Essig said. A gun has not been recovered as part of the investigation, authorities said. The suspect has had "multiple contacts with police in various states," Essig said. Brevard has not offered a motive, Contee said, and authorities are not certain about any connections he may have to the victims.Suspect has mental illness, his family saysThe alleged shooter's father, Gerald Brevard Jr., extended condolences to the victims' families and told CNN his son suffers from mental illness.Brevard received psychiatric treatment several years ago after being found mentally incompetent to stand trial for a separate assault charge, according to his father and court records. After three months, Brevard was found competent to stand trial and transferred back to jail, according to court records.But before he was released, his father urged authorities to have him transferred back to a psychiatric hospital because he "wasn't well," but was told that was not possible, he told CNN. "The bigger picture is not that he has mental illness, but the number of times that he's been within the judicial system and how the system has failed regarding the treatment of so many, including my son."He said that his son has lived on and off with his great-aunt but has been experiencing homelessness in the last few years. The suspect's cousin, Rosaline Law, told CNN affiliate WUSA that he has suffered from mental illness "for a long time."She said her mom "took him in and gave him a chance to get himself together but if you don't get help it's going to keep going to the next level."Brevard has an arrest record dating back over a decade across several states. In 2010, he was charged with malicious destruction of property in Maryland -- which was resolved with a guilty plea and probation. He was charged in 2018 with assault with a dangerous weapon in DC, for which he eventually pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement and was handed 12 months of a suspended sentence and two years of supervised release, also suspended. Brevard was ordered to undergo mental health and substance abuse assessments. Court records show he violated conditions of his release before and after his conviction. He was charged again in 2020 in two separate incidents in Fairfax County, Virginia -- and was found guilty of a charge of assault and battery and of entering property to cause damage. Last month, he was charged with a probation violation in the state. And in November 2020, Brevard was charged with 33 counts including theft, credit card theft and theft from a vehicle in Maryland, court records show. A judge issued a bench warrant last February -- which still appears to be active -- after Brevard failed to appear in court. What advocates say the shootings highlightAs police searched for the perpetrator of the crimes, DC and New York City leaders urged homeless residents to seek shelter. But advocates say that for some people experiencing homelessness, shelters can be unsafe and dangerous environments too, and that the recent spate of violence highlights how important it is for elected leaders to invest in ensuring housing and resources for homeless residents.New York City announces plan to increase safety, address homelessness in subway system"We know that homeless people are more likely to be the victims of crimes than the perpetrators but, unfortunately, much of the discourse lately has been vilifying homeless New Yorkers and painting them as dangerous, rather than recognizing the inherent dangers that people without housing face," Jacquelyn Simone, policy director for the Coalition for the Homeless, told CNN affiliate WABC.The group has also linked New York City Mayor Eric Adams' recent initiative to clear out the subways to the violence. Officials say the city's plan, which Adams unveiled in a joint news conference with Gov. Kathy Hochul last month, will work to combat crime and address homelessness in the subway system, but critics have said it criminalizes people experiencing homelessness and mental illness. At least 6 NYC subway stabbings reported since the mayor unveiled new safety plan Friday"We had said at the time that if the city was not actually investing in the types of shelters and permanent housing that people want and need, that people would just be relocated from the subways onto the streets," Simone told the affiliate. Adams stood by the initiative this week, telling reporters, "We are not going to allow the residents of our city to be in a position where they can't take care of themselves or they're dangerous to others.When asked on Monday about the efforts to help unsheltered residents find permanent housing, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city is continuing a pilot program that aims to provide people living in certain encampment sites with resources, move them to affordable housing and clear out unsafe living areas.But advocates have expressed concern that the program could leave many people on the margins again if unsheltered residents aren't properly accommodated as officials clear out the sites -- and could contribute to further criminalizing homelessness. CNN's Aaron Cooper, Caroll Alvarado and Holmes Lybrand contributed to this report.

Rob Kuznia, Blake Ellis, Daniel A. Medina, Isabelle Chapman and Bob Ortega, CNN

2022-03-16 10:25:51

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/politics/russia-us-cyberattack-infrastructure-invs/index.html

US has 'significant' cyber vulnerabilities, but a sweeping Russian cyberattack is unlikely - CNNPolitics

In the winter of 2015, computer hackers working for the Russian government attacked Ukraine's power grid and switched off the lights and heat to more than 200,000 consumers.

politics, US has 'significant' cyber vulnerabilities, but a sweeping Russian cyberattack is unlikely - CNNPolitics

US has 'significant' cyber vulnerabilities, but a sweeping Russian cyberattack is unlikely

(CNN)In the winter of 2015, computer hackers working for the Russian government attacked Ukraine's power grid and switched off the lights and heat to more than 200,000 consumers. Last year, a cybercriminal group with operatives in Russia launched a successful ransomware attack on a key East Coast pipeline that forced the company, Colonial Pipeline, to temporarily close the spigot and pay 75 bitcoins -- or $4.4 million -- to bring it back online. It was the largest cyberattack on an oil facility in US history. And it was a Russian government lab that built tools used in one of the most dangerous cyber offensives in the history of the digital age, penetrating the control systems of a Saudi petrochemical plant in 2017 for the purpose of setting off an explosion that, had it succeeded, could have killed people.So established is Russia's reputation for cyber sabotage that on February 24 -- as its troops began rolling into Ukraine -- President Joe Biden issued a warning to the country and its autocratic leader, Vladimir Putin. "If Russia pursues cyberattacks against our companies, our critical infrastructure, we are prepared to respond," he said during remarks from the White House.Read MoreBut now, even as the Russian army drops bombs and mortar shells on civilians in hospitals and neighborhoods and its invasion of Ukraine nears its fourth week, no known nightmare cyber scenario --- a widespread power outage, a poisoned water system, a crippled supply chain -- has come to pass in Ukraine, the US or elsewhere.Ukraine detains 'hacker' accused of aiding Russian troops amid broader struggle to secure communicationsTo be sure, a ripple of smaller cyberattacks ricocheted through the websites of Ukrainian banks and government agencies just before the invasion, and larger attacks may still be in store for the besieged country of 43 million people. But the general consensus among the nearly 20 experts who spoke with CNN for this story is that while Russia is well positioned to launch catastrophic cyberattacks on the US, it is not likely to do so."We do need to consider this possibility as a low probability but high-impact scenario," said Paul Prudhomme, the head of threat intelligence advisory at the cybersecurity firm IntSights.The prospects for a grand-scale cyberattack in America are low, experts say. For one, Putin understands that his country's cyber capabilities, though formidable, are outmatched by those of the United States, which is generally thought to be the most sophisticated player in the domain. The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency told CNN it hasn't yet received any credible cyber threats resulting from the conflict in Ukraine, but it emphasized that the energy sector has been bolstering its defenses in recent years and is on high alert as it urgently prepares for any attempted breach.Experts say Russia's ability to conduct an impactful cyberattack in the US shouldn't be underestimated. "If we look at just what they've been able to do, there is only, according to public knowledge, one country out there that has any experience taking down electric systems -- that's Russia," said Robert M. Lee, a cybersecurity expert who investigated the 2015 attack in Ukraine.Testing the watersCyberattacks against the US by Russia are more than merely possible -- they've been happening for years on a low-grade scale.The country has been testing the waters in the US, laying the groundwork, experts say, for a much more extensive cyber campaign.For instance, in 2018, the Department of Homeland Security revealed that a group of state-sponsored hackers from Russia had compromised the networks of multiple US electric utilities the year prior and allowed intruders to gather detailed information on the control systems that US electric utilities use to power American communities. That same year, the Department of Justice announced the indictments of 12 Russian intelligence officers for carrying out large-scale cyber operations against the Democratic Party in advance of the 2016 presidential election.Then, in late 2020, came the most advanced cyber-op yet: About 100 organizations around the world -- including multiple US government agencies -- were revealed to have been breached by Russian hackers who compromised the software provider SolarWinds and exploited their access to monitor internal operations and withdraw data. (L-R) FireEye CEO Kevin Mandia, SolarWinds CEO Sudhakar Ramakrishna and Microsoft President Brad Smith testify during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on February 23, 2021.Putin has been systematically testing vulnerabilities in Europe and the US for the past four years, and is in a position to cause all sorts of economy-crushing problems, experts say."They know how to weaponize these things -- they've done it," said Melissa Hathaway, who led cybersecurity initiatives in the presidential administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. "If I need to cause a national crisis in another country, they know how to do this, they've systematically been testing the system."Prudhomme said a stealthy Russian hacking group called Energetic Bear -- which has been tied to Moscow's Federal Security Service, or FSB -- is the most likely Russian third-party, state-sponsored actor to execute any high-level attack.The group, which industry analysts refer to by several aliases, including "Dragonfly" and "Berserk Bear," has carried out a number of successful hacks in recent years. In 2017, it targeted a nuclear power plant in Kansas in what cybersecurity experts refer to as a "watering hole"-type attack -- a practice where hackers place malicious links on websites frequently visited by employees."The group has a history of gaining access and maintaining access to US and European utility companies, but they don't do anything with it," Prudhomme said. "They want to have that access ready at a moment's notice so, if and when they get the order on demand, they can flip the switch."In 2020, another state-sponsored Russian group identified by analysts as Cozy Bear, believed to be within Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR, likely orchestrated the SolarWinds hack. US officials said the group used SolarWinds software to breach internal email systems at the US Treasury and Commerce departments, among other key agencies, in what was one of the largest-ever cyber attacks.But it's a two-way street. Experts say that while it's true Russians are lurking in the software of various structural areas, Americans are also lurking in theirs. It's the "cyber equivalent of mutually assured destruction," said Karen Walsh, CEO of a cybersecurity firm called Allegro Solutions, using a term that historically described a philosophy of deterrence during the nuclear standoff of the Cold War. And the Americans, experts say, are currently the more capable threat.While Russian cyberattacks tend to attract headlines, experts told CNN, the most sophisticated hacks are often carried out in a more professionalized manner by countries such as the US and Israel, which are good at hiding their tracks. One secret operation that spilled into public view in 2010 was known as Stuxnet, in which the US and Israel are widely believed to have jointly sabotaged a nuclear facility in Iran with a computer virus that temporarily hampered the country's nuclear program.Putin, experts say, understands the extent of this sophistication and is likely loath to poke the bear. "He seems to recognize that that's a different level of escalation," Timothy Frye, Columbia professor and author of "Weak Strongman: The Limits of Power in Putin's Russia," said of a crippling cyberattack on a major electric utility in the US or another NATO country. "That might be part of the calculations as well."Russia's cyber offensive against Ukraine has been limited so far. Experts are divided on whyStill, some experts say, Europe's critical infrastructure could be an enticing target for Russia. That's in part because the continent is far more dependent on Russian oil than the US is."I don't think anyone's thought through how much control Russia has over the future of Europe," said Hathaway, now the president of Hathaway Global Strategies. Putin has been most willing to wreak havoc on the Ukrainian power grid, which the Russians also hacked in 2016 -- just a year after shutting off power to more than 200,000 consumers. Lee said the second attack -- which reportedly took out about a fifth of the power consumption in Kyiv for an hour -- was by far the more impressive of the two. "That one scared the hell out of everybody," said Lee, now CEO of a cybersecurity firm called Dragos and a former cyber warfare specialist with the Air Force. "That was a capability they developed that could be deployed on any electric transmission site in the world and have reliable effects everywhere. Like, it was -- it was bad."The United States and the United Kingdom also have blamed the NotPetya hack of 2017 -- which the Trump administration called "the most destructive and costly cyber-attack in history" -- on Russia.The NotPetya attack was launched against a Ukrainian accounting software firm, but the malware spread to companies across the globe, resulting in billions of dollars in damage."It was part of the Kremlin's ongoing effort to destabilize Ukraine and demonstrates ever more clearly Russia's involvement in the ongoing conflict," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in 2018.Some experts say the extensive meddling in Ukraine is due in part to how the country is seen as a kind of testing ground for belligerent cyberactivity. This is because the country's power grid is in some ways similar in structure to those in the US and other Western countries, but Ukraine's ability to retaliate has historically been minimal. Still, the US has seen a rise in high-profile cyberattacks. The growing threat prompted Biden to issue an executive order in May to shore up the nation's cybersecurity and protect federal government networks. And it is a reminder that cyber defense in the United States has troubling vulnerabilities. The US has 'significant' cyber vulnerabilitiesIf the Colonial Pipeline breach demonstrated anything, it is the extent to which critical infrastructure in America is susceptible to cyberattacks. That event in May prompted the Georgia-based company to shut down the pipeline for the first time in its 57-year history. The six-day shutdown scrambled logistics for several airlines and caused a panic at the pump that led to shortages and briefly raised gas prices. But while it was allegedly carried out by a Russian hacker group called DarkSide, authorities haven't been able to link it to the Kremlin. (In fact, the Russian domestic intelligence agency arrested the alleged culprit -- though the hacker was not extradited.) The ordeal ended when Colonial ponied up the $4.4 million ransom — more than half of which was later recovered by the Justice Department. Motorists wait in line at a gas station on May 12, 2021 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, following the Colonial Pipeline hack. That attack, Prudhomme stressed, was financially motivated. The hackers, he said, used a compromised password found in a dark-web data dump and were able to employ an inactive VPN account to penetrate the Colonial Pipeline's network, which didn't use multifactor authentication. "Criminal hackers will tend to go for low-hanging fruit," he said. "The point of entry here was fairly simple."Another sensitive breach happened in early 2021, when hackers -- whose country of origin isn't known -- were able to gain access to a Florida water treatment facility by using dormant remote access software for the purpose of poisoning the water supply. The hack was quickly caught by a human operator at the facility. But the incident illustrates the dangers of remote access work without proper security: The plant had used multiple computers running an aging version of Microsoft Windows to monitor the facility remotely. All of the computers shared a single password.About a year later -- this past January -- the Biden administration announced a plan to shore up the cyber defenses of the nation's roughly 150,000 public water systems. But even if localized networks are vulnerable, experts say that the American power grid is far too complex to shut down in one simple motion. Do you have information to share about this story? We offer several ways to reach our journalists securely. "For a successful attack to be able to take the lights out, they need to gain access to a lot of different points ... and nobody is looking," said Vikram Thakur, technical director at cybersecurity company Symantec. "We don't think it's plausible." Sophisticated hackers could, however, still seize on any vulnerabilities to cause smaller-scale damage to the electrical grid and other means of energy production.Smaller utility companies may not be able to make enough of an investment in cybersecurity, potentially making their systems more vulnerable to attacks. The equipment and devices specifically used to distribute electricity to consumers are also more at risk, experts say, because they are not required to adhere to federal cybersecurity standards that apply to the higher-voltage generators and transmission lines in the electrical industry.And while new cybersecurity requirements were introduced for certain oil and gas pipelines last year, they are not as comprehensive as the electrical industry standards and there aren't federal cybersecurity regulations for water systems, said Ernie Hayden, who has spent decades working in the power sector, identifying risks to energy and electric providers as a chief information security officer, cybersecurity engineer and consultant.If networks aren't properly secured, a hacker could not only launch a ransomware or malware attack but directly infiltrate systems, known as operational technology, that control critical equipment, said Hayden.Depending on the location of the attack and the lack of controls, this could result in a range of potential outcomes. If hackers get into the operational controls of a water system -- as nearly happened in Florida last year -- they could potentially poison a water supply by causing chlorine to be injected at a dangerous level, said Hayden. They could cause short power outages if they found a way to access devices that control the circuit breakers at one of the country's tens of thousands of substations, which are used to transform voltage before electricity is delivered. And turning off the ventilation controls or valves that control the flow of chemicals, gas and oil at refineries could cause equipment failures and leaks, he said. Even these smaller-scale, localized disruptions are unlikely, however, and experts said they would not cause the cascading blackouts or mass destruction that many fear. But they could still have a psychological impact, which may be the intent of the attacker. Tom Alrich, a cybersecurity risk management consultant specializing in supply chain threats to software, said he doesn't believe hackers, including any from Russia, would be able to cause outages by accessing electrical infrastructure. Even if they could, he said, they would get nothing out of it. Instead, Alrich said, the focus should be on ransomware attacks that shut down a company's operations without directly attacking the systems that control the physical infrastructure, which is what happened in the case of the Colonial Pipeline, or cyberattacks that "poison" the software developed by a given company or organization, such as the infamous SolarWinds hack. Max Stier, president and CEO of Partnership for Public Service -- a nonpartisan non-profit that promotes better government -- pointed to some federal failures. He noted that the Department of Energy has some key positions unfilled because the US Senate has been slow to confirm nominees. "The notion of cyber risk is profound," Stier said. "It's a battlefield that doesn't respect physical boundaries, one where we know the Russians already have been playing, and not just the Russians; and it's one where we have significant vulnerability." CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of organizations breached in the SolarWinds hack. The figure is about 100.

Laura Studley, CNN

2022-03-16 20:58:39

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/us/queens-immigration-lawyer-dies-after-alleged-stabbing/index.html

Jim Li, a lawyer in Queens and 1989 Tiananmen Square protester, fatally stabbed by a client - CNN

A participant in the 1989 Tiananmen Square student-led protest who later became an immigration lawyer in Queens, New York, was allegedly stabbed to death on Monday by a client.

us, Jim Li, a lawyer in Queens and 1989 Tiananmen Square protester, fatally stabbed by a client - CNN

Queens lawyer and 1989 Tiananmen Square protester fatally stabbed by a client

(CNN)A participant in the 1989 Tiananmen Square student-led protest who later became an immigration lawyer in Queens, New York, was allegedly stabbed to death on Monday by a client.Jim Li, 66, moved to the United States in the early '90s after being incarcerated for a year and eight months in Qincheng Prison, a maximum-security prison in Beijing, China. He became an immigration lawyer, often serving members of the community with pro bono services, Li's friend Wayne Zhu told CNN.On Monday, Li was allegedly stabbed four times in the neck and body by 25-year-old Xiaoning Zhang, according to the New York Police Department. He was transported to Elmhurst Hospital where he was pronounced dead.Zhang has been charged with murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, according to a criminal complaint. Zhang's attorney did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.Li had been Zhang's attorney for about two months, police say. What led to the attack is still under investigation, Detective Adam Navarro said. Police recovered two knives at the scene of the incident.Read MoreZhu, Li's friend, said Zhang and Li had a verbal altercation on March 11 about her asylum case, which resulted in a police response. Li did not want Zhang to be arrested and urged the police to "let her go," Zhu said."I don't know why she became that angry," Zhu said. "She came back (March 14) with two knives."Violent crime rises in New York CityNew York City has seen an uptick in violent crime in recent weeks, with the NYPD recording increases in every major crime category last month, compared to the same period in 2021.In February 2022, murders increased by 10.3%, felony assaults increased by 22.3%, and overall crime increased by nearly 59% when compared to one year ago, according to the latest NYPD Crime Statistics report.On Wednesday, a man was arrested in connection with the shooting of five homeless men in New York City and Washington, DC. Another man was arrested in Philadelphia after allegedly stabbing two staffers at the Museum of Modern Art in midtown Manhattan. And last week, an Asian man was hit with a hammer during a dispute. Hate crime charges have been filed against the individual involved.To address the rise in crime, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has unveiled a Subway Safety Plan to respond to crime in the city's transit system, and on Monday, the NYPD rolled out its Neighborhood Safety Teams initiative to battle an increase in gun violence.Public safety begins with the right leadership, Adams said Tuesday, explaining that there shouldn't be a "trade-off" with safety and justice."I am not going to allow the numerical minority that are the loudest to dictate how we're going to keep my city safe now and what are we going to do in the long term," Adams said during an episode of the "You and Me Both" podcast. "I tell people all the time, it is not what happens in tweets, it is what happens on our streets."Li is among at least 27 people who have been murdered in New York City this year, statistics show. Zhu said Li's loss will be felt throughout the community, particularly for his assistance to recent immigrants from China."He's a great man. He helped many people. Many people, they came from China and could not attain a lawyer. He offered pro bono service (to those) he did not know before," Zhu said.

Katelyn Polantz, Kara Scannell and Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN

2022-03-16 18:06:44

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/politics/qiming-lin-chinese-spy-operation-doj/index.html

Justice Department charges 5 people with helping Chinese government to spy on dissidents in US - CNNPolitics

The Justice Department has charged five people with helping the Chinese Communist Party stalk, harass or spy on political dissidents in the US, including a congressional candidate and a Los Angeles sculpture artist, according to new court filings and a press release.

politics, Justice Department charges 5 people with helping Chinese government to spy on dissidents in US - CNNPolitics

Justice Department charges 5 people with helping Chinese government to spy on dissidents in US

(CNN)The Justice Department has charged five people with helping the Chinese Communist Party stalk, harass or spy on political dissidents in the US, including a congressional candidate and a Los Angeles sculpture artist, according to new court filings and a press release."All the defendants allegedly perpetrated transnational repression schemes to target U.S. residents whose political views and actions are disfavored by the (People's Republic of China) government, such as advocating for democracy in the PRC," a DOJ press release said.In arrests that targeted a ring of three men, the DOJ charged Fan "Frank" Liu, 62, whom the DOJ said is the head of a "purported media company;" Matthew Ziburis, 49, a former correctional officer in Florida; and Qiang "Jason" Sun, a tech company employee based in China. Ziburis and Liu, who both lived on Long Island, have been arrested and are set to appear in court.The trio's spying conspiracy, the Justice Department said, targeted pro-democracy dissidents in New York City, Indiana and California, including an artist whose sculpture of the Chinese President as a coronavirus molecule they sought to destroy -- and which ultimately was burned down. Ziburis, in pursuit of the artist, posed as an art dealer, then installed tracking devices in the artist's workplace and car, prosecutors alleged.Read MoreThe group also worked to host what the Justice Department called "mock media sessions" to interview dissidents in ways that could harm their reputations.In another criminal case made public on Wednesday, Shujun Wang, a 73-year-old activist in Queens, was working at the direction of the Chinese secret police, the Ministry of State Security.Prosecutors say Wang sent information he learned about pro-democracy and human rights activists and Chinese dissidents back to China. A handler from the secret police instructed Wang at one point to meet with a person in contact with "Tibetans, Uyghurs and Mongolians," ethnic groups that the Chinese government has oppressed.One dissident about whom Wang sent information was ultimately arrested in Hong Kong and jailed for political crimes, the Justice Department said.Wang is also accused of lying to federal authorities when he denied being in touch with Chinese secret police contacts in 2017. The Justice Department says he later admitted his actions to an undercover law enforcement officer and others. He too has been arrested, the department said.In a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Matthew Olsen, the assistant attorney general for national security, said that while the three cases are charged separately, they "expose attempts by the government of the People's Republic of China to suppress dissenting voices within the United States.""Authoritarian states around the world feel emboldened to reach beyond their borders to intimidate or exact reprisals against individuals who dare to speak out against oppression and corruption," Olsen said, adding, "We will not tolerate such oppression here."RELATED: Justice Department ends Trump-era China Initiative following bias concernsAlan E. Kohler Jr., who is the assistant director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division, said that the three cases are emblematic of the "overall rise of authoritarianism" around the world."Whether it is disinformation from a Russian intelligence service, efforts to silence a US-based journalist by the intelligence arm of the government of Iran or harassment by the government of China's Ministry of State Security," Koehler said, "the FBI will protect the freedom of everyone within our borders."Koehler encouraged private investigators and local law enforcement agencies to report potential crimes to the FBI, saying that there are "dozens" of transnational repression cases pending in the Untitled States, but "we believe we should have hundreds.""Unlike the Chinese, Russian or Iranian intelligence services, whose only loyalty is to the regime, the FBI is committed to upholding the Constitution and protecting all American people," Koehler said.Charges against retired Chinese agentEarlier Wednesday, charges against a retired Chinese intelligence agent, Qiming Lin, were unsealed in federal court in New York. That Chinese citizen is accused of conspiracy after he tried to enlist a private investigator's help to smear a 2022 congressional candidate in New York. Lin remains at large, the Justice Department said Wednesday.Lin is accused of conspiring to harass and surveil a candidate for Congress, described as a former student leader in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 who then came to the US. The candidate running for the House of Representatives is Xiong Yan, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. Yan is seeking the Democratic nomination for a seat representing the eastern part of New York's Long Island. According to his campaign website, he was a pastor in Queens and served in the US Army. He was a graduate student at Beijing University Law School and came to the United States in 1992, his website says.CNN has reached out to Yan for comment.Federal investigators are "investigating a scheme to undermine the candidacy of a U.S.-based Chinese dissident for the U.S. Congress in the general election of 2022 in order to prevent that candidate from drawing additional public attention to himself and his political speech," according to the complaint, made public Wednesday."I further assess that Lin was seeking to undermine the Victim's candidacy because of the Victim's past status as a student leader of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989," an FBI agent wrote to the court in New York.The case dates back to September 2021, when Lin reached out to a private investigator to gather information about the congressional candidate. The FBI said Wednesday that Lin is retired from China's Ministry of State Security and still lives in China. "Based on my experience and training, I assess that Lin continued to act on behalf of the MSS even if ostensibly retired," FBI agent Jason Schwartz wrote in the complaint.The private investigator reported their interactions to the FBI, allowing law enforcement to listen to interactions between the two. On one phone call that law enforcement listened to, Lin said to the private investigator, "Right now we don't want him to be elected," according to the complaint.In another call, Lin told the private investigator, "If you don't find anything after following him for a few weeks, can we manufacture something?" On Lin's calls with the private investigator, Lin floated the idea of creating a scandal about the congressional candidate, such as accusing him of stealing or having an extramarital affair. Lin also discussed planting a female campaign staffer to record having a relationship with the candidate, according to the complaint."There are, uh, some-some, uh who speak negatively about China," Lin told the investigator, saying that if the investigator could get information, "then this side will hold you in very high regards in the future." Lin discussed paying the private investigator on a trip he planned to the US following the Winter Olympics in Beijing this year. He made clear that price was no issue, the FBI noted.The criminal complaint also makes clear that the case is not just about one man trying to smear another -- and has broader implications for American politics. This story and headline have been updated with additional developments Wednesday.

Tierney Sneed and Sara Murray, CNN

2022-03-16 09:01:47

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/politics/bannon-lawyer-justice-department-hearing/index.html

Court to hear arguments in dispute between Steve Bannon and DOJ ahead of his contempt of Congress trial - CNNPolitics

A federal judge ordered the Justice Department to turn over certain internal documents that may relate to its decision to prosecute Steve Bannon, the former adviser to Donald Trump who has been charged with contempt of Congress after his failure to comply with a House committee subpoena.

politics, Court to hear arguments in dispute between Steve Bannon and DOJ ahead of his contempt of Congress trial - CNNPolitics

Judge orders Justice Department to turn over certain internal documents to Bannon

(CNN)A federal judge ordered the Justice Department to turn over certain internal documents that may relate to its decision to prosecute Steve Bannon, the former adviser to Donald Trump who has been charged with contempt of Congress after his failure to comply with a House committee subpoena. While it's not clear whether the documents covered by the order exist or what role they could play in Bannon's case, he is one of several witnesses sought by the committee investigating the January 6 insurrection who have raised arguments about executive privilege and whether it relieves them from their obligation to cooperate in the probe.Depending on what DOJ ultimately produced under the new order -- issued Wednesday by US District Judge Carl Nichols -- it could offer insight into how the Justice Department views cases like Bannon's and how it sees his case as different from other scenarios where current or former government officials have not complied with congressional subpoenas.Specifically, Nichols ordered that the department produce to Bannon statements or writings reflecting official Justice Department policy -- public or not public -- if such writings relate to prosecuting or not prosecuting a government official or former government official who raised executive privilege claims as a defense of immunity, or similar issues. Lawmakers have referred another recalcitrant witness, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, for prosecution -- though he has not been charged -- and lawmakers have signaled others may face legal jeopardy if they do not comply with congressional subpoenas related to January 6. Trump has repeatedly tried to shield from the House information from his time in the White House, but when tested in court so far, he has been unsuccessful.Read MoreNichols rejected Wednesday several other requests Bannon made for more discovery, and the judge took only intermediary steps in how he was addressing an issue the Bannon team has raised about the Justice Department's efforts to obtain the phone and email records of one of Bannon's attorneys. Nichols' partial grant for Bannon's request for internal DOJ records came after he asked several questions at the hearing about an opinion that had been issued by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel -- which gives legal advice to the executive branch -- that said close advisers to the president are immune from congressional subpoenas for testimony where the president has asserted executive privilege. Nichols said that OLC opinions, or a position of an entire division or litigative group, are the kind of writings covered by the production order he issued Wednesday. In explaining why Bannon did not believe he was obligated to comply with the subpoena, Bannon's legal team has pointed to Trump's indications that he would seek to shield certain evidence the House committee was seeking on executive privilege claims. Members of the January 6 panel noted that Bannon was not a White House adviser during the period they were investigating. Bannon's case, brought after he failed to comply with a subpoena from the House select committee, offers an important test of the powers of government as Congress tries to force consequences for witnesses who do not comply with subpoenas. The case could also shed light on how broad Trump's powers could be in protecting the loyalists who defended his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.In the run-up to Bannon's scheduled trial in July, both sides have battled over what they can put before a jury. Nichols, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, has notable experience as former DOJ attorney who worked on an executive privilege case involving a congressional subpoena of the White House counsel to then-President George W. Bush.The judge on Wednesday suggested to DOJ attorney Amanda Vaughn that it would be "inconsistent" for the department to take the position in an OLC opinion that a presidential adviser was immune from a congressional subpoena, but then argue the OLC opinion was irrelevant to a criminal contempt case then brought against the adviser. He offered as a hypothetical a scenario where the DOJ would prosecute Ron Klain, the White House chief of staff to President Joe Biden, for not complying with a congressional subpoena that, according to the OLC opinion, he was immune to. The judge later acknowledged the published OLC opinion in question did not exactly cover Bannon's situation. Bannon team asks judge to send a 'message' about DOJ tactics to obtain attorney records The former Trump adviser was charged in November with contempt of Congress for his refusal to appear for a deposition and to produce documents that had been sought by the committee in its investigation into the effort to disrupt Congress' certification of Biden's win. Bannon is pleading not guilty and has vowed to make his case "the misdemeanor from hell" for the Biden administration. He and his lawyers have questioned the motive for his prosecution, pressed prosecutors for more intel on their internal deliberations about charging him and argued that more evidence in his case should be publicly available.Several of the Bannon team's attempts to obtain more internal information about the House and Justice Department's handling of his case were rejected by Nichols on Wednesday. But the judge kept alive some of Bannon's efforts to learn more about how the government obtained communications involving Robert Costello, a Bannon attorney who represented him in his interactions with the House committee. The Bannon team has also taken issue with how the DOJ used a presentation Costello gave the Justice Department, before the indictment was issued, urging the department not to bring the case. Nichols said Wednesday that he will privately review some of the documents that the Justice Department used to obtain certain email and phone records of Costello's. The Justice Department agreed to let Bannon see certain documents it used to obtain information about an email account that turned out to be associated with the wrong Robert Costello. Bannon's attorneys were insistent at Wednesday's hearing that DOJ acted inappropriately in its pursuit of the records and committed a "terrible abuse" of the grand jury process in how it went about obtaining Costello's records. Costello recalled Bannon being "irritated" when he learned that the DOJ was treating the presentation Costello gave to the US Attorney's office as if it was a Costello interview with the FBI. "The behavior of the FBI and, quite frankly, the DOJ has been outrageous, quite frankly to my attorney ... and the attorney-client privilege and everything they did and that's going to be worked out in court," Bannon, who was present at Wednesday's hearing, told reporters outside the courthouse after it concluded. But Bannon's lawyers were vague in describing what they hoped to achieve if the government was required to hand over the documents Bannon was seeking, telling the judge that he needed to send a "message" about how DOJ behaved.Bannon attorney David Schoen argued that if the judge did not address the DOJ's conduct, it would become accepted practice. "I think that message has to be sent," Schoen said. Vaughn, the DOJ's attorney, defended the department's efforts to obtain the Costello-related records. She said that, while it was not likely that evidence would be part of the department's case in chief against Bannon, prosecutors might introduce the evidence if Bannon attorneys sought to dispute at the trial that Bannon was aware he had been subpoenaed. Fight over whether Bannon attorney's advice can be part of his defenseAlso before Nichols on Wednesday was the fight Justice Department has mounted to stop Bannon from arguing as part of his defense at trial that he was following the advice of his attorney in not complying with the subpoena.When the January 6 committee was demanding Bannon's participation in the probe, Costello pointed to claims of executive privilege Trump had said he intended to assert in the investigation. Bannon's team has also pointed to Costello's request that Bannon and the House resolve their legal disagreements about his obligations to cooperate with a civil lawsuit.On Wednesday, Nichols came close to giving the Justice Department a significant win in that dispute, but then stopped short of granting the department's request that Bannon be barred from presenting the my-lawyer-told-me-to-do-it defense at trial. The judge indicated that based on what had been filed in the court papers before the hearing, he was inclined to rule in favor of the Justice Department's request. He said the two main arguments Bannon had made in the paper briefings were not "persuasive." But Schoen introduced at Wednesday's oral arguments a third, new argument for why Bannon should be able to use that defense, claiming that the appellate court opinion that instructed the judge to take DOJ's side in the dispute was in fact not applicable in Bannon's case. Nichols said he was not happy that the Bannon team raised that argument for the first time at the hearing, but he felt unable to decide its merits on the fly. The judge asked both sides to submit a new round of court filings on the arguments in the coming weeks. This story and headline have been updated with additional developments Wednesday.CNN's Andrew Millman, Katelyn Polantz and Paula Reid contributed to this report.

Kate Sullivan and Maegan Vazquez, CNN

2022-03-16 15:41:46

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/politics/biden-violence-against-women-act-white-house/index.html

Biden marks reauthorization of Violence Against Women Act - CNNPolitics

President Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks Wednesday afternoon at the White House marking the long-stalled reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

politics, Biden marks reauthorization of Violence Against Women Act - CNNPolitics

Biden marks reauthorization of Violence Against Women Act

(CNN)President Joe Biden marked the long-stalled reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act with an event at the White House on Wednesday, celebrating its passage and underscoring that more still needs to be done to combat domestic violence. "It took time to change the culture, and you did it. You did it," Biden said to an audience of lawmakers, administration officials and advocates. "The only way we can change the culture was by shining an ugly, bright light on it and speaking its name."The landmark law is aimed at protecting and supporting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Biden helped write the original piece of legislation that was enacted in 1994 when he was a senator from Delaware and has long been a champion of the law.The President also thanked those in the room for their "courage, for being a hero, sharing your powerful voices and standing up for thousands of women."After acknowledging the law's continued improvements over the years, Biden concluded his remarks by emphasizing that more must be done to address abuse. Read More"No one, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, should experience abuse. Period. And if they do they should have the service and support to get through it, and we're not going to rest," Biden said. Attendees at the White House event included Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, several members of the US House and Senate, CEO and President of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Ruth Glenn and actress and activist Angelina Jolie.The legislation requires renewal every five years, and it lapsed several years ago largely due to a partisan disagreement over whether to ban dating partners and stalkers convicted of domestic violence from owning firearms. The current law bans a spouse convicted of domestic violence from purchasing or possessing a firearm, but Democrats have long sought to close the so-called boyfriend loophole and extend that rule to dating partners. Republicans and the National Rifle Association are strongly opposed to such a provision. After several years of failed attempts at reauthorizing the legislation, a bipartisan group of senators announced last month they had reached a deal and that the "boyfriend loophole" provision had been dropped. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, said at the time that it was a "tough choice" to agree to drop it but that it simply did not have the votes needed to pass. In his remarks on Wednesday, the President lamented the legislation's delayed authorization, saying, "The idea that this took five years to reauthorize ... I was out of office those years."The reauthorization of the law was included in a massive spending bill that Biden signed into law on Tuesday. The legislation will fund the federal government through September and provide $13.6 billion in additional aid to Ukraine as the country fights back against Russia's invasion. "The VAWA Reauthorization Act of 2022 will expand prevention efforts and protections for survivors, including those from underserved communities, and will provide increased resources and training for law enforcement and our judicial system," Biden said in a statement last month when the bill was introduced. "It will strengthen rape prevention and education efforts, support rape crisis centers, improve the training of sexual assault forensic examiners, and broaden access to legal services for all survivors, among other things."Biden on Tuesday touted the reauthorization of VAWA at the spending bill signing, saying that he "law has saved lives, and that's helped women rebuild their lives and make children a heck of a lot safer.""Tribal courts will now be able to exercise jurisdiction over non-Native perpetrators of sexual assault and sex trafficking," Biden said. "And we're providing more support for legal services and for law enforcement to get the training they need to help handle the trauma survivors are experiencing."CNN's Sam Fossum contributed to this report.

Niamh Kennedy, Adam Pourahmadi and Jack Guy, CNN

2022-03-16 10:31:44

news

middleeast

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/middleeast/nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-released-intl/index.html

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe 'on way home' to UK after 6 years' detention in Iran, British lawmaker says - CNN

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian charity worker who has been held in Iran for almost six years, has been released and is en route back to the UK.

middleeast, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe 'on way home' to UK after 6 years' detention in Iran, British lawmaker says - CNN

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe released after 6 years' detention in Iran

(CNN)Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian charity worker who has been held in Iran for almost six years, has been released and is en route back to the UK. On Wednesday, Zaghari-Ratcliffe's local UK Member of Parliament Tulip Siddiq tweeted a photo of her on board a plane saying she is now on her way home."It's been 6 long years - and I can't believe I can FINALLY share this photo," wrote Siddiq. "Nazanin is now in the air flying away from 6 years of hell in Iran."UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a tweet that Zaghari-Ratcliffe and fellow British Iranian national Anoosheh Ashoori "will be reunited with their families later today."UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed their release as "huge achievements" for British diplomacy. "I pay tribute to the tireless efforts of those who have worked for six years to make today's events possible," Johnson wrote in a tweet. Read MoreThis comes as Truss announced that the UK had settled a decades-old £400 million ($524 million) debt owed to Iran, which Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian denied was linked to the prisoner release. "After highly complex and exhaustive negotiations, the more than 40-year-old debt between the International Military Services and the Ministry of Defense of Iran has now been settled," Truss said in statement to Parliament. The debt is for undelivered armored vehicles and tanks, originally ordered by Iran but canceled by the UK in response to the Iranian revolution of 1979, according to a research briefing published by the House of Commons Library.How the Ukraine war revealed Europe's selective empathy on refugees Iran's state-run Press TV said that Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been handed over to the UK government, without providing any further details. The country's semi-official Fars news agency said she was being transferred to Tehran's international airport, Imam Khomenei, with a British negotiating team. On Wednesday, Hojjat Kermani, Zaghari-Ratcliffe's lawyer, told CNN he did not want to comment on the latest developments for now.He earlier told Reuters that Zaghari-Ratcliffe and another detained British-Iranian, Anousheh Ashouri, were "on their way to the airport in Tehran to leave Iran."Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was "delighted" that Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been freed from "wrongful imprisonment" in a statement Wednesday."Nazanin and her loved ones have shown great courage, strength and steadfastness during what has been an unimaginably difficult time, and I want to pay tribute to all those who have campaigned tirelessly for her release," said Khan. "London looks forward to welcoming her home."Her husband Richard Ratcliffe said the release of his wife means they can "start being a normal family again." Speaking to reporters in London, Ratcliffe said he hadn't yet spoken to his wife but that they had exchanged messages on Wednesday.He said she got picked up by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at 11:00 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m ET) and that although she "wasn't really allowed to speak" he was aware of her movements. "Her homecoming is a journey not an arrival. There will be a whole process and hopefully we will look back in years to come and we will be a normal family," Ratcliffe continued. On Wednesday, a campaign group which pushed for Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release thanked Siddiq, the family's member of parliament, for her work on the case."You have made a difference @TulipSiddiq! Thanks for all the amazing support you have given to #FreeNazanin over these 6 long years," the group wrote on Twitter.Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was first detained at a Tehran airport in April 2016 following a vacation to see her family with her daughter.Husband's hunger strikesZaghari-Ratcliffe was first detained at a Tehran airport in April 2016 following a vacation to see her family with her daughter.She was accused of working with organizations allegedly attempting to overthrow the Iranian regime and was later convicted and sentenced to five years in jail.Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her employer, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, have repeatedly denied the espionage charges against her.In April 2021 she was handed a second jail sentence and travel ban on charges of spreading propaganda against the regime, and lost an appeal on her case in October.Zaghari-Ratcliffe was given British diplomatic protection in 2019 and was designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.She undertook at least three hunger strikes during her detention, one of them in a desperate bid to seek medical treatment for lumps in her breasts and numbness in her limbs. Her husband Richard Ratcliffe has also carried out hunger strikes in solidarity with his wife.The couple's daughter, Gabriella, who was just 22 months old at the time of her mother's arrest, is now almost eight.In 2019, Zaghari-Ratcliffe's supporters said she was transferred to the mental ward of a hospital in Tehran and was being denied visits from her father.In February 2020, Zaghari-Ratcliffe's family said she believed she had contracted Covid-19 in Evin Prison outside Tehran.CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali, Vasco Cotovio, Nada Bashir, Sarra Alayyan, Zeena Saifi and Lauren Said-Moorhouse contributed to this report.

Katelyn Polantz, CNN Reporter, Crime and Justice

2022-03-15 17:04:43

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/politics/january-6-occupy-capitol-hill-proud-boy/index.html

Document on plan to 'occupy' Capitol Hill buildings, Supreme Court on January 6 discovered by prosecutors - CNNPolitics

Prosecutors have discovered a written plan to "infiltrate" and "occupy" six congressional office buildings and the Supreme Court on January 6, 2021, as part of the federal investigation into Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, according to his indictment and a source familiar with the case.

politics, Document on plan to 'occupy' Capitol Hill buildings, Supreme Court on January 6 discovered by prosecutors - CNNPolitics

Document on plan to 'occupy' Capitol Hill buildings, Supreme Court on January 6 discovered by prosecutors

(CNN)Prosecutors have discovered a written plan to "infiltrate" and "occupy" six congressional office buildings and the Supreme Court on January 6, 2021, as part of the federal investigation into Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, according to his indictment and a source familiar with the case.The nine-page planning document, titled "1776 Returns," is mentioned briefly in the federal indictment filed last week against Tarrio, who is accused of orchestrating key participants in the US Capitol attack that day. A source revealed more details than were previously known about the plan.In court, prosecutors described an unnamed person sending Tarrio the document in late December 2020. "The revolution is important," the person told him. According to prosecutors, Tarrio replied: "That's what every waking moment consists of ... I'm not playing games." The written plan doesn't mention violence and contains two prongs -- one called "Storm the Winter Palace" in which organizers would "fill the buildings with patriots" and another called the "Patriot Plan." That one-page list of demands would be distributed in the streets, declaring "we the people" request a new election on January 20, 2021, and falsely claiming "the evidence of election fraud is overwhelming."Read MoreThough the document doesn't call for seizing the US Capitol, its timing and themes track closely to the 1 p.m. ET assembly of the rioting crowd on Capitol Hill that ultimately overtook the Capitol building.The planning document is included in Tarrio's indictment as part of the alleged actions that support a conspiracy charge against him and others. While the document is notable enough to be included in the charging documents, it is unclear who authored it or how widely it was distributed, or whether Tarrio distributed it to other Proud Boys.His five conspiracy co-defendants have pleaded not guilty, and Tarrio is appearing in federal court on Tuesday in Florida for a detention hearing. The Justice Department wants him to remain in jail as he awaits trial.CNN has reached out to Tarrio's defense attorney.The New York Times was first to report more detail on the document.Tarrio is accused of planning and encouraging others in the Proud Boys to overtake Congress during their certification of the electoral college vote for president, even though he was not in Washington, DC, that day.On January 6 during the attack, Tarrio was posting on social media about "#WeThePeople" doing "what must be done," and sent two messages, saying "Make no mistake" and "We did this," prosecutors said in his indictment. He also noted on social media on January 6 the year "1776" and that "revolutionaries" were in one of the office buildings referenced in the planning document, according to the indictment.In the document's "Storm the Winter Palace" pages -- apparently named after a pivotal moment in the Russian Revolution in 1917 -- planners were to identify two leaders, a recruiter and a "hypeman," who would lead the crowd in chanting at each building, according to the source. A "covert sleeper" would set up a fake appointment and be expected to spend the day as an insider who would let people inside the building.A media organization is also named among the "targeted buildings" with a note to "at least egg doorway."The crews would aim to get inside secure areas, then open doors for at least 50 people to enter for a "sit in." Some of their proposed chants included "Liberty or Death" and "No Trump, No America." Under the "sit in" step described in the document, there's an open-ended question about how it would end and whether people would just leave at a certain point.They document also instructs would-be participants to use Covid-19 masking policies to their advantage to shield their identities, and to have supporters pull fire alarms at high-traffic buildings around Washington, DC, to distract police. The plan also mentioned using truckers or bikers for then-President Donald Trump to create traffic congestion that could hamper law enforcement response times. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated when the Winter Palace was stormed during the Russian Revolution. The event happened in 1917.

Nicole Chavez, CNN

2022-03-16 18:09:37

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/politics/hbcu-bomb-threats-federal-grants/index.html

HBCUs affected by recent bomb threats will be eligible for federal security grants - CNNPolitics

The US Department of Education announced Wednesday that a number of historically Black colleges and universities that recently received bomb threats are now eligible for federal grants aimed at improving mental health resources and campus security.

politics, HBCUs affected by recent bomb threats will be eligible for federal security grants - CNNPolitics

HBCUs affected by recent bomb threats will be eligible for federal security grants

(CNN)The US Department of Education announced Wednesday that a number of historically Black colleges and universities that recently received bomb threats are now eligible for federal grants aimed at improving mental health resources and campus security. "The recent bomb threats experienced by HBCUs have shaken students and fractured their sense of safety and belonging, which are critical to their academic success and wellbeing," Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to discuss the grants and additional resources for HBCUs on Wednesday, a day after her husband tested positive for Covid-19. At least 57 HBCUs across the United States have received bomb threats in phone calls, e-mails, instant messages, and anonymous online posts since January, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. More than a dozen had to lock down or postpone classes on the first day of Black History Month. The FBI has said its investigating the bomb threats "racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism and hate crimes." Read MoreHBCUs are now eligible to apply for funding under the Project School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) program, which provides awards ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 per school, according to the Education Department. The program was created to assist institutions that have experienced a violent or traumatic incident as they work to restore "a safe environment conducive to learning." Dietra Trent, executive director of the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity through HBCUs, said the bomb threats are a "uniquely traumatic event, given the history of bombings as a tactic to intimidate and provoke fear in Black Americans during the long struggle for civil rights in the 20th century." Students at Spelman College in Atlanta and Jackson State University in Mississippi told CNN last month they felt unsafe, anxious and tired of facing hatred like many generations before them."I think that the threats aren't individual or coincidental -- that it's a clear attack on Black students who choose to go to Black schools," Calvert White, a 22-year-old studying social science and education at Jackson State University, told CNN at the time.Last month, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, said he was seeking emergency funding for campus security at HBCUs after at least two institutions in the state, including Norfolk State University, were part of an alarming pattern of bomb threats. "I am angry and deeply concerned by the recent pattern of bomb threats plaguing our Historically Black Colleges and Universities," the governor said.

Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN

2022-03-16 17:12:42

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/us/lynching-victim-george-tompkins-death-indiana-homicide/index.html

George Tompkins: A Black man's death was ruled a suicide a century ago. A coroner now says it was a lynching - CNN

George Tompkins left his home on the morning of March 16, 1922, but the 19-year-old never returned. That afternoon, the Black man's body was found hanging from a sapling -- his hands bound together at Riverside Park in Indianapolis, according to the Indiana Remembrance Coalition.

us, George Tompkins: A Black man's death was ruled a suicide a century ago. A coroner now says it was a lynching - CNN

A Black man's death was ruled a suicide a century ago. A coroner now says it was a lynching

(CNN)George Tompkins left his home on the morning of March 16, 1922, but the 19-year-old never returned. That afternoon, the Black man's body was found hanging from a sapling -- his hands bound together at Riverside Park in Indianapolis, according to the Indiana Remembrance Coalition. Now, a century later, Alfarena McGinty, the chief deputy coroner of Marion County, has ruled Tompkins' death as a lynching, not a suicide, after reviewing his case.Dr. Paul Robinson, Marion County coroner in 1922, saw Tompkins' body soon after police reported it. "There could be no question that the man had been murdered and his body then tied to the tree," he said in local media reports at the time.Tompkins was "dead or almost dead when he was hanged," Robinson said. Despite those circumstances, Dr. George R. Christian, a deputy coroner in 1922, conducted Tompkins' autopsy and signed the certificate of death, documents show.Read MoreAmerica's legacy of lynching isn't all history. Many say it's still happening todayIn another style of handwriting, the manner of death was changed from "open" to say "suicide," according to a written petition to change Tompkins' death certificate.The Indiana Remembrance Coalition brought Tompkins' case to the attention of McGinty through a written petition, causing her to "unquestionably" change his manner of death on his death certificate. "In 1922, George Tompkins did not receive justice, neither in life nor in death," Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said.George Tompkins' death was originally deemed a suicide even though he was found hanging with his hands bound, indicating this was a lynching.McGinty, the chief deputy coroner, said: "It was an honor to make this injustice right." Last week, the US Senate passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act of 2022 by unanimous consent. The bill, which would make lynching a federal hate crime, is awaiting President Joe Biden's signature. Senate passes Emmett Till Antilynching Act of 2022, sending bill to Biden for his signature"It might look a little differently but things like this happen today," Karen Christensen, a member of the Indiana Remembrance Coalition, told CNN affiliate WTHR. "If we don't understand what our history is about we will repeat it and we are repeating it and therefore we want to talk about this so we can stop racial violence." On March 12, nearly a century later, a headstone was placed at Tompkins' unmarked grave inside Floral Park Cemetery. CNN's Jenn Selva and Rebekah Reiss contributed to this report.

Nicole Chavez and Natasha Chen, CNN

2022-03-16 04:41:07

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/us/atlanta-spa-shootings-anniversary/index.html

Atlanta spa shootings: Tragedy brought national attention to violence against Asian Americans - CNN

Robert Peterson struggled for months to stop thinking about the day his mother and seven other people, mostly Asian women, were shot and killed last year at Atlanta-area spas.

us, Atlanta spa shootings: Tragedy brought national attention to violence against Asian Americans - CNN

Assaulted. Harassed. This is the reality for Asian Americans a year after the Atlanta spa shootings

(CNN)Robert Peterson struggled for months to stop thinking about the day his mother and seven other people, mostly Asian women, were shot and killed last year at Atlanta-area spas.He's found some comfort living at the Norcross, Georgia, home his mother Yong Ae Yue worked hard to own and in the memories of the many nights they played poker together, but Peterson says he can't let others forget that his family and the Asian American community see the March 16, 2021 killings as hate crimes. The gunman may have not said any racial slurs out loud during the shooting spree, but his actions "are the proxy of his misogyny, of his racism," Peterson, 39, said. Since the mass shooting, the gunman has pleaded guilty to four of the killings in Cherokee County and was sentenced to life in prison. But he still faces an additional 19 charges in nearby Fulton County, where prosecutors have said they will be pursuing the death penalty for hate crimes targeting the sex and race of the victims.Ignoring this racial aspect and the longstanding objectification of Asian women has only intensified the trauma of losing his mother and fuels his fight for justice, Peterson told CNN. Read MoreAsian Americans are feeling on edge. How you can get help or help those in needThe spa killings forced a debate about racism toward the Asian community in the United States, but reports of Asian people being assaulted and harassed had already been increasing since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.A year later, not much has changed in America, according to advocates, survivors of the violence and their family members. The alleged gunman in the Atlanta attacks has not been tried in a state or federal court for a hate crime, anti-Asian racism is still continuously being reported, and challenges of proving bias against the Asian American community persist."We see swastikas or Nazi symbols and salutes. In the Asian American community there's not something that unifying that everybody understands as something that's geared towards, intimidating or trying to hurt the AAPI community," said Byung "BJay" Pak, a former US attorney in Atlanta who represents Peterson.First test of the hate crimes law in GeorgiaYue, 63, and the other seven victims, Daoyou Feng, 44; Paul Michels, 54; Xiaojie "Emily" Tan, 49; Delaina Yaun, 33; Suncha Kim, 69; Soon Chung Park, 74; and Hyun Jung Grant, 51, were killed at three spas across the Atlanta area. Yong Ae Yue, center, was one of the eight people killed in the Atlanta spa shootings and is remembered by her sons Elliott Peterson, left, and Robert Peterson, right.Robert Aaron Long, the then-21-year-old suspect in the shootings, told authorities he was distraught due to what he described as an addiction to sex. His claim sparked a debate over the motive behind the attack as well as numerous calls in support of a hate crime designation — a trend that continues today."We have to tell and reckon with the whole truth of why they're not here with us today: systemic racism, White supremacy, gender-based violence, the enduring impact of war, both here and in Asia," Phi Nguyen, the executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta, said about the victims during a Saturday memorial event in Brookhaven, an Atlanta suburb.Yong Ae Yue had been working for a few months at Aromatherapy Spa in Atlanta when she was shot and killed there on March 16, 2021.The Fulton County District Attorney's Office did not respond to multiple requests for comment but a pretrial hearing is set for April 19 in Long's case.The case is expected to be the first test of the hate crimes law passed by the Georgia Legislature after the deadly shooting of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. The law allows prosecutors to classify existing charges as a hate crime before trial. A jury would first have to determine guilt, and then consider whether it's a hate crime. Pak, who also represents the family of Suncha Kim, said Long's case won't change Long's potential life in prison or death penalty sentence but it would be symbolically important."My wish for our clients is that they have their day in court and they get an answer for a situation that's just incomprehensible to try to bring some logic to it and to see justice done," Pak said.So far, federal authorities have not filed hate crimes against Long. A Justice Department spokesperson told CNN the federal investigation of the Atlanta spa shootings remains open as officials continue monitoring the state cases.Rep. Judy Chu, a California Democrat and chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus who previously was concerned that Long would not be charged with a hate crime, told CNN she was encouraged by the response of state and federal officials. Fulton County prosecutors are treating the case as a hate crime and the Justice Department "committed to examining the evidence to see if it meets the criteria for a federal hate crime," Chu said."There is no question to me that these murders were deliberate acts of hate," Chu said in a statement.Robert Peterson moved to his mother's home in Norcross, Georgia, where they spent many night playing poker.'I miss the small things'As Peterson and his family await a trial, he tries not to feel the loss of his mother at every corner of their home, especially in the kitchen, where he proudly keeps the ceramic bowls and pots that his mother used to teach him how to cook his favorite dish, Kimchi-jigae, a type of traditional stew.Attacks on Asian American women are igniting a conversation about public safety"I miss the small things. I miss her needing me to change the light bulb, update her computer, go to the store to pick up cat litter, or carry a 24-case of water," Peterson said. "You know, those are the things that I wish she could ask me today."Yue was a traditional Korean woman, a mother who taught her biracial sons to fully embrace their Asian heritage and do good work, he says. She understood the outrage and pain after the killings of Black men and women by police, Peterson says, just as she was frightened by the rise in anti-Asian attacks at the beginning of the pandemic."She loved America, she loves Georgia but it was not lost on her, as most (Asian) women in America feel today, the threat of violence. It's a constant thing that is a hovering over their lives in their daily activities," he said.If he could talk to her today, Peterson said his mother would be proud that he's willing to speak up for her and the other victims.More Asian Americans are under attack In the year since the Atlanta spa shootings, violent assaults and harassment have left Asian Americans across the country afraid and physically hurt. One of them is Hoa Nguyen, a 68-year-old grandmother in Brooklyn who was punched in the face by a stranger on January 19 while she was on her way to the market."I turned my head to the right and he punched me two more time behind my ear on the left side. Then he went back to walk the way he had come," Nguyen said.While Nguyen, who is Vietnamese, did not suffer major injuries, she no longer feels safe walking on the streets as much as she did before, or even taking the bus or the train to visit her daughter in Brooklyn's Dumbo neighborhood."We've never had to look over my shoulders walking around the city and now, every time I walk outside, I'm looking over my shoulder," said Nguyen's son, 42-year-old Khanh Nguyen.Hoa Nguyen, right, was punched in the face on January 19, 2022 in Brooklyn, New York, police says. Her son, left, Khanh Nguyen, says the family has been harassed online since the attack.The suspect, Mercel Jackson, 51, was arrested and has been charged with assault, harassment and hate crime charges, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. He told police he "doesn't like how Chinese people look," he thinks "Chinese people look like measles," and "doesn't like Chinese people looking at him," according to court documents.The attack led neighbors and several nonprofit organizations around New York to offer the Nguyen family their emotional and legal support, Khanh Nguyen said. Unfortunately, it sparked another type of anti-Asian hate toward the family."No one goes up to the streets and yells things at us but despite the sadness of these stories, you still have people going online and spewing hate towards us," he said.Just in New York, there were 131 incidents confirmed to have an anti-Asian bias motivation last year, according to data from the NYPD. That's a significant increase from 27 incidents reported in 2020 and one in 2019. The full scope of the violence across the nation is unclear. Statistics from advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate collected after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic suggest there have been more than 10,000 anti-Asian hate incidents in the US but the organization's data is crowdsourced, self-reported and not independently verified.But even when those incidents are reported, reaching a hate crime conviction is challenging, said Jennifer Wu, an attorney representing the Nguyens and the family of GuiYing Ma, a 61-year-old woman who was attacked in Queens by a man with a rock and who died last month. In New York, which has a hate crime penalty-enhancement law like in Georgia, the statute requires the bias to be the "whole or substantial factor" motivating an attack. That's a high standard, Wu says, because it "requires you to get into the mind of the perpetrator" and there could be more than one contributing factor, Wu says."The way the law has treated hate crimes is to force people to choose one reason why the hate crime is committed," Wu said. The law is not structured in a way that acknowledges the reality that the reason we love and hate people is for a multitude of reasons and not a single exclusive reason."For Peterson, who lost his mother in the Atlanta spa shootings, there was not just one reason why the victims were targeted. His mother was not just at the wrong place, at the wrong time, he said. Peterson believes the suspect had in mind their racial identity, their gender, their workplace, and what that represented to him."She wasn't just Asian, and she wasn't just a woman. These two are inextricably linked. She is both of these things simultaneously, and you can't separate one from the other," Peterson said.

Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN

2022-03-15 22:04:19

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/us/little-miss-nobody-identified-arizona/index.html

'Little Miss Nobody' identified: For over 60 years, the identity of a little girl has been a mystery - CNN

Sixty-two years ago, a school teacher looking for rocks in an Arizona desert made a horrific discovery: the burned remains of a young girl. Her identity was a mystery and investigators called her "Little Miss Nobody."

us, 'Little Miss Nobody' identified: For over 60 years, the identity of a little girl has been a mystery - CNN

For over 60 years, the identity of a girl whose body was found in an Arizona desert has been a mystery. Now, 'Little Miss Nobody' has a name

(CNN)Sixty-two years ago, a school teacher looking for rocks in an Arizona desert made a horrific discovery: the burned remains of a young girl. Her identity was a mystery and investigators called her "Little Miss Nobody." For decades, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office in Prescott, Arizona, along with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and a long list of other partners, have been working to identify the little girl. But despite multiple leads at the time, the case had remained unsolved.That girl now has a name, thanks to advanced DNA technology.Authorities identified her as Sharon Lee Gallegos during a Tuesday news conference. It is the oldest cold case the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office has resolved.Four-year-old Gallegos was abducted while playing in her grandmother's backyard in Alamagordo, New Mexico, on July 21, 1960, authorities said. She was taken by "a couple who had been stalking her," according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.Read MoreDNA can now be pulled from the very air we breathe. It could help track endangered animalsWhile "Little Miss Nobody" has been identified, there is still more work to be done on the case as authorities work to find out who abducted her, what happened in the days following her abduction and what led to her death. Investigators have a few leads from Gallegos' cousins, who were with her at the time of her abduction, Sheriff David Rhodes said Tuesday.Adnan Syed, subject of 'Serial' podcast, and prosecutors are requesting additional DNA testing in the case"We as the family want to say thank you," Rey Chavez, Gallegos' nephew, said during the news conference. "Thank you for what you've done for us, thank you for keeping my aunt safe and never forgetting her. It's still sinking in." Chavez said his family described Gallegos as a very feisty, happy-go-lucky little girl who loved playing with her cousins. Her death and disappearance left a lasting impact on his family members and, as a result, they consider themselves overprotective of the children in their family.Gallegos' remains were discovered on July 31, 1960, in Sand Creek Wash near Congress, Arizona, police said in a January Instagram post. The site is over 500 miles away from where Gallegos had been abducted.At the time, investigators determined that Gallegos' remains had been burned one to two weeks earlier. Since no further trauma was evident, the cause of death was difficult to determine and due to the suspicious nature of the case, Gallegos' death was ruled a homicide, police said. When found, Gallegos was approximately 3-foot-6 and estimated to have weighed 55 pounds, according to the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children. She had brown hair and was found wearing a checkered blouse, white shorts and adult-sized sandals that had been cut down to fit her. Her fingernails and toenails were also painted, the center said. Following the discovery of her body, the local community raised money to buy a casket and give the little girl a proper burial, the center said. "Little Miss Nobody" was chiseled on her headstone along with the words, "Blessed are the pure in heart." Advanced DNA testing moves the needle for answersIn 2021, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office partnered with Othram, a Texas-based laboratory that works exclusively with law enforcement, to see if advanced DNA testing could help solve the mystery of "Little Miss Nobody."Othram received the case in December 2021 and returned the identity to authorities in February 2022, Dr. Kristen Mittelman, Othram's Chief Business Development Officer, told CNN.The evidence isn't always strong enough for reconstruction and building a DNA profile, Mittelman said. But improved technology means the lab can build DNA profiles that may not have been possible in the past.DNA from bite mark leads to arrest in 1994 killing of California woman, authorities say The FBI's Combined DNA Index System, also known as CODIS, is the standard technology that's used in forensic testing right now, Mittelman said. CODIS looks at 20 DNA markers and compares a person to a known database of thousands of DNA profiles of previous offenders.But that technology, which wasn't introduced until the 90s, is limited, because a child like "Little Miss Nobody" wouldn't be in the database since she's not a known perpetrator, Mittleman said. "What our technology does ... is it looks at hundreds of thousands of markers and it's able to assess your identity without you being present in any database at all," she said.Brutal killing of a mother and son in 1994 is solved through DNA evidence, police sayExperts can solve many cases within a few weeks for $5,000 or less, Mittelman said. To help cover the costs, Othram created a network of people who care about unsolved crimes and crowdfund each case when other funding isn't available.The "Little Miss Nobody" case was crowdfunded in about a day, she said. "It shows how interested people are actually finding the answer to this, and finding out who this little girl was," Mittelman said.Correction: An earlier version of this story had the wrong name for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.CNN's Claudia Dominguez and Amanda Musa contributed to this report.

Brian Stelter and Oliver Darcy, CNN Business

2022-03-16 14:42:50

business

media

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/media/fox-correspondent-benjamin-hall-leaves-ukraine/index.html

Fox correspondent Benjamin Hall has left Ukraine - CNN

Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall, who was severely injured while reporting outside Kyiv on Monday, has been evacuated from the country, Fox said.

media, Fox correspondent Benjamin Hall has left Ukraine - CNN

Fox correspondent Benjamin Hall has left Ukraine after suffering injuries from deadly attack

New York (CNN Business)Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall, who was severely injured while reporting outside Kyiv on Monday, has been evacuated from the country, Fox said. "Ben is alert and in good spirits," Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said Wednesday in a memo to staffers. "He is being treated with the best possible care in the world and we are in close contact with his wife and family. Please continue to keep him in your prayers."Fox anchors Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum relayed the news on air Wednesday morning. "We hope for more good news to come in the days ahead," MacCallum said."Been a couple of heavy days around here," Hemmer added, "so that is a dose of good news for Ben."Fox News has been grieving this week after losing journalists in the field for the first time in the network's 25 year history.Read MoreThe two crew members who were with Hall on Monday, photojournalist Pierre Zakrzewski, 55, and consultant Oleksandra Kuvshynova, 24, were killed when their vehicle came under fire. Hall, 39, was injured and rushed to a hospital. Zakrzewski and Kuvshynova were initially thought to be missing until officials in Ukraine confirmed they were dead. The officials blamed artillery shelling by Russian forces. "The truth is the target," Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said.Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall during a report on Brexit in Lodon in 2020."The loss and pain we feel is enormous," Fox's national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin said on the air Tuesday evening. "But if ever there were a time that the world needed journalists, reporters, risking their lives to tell these stories, to tell the truth, it's now. Without a free press, the autocrats win. We will redouble our efforts to honor these colleagues," she said, choking back tears, "and all reporters in harm's way tonight." Behind the scenes, Fox executives were working to move Hall out of the war zone for additional medical care.Hall, an experienced war correspondent previously based in London, became the network's State Department correspondent in Washington last November. He traveled to Ukraine in February to cover Russia's invasion.His injuries and his crew's deaths underscore the dangers faced by members of the media across Ukraine.Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that he was "very saddened" to learn about the deaths of Zakrzewski and Kuvshynova. "I am grateful to all those risking their lives to show the world what is happening in Ukraine," Blinken said. "The United States condemns Russia's ongoing violence, which is putting the safety of journalists and other media workers in Ukraine at risk."

Amir Vera, Holly Yan and Christina Maxouris, CNN

2022-03-15 04:46:49

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/us/new-york-dc-homeless-shootings-explainer/index.html

Suspect arrested in connection with shootings of 5 homeless men identifed by DC authorities - CNN

The man arrested in connection with five separate shootings of homeless men in New York City and Washington, DC, was identified by DC authorities as Gerald Brevard.

us, Suspect arrested in connection with shootings of 5 homeless men identifed by DC authorities - CNN

DC authorities identify suspect arrested in connection with shootings of 5 homeless men there and in New York City

(CNN)The man arrested in connection with five separate shootings of homeless men in New York City and Washington, DC, was identified by DC authorities as Gerald Brevard. Brevard, 30, from DC, has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (gun), assault with intent to kill (gun), and first-degree murder while armed (gun) for the offenses that took place in DC, Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.Authorities say they have not information about a motive at this time are not certain about any connections the suspect might have to the victims, the chief said.Additional charges for the offenses committed in New York are anticipated, the chief said. Officials there have not charged the suspect at this time.CNN was not immediately able to identify an attorney for Brevard.Read MoreOfficials in both cities announced earlier in the day that a suspect had been arrested. "This case is an example of what happens when there is good police work, science and community support," Contee said. "It's a demonstration of how quickly we can close homicide cases when all three of those things are working together."A gun has not been recovered as part of the investigation, Contee said. Two men died in the attacks, which unfolded between March 3 and 12. DC authorities identified one of the victims as 54-year-old Morgan Holmes. Other victims' identities have not been publicly released. Ballistics evidence linked all five shootings to the same gun, said the special agent in charge of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division.Two people shot, one fatally, while sleeping on New York City streets Saturday, police say"The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) was particularly crucial in this investigation, allowing us to quickly match ballistic evidence connecting all five shootings to the same firearm," Charlie Patterson said in a statement. ATF and DC police had been investigating the three Washington shootings when two more happened in New York. A DC police captain, who is a New York native, regularly kept up with New York social media accounts and noticed a photo of a suspect who had allegedly shot a homeless person, Contee said Tuesday. The captain flagged that information to his team and they contacted New York authorities and compared the information they had."As we started pulling things together, our partners at the ATF tested our evidence that was recovered, they tested the evidence that was recovered in New York and we got a hit," the chief said.Federal officials knew the suspect's identity by midday Monday, a law enforcement official told CNN. And ATF tracked and searched for him in Washington, the source said. An ATF team found the suspect traveling on foot after he had crossed the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge and made his way to near a gas station, where he was arrested, the official said.How the attacks unfolded-- The first shooting happened around 4 a.m. on March 3 in Washington, police there said Sunday. Officers responded to a call of shots fired and found a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds in the 1100 block of New York Avenue Northeast. He was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, the statement said.-- The second shooting was reported around 1:21 a.m. March 8 in the 1700 block of H Street Northeast, Washington police said. Officers found a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, and he was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.-- A little after 2:50 a.m. on March 9, a DC Police member noticed a fire in the 400 block of New York Avenue Northeast. A man's remains were discovered after the flames were extinguished. Police said the cause of death was determined to be multiple stab and gunshot wounds. The victim was identified as Holmes, of no fixed address, DC police said.Police released this photo of a man suspected of shooting five homeless men in DC and New York City.-- The fourth and fifth shootings occurred in New York City early Saturday, March 12. The attacks happened about 90 minutes apart in Lower Manhattan and were caught on surveillance cameras, the New York Police Department said. Police described what the videos showed but did not release them to CNN.In one of the New York shootings, video shows a man who appears to be experiencing homelessness sleeping near the corner of King Street and Varick when an attacker approaches and shoots him in his forearm, NYPD Deputy Chief Commanding Officer Henry Sautner said Saturday. The man wakes up and shouts, "What are you doing?" at the shooter, who then runs away, Sautner said. The 38-year-old victim was taken to a hospital for treatment.The other New York shooting happened around 6 a.m. outside 148 Lafayette Street. There, officers found a man in a sleeping bag with gunshot wounds to his head and neck, Sautner said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.'An exceptionally heinous crime'The NYPD directed its members to do wellness checks on people who appear homeless, according to a memo obtained by CNN."Our homeless population is one of our most vulnerable, and an individual preying on them as they sleep is an exceptionally heinous crime," NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell joined DC Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday at a news conference in Washington.The mayor of Washington stressed the need for safety for those without shelter. "We're working very hard to have our unhoused neighbors in shelter or in housing and working through tent encampments ... so that we can provide our residents with housing and shelter," Bowser told Bloomberg. "We know that this pandemic has upended a lot of our systems, our homeless system being one of them."CNN's Pervaiz Shallwani, Mark Morales, Evan Perez, Chris Boyette, Artemis Moshtaghian, Liam Reilly, Susannah Cullinane and Eric Levenson contributed to this report.

Jenn Selva and Steve Almasy, CNN

2022-03-16 01:49:44

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/us/adnan-syed-judge-approves-new-dna-testing/index.html

Adnan Syed case: Judge approves additional DNA testing - CNN

A Baltimore County Circuit Court judge has ordered new DNA testing in the case of Adnan Syed, whose murder conviction was the subject of the hugely popular first season of the "Serial" podcast.

us, Adnan Syed case: Judge approves additional DNA testing - CNN

Judge approves additional DNA testing in the case of Adnan Syed, subject of 'Serial' podcast

(CNN)A Baltimore County Circuit Court judge has ordered new DNA testing in the case of Adnan Syed, whose murder conviction was the subject of the hugely popular first season of the "Serial" podcast.Judge Melissa Phinn on Monday ordered the Baltimore Police Department to send evidence in the case to the Forensic Analytical Crime Lab in Hayward, California, within 15 days, according to court documents.Syed is serving a life sentence after he was convicted of first-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping and false imprisonment in February 2000 for the slaying of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. The pair were seniors at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County in January 1999 when she disappeared. Her strangled body was discovered in a city forest three weeks later. Syed, now 40, has been appealing his convictions for years.Read MoreRabia Chaudry, a public advocate for Syed, on Tuesday tweeted: "Look out killer. We are coming for you."Syed and prosecutors last week filed a joint motion for post-conviction DNA testing, saying that since the crime occurred more than two decades ago, "DNA testing has changed and improved drastically.""Ms. Lee's clothing, shoes, and certain other evidence recovered from the scene have not been subject to DNA testing," the motion said. "(Syed) seeks to use the most advanced DNA testing methodologies that are currently available to analyze the biological evidence collected from the scene in an effort to exculpate him."His legal team reached out to State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby's office after Maryland passed a law in April allowing people who were convicted as juveniles to request a modified sentence after they've served at least 20 years in prison, Mosby said in a March 10 statement on Twitter. Supreme Court declines to review murder case chronicled in 'Serial' podcast In the 2019 HBO docuseries "The Case Against Adnan Syed," an attorney for Syed said his client's DNA was not found on any of the 12 samples retrieved from the victim's body and car. That testing was not part of the official investigation by authorities. HBO, like CNN, is a unit of WarnerMedia. At trial, prosecutors relied on testimony from a friend, Jay Wilds, who said he helped Syed dig a hole for Lee's body. To corroborate his account, prosecutors presented cell phone records and expert witness testimony to place Syed at the site where Lee was buried.CNN's Rebekah Riess, Amanda Watts and Elizabeth Joseph contributed to this report.

Ellie Kaufman, CNN

2022-03-16 03:17:25

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/politics/9-11-plotters-possible-plea-agreement/index.html

Lawyers in case against 9/11 plotters are in discussions to reach possible plea agreement, avoid death penalty trial - CNNPolitics

Lawyers in the case against five Guantanamo detainees accused of plotting the September 11, 2001, terror attacks are in discussions with prosecutors to reach a possible plea agreement and avoid a death penalty trial at the Guantanamo Bay military court, according to a person familiar with the matter.

politics, Lawyers in case against 9/11 plotters are in discussions to reach possible plea agreement, avoid death penalty trial - CNNPolitics

Lawyers in case against 9/11 plotters in discussions to reach possible plea agreement, avoid death penalty trial

(CNN)Lawyers in the case against five Guantanamo detainees accused of plotting the September 11, 2001, terror attacks are in discussions with prosecutors to reach a possible plea agreement and avoid a death penalty trial at the Guantanamo Bay military court, according to a person familiar with the matter. Legal teams on both sides of the infamous case, which includes defendant Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who's known as the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, arrived in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, last week for scheduled pre-trial hearings. But on the first day hearings were to begin, the lead defense attorney for detainee Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash, Cheryl Bormann, moved to withdraw from the case, the source said. After that, the prosecution emailed all five defense teams proposing negotiations. Discussions began between the prosecution, made up of attorneys from the Department of Justice, and the five defense teams representing each Guantanamo detainee in the case on March 10. The discussions are about reaching possible plea agreements that would avoid a death penalty trial for the detainees, according to the source."Negotiated agreements are part of all criminal cases, and negotiations have taken place throughout the case," James Connell, defense attorney for detainee Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, said in a statement about the ongoing discussions. "The process is not unusual." The New York Times first reported the discussions about possible plea agreements.Read MoreThe trial of the five men who are accused of plotting the September 11 attacks, initially envisioned by former President George W. Bush as a way to bring justice to 9/11 victims' families, has been stuck in bureaucratic purgatory for the better part of a decade. All five men were arraigned in 2012 during the Obama administration, but since then, the case has been in pre-trial hearings for almost 10 years. Several lawyers on both sides of the case have come and gone, and four judges have presided over the case. Much of the pre-trial debate in the case has been about how to handle the issue of torture if the case were to go to trial. All five detainees were tortured by the US government when they were held in secret CIA prisons known as "black sites," in the 2000s. Their lawyers have said the men suffer from health issues because of the torture.If the legal teams were to reach a plea agreement, it would avoid a complicated and possibly long death penalty trial. The trial, if it were to happen, would take place at the military court at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.President Joe Biden has said he intends to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. Department of Defense deputy press Secretary Todd Breasseale would not comment on the ongoing discussions, but said a resolution of the military commission process through "negotiated settlement" would contribute to the Biden administration's goal of closing the prison."The Administration is committed to the responsible closure of the detention center at Guantánamo Bay. Resolution of the military commission process through trial or by negotiated settlement contributes to that goal," Breasseale said in a statement to CNN. "It would be inappropriate to comment on any settlement negotiations."There are 38 detainees still held at the prison.

Susannah Cullinane, CNN

2022-03-14 07:34:52

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/us/moma-stabbing-what-we-know/index.html

MoMA stabbing: Suspect Gary Cabana arrested in Philadelphia, police say - CNN

The man accused of stabbing two employees inside New York's Museum of Modern Art on Saturday was arrested in Philadelphia, police said Tuesday morning.

us, MoMA stabbing: Suspect Gary Cabana arrested in Philadelphia, police say - CNN

Man accused of stabbing 2 people at New York's Museum of Modern Art arrested in Philadelphia, police say

(CNN)The man accused of stabbing two employees inside New York's Museum of Modern Art on Saturday was arrested in Philadelphia, police said Tuesday morning. Information on charges against Gary Cabana, 60, will be announced pending his extradition to New York, a New York Police Department spokesperson said. Cabana was arrested at a Greyhound station early Tuesday after police found him sleeping on a bench inside a station in Chinatown, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. It's unclear whether Cabana has an attorney. The injured employees were both 24 years old, police said. One, a woman, suffered two stab wounds to the lower back and one stab wound to the back of her neck. The other, a man, was stabbed once in the left collar bone, officials said.Read MoreBoth were rushed to Bellevue Hospital and are expected to survive, police said at a news conference Saturday evening. Here's what we know about Cabana: He visited museum regularly, officials sayPolice said he was a regular visitor to the museum. Immediately after the incident, police described him as wearing a black jacket and surgical mask.That description was released immediately over division radio units in the area and a search was initiated by police responding to the scene, according to NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller.He was caught on video leaving the museum, so police knew which direction he went.Cabana is known to the NYPD, Miller said, and was wanted by the department in connection with two incidents that occurred in Midtown Manhattan, where the museum is located, prior to the double stabbing. He is also allegedly linked to an arson incident at a Best Western in Philadelphia, where a small fire was extinguished in a fifth-floor hotel room Monday evening, according to police there. New York Mayor Eric Adams said he was briefed on the incident there on Saturday and his press secretary tweeted it "appears to be an isolated, criminal incident."The NYPD released a series of photos of the man suspected in two stabbings at MoMA Saturday.The suspect became angry when denied entry, police sayCabana entered the museum with the intention of attending a film, police said.New York's Museum of Modern Art evacuated after two people were stabbed inside, police say "At approximately 4:15 this afternoon, an individual entered the museum, attempted to gain entrance presenting his membership card and was denied entrance because his membership had expired," Miller said Saturday. "His membership had expired as a result of two incidents involving disorderly conduct here at the museum on two separate dates in recent days," he added.Upon being denied entrance, the suspect became angry, jumped over the reception desk and attacked the two employees, police said.There was ample security in the area at the time of the incident, but Miller described it as a "rapidly unfolding spontaneous incident."Patrons evacuated the museum in a panicIn videos shared on social media, dozens of people are seen leaving the museum in a large crowd. "We weren't told what was going on, just that they had to close the exhibits immediately," MoMA patron Tina Rook told CNN. "A woman did say it was an emergency," Rook said, adding the whole incident was handled very well by police and museum officials. In a series of tweets, MoMA patron Yuichi Shimada described a chaotic scene, saying there were "many police vehicle and ambulances.""It seemed that everyone had been ordered to evacuate, and the other guests came out one after another," Shimada tweeted."It was chaotic, partly because it was snowing, with a group of young women in a panic and crying, and partly because people were taking pictures on their cell phones and playing live on their phones too," Shimada said.pic.twitter.com/XcutyzypMz— Yuichi Shimada 🇺🇸メガネ屋🤓 (@kinaizm) March 12, 2022 MoMA temporarily closes, suspends screeningsThe museum was closed for the rest of the weekend and on Sunday, said it would reopen Tuesday."Thank you for your incredible support," a tweet from the museum said.The facility was due to screen the films "Paper Moon," "Wattstax," "Bringing Up Baby" and "Cutting Horse" Saturday.On its website Monday, MoMA showed all film showings at the venue canceled until Thursday.

Steve Almasy, Raja Razek and Brad Parks, CNN

2022-03-15 19:34:04

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/us/chicago-no-charges-police-shootings/index.html

Chicago police officers won't be charged in shootings of Adam Toledo and Anthony Alvarez, State's Attorney Kim Foxx says - CNN

Illinois prosecutors will not file charges against the Chicago police officers who fatally shot Adam Toledo and Anthony Alvarez on separate occasions in 2021, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx announced during a Tuesday news conference.

us, Chicago police officers won't be charged in shootings of Adam Toledo and Anthony Alvarez, State's Attorney Kim Foxx says - CNN

Chicago police officers won't be charged in shootings of Adam Toledo and Anthony Alvarez

(CNN)Illinois prosecutors will not file charges against the Chicago police officers who fatally shot Adam Toledo and Anthony Alvarez on separate occasions in 2021, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx announced during a Tuesday news conference.The case files were also sent to the Illinois State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, whose office agreed no charges were warranted in either incident, according to Foxx.On March 29, 2021, Toledo, 13, was fatally shot by officers at the end of a foot chase. Police said body camera footage shows Toledo holding a gun in his right hand, but it vanishes from sight as he turns toward the officer and begins to raise his hands as he's shot. A gun was later found behind a fence a few feet from where Toledo was killed.Attorneys Adeena Weiss Ortiz and Joel Hirschhorn, who represent the family of Adam Toledo, said they and the family were "profoundly disappointed.""Despite that decision, we will continue fighting for Adam and have filed our civil complaint seeking monetary damages," they said in a news release. "Officer (Eric) Stillman's use of deadly force was excessive and posed a threat to the safety of Adam and others. We will be contacting the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division to address this horrific travesty."Read MorePair of recent Chicago police killings puts spotlight on policies related to officer foot pursuitsFoxx noted that while it may be determined that Stillman violated the Chicago Police Department's foot chase policies, a decision on criminal charges made by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office "must be rooted in the calculus of whether officer Stillman's perception of whether he was in danger of imminent harm, which caused him to ... fatally shoot Adam Toledo was reasonable given the totality of the circumstances around the incident."Chicago police had responded almost immediately to a notification from ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system that alerts officers to gunfire. The responding officers were informed that eight shots had been fired, according to police radio traffic released by authorities, and encountered Toledo fleeing in an alley before running after him.'Insufficient' evidence in Alvarez shootingAlvarez, 22, was fatally shot by officer Evan Solano -- 10 miles from where Toledo was killed -- on March 31, 2021, after he ran from police. Chicago police say he was armed during the case, and surveillance footage shows him dropping what appears to be a gun onto the grass nearby as he was shot by an officer."After a thorough review, the office has concluded that the evidence in this case is insufficient to support criminal charges against police officer Evan Solano," Foxx said. "As in the Toledo case, an officer is justified in using force likely to cause death or great bodily harm when he reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or such other person," she said. Body camera footage released last year by Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) shows responding officers chasing Alvarez by car, and then on foot in a residential neighborhood in northwest Chicago on March 31, 2021. Police said at the time they were attempting to stop and speak with Alvarez, who was "an individual familiar to the officers," according to COPA. Police did not say at the time whether Alvarez was suspected of a crime or what they wanted to speak with him about.In the footage, an officer is heard saying, "Drop the gun!" twice. Less than a second later, he fires five times. The shooting is visible from both the officer's body camera video and a nearby home video surveillance camera. "Why are you shooting me?" Alvarez yells from the ground. Alvarez was later pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds.Body camera footage showed two officers later acknowledging that a handgun was on the grass near Alvarez.A call to attorneys representing Alvarez' family for comment was not immediately returned Tuesday. 'Trust must be a two-way street'Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said every shooting death is a tragedy and the city needs to continue to support the families and communities of Toledo and Alvarez. She added that trust is a two-way street for city residents and police officers."Following today's announcement ... that work to build that trust continues, in partnership with the Chicago Office for Police Accountability and our Chicago Police Department," she said.The city is committed to reform, including a new foot pursuit policy and the creation of a new civilian police oversight body.

David Williams, CNN

2022-03-15 21:43:01

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/us/diesel-fuel-theft-trnd/index.html

Thieves steal more than 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel from family-owned gas station - CNN

The manager of a family-owned gas station in Houston, Texas, chased off suspected thieves, who he said had already taken more than a thousand gallons of diesel fuel from the store's underground tanks in separate incidents.

us, Thieves steal more than 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel from family-owned gas station - CNN

Store manager chases van after thieves steal more than 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel from family-owned gas station

(CNN)The manager of a family-owned gas station in Houston, Texas, chased off suspected thieves, who he said had already taken more than a thousand gallons of diesel fuel from the store's underground tanks in separate incidents.Jerry Thayil, whose father owns the Fuqua Express station, told CNN the thieves hit the station three days in a row last week and got away with between $5,000 and $6,000 worth of fuel. Police are warning drivers to protect against gas thefts as oil prices soar. Here's what they recommendThey tried for a fourth time on Friday, but Thayil ran after them. Surveillance video shows him racing across the store's parking lot as a dark colored minivan drove off."I didn't want to just let them hit us again and lose another $1,200, $1,300," he said. "So I decided I would do something about it and I ran out there and chased them away." The thefts come as police in the US are warning drivers to take steps to protect their vehicles from possible gas thieves as fuel prices surge to historic levels.Read MoreThayil said he noticed discrepancies in the station's fuel levels on Wednesday and Thursday.Key inflation measure hits double digits for FebruaryHe went through the station's security footage and saw a dark minivan park on top of the lids covering the opening to the station's tanks on the days the fuel went missing.Thayil said the van apparently was equipped with a trap door so the occupants could get to the tank and pump out the fuel without being seen. They were able to get away with 300-350 gallons of diesel fuel at a time, he said."We're a family-owned business, so every penny counts around here," he said. "We're supporting 11 employees who work here. They have they have their own families, so we don't want to let them down."Lyft, like Uber, plans to add a fuel surcharge The Houston Police Department is investigating the incident. A police spokesman told CNN they have not seen an increase in gas thefts, despite sky-high prices.Thayil said this was the first time his station has dealt with fuel thefts. He said the business is talking with its insurance company to see if the thefts are covered.

Liam Reilly, CNN

2022-03-15 04:27:08

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/us/yonkers-alleged-hate-crime-attack/index.html

Yonkers NY attack: Asian woman stomped on and punched more than 125 times after being called racial slur, police say - CNN

A New York woman was punched more than 125 times in the head and face and stomped on seven times by a man who had allegedly called her an "Asian b*tch," the Yonkers Police Department said in a news release Monday.

us, Yonkers NY attack: Asian woman stomped on and punched more than 125 times after being called racial slur, police say - CNN

Asian woman stomped on and punched more than 125 times after being called racial slur, police say

(CNN)A New York woman was punched more than 125 times in the head and face and stomped on seven times by a man who had allegedly called her an "Asian b*tch," the Yonkers Police Department said in a news release Monday. The victim, a 67-year-old Asian woman, was returning home Friday evening when she saw the suspect, whom police identified as Tammel Esco, 42, in front of her building. Esco allegedly used the racial slur as she passed him, police said in the release.Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, thousands of people in the US have been victims of anti-Asian incidents, from verbal abuse to physical attacks. From March 19, 2020, to December 31, 2021, a total of 10,905 hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander people were reported to Stop AAPI Hate, an organization that tracks reports of racism and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Read More In the Friday incident, the victim ignored Esco and entered the vestibule of her apartment building, according to the police. But as she attempted to open the second door to enter the lobby, Esco allegedly approached her from behind and punched her in the head, knocking her to the floor, the release said. The department provided surveillance a video of the assault. Asian Americans are feeling on edge. How you can get help or help those in need In it, a man is seen punching a woman in both the head and face more than 125 times and then stomping her with his foot seven times. Police said he then spat on her. The woman suffered multiple contusions and lacerations to her head and face, facial bone fractures, and bleeding on the brain, according to the news release. She was taken to a trauma center and is listed in stable condition, according to police. Police responded to the scene at around 6:11 p.m. Friday, found Esco outside the apartment building and placed him into custody without incident, according to the release. He was arraigned in a Yonkers City Court on Saturday and held in custody at Westchester County Jail, the release said. Esco is charged with two felonies -- attempted murder and assault in the second degree involving a victim 65 or older -- online court records show.Each count is charged as a hate crime, according to the release. His next court date is slated for March 25. CNN reached out to the Legal Aid Society of Westchester County, which represents Esco, for comment but hasn't received a reply. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said in the release he expects the suspect to be charged to the fullest extent possible for his "heinous actions." "Hate crimes are beyond intolerable in our city," the mayor said. Individual charged with hate crimes for allegedly assaulting Asian man with a hammerYonkers is a city of more than 211,000 people in the New York City suburbs, about 17 miles north of Manhattan. "This is one of the most appalling attacks I have ever seen; to beat a helpless woman is despicable and targeting her because of her race makes it more so," Yonkers Police Commissioner John J. Mueller said in the release. "This defendant must be held to the maximum punishment allowed by law to send a clear message that hateful, violent behavior will not be tolerated in our communities."

Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN

2022-03-15 19:35:36

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/politics/ohio-concealed-carry-mike-dewine/index.html

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs permitless concealed carry bill into law - CNNPolitics

Eligible adults in Ohio will soon be able to carry a concealed handgun without a license or training following legislation signed into law Monday night by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.

politics, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs permitless concealed carry bill into law - CNNPolitics

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs permitless concealed carry bill into law

Washington (CNN)Eligible adults in Ohio will soon be able to carry a concealed handgun without a license or training following legislation signed into law Monday night by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.Gun rights groups and GOP legislators argue that the new law, set to take effect in mid-June, removes costs and barriers for law-abiding people to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms and for self-defense, while critics argue that it will increase gun violence. When stopped by police, a person will no longer have to "promptly inform" the officer that they're carrying a concealed handgun, though they will have to disclose that they have a concealed handgun when an officer asks them.The law also lowers the penalty for not telling a police officer about a concealed handgun from a first-degree misdemeanor to a second-degree misdemeanor and does not allow a police officer to arrest a person solely because they didn't promptly show their concealed carry license.People who had violated the prior notification requirements may also apply to have their record expunged. Read MoreFor those who want to obtain the concealed carry license, current Ohio law requires eight hours of training, including two hours of in-person training, to obtain a concealed carry license. Concealed carry applicants apply with their county sheriff and must pay a minimum fee of $67 for a background check and license. Once in effect, the new law will still allow Ohioans to apply for concealed carry permits, but undergoing training and background check to legally carry a concealed handgun will be optional. "Nowhere in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution does it say you have to have training to defend yourself or to bear arms," Republican state Sen. Terry Johnson, who sponsored Senate Bill 215, said last fall.Proponents of the law, including the National Rifle Association and the Buckeye Firearms Association, say that people still apply and pay for permits and training. Along with gun safety advocates, law enforcement, including Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, opposed the bill, particularly its modification of the "duty to notify," arguing that it threatens officers' safety.Other gun safety advocates, including Moms Demand Action, and Dion Green, a survivor of the 2019 shooting in Dayton that killed his father Derrick R. Fudge and eight other victims, testified in opposition to the bill. The legislation passed the Republican-led Ohio state legislature earlier this month on near party-line votes. In the wake of the 2019 shooting in Dayton, DeWine announced proposals to address gun violence, such as a "red flag" law and called on lawmakers to pass a law requiring background checks on all firearm sales. DeWine, who is up for reelection this year, also signed legislation in January that expands where a person has no duty to retreat before using force in self-defense.Several other states have been forging ahead with permitless carry policies despite the opposition from law enforcement and amid a rise in gun violence and homicides continues across the country.The law that DeWine signed makes Ohio the 23rd state to enact permitless carry, after Alabama's Republican governor signed similar legislation last week.

Sean Lyngaas, CNN

2022-03-15 19:21:28

news

europe

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/europe/ukraine-detains-hacker/index.html

Ukraine's detains 'hacker' accused of aiding Russian troops amid broader struggle to secure communications - CNN

Ukrainian authorities have detained a "hacker" who was allegedly helping the Russian military send instructions via mobile phone networks to its troops, Ukraine's SBU security service said Tuesday.

europe, Ukraine's detains 'hacker' accused of aiding Russian troops amid broader struggle to secure communications - CNN

Ukraine detains 'hacker' accused of aiding Russian troops amid broader struggle to secure communications

(CNN)Ukrainian authorities have detained a "hacker" who was allegedly helping the Russian military send instructions via mobile phone networks to its troops, Ukraine's SBU security service said Tuesday. The suspect, whom the SBU did not identify, was accused of being on "thousands" of phone calls to Russian officials, including senior military officers and of sending text messages to Ukrainian officials suggesting that they surrender. The equipment seized was used to route Ukrainian mobile phone traffic to Russian networks, according to Victor Zhora, a senior cybersecurity official in the Ukrainian government. It's the latest development in the ongoing battle for communications networks in Ukraine as the Russian military continues to shell the capital of Kyiv. From Moscow to the front lines of the war in Ukraine, the ability to communicate to troops and citizens alike has been contested by suspected Russian and pro-Ukrainian hackers.Hackers last week caused outages at a Ukrainian internet service provider Triolan, which has customers in major cities. Triolan blamed "the enemy," a reference to Russia, but did not provide evidence supporting that claim.Russia's cyber offensive against Ukraine has been limited so far. Experts are divided on whyCarmine Cicalese, former chief of cyberspace and information operations at US Army headquarters, said functional mobile phone networks are of particular importance to non-military personnel in Ukraine who are taking up arms against Russia and who do not have access to tactical communications equipment. Read MoreMore broadly, in war the ability to be able to communicate with friends and family is "vital to maintaining morale," Cicalese, who is now president of cybersecurity firm Cyber Cic, LLC, told CNN. In a separate incident, satellite modems that provide internet service for tens of thousands of customers in Europe, including some in Ukraine, were taken offline in a cyberattack on February 24, around the time that Russian forces began attacking Ukraine, an official from the US telecommunications provider Viasat, which owns the affected network, told CNN. Zhora, the Ukrainian official who works at the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection, told reporters Tuesday that the satellite hack "was a really huge loss in communications in the very beginning of the war."The hack of the Viasat satellite network was a "deliberate, isolated and external cyber event" that a third-party cybersecurity firm and "government partners" are investigating, Viasat said in a statement.Chris Phillips, spokesperson for Viasat, told CNN in an email that the KA-SAT, the Viasat satellite network targeted in the hack, had been "stabilized." Phillips declined to specify how many customers had been affected by the incident, calling it a "partial outage."Reuters first reported on the scope of the Viasat hack and the US investigation.The US government is investigating the hack of Viasat as a potential Russian state-sponsored cyberattack, a US official familiar with the matter told CNN. The US National Security Agency is "aware of reports of a potential cyber-attack that disconnected thousands of very small-aperture terminals that receive data to and from a satellite network," an NSA spokesperson told CNN. "We continue to work with interagency partners and Allies to assess the scope and severity of the incident and make available any relevant expertise we possess."

Katie Lobosco and Tami Luhby, CNN

2022-03-10 01:46:34

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/09/politics/government-omnibus-spending-bill-2022/index.html

What's in the government spending law - CNNPolitics

A massive spending bill that will fund the federal government through September -- as well as provide $13.6 billion in fresh aid to Ukraine as the country fights back against Russia's invasion -- was signed into law by President Joe Biden. The spending package, known as the omnibus, will provide funding through fiscal year 2022.

politics, What's in the government spending law - CNNPolitics

What's in the government spending law

(CNN)A massive spending bill that will fund the federal government through September -- as well as provide $13.6 billion in fresh aid to Ukraine as the country fights back against Russia's invasion -- was signed into law by President Joe Biden Tuesday. The spending package, known as the omnibus, will provide funding through fiscal year 2022, which started in October. Lawmakers have been negotiating over the legislation for months and have passed three stopgap funding bills to keep the government running in the meantime. That means federal agencies have been funded at 2021 levels for the past five months. The text of the 2,741-page bill was released last week. Congress had to pass the legislation, or another stopgap bill, by midnight last Friday to avoid a government shutdown. The House passed the bill on Wednesday night and the Senate passed the bill on Thursday evening. The spending package calls for more than $1.5 trillion in annual appropriations, excluding the Ukraine aid. That's more than a 6% increase from the year before, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The legislation will provide $730 billion in non-defense funding -- a 6.7% increase over fiscal year 2021 -- the largest jump in four years, according to the House Appropriations Committee. It also will provide $782 billion in defense funding, a 5.6% increase over fiscal year 2021.Read MoreHere's what some of the money will fund, according to summaries and fact sheets provided by the House Appropriations Committee:Increases for congressional offices, staff and policeThe law calls for an increase in funding for congressional offices by 21%, to $774.4 million, so they can recruit and retain a diverse workforce. It will be the largest boost in the Members Representational Allowance appropriation since its authorization in 1996. The package will also provide $18.2 million to pay interns.It will provide $602.5 million for the Capitol Police, an increase of $87 million. This will allow for the hiring of up to 2,112 sworn officers and 450 civilian members of the Capitol Police.A boost for the IRSThe spending package will provide $12.6 billion for the Internal Revenue Service, an increase of $675 million, the largest since 2001. The funding boost is intended to help the IRS improve its customer service, increase enforcement, modernize its technology and improve its web applications. It also will provide special funding transfer authority and direct hire authority to help the agency deal with a massive backlog of returns and correspondence. Money for election securityThe package will provide $75 million for election security grants to bolster state efforts to improve the security and integrity of elections for federal office. It also will give the Election Assistance Commission $20 million for operating expenses, a boost of $3 million.Schools and financial aid boostThe law will provide $17.5 billion for high-poverty K-12 schools, an increase of $1 billion, the largest in more than a decade. And it calls for increasing funding for Head Start by $289 million to $11 billion.The maximum Pell Grant will increase by $400, to $6,895 a year. Pell Grants are generally awarded to undergraduate students with exceptional financial needs, and the amounts are based on their costs to attend school, family sizes and incomes. The increase will be the largest to the maximum Pell Grant in more than a decade, according to a summary of the bill. The Build Back Better package, which passed the House last year but stalled in the Senate, had called for increasing the maximum Pell Grant award by $550. Funds for medical research and public healthThe package will provide more funding for biomedical and behavioral research at the National Institutes of Health, which will receive $45 billion in funding, an increase of $2.25 billion. It will include $1 billion to establish the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health in order to speed up the pace of scientific breakthroughs for diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer.It will send $8.5 billion to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an increase of $582 million. And it will invest in the nation's public health infrastructure and public health and behavioral health initiatives, including $83 million for safe motherhood and infant health, an increase of $20 million, and nearly $212 million for mental health resources for children and youth, an increase of $25 million.Unlocks new infrastructure investmentThe passage of the spending bill will allow the release of some of the funding authorized by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed in November.Due to a budgeting quirk, some of the money could not be spent until the fiscal year 2022 appropriations measure is signed into law. The restriction affects a portion of the funds slated for the federal highway program and public transit programs, for example. Renews the Violence Against Women ActThe law renews the Violence Against Women Act, which expired in 2018, by increasing funding for its prevention and prosecution programs, as well as efforts to reduce the backlog of unprocessed rape kits, according to a fact sheet. Child nutrition programsThe package will provide $26.9 billion in funding for child nutrition programs, an increase of $1.77 billion above what was approved for fiscal year 2021. However, the spending law does not extend the pandemic waivers that provide schools with extra federal funds and increased flexibilities to cope with Covid-19 outbreaks, as well as supply chain and labor issues. A one-year extension of the waivers, which Congress originally approved in March 2020, would have cost $11 billion.The law will also authorize funds so that more fruits and vegetables can be included in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children food packages. More housing aidThe Department of Housing and Urban Development will get an increase of $4 billion over the previous year, for a total of $53.7 billion, according to a summary. Some of the funds will create 25,000 new Housing Choice Vouchers for low-income individuals and families at risk of homelessness, including survivors of domestic violence and veterans. Eligible people can use the vouchers to find their own housing and pay rent. Cybersecurity protectionThe spending package will increase funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency by $568.7 million, for a total of $2.6 billion to prevent cyberattacks and protect critical infrastructure and communications systems, according to a fact sheet. Closing a vaping loopholeA provision in the law targets vaping products that remained on the market despite growing efforts to clamp down on flavors that are especially popular among young people. It will move synthetic nicotine under the US Food and Drug Administration's authority, according to an announcement Wednesday by Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat.While the FDA has authority over tobacco products, some companies have made their own synthetic nicotine in the lab. Because synthetic nicotine doesn't come from tobacco, companies have managed to circumvent the agency's oversight and keep their flavored products on shelves.DefenseSpending on defense and national security makes up more than half of the spending package. The measure calls for an increase in funds for military personnel, operations, research and the purchase of ground vehicles, aircraft, ships, munition and other equipment, according to a summary. Ukraine aidThe $13.6 billion would provide additional humanitarian, security and economic assistance for Ukraine and allies in the region. Roughly half of the aid package would be used to deploy troops to the region and send defense equipment to Ukraine, according to a summary of the bill provided by the House Appropriations Committee.The US has deployed thousands of troops throughout Europe, both before and during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But putting troops on the ground in Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO, is a line that the US and its Western allies have not been willing to cross.Much of the other half of the aid would provide humanitarian support for refugees fleeing Ukraine and people displaced within the country, including emergency food assistance, as well as help to respond to the economic needs in Ukraine and neighboring countries, such as cybersecurity and energy issues.What's not in the bill? Covid-19 reliefThe bill text originally included $15.6 billion to fund the government's Covid-19 response efforts in the US and around the world, including research and development of treatments and vaccines.But the funding was stripped from the bill in a last-minute effort to lock down votes last week. Republicans had pushed for the money to be offset by previously approved Covid-19 relief funds for state governments that had yet to be used, but many Democrats raised objections about the way those offsets were structured.Instead, House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, introduced a stand-alone bill with the Covid-19 response funds. But it's unlikely that the separate package would get the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate.This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

Katelyn Polantz and Daniel Shepherd, CNN

2022-03-14 23:04:09

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/politics/enrique-tarrio-proud-boys-justice-department/index.html

Enrique Tarrio, Proud Boys leader, will stay in jail pending trial in January 6 conspiracy case, judge rules - CNNPolitics

Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, will remain in jail as he awaits trial, a federal judge decided on Tuesday.

politics, Enrique Tarrio, Proud Boys leader, will stay in jail pending trial in January 6 conspiracy case, judge rules - CNNPolitics

Proud Boys leader will stay in jail pending trial in January 6 conspiracy case, judge rules

Washington (CNN)Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, will remain in jail as he awaits trial, a federal judge decided on Tuesday.The Justice Department had argued Tarrio, if released, would be a danger to the community, pointing to his leadership of the far-right group from afar during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and pride in their destructiveness."January 6 has passed, but there's no reason to think that Enrique Tarrio is done planning another incident," prosecutor Jason McCullough said in court Tuesday in Miami. An FBI agent testified in court as well."Based on the compelling evidence of Tarrio's leadership of this conspiracy, there are no conditions of release that can reasonably assure the safety of the community or the defendant's appearance in court. And based on Tarrio's public comments aimed at chilling witnesses against his co-conspirators, as well as his own purported efforts to evade law enforcement, he poses a risk of obstructing justice should he be released," the department said in a filing in federal court.Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis of the Southern District of Florida agreed with the DOJ's warnings, noting there was also a threat that he could flee, after being charged with criminal conspiracy as an alleged planner of the January 6 attack of the Capitol.Read MoreDefense attorney Nayib Hassan asked the judge to be released, citing close family ties and ties to the community. Several of Tarrio's family members attended the hearing in Miami, which lasted nearly three hours, and some relatives offered their homes as collateral for his bond. Tarrio's defense attorney said after the hearing he was "disappointed" in the judge's decision and might appeal the ruling at a hearing scheduled for next week in Washington, DC.Tarrio's case will now move to the federal court in Washington, DC, for further proceedings. Five co-defendants of Tarrio who are also linked to the Proud Boys have pleaded not guilty.Tarrio told group 'do it again'Prosecutors specifically highlighted Tarrio texting in an encrypted message chat on January 6: "They'll fear us doing it again," after claiming, "We did this," about the Capitol attack. When a member of the group asked what to do next, Tarrio responded, "Do it again."Monday's filing also revealed a new detail about an alleged meeting Tarrio had with Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, and others at a parking garage in Washington, DC, on January 5. Rhodes and other Oath Keepers are facing seditious conspiracy charges in a separate January 6 case.While in the garage, Tarrio told a person, who was not identified, that he had wiped all messages on his phone and had a two-factor authentication set up to make his phone difficult to access for others, the Justice Department said. Tarrio is the latest high-profile defendant indicted by the Justice Department in its sweeping investigation of January 6. He was added to an existing case against several other Proud Boys leaders and a man that the Justice Department believes was the first person to break into a Senate-side window, allowing the crowd to surge toward elected officials inside. Other Proud Boys members in the case are detained awaiting trial.Prosecutors said in their filing on Monday that Tarrio is accused of a serious criminal conspiracy, stating that "the danger posed by this plot shows an extreme disregard for the safety of the community and the laws of the United States."Tarrio was previously arrested and served jail time for destroying a church's Black Lives Matter banner in downtown DC. He was not in the city on January 6, having been ordered by a judge to leave because of his arrest days before.Prosecutors described how Tarrio, after leaving DC on January 4, stayed in communication with a rally planning group within the Proud Boys called the Ministry of Self Defense, or MOSD. Their first event, according to prosecutors, was the January 6 Donald Trump rally in Washington, and Tarrio sent the group a voice message on January 4 acknowledging they wanted to "storm the Capitol.""Tarrio directed and orchestrated the MOSD's violent acts entirely remotely -- using encrypted media and social media in the weeks leading up to January 6, and on the day itself, to organize, direct, and celebrate the success of a criminal conspiracy to obstruct the Certification of the Electoral College vote," prosecutors wrote. This story and headline have been updated with additional developments Tuesday.CNN's Hannah Rabinowitz contributed to this report.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN

2022-03-15 15:42:52

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/politics/us-mexico-border-arrests/index.html

US-Mexico border arrests climbed in February - CNNPolitics

US Border Patrol made more than 158,000 arrests on the US southern border in February, a jump from January when there were nearly 148,000 apprehensions, according to newly released agency data.

politics, US-Mexico border arrests climbed in February - CNNPolitics

US-Mexico border arrests climbed in February

(CNN)US Border Patrol made more than 158,000 arrests on the US southern border in February, a jump from January when there were nearly 148,000 apprehensions, according to newly released agency data. Single adults continued to make up the majority of arrests, followed by families and unaccompanied children. Of the total 164,973 encounters -- which includes people who approached ports of entry along the US-Mexico border -- 30% had previously tried to cross the border within the last year. A Trump-era pandemic emergency rule that allows border authorities to turn away migrants, including asylum seekers, at the border remains in effect for adults and families. There were 91,513 expulsions of migrants under the policy in February, the data shows. "February also registered a slight uptick in the number of encounters along the Southwest border, with most individuals arriving from Mexico and the Northern Triangle, and the majority of noncitizens expelled under Title 42," said US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus. Over the weekend, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention terminated that rule as it relates to unaccompanied minors, who had been exempted from it under the Biden administration, after a lower court ruling forced the administration's hand.Read MoreThe White House has faced mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers and immigrant advocates to terminate the Trump-era policy, which they say puts people in harm's way. Just last week, a Ukrainian family fleeing the war in their country had also been barred from seeking asylum at the California-Mexico border but were eventually allowed into the US.Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visited Mexico on Monday to discuss migration with government officials. He is in Costa Rica on Tuesday.

Opinion by Michael A. Newton

2022-03-15 09:32:24

news

opinions

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/opinions/war-crimes-russia-invasion-ukraine-newton/index.html

Opinion: War crimes expert says Russian invaders are crossing a line - CNN

In an interview with CNN Opinion, Michael A. Newton, a war crimes expert, argues that Russia should be investigated for possible war crimes in Ukraine. He says that one way to assist in this investigation is for the US Senate to confirm President Joe Biden's nominee for US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice -- Beth Van Schaack

opinions, Opinion: War crimes expert says Russian invaders are crossing a line - CNN

War crimes expert: Russian invaders are crossing a line

(CNN)Almost three weeks into Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, harrowing images of bloodied pregnant women and children emerging from an obliterated hospital in Mariupol have shocked the world. Congress is now considering a resolution to investigate the Russian invaders for possible war crimes. JUST WATCHEDStriking video from above shows devastation in Ukraine city where 2,500 are deadReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHStriking video from above shows devastation in Ukraine city where 2,500 are dead 01:01In an email interview with CNN Opinion, Michael A. Newton, an expert on war crimes, argues that such an investigation is justified due to the attacks on civilians.He is a professor of the practice of law and professor of the practice of political science at Vanderbilt University. Newton served as the senior adviser to the Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues in the US State Department from 1999 to 2002. He also helped negotiate the International Criminal Court Elements of Crimes. The views expressed in this commentary are his own.This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and flow.A Ukrainian serviceman exits a damaged building after shelling in Kyiv, on March 12, 2022. Let's start with the basics -- what constitutes a war crime? Read MoreAccording to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, a war crime is any act by which combatants and commanders fail to ensure respect for the civilian population, or illegally subject civilian objects to hostilities. Many other duties flow from this baseline, such as warning civilian populations "unless circumstances do not permit" and obligations to take "all feasible precautions" to minimize harm to civilian lives or property.War crimes law relies on the foundational principle that fighters must "at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants -- and between civilian objects and military objectives, and accordingly shall direct their operations only against military objectives."The laws of war apply in Ukraine because the Russian invasion is real. Despite the Russian label of the war as a "special military operation," the Geneva Conventions on armed conflicts apply "even if the state of war is not recognized" by Russian officials. Based on that definition, have we seen this already in Ukraine?A record 41 other states have asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to formally investigate crimes committed inside Ukraine because there is "reasonable basis" to believe that Russian forces are committing war crimes. The list of possible charges grows daily. Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor, observed that "if attacks are intentionally directed against the civilian population: that is a crime. If attacks are intentionally directed against civilian objects: that is a crime. ... There is no legal justification, there is no excuse, for attacks which are indiscriminate, or which are disproportionate in their effects on the civilian population." Attacks aimed at demoralizing civilians are war crimes because civilian morale is never a legitimate military target. Russians have been accused of launching attacks inside the boundaries of the designated humanitarian corridors. Targeting of humanitarian convoys or relief operations providing food, water and medicine may constitute the crime of intentionally using starvation as a method of warfare. What role should the US play in documenting war crimes in Ukraine? The US Senate should confirm President Joe Biden's nominee for US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, Beth Van Schaack, by voice vote immediately. The ambassador has a vital role in coordinating US government efforts to document war crimes in a granular legal sense. In war crime trials, prosecutors must have sufficient evidence to convict perpetrators beyond reasonable doubt based on their individual responsibility. The ambassador coordinates allied efforts, much as the UN War Crimes Commission facilitated prosecutions in Nuremberg after the Second World War. If bombing a children's hospital isn't crossing a red line -- what is?The Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice represents an important voice within the State Department and interagency, and Van Schaack's leadership would help ensure success for the new joint US-EU project documenting war crimes. Prosecution of Russian leaders, oligarchs and commanders for crimes in Ukraine must be a "whole of the Free World" approach. Brave Ukrainian lawyers are doing their part, and we should support them.American leadership provides the centripetal force to consolidate documentation efforts and incorporate the rapidly coalescing array of private documentation efforts. Investigations will also provide corroborating evidence to refute Russian propaganda and legal distortions. What role did you play in the prosecution of Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic in the 1990s? I stood at the border of Kosovo with the first Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues (the previous name for this ambassadorship), David Scheffer, to help document the crimes later charged against Slobodan Milošević. We were eyewitnesses to the more than 20,000 Kosovar-Albanians who fled the murders committed in Pristina within a few days. Serbs forced them onto trains and sent them across the border, down tracks with landmines laid on either side and with snipers ready to murder those who stepped out of line. This led to an unprecedented effort to document atrocities in near real time. Unlike the current Office of Global Criminal Justice, we reported directly to the US Secretary of State, and we took the FBI into Kosovo to assist investigations benefiting the Hague Tribunal. These efforts buttressed many cases, in addition to Milosevic's. Who would decide if any Russian leader is to be held responsible for war crimes?Russian commanders, oligarchs and leaders may be prosecuted for ordering, committing or assisting war crimes. The law of command responsibility also criminalizes those who "knew or should have known" of crimes and failed to take necessary and reasonable measures to discipline the forces under their "effective control." The judges of each case assess the legal basis for every charge. Because the Geneva Conventions grant broad criminal jurisdiction to sovereign states, domestic officials may prosecute war criminals found on their territory, too. The ICC treaty permits charges against senior leaders because it applies "equally to all persons without any distinction based on official capacity." It adds that a person's capacity as head of state does not exempt them from criminal responsibility. How realistic is it that they would be tried in a courtroom?Russian leaders should feel deep disquiet in the face of a deeply entrenched body of precedents since the Second World War. Prosecuting those responsible for crimes committed in Ukraine conforms with patterns of international criminal justice that include many defendants who thought that they were above the law. Putin's bombs aren't weakening Ukraine's resolve to fightThe presidents, prime ministers, defense officials, military commanders and staff officers who have been brought to book represent a litany of infamy. Defendants included Slobodan Milošević, former Liberian President Charles Taylor, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, former Rwandan Prime Minister Jean Kambanda, former Rwandan General Augustin Bizimungu -- and many others. These cases are the common heritage of mankind. However, the ICC cannot prosecute the crime of aggression conducted by Russian leaders against Ukraine -- in part because Russia is not a state party to the ICC. We should instead work with our EU allies and/or the UN to establish a "New Nuremberg" empowered to adjudicate aggression-based offenses -- minus Russian judges of course.What can we learn from other war crimes trials?These trials are inherently complex. They take more time to investigate and prosecute than victims would like. Proceedings must be based on compilation of evidence and procedural regularity absent overtones of political retribution. During the trial of Saddam Hussein, the judge rebuked one lawyer, saying "you are a legal man in a court of law, not a circus." No war criminals should develop complacency about escaping accountability because atrocity crimes are unconstrained by statutes of limitations.Prosecutors exercise discretion based on actual evidence rather than polemics. Careful lawyering is the key. The sensational nature of charges requires close coordination with civil society and victims' organizations. The Congress of Vienna, which reorganized Europe after the Napoleonic wars, termed Napoleon Bonaparte "Enemy and Disturber of the tranquility of the World." Russian leaders are no less deserving of that title, yet political speech will help bring justice only when it is translated into binding legal opinion.Even if no Russian leaders could be easily convicted, why would it still be worth pursuing charges?The United States has a moral imperative to help Ukraine win the war that Russia brought to its citizenry. As the ICC came into existence, American diplomats promised that the US would not "retreat from its leadership role in the promotion of international justice and the rule of law." We must uphold that promise. Indeed, coordinated efforts to restore the rule of law are necessary to augment financial sanctions. In the world's first military treatise, ancient Chinese general, military strategist and philosopher Sun Tzŭ wrote that "to fight and conquer in all your battles is not the supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." Get our free weekly newsletterSign up for CNN Opinion's newsletter.Join us on Twitter and FacebookIn upholding the law of war, our efforts will reclaim the initiative from the Russian aggressors. We must stand fast in upholding professional military norms and reinforcing the laws and customs of warfare.

Whitney Wild, CNN

2022-03-15 10:01:36

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/politics/tallahassee-hot-yoga-shooting-misogynistic-extremism-report/index.html

'Incels': Threat assessment experts highlight danger posed by 'involuntarily celibate' men - CNNPolitics

On a Friday evening in November 2018, 40-year-old Scott Beierle signed up for a hot yoga class in Tallahassee, Florida, and told the receptionist he would wait outside.

politics, 'Incels': Threat assessment experts highlight danger posed by 'involuntarily celibate' men - CNNPolitics

Threat assessment experts highlight danger posed by 'involuntarily celibate' men

(CNN)On a Friday evening in November 2018, 40-year-old Scott Beierle signed up for a hot yoga class in Tallahassee, Florida, and told the receptionist he would wait outside. When the class began, Beierle grabbed his ear protection and a loaded gun, walked into the classroom and opened fire. He killed two women, injured four others and then turned the gun on himself. Police, through the course of their investigation of the incident, discovered a long history of hatred toward women, sexual assault allegations, and homophobic and racist comments. Now, threat assessment experts with the US Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center are using the Tallahassee murder-suicide to bring greater understanding to the threat posed by so-called involuntarily celibate men, often referred to as "incels.""The term 'incel' is often used to describe men who feel unable to obtain romantic or sexual relationships with women, to which they feel entitled," according to researchers in a new case study report released Tuesday.Read More"This attacker's history highlights the specific threat posed by misogynistic extremism," researchers wrote in the case study. "This gender-based ideology, sometimes referred to as 'male supremacy' has received increased attention in recent years from researchers, government agencies and advocacy groups due to its association with high-profile incidents of mass violence."The detailed review of Beierle's history illustrated common behavioral patterns and highlights many opportunities for intervention. "The behavioral history of the Hot Yoga Tallahassee attacker illustrates many of the behavioral threat assessment themes identified through years of U.S. Secret Service research examining targeted violence," the report states.The Secret Service's report showed Beierle had regularly written about and engaged in violence toward women. "The Hot Yoga Tallahassee attacker was motivated to carry out violence by his inability to develop or maintain relationships with women, along with his perception of women's societal power over men," said Steven Driscoll, the assistant director of the National Threat Assessment Center.Beierle's behavioral history, the report said, "highlights the specific threat posed by misogynistic extremism." One theme the report points to is Beierle facing a lack of consequences. For example, the report notes that he had been charged multiple times with battery, but charges were dropped. Other behavior threat assessment themes the Secret Service identified included failed aspirations, lack of financial stability, bizarre behavior, harassment and homicidal ideations.The number of mass casualty events such as school shootings and misogynistically motivated murders in recent years has prompted a dramatic increase in requests for training from the Secret Service, researchers said. Lina Alathari, the chief of the National Threat Assessment Center, estimated the number of participants in threat assessment and targeted violence trainings topped 26,000 last year. Researchers noted that Beierle's behavior was extreme and reflected a combination of misogyny and White supremacy, highlighting the need for more studies on male supremacy as a motivating ideology."You often see a crossover between misogynistic views and White supremacy, far-right ideology, as well as in some cases far-left ideologies," Driscoll said. "The body of research examining misogyny as an extreme ideology and incels specifically, as well as its intersection with other ideologies like White supremacy, as a field of research, is growing."

Geneva Sands, CNN

2022-03-15 06:51:23

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/us/florida-key-west-migrants-arrive/index.html

More than 100 migrants arrive in Florida Keys in 'smuggling event,' Border Patrol says - CNN

A group of 122 migrants arrived in the US by boat Monday, landing about 20 miles north of Key West, Florida, officials said.

us, More than 100 migrants arrive in Florida Keys in 'smuggling event,' Border Patrol says - CNN

More than 100 migrants arrive in Florida Keys in 'smuggling event,' Border Patrol says

(CNN)A group of 122 migrants arrived in the US by boat Monday, landing about 20 miles north of Key West, Florida, officials said.The migrants' arrival was a "maritime smuggling event," according to US Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar. There is a "coordinated response with our state, federal and local partners, making sure that we get medical and safety checks and then get these individuals processed and transported to our station," Slosar said in a video posted on Twitter.Suspected migrant boat carrying 300 people runs aground in the Florida KeysThe migrants are believed to be Haitian, according to a law enforcement source. They are predominately male, but some women and children were also on the boat. The route the vessel took and other details are being investigated, the source added. The Monday arrival comes little more than a week after another boat carrying about 300 migrants also believed to be from Haiti ran aground near Key Largo. Read MoreThat vessel had been overloaded by suspected smugglers, Slosar said at the time, and many of the migrants were in need of medical attention. CNN's Melissa Alonso contributed to this report.

Amy Simonson, CNN

2022-03-15 01:59:51

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/us/nicolas-chavez-houston-shooting-officers-reinstated/index.html

Nicolas Chavez: Houston police officers suspended for 2020 fatal shooting are reinstated - CNN

Four Houston Police Department officers who were indefinitely suspended in September 2020 in the deadly shooting of Nicolas Chavez will be reinstated, according to the department's police chief.

us, Nicolas Chavez: Houston police officers suspended for 2020 fatal shooting are reinstated - CNN

Houston police officers suspended for 2020 fatal shooting of Nicolas Chavez are reinstated

(CNN)Four Houston Police Department officers who were indefinitely suspended in September 2020 in the deadly shooting of Nicolas Chavez will be reinstated, according to the department's police chief.One sergeant and three officers had appealed the suspension that followed the shooting of an apparently emotionally disturbed man who was on the ground, wounded and incapacitated, before a final barrage of 21 shots.HPD Chief Troy Finner announced in a news conference Monday the city was unable to prove each officer violated the rules and policies cited in their suspension. Therefore, Finner said, an arbitrator ruled the officers must be reinstated. Although he was not the final decision maker, Finner said he believes when the officers were indefinitely suspended there was evidence of policy violations. Then-police chief Art Acevedo said at the time the four officers were fired, but a police spokesperson said Monday the officers had been indefinitely suspended.Read More"I'm disgusted," Leantha Chavez, Nicolas Chavez's mother, said in an interview with CNN on Monday. "My son was murdered by them and they know it.""These men are getting their jobs back just so they can do it again," she said. "They are supposed to help us, not hurt us."A frame grab from the bodycam footage released by the Houston Police Department. Body camera footage was released by policeHPD officials released graphic bodycam video showing the incident that ultimately led to the suspension, CNN previously reported. The incident started with several 911 calls about an apparently emotionally disturbed man jumping in front of cars and entering backyards.Acevedo said toxicology tests revealed Chavez had methamphetamine, amphetamine and ethanol in his system when he died.Edited body camera footage showed the officers initially repeatedly pleaded with the man to surrender."Hey, bud, we're here to help you, man," one officer is heard saying.Houston Police Officers' Union officials at the time said the encounter lasted about 15 minutes, during which the officers attempted to de-escalate the incident by retreating, firing bean bags and using Tasers on the man before resorting to lethal force when he pointed a stun gun at them.Joe Gamaldi, union president and also national vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, tamped down speculation the incident was racially motivated. Chavez was Latino, he said. Three of the officers are Latino and the fourth is married to a Latina."It was clear ... these officers did not want to shoot Mr. Chavez and did everything in their power not to," Gamaldi told reporters.Acevedo had said even after repeated verbal warnings, the deployment of multiple soft impact rounds and Tasers, Chavez was still "armed with a metal object and began moving quickly toward" the officer who fired the first two shots. He also called the barrage of gunfire at the end unreasonable.Chavez's father, Joaquín Chavez, told CNN at the time his son had struggled with depression and anxiety but didn't know what his son was going through the night died. "He had his issues. He went through a lot. I just don't understand," he said. "I don't think I'll ever find out why he was out on the street that night."A grand jury failed to indict the officers last year on charges related to the shooting, according to CNN affiliate KTRK.Officers will be retrained, chief saysThe four officers will receive back pay for the time they were suspended and will need of training, according to Finner."They've been away from the department almost two years, and there will be reintegration training -- also additional training, just as any other officers who are involved in critical incidents," Finner said. In a statement emailed to CNN, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said, "I reviewed the video shortly after the shooting of Mr. Chavez and was disturbed by what I saw. The city dismissed the officers, but the independent hearing examiner has reinstated them."He added, "It is important that before any consideration is given to placing these officers back on the street, they be retrained and fully understand the policies of this city. Mr. Chavez's family lost a loved one, and even though the hearing examiner has reinstated these officers, no one should be rejoicing under the circumstances."Finner asked for prayers for the Chavez family and asked that everyone respect the process, saying it's a difficult time for the family, the department and the community. CNN reached out to the Houston Police Union's attorney representing the four officers for comment.CNN's Ray Sanchez, Ashley Killough, Joe Sutton and Travis Caldwell contributed to this report.

Artemis Moshtaghian, Liam Reilly, Susannah Cullinane and Eric Levenson, CNN

2022-03-14 05:06:52

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/us/new-york-city-washington-dc-homeless-shootings/index.html

Manhunt underway to find suspect in shootings of 5 homeless men in New York City and DC - CNN

Five shootings targeting homeless men in New York City and Washington, DC, over the past two weeks were carried out by a single suspect who is now the subject of an "urgent" manhunt, officials said Sunday.

us, Manhunt underway to find suspect in shootings of 5 homeless men in New York City and DC - CNN

'Urgent' manhunt underway to find suspect in shootings of 5 homeless men in New York City and DC

(CNN)Five shootings targeting homeless men in New York City and Washington, DC, over the past two weeks were carried out by a single suspect who is now the subject of an "urgent" manhunt, officials said Sunday.The shootings took place between March 3 and March 12 and left two men dead, the New York Police Department and Washington's Metropolitan Police Department said in a joint statement. Each shooting happened in the middle of the night and targeted men experiencing homelessness, authorities said.Three of the shootings were last week in Washington, followed by two more in New York this weekend.The NYPD and MPD cited similar circumstances and characteristics in each attack, although they did not release specific details. Speaking to Bloomberg on Monday, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said a ballistics match helped law enforcement connect the shootings.The agencies are working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on the investigation and have offered a combined $55,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.Read MoreOfficials released new images of the suspect wanted in connection to the shootings and called on the public to help identify and locate him."We know that this is a scary situation," Bowser said at a news conference Monday evening. "We know that our unsheltered residents already face a lot of daily dangers and it is unconscionable that anybody would target this vulnerable population."MORE PHOTOS of the wanted suspect. Tipsters are eligible for a reward of up to $55,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction.@NYPDnews @ATFWashington https://t.co/ENZRG4fzV7 pic.twitter.com/niCz74Nb0V— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) March 14, 2022 As officials work to locate the suspect, Bowser asked any unsheltered residents in New York City or Washington, DC, seek shelter at this time.New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell joined Bowser at the press conference in Washington, DC."He intentionally took the life of an innocent person," Adams said. "He must be brought to justice." The mayors of both cities issued a joint statement Sunday saying there was a "cold-blooded killer on the loose." Agencies also released surveillance photos and video of the suspect."Our homeless population is one of our most vulnerable and an individual preying on them as they sleep is an exceptionally heinous crime," said NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell. "We will use every tool, every technique and every partner to bring the killer to justice."The NYPD directed its members to do wellness checks on people who appear homeless, according to a memo obtained by CNN sent on Sunday. Police were instructed to show individuals a flyer with the photo of a man police want to talk to in connection with the shootings.The NYPD released photos of the person they believed targeted homeless men in two shootings Saturday.The attacks in New York come about a month after Adams unveiled a plan to increase safety and address homelessness on the subway system. The suspects in several recent high-profile subway attacks were described as homeless, including in the death of Michelle Alyssa Go, who was pushed in front of a train in January.Still, homeless people have long been at a higher risk of experiencing violence than the general population. In a 2014 study by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, researchers interviewed 516 homeless adults and about half reported that they had been the victim of an attack.Such violence against the homeless has continued in recent years. In 2019, four homeless men were killed and a fifth was seriously injured in Manhattan's Chinatown neighborhood when a fellow homeless man struck their heads with a metal object as they slept, police said at the time.In a statement, the group Coalition for the Homeless linked the mayor's move to clear out subways to the violence."Despite the headlines, homeless New Yorkers are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators," the group said in a statement Sunday. "Saturday's tragedy is an urgent reminder that many unsheltered New Yorkers choose to bed down in the subways because that is where they feel the most safe in the absence of housing and low-barrier shelters."A timeline of the shootingsThe first shooting happened around 4 a.m. on March 3 in the 1100 block of New York Avenue Northeast, the MPD said in an earlier statement Sunday. Officers responded to a call of shots fired and found a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, the statement said.The second shooting was reported around 1:21 a.m. on March 8 in the 1700 block of H Street Northeast, MPD said. Officers found another man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds and he was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.Then, around 2:54 a.m. on March 9, an MPD member noticed a fire in the 400 block of New York Avenue Northeast and a man's remains were discovered after the flames were extinguished. The cause of death was determined to be multiple stab and gunshot wounds, police said.Two people shot, one fatally, while sleeping on NYC streetsThe fourth and fifth shootings occurred in New York City early Saturday when the suspect opened fire on two apparently homeless people who were sleeping on the street, killing one and wounding the other, the NYPD said.The shootings happened about 90 minutes apart in Lower Manhattan and were caught on surveillance cameras, the department said. The NYPD described what the videos showed but did not release them to CNN.One video shows a man who appeared to be homeless sleeping near the corner of King Street and Varick when an unknown suspect approached and shot him in his forearm, NYPD Deputy Chief Commanding Officer Henry Sautner said during a news conference Saturday. The man woke up and shouted, "What are you doing?" at the shooter, who then ran away, Sautner added. Police were called to the scene around 4:30 a.m. Saturday and the 38-year-old victim was taken to a hospital for treatment.In addition, investigators became aware of a second shooting outside 148 Lafayette Street on Saturday. There, officers found a man in a sleeping bag with gunshot wounds to his head and neck, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, Sautner said. Surveillance video shows a suspect approaching the sleeping victim around 6:00 a.m. and discharging a weapon, Sautner said.Mayor Adams described the surveillance videos of the two New York shootings as "chilling.""This individual approached the two men, one at a time, you see him looking around, making sure no one was around, kicking the homeless person to make sure they were not asleep and just assassinated him," Adams said Sunday. "It was just something you would not imagine would take place in our city."Shootings are 'heinous crimes,' mayors say In their joint statement Sunday, Mayors Adams and Bowser called the shootings "heinous crimes" and called on residents to report any information that could help the investigation."The work to get this individual off our streets before he hurts or murders another individual is urgent. The rise in gun violence has shaken all of us and it is particularly horrible to know that someone is out there deliberately doing harm to an already vulnerable population," they said.The mayors also called on residents who are homeless to seek shelter."It is heartbreaking and tragic to know that in addition to all the dangers that unsheltered residents face, we now have a cold-blooded killer on the loose, but we are certain that we will get the suspect off the street and into police custody," they said.The shootings come as the NYPD grapples with upticks across every major crime category in the city. Major crimes spiked nearly 60% in February compared to the same month in 2021, police data showed.NYC crime wave continues into 2022 New York City recorded a 41% increase in overall major crime through the first months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, including a nearly 54% increase in robberies, a 56% increase in grand larceny incidents and a 22% increase in rape reports, the data shows.Murders increased by 10%, while citywide shooting incidents decreased by 1.3%, with 77 incidents in February 2021 and 76 incidents last month, NYPD data shows. City officials are working to get homeless individuals into shelters, Adams said Sunday. "We're also mobilizing on the streets to notify our homeless to try and get them in shelters, those who want to do so," Adams said. "Being homeless should not turn into a homicide and I want to catch this guy bad." Adams unveiled his 'Blueprint to End Gun Violence' in January, which includes long-term goals to grow economic opportunities, improve child education and provide more access to mental health resources while addressing the gun crisis.CNN's Greg Clary, Brynn Gingras and Laura Studley contributed to this report.

Mark Morales, CNN

2022-03-14 12:47:01

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/us/nypd-neighborhood-safety-teams/index.html

New York: NYPD deploys Neighborhood Safety Teams to battle gun violence, replacing controversial plainclothes unit - CNN

A controversial unit within the New York Police Department that was revived to battle rising gun violence in the city is finally hitting the streets on Monday, promising significant training, and even new uniforms, to prevent aggressive and abusive policing tactics that had plagued its predecessor.

us, New York: NYPD deploys Neighborhood Safety Teams to battle gun violence, replacing controversial plainclothes unit - CNN

NYPD deploys Neighborhood Safety Teams to battle gun violence, replacing controversial plainclothes unit

(CNN)A controversial unit within the New York Police Department that was revived to battle rising gun violence in the city is finally hitting the streets on Monday, promising significant training, and even new uniforms, to prevent aggressive and abusive policing tactics that had plagued its predecessor.The so-called Neighborhood Safety Teams, the latest version of plainclothes units designed to go after firearms, will be deployed to roughly 25 neighborhoods officials say represent 80% of the gun violence in the city. When the unit is fully built, the specialized officers will be in 30 neighborhoods and several public housing projects, city officials said. The unit replaces the anti-crime team disbanded in 2020.While the new team steps off on Monday, the latest crime statistics show crime up in every major category, which includes murder, rape, robbery and others. As of the first week of March, major crimes were up 47% since the start of the year, compared to the same time last year.And while the new neighborhood safety teams have been pegged as one of many long term solutions for crime, there continues to be a constant spate of high profile crimes."It's important that he bring crime down. He has a very short window in which to do it before New Yorkers start to question whether or not he can do the job and start questioning his leadership," said Basil Smikle, a longtime political strategist and lecturer at both Columbia University and Hunter College.Read MoreTraining focused on minimal force, de-escalationThe new teams are designed to pick up where the anti-crime team left off. The issue has been addressing community concerns such as officers in plainclothes jumping out of unmarked cars, leading many in the community to argue they didn't know they were dealing with police. In response, the NYPD has instituted more training, new uniforms and included community members as part of the process."These teams are there for gun violence," NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a news conference on Friday. "They are there for criminal activity but they look like police officers. They are not in plain clothes. Their uniforms clearly have the NYPD on the back. They are there for the safety of the community and to get violent offenders off the street."Sewell said to make the new teams happen, they had to look at the mistakes of the past.The NYPD has resurrected its controversial anti-crime unit. Success will be determined by avoiding mistakes of the past The new neighborhood safety teams are made up of a sergeant and five officers. All were put through a seven-day training period where they were tactically trained as a team. They also learned minimal force techniques, advanced tactics in car stop de-escalation, communication skills, courtroom testimony training and constitutional policing, said NYPD Chief of Department Kenneth Corey, who has overseen the new unit's training."The training surrounding investigative encounters is the same material that has been reviewed and approved by the court appointed federal monitor, so we know we are fully compliant," Corey said.The teams were created after NYPD officials got recommendations from precinct commanders as to who should make up the new group. Once selected, each member went through the training period, with half their instruction happening at the police academy and the other half from the NYPD gun range, according to a law enforcement official. Part of their new training was how to gather intelligence and use the information to get guns off the street.New neighborhood safety team members went over specialized training such as the critical decision-making model and even in-depth foot pursuit concepts, the official said.JUST WATCHEDHear first female NYPD commissioner react to historic appointmentReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHHear first female NYPD commissioner react to historic appointment 01:03A key component to the success of the group is oversight, with team members going over stops and arrests by reviewing body camera footage with their supervisors, the official said.And while officers will be wearing their new gear such as half-sleeve shirts and vests with "NYPD" on either the chest or on logos, along with the department issued cargo pants and their full gun belt, they'll still be in unmarked cars. Those vehicles, however, are expected to have dashboard cameras, the official said.As part of the initial rollout, these teams will be meeting with community members and will be setting up a time to introduce themselves at community board meetings in the neighborhoods they are sent to, the official said.Teams replace controversial unit disbanded in 2020Previous versions of this type of team were met with allegations of police brutality and aggressive policing tactics. But Mayor Eric Adams, who has now made good on a campaign promise to bring back a revamped version of the beleaguered unit, said the group needed to meet the new standard he set for them. Adams initially promised the units would be on the streets in three weeks since he first made the announcement in January. And while there was a delay in the timeline Mayor Adams gave, his reasoning was they were trying to get it right."I was not going to put out a unit that was going to go after those who are carrying illegal guns unless I felt comfortable and we were not going back to the days of being abusive," Mayor Adams said at a news conference on Saturday, adding the units would follow a precision policing model and not criminalizing an entire neighborhood, a complaint he heard from residents.City Councilman Justin Brannan, a member of the city council's committee on public safety, said Adams and his team presented his plan for the re-imagined anti-crime unit to lawmakers over a Zoom call last month. And while some had issues with bringing back a team with a checkered past, Brannan said he was in support of the new unit."Public safety and police accountability do not need to live in constant tension," Brannan said. "The average New Yorker wants to feel safe, wants to know that when they call 911, there'll be a quick response. They want the police to be accountable and to act professionally. That's a very basic sentiment that just about everybody can agree with. So with the rise in gun violence and the rising crime, this is a step in the right direction toward making people feel safe again."New York City crime wave continues into 2022 as city rolls out safety plan City Councilwoman Tiffany Caban challenged the rollout of the teams, saying the new uniforms aren't enough and pointed to other parts of the mayor's safety plan aimed at addressing social issues as a way to curtail the violence."We talk about how it's going to be different. It's not so much about clothes, it's about culture," Caban said, adding she wanted to see more investment in violence interrupters, the city's crisis management systems, mental health care and even summer youth programs."We know that those things work, and we need to deeply invest in them rather than continuing to invest in these failed policing policies that decade over decade, have shown themselves not only to be ineffective but to have driven a lot of harm in our communities," Caban said.New units face challenge of rising crimeOn Saturday, two workers at the famed Metropolitan Museum of Art were stabbed by an assailant. In February, a man on the subway in the Bronx rubbed feces in a woman's face who rejected his unwanted advances. Also in February, an Asian woman was pushed into her Lower East Side home and killed while her neighbors heard her helpless screams.And on Monday morning, authorities were searching for an unidentified assailant who shot homeless victims while they were sleeping in Washington DC and New York, killing one in each region. "(Adams) election was largely due to his insistence that being the former police officer, he knew how to be able to tackle crime but also do it in a way that responded to community concerns about police brutality and the accountability," Smikle said."The challenge for him is to bring back this very controversial unit and bring crime down in a way that also supports a good percentage of the electorate's desire for rethinking and reframing what police officers actually do. And that's going to be a very difficult challenge for him going forward. And as I said, he's got a very short window."

Sara Ashley O'Brien, CNN Business

2022-03-14 16:29:00

business

tech

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/tech/theranos-elizabeth-holmes-sunny-balwani/index.html

Elizabeth Holmes' No. 2 and ex-boyfriend is about to have his day in court - CNN

More than two months after Theranos founder and former CEO Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty on four of 11 charges in her criminal fraud case, the trial of her ex-boyfriend and second-in-command at the failed blood testing company is set to begin.

tech, Elizabeth Holmes' No. 2 and ex-boyfriend is about to have his day in court - CNN

Elizabeth Holmes' No. 2 and ex-boyfriend is about to have his day in court

(CNN Business)More than two months after Theranos founder and former CEO Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty on four of 11 charges in her criminal fraud case, the trial of her ex-boyfriend and second-in-command at the failed blood testing company is set to begin.Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, who served as Theranos' chief operating officer and president, was first indicted alongside Holmes nearly four years ago on the same set of federal fraud charges. His trial is expected to kick of as soon as Wednesday, with opening arguments in the same San Jose, California, courtroom where Holmes was convicted.A jury of 18 people, including six alternates, was initially selected on Friday and expected to be sworn in Monday. But the court said Monday afternoon that further juror selection is necessary and slated to occur Tuesday. The trial, which is closed to cameras and audio recordings, is slated to go on for 13 weeks. What it was like to be in the courtroom for Elizabeth Holmes' fraud trialBalwani faces a dozen federal wire fraud and conspiracy charges over allegations he knowingly misrepresented the capabilities of Theranos' blood testing technology to investors, doctors and patients in order to take their money. If convicted, Balwani faces up to 20 years in prison as well as a fine of $250,000 plus restitution for each count of wire fraud and each conspiracy count. He has pleaded not guilty. (Holmes' sentencing has been set for late September.)Balwani is less of a household name than Holmes, a onetime tech industry icon who was featured on magazine covers and has been the subject of documentaries, podcasts and, most recently, "The Dropout," a limited series on Hulu. But his trial could offer new glimpses into their relationship and the decision-making process inside the C-suite at Theranos. It could also offer a forum for Balwani and his attorneys to point the finger at Holmes after she attempted during her own trial to shift blame to Balwani.Read More"It'll be interesting to see what, if any, specific defenses Balwani raises and whether he goes after her as much as she went after him," said Michael G. Freedman, a white collar defense attorney who has represented high-profile defendants such as Bill Cosby.Theranos claimed it had developed technology that could accurately and efficiently conduct a range of health tests using just a few drops of blood taken by the fingertip. At its peak, Theranos was valued at $9 billion, with prominent investors such as media mogul Rupert Murdoch and Walmart's Walton family. It also struck retail partnership deals with Walgreens and Safeway. But it all began to unravel following an October 2015 Wall Street Journal investigation that showed its technology didn't work as promised. Theranos ultimately dissolved the business in September 2018.Balwani, who had a career as a software executive, first met Holmes in 2002 before she dropped out of Stanford to pursue the startup in 2004. Nearly 20 years her senior, Balwani served as an informal adviser to Holmes in Theranos' earliest days and the two became romantically involved. In 2009, Balwani had guaranteed a "multimillion-dollar loan" to the startup, according to court filings, and took on a formal role as president and chief operating officer. He served in that capacity until 2016, when he left the company. Throughout that time, the two largely kept their relationship hidden.In 2018, Theranos and Holmes settled "massive fraud" charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Balwani is fighting those charges. Balwani's attorney Jeffrey Coopersmith previously called the SEC action "unwarranted," stating that "Sunny Balwani accurately represented Theranos to investors to the best of his ability." Coopersmith, of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, is representing Balwani in his criminal trial. (Coopersmith declined to comment for this story.)Elizabeth Holmes found guilty on four out of 11 federal chargesFederal prosecutors had hoped to try the two Theranos executives together, but their cases were severed after Holmes indicated she planned to point the finger at Balwani — something she ultimately did when she took the stand in her own defense. Under oath, Holmes claimed Balwani had abused her, psychologically and sexually, over the course of their decade-long romantic relationship. Balwani's attorneys have strongly denied the allegations in court filings.She also underscored his significance to the business, testifying that she considered him her most important adviser. She claimed that Balwani sought to control nearly every aspect of her life — disciplining her eating, her voice and her image — all under the guise of helping her succeed in the business world. And she testified that while he didn't control her interactions with investors, business partners and others, "he impacted everything about who I was, and I don't fully understand that."The back-to-back trials create an unusual dynamic for Balwani's case, according to legal experts. "It becomes sort of like a game of chess," said Freedman, a former federal prosecutor. He cited the defense's unique advantage of having been able to observe Holmes' trial, while also pointing out that the government, too, was able to see how its case was received by Holmes' jurors.With Holmes' trial, federal prosecutors stressed to jurors that the buck stopped with her as CEO. This time, Balwani will become the focal point as federal prosecutors seek to convince jurors through evidence and witness testimonies of his intent to deceive doctors and patients. (The four charges that Holmes was convicted of all pertained to defrauding investors. Holmes was acquitted on all charges relating to defrauding patients.)In the Elizabeth Holmes criminal case, her relationship with the media is also on trialThe list of possible witnesses who could be called during the trial includes many of the same big name investors, political figures and retail executives as were floated with the Holmes' trial, with at least one exception. Henry Kissinger, the 98-year-old former Secretary of State who once served on Theranos' board, has been crossed off the list, according to a court filing of a drafted juror questionnaire. Federal prosecutors will likely focus on Balwani's responsibility in overseeing key aspects of the company that are central to its case, including the startup's financial projections, its lab, and its retail partnerships."This is about him. This is about choices he made. This is about things he said. This is about things he knew," said Jennifer Kennedy Park, a white collar defense litigator who is a partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. The defense, on the other hand, may seek to instead emphasize Balwani's lack of scientific expertise. According to Park, Balwani's attorney may focus on shifting blame onto Holmes and others, such as Theranos' lab directors, for its failings much as Holmes sought to do in her own trial.

Jessica Schneider, CNN

2022-03-14 17:45:03

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/politics/breonna-taylor-mother-federal-charges-officers/index.html

Breonna Taylor's mother meets with DOJ, demands federal charges against officers in her death - CNNPolitics

Breonna Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, met with officials from the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division on Monday to ask them to investigate the fatal shooting of her daughter during a botched police raid in 2020 -- and ultimately to bring federal charges against the officers involved.

politics, Breonna Taylor's mother meets with DOJ, demands federal charges against officers in her death - CNNPolitics

Breonna Taylor's mother meets with DOJ, demands federal charges against officers in her death

(CNN)Breonna Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, met with officials from the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division on Monday to ask them to investigate the fatal shooting of her daughter during a botched police raid in 2020 -- and ultimately to bring federal charges against the officers involved."I'm here at the Department of Justice asking them to do the right thing," Palmer said at a news conference after the meeting. "This is bigger than Breonna. If no one addresses this issue, they'll keep kicking in our doors and murdering us."Sunday marked the two-year anniversary of Taylor's death. The 26-year-old was shot and killed during the police raid at her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky, in March 2020. Her death sparked protests across the country. "For the nation, it's been two years and one day," Palmer said. "For me, I'm trapped in March 13, 2020. I don't know how people think I should just move on."One officer, Brett Hankison, was charged with wanton endangerment for firing 10 bullets into Taylor's apartment, but he was acquitted by a jury earlier this month. Hankison was fired from the Louisville Police Department in 2020. Read MoreThe two other officers involved in the raid have not been charged. One, Myles Cosgrove, was terminated in January 2021 for firing rounds into Taylor's home and for failing to activate his body camera. Another officer, Jonathan Mattingly, retired in April 2021.Benjamin Crump, the attorney for Taylor's family, said he and Palmer met with Kristen Clarke, the top official of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, for about 45 minutes Monday morning, to demand an investigation into all three officers."They said, 'Be not dismayed,'" Crump said, recounting the meeting. "They're turning over every stone, looking at any civil rights charges on behalf of Breonna Taylor, because they would do the same for any citizen. Because Breonna Taylor deserves it."A spokesperson for the Justice Department said, "Today, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke and attorneys in the Civil Rights Division met with the mother of Breonna Taylor, members of her family and her attorneys. As has been previously stated, this matter is currently under investigation, and we have no further comment."Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a pattern or practice investigation into the Louisville, Kentucky, police department last April, but no federal charges have been brought in connection to the police raid at Taylor's apartment."I watched Attorney General Merrick Garland swell up with tears when he talked about Ahmaud Arbery," activist Tamika Mallory said at the news conference. "Well, we are crying. We are crying Attorney General. We are crying for Breonna Taylor, and we demand you take those tears and turn them into action. And make sure that the ink of your pen strokes for justice for Breonna Taylor. Charge the cops."The Justice Department charged three men, who were ultimately found guilty last month, with federal hate crimes following the death of Ahmaud Arbery. Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was shot and killed while jogging on the public streets of a Georgia neighborhood in February 2020.Kentucky's attorney general, Daniel Cameron, has come under intense criticism for his role in the Taylor shooting investigation. Last January, three former grand jurors petitioned the Kentucky legislature to impeach Cameron after some said they were never given the opportunity to consider homicide charges in the Taylor case. At least one of the grand jurors said that Cameron's public statements about the grand jury were misleading."Half of my life has been spent being Breonna's mother -- it's the only thing I've learned to do well in my life," Palmer said. "It's the thing I will die fighting for. Fighting to make sure she gets justice. Fighting to make sure people remember she deserves justice. Fighting to remember that Kentucky failed her. Daniel Cameron failed her. Daniel Cameron has failed the world."Cameron has previously said that officers Cosgrove and Mattingly were justified shooting in self-defense because Taylor's boyfriend fired first. In an interview with the Associated Press in August, Cameron also said the decision not to charge any of the officers directly with Taylor's death was ultimately in the grand jury's hands.This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN Editorial Research

2013-01-18 22:19:42

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2013/01/18/world/julian-assange-fast-facts/index.html

Julian Assange Fast Facts - CNN

Read CNN's Fast Facts about Julian Assange and learn more about the life of the WikiLeaks founder.

Arrest warrants, Arrests, Crime, law enforcement and corrections, Criminal law, Ecuador, Embassies and consulates, England, Europe, Extradition, Government and public administration, Government bodies and offices, International law, International relations, International relations and national security, Julian Assange, Latin America, Law and legal system, Law enforcement, London, Military, Military bases, Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Northern Europe, South America, State departments and diplomatic services, Sweden, United Kingdom, US Navy bases, WikiLeaks, Crimes against persons, Criminal offenses, Immigration, Immigration, citizenship and displacement, North America, Political asylum, Sex and gender issues, Sex crimes, Sexual assault, Society, United States, world, Julian Assange Fast Facts - CNN

Julian Assange Fast Facts

Here's a look at the life of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. PersonalBirth date: July 3, 1971Birth place: Townsville, Queensland, AustraliaFather: John ShiptonRead MoreMother: Christine (Hawkins) AssangeChildren: with Stella Moris: Max and GabrielOther FactsWhen he was a year old, his mother married Brett Assange, who adopted him. Guest-starred as himself on the 500th episode of "The Simpsons" in 2012. He recorded his lines over the phone from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he was granted asylum for nearly seven years.Timeline2006 - WikiLeaks is founded by Assange. 2007 - WikiLeaks posts the procedures manual for Camp Delta, the US detention center in Guantánamo Bay.April 5, 2010 - WikiLeaks posts a video showing a US military helicopter firing on and killing two journalists and several Iraqi civilians in 2007. The military claims that the helicopter crew believed the targets were armed insurgents, not civilians. July 25, 2010 - WikiLeaks posts more than 90,000 classified documents related to the Afghanistan war.August 20, 2010 - Swedish prosecutors issue an arrest warrant for Assange based on allegations of sexual assault. August 21, 2010 - The Swedish prosecutor's office announces it is rescinding the arrest warrant.August 31, 2010 - Assange is questioned by Stockholm police and told of the charges against him.October 22, 2010 - WikiLeaks publishes classified military documents from the Iraq war.November 20, 2010 - The Stockholm Criminal Court issues an international arrest warrant for Assange.November 28, 2010 - WikiLeaks begins publishing diplomatic cables from US embassies. December 7, 2010 - Turns himself in to London authorities. Assange is remanded in custody.December 16, 2010 - Is released on bail and put on house arrest.February 24, 2011 - A judge rules in support of Assange's extradition to Sweden. Assange's lawyers file an appeal. April 24, 2011 - WikiLeaks begins releasing classified military documents providing details on the behavior and treatment of detainees being held at the US Navy's detention facility at Guantánamo Bay.September 2, 2011 - WikiLeaks releases its archive of more than a quarter million US diplomatic cables. November 2, 2011 - Appeals court judges in London rule in favor of Assange being extradited to Sweden.November 15, 2011 - The UK Judicial Office announces Assange has applied to take his appeal against extradition to Sweden to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.May 30, 2012 - The British Supreme Court denies Assange's appeal against extradition to Sweden but grants him two weeks to file an appeal. This is unusual, because rulings are supposed to be final.June 19, 2012 - Assange enters the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, requesting political asylum.August 16, 2012 - Ecuador announces it has granted asylum to Assange.August 19, 2012 - Makes a public address from the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, demanding that the United States drop its "witch-hunt" against WikiLeaks. September 26, 2012 - Delivers a speech via satellite to a full conference room at the United Nations, asking the US government to end its actions against him and his website. The event is held by the Mission of Ecuador on UN grounds but is not officially sponsored by the world body.November 2012 - Assange's book, "Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of the Internet," is published.February 10, 2015 - Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe tells LBC Radio the operation guarding Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London is "sucking our resources in" as costs spiral to more than 10 million pounds ($15.3 million).May 11, 2015 - The Swedish Supreme Court denies Assange's appeal to dismiss an arrest warrant for allegations of sexual assault.July 3, 2015 - France rejects Assange's request for "protection" after he publishes an open letter in national newspaper Le Monde.August 13, 2015 - Swedish prosecutors announce they are dropping allegations involving sexual molestation and coercion as statutes of limitations in the investigation run out this month. However, the allegation of suspicion of rape still stands, and he may be investigated until 2020, Swedish prosecutors have said.February 5, 2016 - A UN rights working group says its investigation found that Assange is being arbitrarily detained by the governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom. May 25, 2016 - A Swedish court upholds the arrest warrant for Assange, with a Swedish prosecutor saying there's still probable cause to prosecute him on a rape allegation and that "the risk of him evading justice is still large."July 22, 2016 - WikiLeaks publishes nearly 20,000 emails from Democratic National Committee staffers. The hacked emails appear to show the committee favoring presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders during the US presidential primary. On July 29, Assange tells CNN's Anderson Cooper that the email release was timed to coincide with the start of the Democratic National Convention.September 15, 2016 - WikiLeaks announces via Twitter that "If Obama grants Manning clemency, Assange will agree to US prison in exchange, despite its clear unlawfulness," referring to Chelsea Manning, the imprisoned former Army intelligence analyst convicted of violating the Espionage Act. September 16, 2016 - A Swedish appeals court states again that the arrest warrant for Assange on allegations of rape still stands. This is the eighth time the European arrest warrant has been tested in a Swedish court. All eight judgments have gone against Assange.October 7, 2016 - WikiLeaks begins publishing hacked emails from Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta. November 14, 2016 - WikiLeaks tweets that Assange is giving a statement in the presence of a Swedish prosecutor regarding allegations he sexually assaulted two women in the country six years ago.January 3, 2017 - During an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News, Assange says that the Russian government was not the source of the hacked DNC emails. He also denies talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin and says he did not have contact with the campaign for US President-elect Donald Trump.April 20, 2017 - US Attorney General Jeff Sessions announces that the Department of Justice is preparing charges for Assange, and that his arrest is a "priority."May 19, 2017 - Swedish prosecutors drop their investigation of rape allegations against Assange, ending a nearly seven-year legal impasse.December 12, 2017 - Becomes a naturalized citizen of Ecuador.March 27, 2018 - Assange's internet communications outside of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London are suspended for at least the second time since October 2016. The government accuses him of failing to commit to an agreement not to release messages interfering with other nations' affairs.October 19, 2018 - Assange directs his legal team to launch proceedings against the government of Ecuador for "violating his fundamental rights."October 29, 2018 - Assange's lawsuit against Ecuador is rejected by an Ecuadorean court. During a video-linked hearing, Judge Karla Martinez alerts Assange he will have to abide by the new rules imposed by Ecuador's embassy in London.November 2018 - An inadvertent court filing in a case unrelated to Assange reveals that the WikiLeaks founder has been charged under seal in a US federal court. "Another procedure short of sealing will not adequately protect the needs of law enforcement at this time because, due to the sophistication of the defendant and the publicity surrounding the case, no other procedure is likely to keep confidential the fact that Assange has been charged," prosecutors wrote in the August 22 filing that was unsealed on November 8. The US Justice Department investigation of Assange and WikiLeaks dates to at least 2010.November 27, 2018 - The Guardian reports that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort secretly met with Assange several times inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, including around the time Manafort was made a top figure in the Trump campaign. The Guardian, citing sources, reports Manafort met with Assange in 2013, 2015 and in the spring of 2016. Manafort denies ever meeting Assange.April 11, 2019 - Assange is arrested by the Metropolitan Police in London on an extradition warrant from the US Justice Department. He is charged with conspiracy to attempt to hack a computer in connection with the 2010 release of classified military info obtained via Manning. Assange's attorney says the indictment is troubling because of its implications for freedom of the press. On May 23, it is announced that Assange has been charged with 17 additional counts under the Espionage Act.May 1, 2019 - Is sentenced to 50 weeks in a UK prison after he is found guilty of violating his bail conditions when he entered Ecuador's London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden in 2012. Judge Deborah Taylor says Assange will be eligible for release after serving half the sentence, but that any parole would be "subject to conditions and outcome of any other proceedings" against him.July 15, 2019 - CNN reports on newly obtained documents that describe how Assange transformed the Ecuadorian embassy into a command center and orchestrated a series of damaging disclosures that rocked the 2016 presidential campaign in the United States. A day later, former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa says his country was aware that Assange was interfering in the 2016 US presidential election while staying at the embassy.November 19, 2019 - Sweden's deputy chief prosecutor announces that authorities are ending their investigation into an allegation of rape against Assange. The investigation into Assange was reopened in May following his removal from Ecuador's embassy in central London the previous month.April 11, 2020 - In a video posted online and shared by Wikileaks, Stella Moris reveals that she and Assange had two sons while he was living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Moris is part of the international legal team working for Assange, but she is not involved in the current extradition case. June 24, 2020 - The US Justice Department announces a second superseding indictment against Assange. The Justice Department alleges Assange recruited hackers to obtain information for WikiLeaks, but does not add any new charges.January 4, 2021 - A British judge rejects a US request to extradite Assange to America, ruling that such a move would be "oppressive" by reason of his mental health.January 6, 2021 - A British judge denies bail for Assange, ruling that "there are substantial grounds for believing that if Mr. Assange is released today he would fail to surrender to court and face the appeal proceedings."July 26, 2021 - The Judicial Branch of Ecuador rules in favor of revoking the citizenship of Assange. The court's decision nullifies Assange's status as a naturalized citizen of Ecuador, which was granted to him in 2017. December 10, 2021 - US authorities win their bid to overturn a British judge's ruling that Assange should not be extradited to face charges in the United States, on the basis of assurances given about his treatment there.

CNN Editorial Research

2017-09-18 16:27:25

health

health

https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/18/health/opioid-crisis-fast-facts/index.html

Opioid Crisis Fast Facts - CNN

Read CNN's Fast Facts about the opioid crisis and learn about the epidemic of addiction to painkillers.

health, Opioid Crisis Fast Facts - CNN

Opioid Crisis Fast Facts

(CNN)Here's a look at the opioid crisis. Experts say the United States is in the throes of an opioid epidemic. An estimated 9.5 million Americans aged 12 and older misused opioids in 2020, including 9.3 million prescription pain reliever abusers and 902,000 heroin users.Opioids are drugs formulated to replicate the pain-reducing properties of opium. Prescription painkillers like morphine, oxycodone and hydrocodone are opioids. Illegal drugs like heroin and illicitly made fentanyl are also opioids. The word "opioid" is derived from the word "opium." Synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, caused nearly two-thirds (64%) of the more than 100,000 drug overdose deaths in the US in the 12-month period ending April 2021, up 49% from the year before, the CDC's 's National Center for Health Statistics found.Prescription opioid volumes peaked in 2011, with the equivalent of 240 billion milligrams of morphine prescribed, according to the market research firm, IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science. In 2018, prescription opioid volume fell by 29.2 billion morphine milligram equivalents, a dramatic decline.Read MoreAlabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee had the highest opioid dispensing rates in 2020.Common OpioidsOpioids such as morphine and codeine are naturally derived from opium poppy plants more commonly grown in Asia, Central America and South America. Heroin is an illegal drug synthesized from morphine. Hydrocodone and oxycodone are semi-synthetic opioids, manufactured in labs with natural and synthetic ingredients. Fentanyl is a fully synthetic opioid, originally developed as a powerful anesthetic for surgery. It is also administered to alleviate severe pain associated with terminal illnesses like cancer. The drug is up to 100 times more powerful than morphine. Just a small dose can be deadly. Illicitly produced fentanyl has been a driving factor in the number of overdose deaths in recent years. Methadone is another fully synthetic opioid. It is commonly dispensed to recovering heroin addicts to relieve the symptoms of withdrawal. Opioids bind to receptors in the brain and spinal cord, disrupting pain signals. They also activate the reward areas of the brain by releasing the hormone dopamine, creating a feeling of euphoria or a "high."AddictionOpioid use disorder is the clinical term for opioid addiction or abuse.People who become dependent on opioids may experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop using the medication. Dependence is often coupled with tolerance, meaning that users need to take increasingly larger doses for the same effect. People who become dependent on pain pills may switch to heroin because it is less expensive than prescription drugs. Individuals who are addicted to prescription opioids are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin.A drug called naloxone, available as an injection or a nasal spray, is used as a treatment for overdoses. It blocks or reverses the effects of opioids and is often carried by first responders. More data on overdose deaths Regulation and FundingThe 21st Century Cures Act, passed in 2016, allocated $1 billion over two years in opioid crisis grants to states, providing funding for expanded treatment and prevention programs. In April 2017, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price announced the distribution of the first round of $485 million in grants to all 50 states and US territories.In August 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the launch of an Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit within the Department of Justice. The unit's mission is to prosecute individuals who commit opioid-related health care fraud. The DOJ is also appointing US attorneys who will specialize in opioid health care fraud cases as part of a three-year pilot program in 12 jurisdictions nationwide. On October 24, 2018, President Donald Trump signed opioid legislation into law. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act includes provisions aimed at promoting research to find new drugs for pain management that will not be addictive. It also expands access to treatment for substance use disorders for Medicaid patients.State legislatures are also introducing measures to regulate pain clinics and limit the quantity of opioids that doctors can dispense. Timeline1861-1865 - During the Civil War, medics use morphine as a battlefield anesthetic. Many soldiers become dependent on the drug. 1898 - Heroin is first produced commercially by the Bayer Company. At the time, heroin is believed to be less habit-forming than morphine, so it is dispensed to individuals who are addicted to morphine.1914 - Congress passes the Harrison Narcotics Act, which requires that doctors write prescriptions for narcotic drugs like opioids and cocaine. Importers, manufacturers and distributors of narcotics must register with the Treasury Department and pay taxes on products 1924 - The Anti-Heroin Act bans the production and sale of heroin in the United States. 1970 - The Controlled Substances Act becomes law. It creates groupings (or schedules) of drugs based on the potential for abuse. Heroin is a Schedule I drug while morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone (Percocet) and methadone are Schedule II. Hydrocodone (Vicodin) is originally a Schedule III medication. It is later recategorized as a Schedule II drug. January 10, 1980 - A letter titled "Addiction Rare in Patients Treated with Narcotics" is published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It looks at incidences of painkiller addiction in a very specific population of hospitalized patients who were closely monitored. It becomes widely cited as proof that narcotics are a safe treatment for chronic pain. 1995 - OxyContin, a long-acting version of oxycodone that slowly releases the drug over 12 hours, is introduced and aggressively marketed as a safer pain pill by manufacturer, Purdue Pharma. May 10, 2007 - Purdue Pharma pleads guilty for misleadingly advertising OxyContin as safer and less addictive than other opioids. The company and three executives are charged with "misleading and defrauding physicians and consumers." Purdue and the executives agree to pay $634.5 million in criminal and civil fines. 2010 - FDA approves an "abuse-deterrent" formulation of OxyContin, to help curb abuse. However, people still find ways to abuse it. May 20, 2015 - The DEA announces that it has arrested 280 people, including 22 doctors and pharmacists, after a 15-month sting operation centered on health care providers who dispense large amounts of opioids. The sting, dubbed Operation Pilluted, is the largest prescription drug bust in the history of the DEA. March 18, 2016 - The CDC publishes guidelines for prescribing opioids for patients with chronic pain. Recommendations include prescribing over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen in lieu of opioids. Doctors are encouraged to promote exercise and behavioral treatments to help patients cope with pain. March 29, 2017 - Trump signs an executive order calling for the establishment of the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is selected as the chairman of the group, with Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as an adviser.July 31, 2017 - After a delay, the White House panel examining the nation's opioid epidemic releases its interim report, asking Trump to declare a national public health emergency to combat the ongoing crisis September 22, 2017 - The pharmacy chain CVS announces that it will implement new restrictions on filling prescriptions for opioids, dispensing a limited seven-day supply to patients who are new to pain therapy. November 1, 2017 - The opioid commission releases its final report. Its 56 recommendations include a proposal to establish nationwide drug courts that would place opioid addicts in treatment facilities rather than prison. February 9, 2018 - A budget agreement signed by Trump authorizes $6 billion for opioid programs, with $3 billion allocated for 2018 and $3 billion allocated for 2019. February 27, 2018 - Sessions announces a new opioid initiative: The Prescription Interdiction & Litigation (PIL) Task Force. The mission of the task force is to support local jurisdictions that have filed lawsuits against prescription drugmakers and distributors.March 19, 2018 - The Trump administration outlines an initiative to stop opioid abuse. The three areas of concentration are law enforcement and interdiction; prevention and education via an ad campaign; and job-seeking assistance for individuals fighting addiction.April 9, 2018 - The US surgeon general issues an advisory recommending that Americans carry the opioid overdose-reversing drug, naloxone. A surgeon general advisory is a rarely used tool to convey an urgent message. The last advisory issued by the surgeon general, more than a decade ago, focused on drinking during pregnancy.May 1, 2018 - The Journal of the American Medical Association publishes a study that finds synthetic opioids like fentanyl caused about 46% of opioid deaths in 2016. That's a three-fold increase compared with 2010, when synthetic opioids were involved in about 14% of opioid overdose deaths. It's the first time that synthetic opioids surpassed prescription opioids and heroin as the primary cause of overdose fatalities. May 30, 2018 - The journal Medical Care publishes a study that estimates the cost of medical care and substance abuse treatment for opioid addiction was $78.5 billion in 2013. June 7, 2018 - The White House announces a new multimillion dollar public awareness advertising campaign to combat opioid addiction. The first four ads of the campaign are all based on true stories illustrating the extreme lengths young adults have gone to obtain the powerful drugs.December 12, 2018 - According to the National Center for Health Statistics, fentanyl is now the most commonly used drug involved in drug overdoses. The rate of drug overdoses involving the synthetic opioid skyrocketed by about 113% each year from 2013 through 2016.January 14, 2019 - The National Safety Council finds that, for the first time on record, the odds of dying from an opioid overdose in the United States are now greater than those of dying in a vehicle crash.July 17, 2019 - The CDC releases preliminary data showing a 5.1% decline in drug overdoses during 2018. If the preliminary number is accurate, it would mark the first annual drop in overdose deaths in more than two decades.September 30, 2019 - The FDA and DEA announce that they sent warnings to four online networks, operating a total of 10 websites, which the agencies said are illegally marketing unapproved and misbranded versions of opioid medicines, including tramadol.

Hannah Rabinowitz and Holmes Lybrand, CNN

2022-03-14 18:32:46

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/politics/justice-department-january-6-rioter-jail/index.html

Prosecutors admit they violated a Capitol rioter's rights after leaving him waiting in jail since December - CNNPolitics

The Justice Department asked a judge on Monday to drop a criminal case against a Capitol rioter, admitting that prosecutors failed to schedule a hearing within the legal timeframe and asking for permission to charge the Texas man again for allegedly attacking police.

politics, Prosecutors admit they violated a Capitol rioter's rights after leaving him waiting in jail since December - CNNPolitics

Prosecutors admit they violated a Capitol rioter's rights after leaving him waiting in jail since December

(CNN)The Justice Department asked a judge on Monday to drop a criminal case against a Capitol rioter, admitting that prosecutors failed to schedule a hearing within the legal timeframe and asking for permission to charge the Texas man again for allegedly attacking police.In a court filing, prosecutors said that because of "unintentional" errors, they violated Lucas Denney's speedy trial rights, leaving Denney waiting in jail since his arrest in December.The filing is a dramatic example of the kinds of complaints rioters and defense lawyers have been making for months about stalled trials, issues reviewing the massive compilation of evidence from prosecutors, and long pretrial stints in jail. This is the biggest investigation in the Justice Department's history, with prosecutors juggling more than 765 criminal cases filed against supporters of former President Donald Trump who were at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.Prosecutors wrote in the filing in Denney's case that "there is no evidence of bad faith, a pattern of neglect, or something more than an isolated incident that resulted from a number of unfortunate factors," attributing the oversight to a mistaken belief that they had more time to schedule a hearing.Read MoreDuring a hearing last week, Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui told Denney there had been "multiple screw-ups" in his case."I'm going to follow the law, that's all I can do," Faruqui said at the time. "We've let you down, and I don't know what we can do about it."Faruqui then asked the Justice Department to explain why he shouldn't toss the indictment because of prosecutors' "failure to indict the case within 30 days." Denney was indicted on March 7, several months after his arrest.Now that the Justice Department has agreed to drop the case -- even as they are seeking to refile the one count of assaulting an officer -- Denney is scheduled to appear before Faruqui on Monday afternoon.

Peter Nickeas, CNN

2022-03-12 19:20:38

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/us/minneapolis-protest-report/index.html

'Rudderless' city government faulted for Minneapolis protest response after George Floyd's murder - CNN

An outside review of Minneapolis' response to protests in the spring of 2020, following the murder of George Floyd by a city police officer, found widespread chaos and poor communication among city leaders that contributed to an unorganized police response to violent unrest that later spread across the country.

us, 'Rudderless' city government faulted for Minneapolis protest response after George Floyd's murder - CNN

'Rudderless' city government faulted for Minneapolis protest response after George Floyd's murder

(CNN)An outside review of Minneapolis' response to protests in the spring of 2020, following the murder of George Floyd by a city police officer, found widespread chaos and poor communication among city leaders that contributed to an unorganized police response to violent unrest that later spread across the country. The mayor's office failed to follow its own "well written, comprehensive" emergency operations plan, the city's Office of Emergency Management "minimally engaged in its coordination role," and the city's police and fire departments didn't use the plan to guide their response, according to the report, produced by Hillard Heintze, a security risk management firm. Distrust that existed before the murder of George Floyd, the report added, exacerbated already fractured relationships between police and the community. Voters will decide on the future of policing in Minneapolis. The question goes beyond 'defunding the police'Cities across the country saw protests after Floyd's death, ranging from peaceful marches to rampant property destruction and violent street fights between officers and rioters. Several cities launched after-action reviews of some sort, through inspectors general or other government review systems, or by outside law or security firms. "I had never seen that kind of raw emotion as we saw in the streets, in Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Ferguson, St. Louis, all over the place, all over the world," Andrea Jenkins, Minneapolis city council president, told CNN. "So, had we followed plans to the letter, I don't think we would have necessarily had a better outcome. We would've definitely been able to feel confident we did all we can do. Right now, clearly, the report shows we weren't able to do everything we should have done."Read MoreThe Minneapolis report mirrors others in noting that cities were surprised by the tenor of unrest, and that senior law enforcement and elected officials were wholly unprepared for protests, property damage and violence. In Philadelphia, a review found that the city was "simply not prepared to address unanticipated mass protests coupled with civil unrest occurring in multiple locations throughout the city." Police in Chicago resorted to forming ad hoc groups to get downtown using public transit buses, and senior leadership said they didn't have any reason to suspect protests because the Chicago Police Department "had not received any intelligence in advance which might have predicted them."People sit on the street in front of a row of police officers during a rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 29, 2020 after the death of George Floyd.In Los Angeles, a review found the city unprepared for "small groups" responsible for violence among larger groups of protesters, and the police department's "lack of adequate planning and preparation" left police in a reactive position. But the Minneapolis review went further. It faulted government officials at all levels -- and the structure of the Minneapolis government itself -- for the disjointed and chaotic response to protests that overtook the city after Floyd's death, including a police precinct that was overrun by rioters and torched. The review found a "concerning" lack of documentation for patrol ranks who were using less lethal rounds on protesters. Poor management of the protests, the review added, contributed to the traumatization of residents, business owners, city workers and elected officials. Meanwhile, the report said residents felt abandoned by the city and had to resort to forming their own patrols to protect property. "After more than 18 months, community members are still deeply shaken, and emotions are still high about Floyd's death and the events that followed," the report stated. "Many community members and government officials, including members of the MPD, are awaiting answers to understand what went wrong with aspects of the City's response to the protests and unrest and how to prevent violent unrest from occurring again." 'Inconsistent' messagingThe report highlighted public disagreements between Minneapolis' mayor and Minnesota's governor. Some interviewed by investigators thought city council members created "more issues than necessary" by counteracting police actions and talking about abolishing the police. And some said city council members fed into rumors that created stress and fear among residents. The mayor has "already directed staff to implement a plan for improving our emergency response process," a spokesperson for Mayor Jacob Frey told CNN. "Trainings are underway, new structures are being put in place, and we are in routine contact with multi-jurisdictional partners to enhance communications and operational preparedness."Lisa Bender, city council president at the time of the unrest, and Medaria Arradondo, chief of police during the unrest, weren't immediately available to comment. Nine city councilors gathered in Powderhorn Park after the unrest and stood near an "Abolish the Police" sign. Then Bender said the group was committed to "dismantling policing as we know it in Minneapolis." With nine votes the city council would have a veto-proof supermajority of the council's 13 members, Bender said.Why Minneapolis voters rejected policing overhaul ballot measure prompted by George Floyd's murderSome of those interviewed said city council members "were feeding into rumors and creating stress and fear in people," and that "political differences played a part in slowing down the crisis management responses." The report also faulted Minneapolis' style of government as contributing to "inconsistent" messaging and "a lack of information that the publicly desperately sought." The city had a unique structure that gave the city council and mayor shared oversight of most departments and the mayor command of the police department."We had mutual aid groups come up, neighborhood watch groups, we had neighbors and small business owners sitting in front of businesses with rifles and guns," said Jenkins, the city council president. "It was a mess. Do I think that the report accurately depicts the challenges with our gov't structure? I think it does." That structure became the subject of 18 months of political debate that resulted in voters having a chance to restructure government. In the days after the unrest, some elected officials began a campaign to split the police department from the mayor's control, do away with a requirement to employ a minimum number of officers, and put control of any remaining police officers under a broader public safety department. Protesters hold up their fists as flames rise behind them in front of the Third Police Precinct on May 28, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Opponents waged a counter campaign, asking voters to give the mayor control of all city departments that were overseen by the city council and to reject the plan to reorganize the police department. Voters sided with the mayor, in what was locally seen as a referendum on the "defund the police" movement that came into national prominence because of the image of city councilors in Powderhorn Park. "It is all the mayor's problem now. But how do I tell that to my constituents? 'Call the mayor?' I can't say that," Jenkins said. "They're not trying to hear that. They want to know what I'm going to do. But in reality it's all the mayor, all on his plate now." 'No direction, objectives or rules of engagement'The report describes the Minneapolis Police Department as lacking consistent leadership, with morale affected by uneven rules enforcement and leadership capability among supervisors. It also depicts the department as lacking consistent standards, and hampered by Covid-19 in its ability to continue training for large-scale events. This contributed to "angst among personnel in the field" who "desperately sought information, guidance and approvals ... and found those calls went unanswered or delayed." The report noted that some officers "operated effectively in the chaos, despite -- and seemingly because of -- the lack of guidance they received." A meeting of police leaders occurred the day after the first violence, according to the report, but it didn't result in a command structure or plan for future protests. Some interviewed for the report thought the 2015 occupation of a police station by protesters, following a different fatal shooting by police officers, should have given police commanders reason to anticipate some civil unrest. But "many supervisors and command-level MPD officers stated that generally, the (police department) does not plan and rather just hopes for the best outcome.)""We should know who all had chemical weapons, who had less-than-lethal munitions, and even who used them," Jenkins said. "There was no real command centers, even on incidents, that first day of not having a plan snowballed." The fire department's attempt to bring in extra staffing was initially slowed by a "password issue" that didn't allow them access to an internal mass communication tool to reach fire department members, according to the report. Beyond that, the system wasn't kept up to date. This prevented leaders from bringing extra firefighters to work. They tried a phone tree, according to the report, but it took so long that it was abandoned as shift-change time approached. At times, different city departments were monitoring city cameras, and in some cases a person would move one camera only to have it moved by someone else across the city. Additionally, some officers were outfitted with protective gear police found leftover from the 2008 Republican National Convention, and officers often were working without.Exclusive: Derek Chauvin jurors speak out for the first time, recalling 'traumatic experience' and that light-bulb momentThe lack of coordination and supervision contributed to confusion among lower-ranking officers and a breakdown in accountability, particularly pertaining to so-called 40-millimeter less-lethal rounds fired by police during the unrest, according to the review. It found that the less-lethal rounds were widely used, but there wasn't good documentation for their use, which sometimes wasn't compliant with policy. The degree to which officers complied with policy seemed to differ depending on whether they were with the SWAT team or patrol, though the review found violations with both. The report found that some field-level supervisors "received no direction, objectives or rules of engagement" and absent some commander, "chain of command is lost. This "exponentially increase(d) the level of stress of officers standing on the line as they face angry crowds throwing objects at them and can lead to less desirable outcomes with those protesting ... it creates situations wherein officers act independently. Those independent actions may not align with any department policies or desired command-level objectives communicated to the field."When the time came to request the National Guard, investigators found that those making requests were "unfamiliar with the process," and that caused a delay in the eventual approval. Mayor Frey, according to the report, made a "verbal request to the governor" followed by a written request, but it lacked specific information germane to deploying guardsmen. Residents were left to news reports, group chats and "informal ad hoc neighborhood meetings" to get information about what was happening. Investigators heard from residents who saw rioters setting fires but had no guidance from the city about whether they should flee or stay sheltered in place. And through it all, the police department's ability to respond to normal calls for service was severely hampered. The report describes an instance where a woman was stabbed in a Target parking lot. When officers arrived, they had to form a perimeter around the victim, use gas and non-lethal rounds to keep a crowd back, and carried her to a police van on a flatbed cart. Officers took her to the hospital in the back of the van.

Don Riddell, CNN

2022-03-14 08:52:17

sport

sport

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/sport/brittney-griner-arrest-russia-jonathan-franks-cmd-spt-intl/index.html

Brittney Griner: 'It's the most audacious hostage taking by a state imaginable,' says former captive - CNN

When Jonathan Franks first heard that the American basketball star Brittney Griner had been detained in Russia, his initial sense was one of disbelief.

sport, Brittney Griner: 'It's the most audacious hostage taking by a state imaginable,' says former captive - CNN

Brittney Griner: 'It's the most audacious hostage taking by a state imaginable,' says former captive

(CNN)When Jonathan Franks first heard that the American basketball star Brittney Griner had been detained in Russia, his initial sense was one of disbelief.But it wasn't any kind of incredulity that she'd been arrested accused of possession of some cannabis oil at an airport near Moscow, more that any western media would relay the details of her alleged crime as if it was fact."This is being reported as if people are taking these allegations seriously," he told CNN. "I think that it's a huge mistake to report these allegations as if they're true or even are likely to be true."Brittney Griner: Why so many WNBA stars play basketball overseasFranks was immediately suspicious, because he has worked on behalf of numerous American citizens who have unexpectedly found themselves in similar situations with hostile governments. He's currently the campaign spokesman for Trevor Reed, who has been detained in Russia since August 2019.Based on the limited information that has been provided by the Russian Federal Customs Service and state media, Franks is very concerned about the predicament that Griner now finds herself to be in.Read More"This has a lot of hallmarks of a very wrongful and arbitrary detention," he explained. "I found the video from the Russian customs service odd. They're parading her before cameras. The mugshot was completely unnecessary and asinine."Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury during the first half of the WNBA game at the Footprint Center on August 31, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Russian Customs Service claims that Griner was 'smuggling significant amounts of narcotic substances' and says that a criminal case is underway. A potential jail sentence of 10 years has been mentioned."They're making her out to sound like a drug kingpin. I think that it is unlikely that Ms. Griner will get a fair trial," concludes Franks, "because nobody gets a fair trial in Russia. It's a rigged game." In 2014, the American Iranian journalist Jason Rezaian was detained in Tehran. He couldn't have known it at the time, but he was in for a long stay at Iran's notorious Evin Prison: 544 days.The Washington Post reporter was eventually released in January 2016, and in Griner's case he sees many parallels to his own. "It's the most audacious hostage taking by a state imaginable," Rezaian told CNN."I know from my own case that the supposed charges against me were not based in anything like reality, and they were used to perpetuate a narrative about why I was being held."Like Franks, Rezaian cautions against repeating the allegations against Griner verbatim."I think that every time reporters repeat that narrative, we're doing some of the dirty work of the hostage takers for them. My attitude is Brittney Griner is innocent of any crimes until the world sees otherwise," adds Rezaian.Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury celebrates with fans following Game Two of the 2021 WNBA Finals at Footprint Center on October 13, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury defeated the Sky 91-86 in overtime.It's still not exactly clear when Griner was apprehended in Russia, but it was some time in February, as she was returning from the States to compete for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian basketball league.It's Griner's seventh season in Russia, where she plays during the off-season in North America. News of her predicament didn't arrive in the US until March 5, when Russia revealed that they were holding her.Only then did Griner's wife, Cherelle, begin writing about it on Instagram. "There are no words to express this pain," she said. "I'm hurting, we're hurting."If she can indeed be classified as a 'hostage,' Griner will join an unenviable club of around more than 50 American citizens who are currently held hostage or wrongfully detained overseas.Campaigners have been working to free Americans Reed and Paul Whelan, who are both in Russia.Whilst acknowledging that Griner's family have been placed under an enormous amount of emotional stress, Rezaian believes they should have spoken up sooner. "They made the same mistake that I see others making time and again, allowing the possible hostage taker to take control of the narrative," says Rezaian."Unfortunately, we see people telling themselves: 'This is all just a big mistake that's going to blow over in a few days.' Suppressing her detention isn't doing her any favors, these things don't magically resolve themselves."Brittney Griner #15 of Team United States drives to the basket against Team Japan during the first half of the Women's Basketball final game on day sixteen of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games at Saitama Super Arena on August 08, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. The timing of Griner's detention could hardly be worse, she was arrested in the lead-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and it was publicized only after the US had begun sanctioning the Russian government."You can't extricate these things from each other," Rezaian explained. "To try and maintain diplomatic niceties around these situations may be in the interest of US national security, but it's certainly not in the interest of Brittney Griner."Rezaian urges Griner's family to speak up and encourages her American employers to make some noise.Griner is a two-time Olympic champion, a seven-time all-star with the Phoenix Mercury and a legend of the women's professional league, the WNBA. Whilst her team and the league have issued brief statements, Rezaian says they could and should be doing so much more."The WNBA, a part of the NBA, one of the biggest and most powerful sports leagues in the whole world, has a real responsibility to this individual," he says. "There should be a robust response."Brittney Griner #15 of Team United States takes a selfie with her teammates and their gold medals during the Women's Basketball medal ceremony on day sixteen of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games at Saitama Super Arena on August 08, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. In the vacuum of information about Griner's situation, some have sought to fill the airwaves with commentary about her involvement with Russian basketball and the wisdom of her decision to travel there at a time when geo-political tensions in the region resembled a powder keg.It's a sentiment that smacks of victim-blaming. "It's irrelevant," says Rezaian. "It's not a credible argument."Franks is equally dismissive. "Would have, could have, should have. It's Monday morning quarterbacking, and it's not helpful," he says. "They have welcomed her to that country to work. To me, that's pretty brazen."Both men say that Griner had every right to continue working as a professional athlete in Russia, and the fact that a country in which she was well known and celebrated has now locked her up only makes the allegations against her more suspicious.Rezaian recalls the countless trips he made in and out of Iran over a period of five years. "I never had any problems until I did,| he says. "Is that my fault? No, absolutely not."Colin Allred: US Representative says Brittney Griner case is 'extremely concerning' ​and that her consular access ​has been blocked It's hard for anybody to predict what the coming weeks and months will bring in Griner's case, but Rezaian draws on his own experience to suggest that Griner might have to prepare for a long stay in Russia. "It may turn out to be a marathon, not a sprint. You hope that it's a sprint but conserve your energy in a way that that will benefit you throughout this ordeal," he says.In a podcast called '544 Days,' that he released in October 2021, Rezaian details the anxiety, uncertainty, and monotony of his detention in Iran. He says he made the audio series partly to lay out a roadmap to the families of other citizens that may one day find themselves in a similar situation."I tried to find things to laugh at every day because there's certainly a lot of absurdity in these situations," he adds."That doesn't take away from the horror and the terror of it, but the absurdity that a great American athlete is being held on unsubstantiated charges at the dawn of a cataclysmic war on the other side of the world? It is horrifying, but it's also farcical in its own way."Brittney Griner #15 of Team United States poses for photographs with her gold medal during the Women's Basketball medal ceremony on day sixteen of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games at Saitama Super Arena on August 08, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. Franks knows from his time of advocating for Reed that Griner could be detained for a while. He urges everybody that cares about her to keep her case in the public arena."Sports fans can play a huge role because they're not a constituency that I think the [American] government is hearing from," says Franks."You want to see Brittney Griner come home? Or Trevor Reed or Paul Whelan or any of the other 50 hostages? I would suggest calling the White House every day and telling them you want President Biden to prioritize the repatriation of wrongfully detained American citizens."Franks reiterates that Griner's family should do the same. "There's a difficult choice to make about whether to speak or not to but shine a light," he says. "If it were my loved one, my answer would be shine a light. Every time."People that do wrongful detention are oddly sensitive to bad headlines."

Eva McKend, CNN

2022-03-14 10:02:25

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/politics/senators-homeland-security-cyberthreat-russia/index.html

Bipartisan group of senators push Mayorkas for details on cyber threat readiness - CNNPolitics

A bipartisan group of senators is sharing concern with the Biden administration about the potential of widespread Russian cyberattacks in the United States as retribution for harsh sanctions against Russia in the wake of President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

politics, Bipartisan group of senators push Mayorkas for details on cyber threat readiness - CNNPolitics

Bipartisan group of senators push Mayorkas for details on US readiness for a Russian cyberthreat

(CNN)A bipartisan group of senators is sharing concern with the Biden administration about the potential of widespread Russian cyberattacks in the United States as retribution for harsh sanctions against Russia in the wake of President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Sunday evening obtained by CNN, 22 senators, led by Nevada Democrat Jacky Rosen and South Dakota Republican Mike Rounds, raised questions about America's readiness for Russian cyber and disinformation threats."Given Russia's history of disruptive cyber and disinformation activities, we are concerned that the United States may be targeted in retaliation for actions taken to impose costs on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine," the senators wrote.DHS did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.The Biden administration has been on alert for potential Russian criminal or state-backed cyberattacks against critical infrastructure targets in the US -- a posture that Washington assumed months ago but that has grown more acute since Russia invaded Ukraine.Read MoreSecretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this month that the US is "very much on guard" for potential Russian cyberattacks in light of the war. While there have been several hacks of Ukrainian organizations, there have been no significant reports of the sort of high-impact cyberattacks on transportation or electric infrastructure that some have feared.Russia's cyber offensive against Ukraine has been limited so far. Experts are divided on whyIn their letter, the group of senators requested a briefing from Mayorkas about what the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) -- which falls under DHS -- is doing to proactively defend against Russian state-sponsored threats and what sectors might be targeted. They also asked whether a strategy is in place if critical infrastructure is breached and how CISA is "coordinating with international partners" on the matter.For months, CISA, the White House and agencies including the Treasury Department have held briefings with key sectors like banking and energy on Russian cyber capabilities and the possibility for retaliation in cyberspace. According to CISA's website, there are currently no specific or credible cyber threats to the US.Russian government-linked hackers have a long track record of infiltrating US government agencies and probing US critical infrastructure. Last year, the Biden administration attributed a successful 2020 cyber-espionage campaign that exploited SolarWinds software to breach several government agencies to Russia's foreign intelligence service, SVR. Russian-speaking ransomware groups have also disrupted US critical infrastructure, most notably last year during the days-long shutdown of Colonial Pipeline, a major fuel transporter for the East Coast.In February, President Joe Biden designated DHS as the lead federal agency to coordinate domestic preparedness and response efforts related to the Russia-Ukraine crisis.Last month, CNN reported that a senior FBI cyber official warned American businesses and local governments to be vigilant about potential ransomware attacks.

Clarissa Ward, Mick Krever, Brian Stelter and Lauren Kent, CNN

2022-03-13 16:15:44

business

media

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/13/media/russia-ukraine-brent-renaud-death-intl/index.html

Brent Renaud: Tributes paid to US journalist shot dead in Ukraine - CNN

Award-winning American journalist Brent Renaud was killed by Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Irpin, police in Kyiv said. Another American journalist, Juan Arredondo, was wounded.

media, Brent Renaud: Tributes paid to US journalist shot dead in Ukraine - CNN

Tributes paid to US journalist shot dead in Ukraine

Kyiv, Ukraine (CNN)Award-winning American journalist Brent Renaud was killed by Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Irpin, police in Kyiv said in social media posts on Sunday. Another American journalist, Juan Arredondo, was wounded.In a tweet, Kyiv region police identified the dead man as Renaud, who was 50. Police posted a photo of his body and his American passport as evidence, as well as a photo of an outdated New York Times press badge with Renaud's name. Andriy Nebitov, the head of the Kyiv region police, said in a Facebook post that Russian forces shot Renaud, adding that "the occupants cynically kill even journalists of international media, who've been trying to tell the truth about atrocities of Russian military in Ukraine.""Of course, journalism carries risks, but the US citizen Brent Renaud paid with his life for an attempt to shed light on how underhand, cruel, and merciless the aggressor is," Nebitov added. CNN has not independently verified the account given by police.Read MoreRenaud is the first foreign journalist known to be killed in the war in Ukraine. A Ukrainian camera operator, Yevhenii Sakun, was reportedly killed when Kyiv's TV tower was shelled earlier this month.Press freedom groups denounced Sunday's violence as a violation of international law."Russian forces in Ukraine must stop all violence against journalists and other civilians at once, and whoever killed Renaud should be held to account," the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement.Time magazine told CNN that Renaud, an acclaimed filmmaker, was in Ukraine in recent weeks to work on "a Time Studios project focused on the global refugee crisis.""Our hearts are with all of Brent's loved ones," the publication said. "It is essential that journalists are able to safely cover this ongoing invasion and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine."Arredondo, a Colombian-American photographer, appeared in a social media video from Okhmatdyt hospital in Kyiv and recounted the shooting. He said he and Renaud were driving through a checkpoint in Irpin on the way to film refugees leaving the city when Russian forces opened fire.Arredondo said there were "two of us," and Renaud was "shot and left behind," adding that Renaud was shot in the neck. "We got split and I got pulled into the (stretcher)." Asked how he got to the hospital, he replied, "an ambulance, I don't know."Arredondo, a filmmaker and visual journalist who is also an adjunct professor at Columbia Journalism School, posted photos from Zhytomyr, Ukraine, on Saturday, noting in an Instagram post that he is "#onassignment." The Dean of Columbia Journalism School, Steve Coll, told CNN: "We don't have any independent information about his injuries at this time but are working now to learn more and to see if we can help."Arredondo is a prominent photographer, with work featured in The New York Times, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, ESPN, Vanity Fair and other media outlets, according to his personal website bio. Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, said in a statement on Telegram that Renaud "paid with his life for attempting to expose the insidiousness, cruelty and ruthlessness of the aggressor."Irpin, in northern Ukraine just outside Kyiv, has been the site of substantial Russian shelling in recent days and has seen extensive destruction, according to the Kyiv regional government on Friday.Tributes to RenaudRenaud was a Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker, producer and journalist who lived and worked in New York and Little Rock, Arkansas, according to his biography on the Renaud Brothers website. With his brother Craig, Renaud spent years "telling humanistic verite stories from the World's hot spots," including projects in Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, Egypt and Libya, according to his website bio. Brent Renaud, right, and his brother Craig are pictured at the HBO building screening area in New York on September 19, 2007. Ann Marie Lipinski, the director of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, said the foundation was "heartsick" over the death of the journalist, who was a 2019 Harvard Nieman Fellow."Our Nieman Fellow Brent Renaud was gifted and kind, and his work was infused with humanity. He was killed today outside Kiev, and the world and journalism are lesser for it. We are heartsick," she said in a tweet. A post on the Renaud Brothers Facebook page, dated March 8, urged readers to follow their coverage of the war Ukraine.Christof Putzel, a friend and colleague of Renaud, told CNN his death was a "devastating" loss."I woke up this morning to the news that Brent, long-time best friend, incredible colleague, the best war journalist I think ever existed, finding out about his passing," Putzel said on CNN's "Reliable Sources.""Brent had this ability to go anywhere, get any story, listen and communicate what was happening to people that others wouldn't otherwise see it. And it is a devastating loss to journalism today," he added.Putzel said Renaud was working on a documentary about refugees around the world when the crisis in Ukraine began. He said that "Brent was on the plane the next day" and covered the plight of refugees from Kyiv into Poland.Several years ago, the pair won a duPont award for a story they worked on about guns being smuggled into Mexico from the United States."What I said when we accepted our award was, the only thing bigger than Brent's balls are his heart. And I stand by that. That's what kind of journalist he was," said Putzel.Renaud had a unique ability to make people trust him as he told their stories in places like Iraq and other war zones, he added."You could sit down and spend a week watching all of Brent's stories over the years back-to-back and just be flabbergasted," Putzel said. "The career that he had, his ability to reach people, his ability to capture the humanity behind people's suffering is something I have never seen before, and I was just honored to work with him as long as I did."— CNN's Clarissa Ward reported from Kyiv, Mick Krever reported from Poland, Brian Stelter reported from New York and Lauren Kent wrote in London.

Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN

2022-03-13 10:12:29

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/13/us/new-york-city-homeless-shootings/index.html

Homeless shooting: Two people shot, one fatally, while sleeping on New York City streets Saturday, police say - CNN

Police are offering a $10,000 reward after an armed suspect opened fire Saturday on two apparently homeless people who were sleeping on the streets of New York City, killing one and wounding the other.

us, Homeless shooting: Two people shot, one fatally, while sleeping on New York City streets Saturday, police say - CNN

Two people shot, one fatally, while sleeping on New York City streets Saturday, police say

(CNN)Police are offering a $10,000 reward after an armed suspect opened fire Saturday on two apparently homeless people who were sleeping on the streets of New York City, killing one and wounding the other.The shootings happened about 90 minutes apart in Lower Manhattan and were caught on surveillance footage, the New York Police Department said. Video of the first shooting shows a man who appeared to be homeless sleeping near the corner of King Street and Varick when an unknown suspect approached and shot him in his forearm, NYPD Deputy Chief Commanding Officer Henry Sautner said during a news conference. The man woke up and shouted, "What are you doing?" at the shooter, who then ran away, Sautner added. Police were called to the scene around 4:30 a.m. and the 38-year-old victim was taken to a hospital for treatment.New York police released surveillance photos of the unknown armed suspect who shot two men Saturday.A second shooting involving a person who was apparently homeless happened around 6:00 a.m. outside of 148 Lafayette Street, police said. Officers found the man in a sleeping bag with gunshot wounds to his head and neck, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, Sautner said.Read MoreVideo surveillance of this shooting shows a suspect approaching the sleeping victim and firing his weapon, police said. New York City Mayor Eric Adams called surveillance videos "chilling" and "horrific," and said the shootings were "an intentional act of taking a life of someone that appears because he was homeless.""Watching the video, watching an individual intentionally walk up to innocent people that are dealing with the challenges of homelessness," Adams said. "It is quite possible that one of our citizens is still alive merely because he woke up."The NYPD released images of the suspect from the surveillance footage and is asking the public to come forward with information. "A combined reward in the amount of $10,000 is being offered," the NYPD said in a tweet. "Up to $3,500 payable by @NYPDTips upon arrest and indictment and $6,500 payable by NYPD upon arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for this incident."New York City crime wave continues into 2022 as city rolls out safety plan The shootings come as the NYPD grapples with upticks across every major crime category in the city. Major crimes spiked nearly 60% in February compared to the same month in 2021, police data showed.New York City also recorded a 41% increase in overall major crime through the first months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, including a nearly 54% increase in robberies, a 56% increase in grand larceny incidents and a 22% increase in rape reports, the data shows.Murders increased by 10%, while citywide shooting incidents decreased by 1.3%, with 77 incidents in February 2021 and 76 incidents last month, NYPD data shows. Those living on the streets in New York "are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrator," the Coalition for the Homeless said in a statement Sunday.City officials are working to get other homeless people into shelters, Adams said Sunday. "We're also mobilizing on the streets to notify our homeless to try and get them in shelters, those who want to do so," Adams said. "Being homeless should not turn into a homicide and I want to catch this guy bad." Adams unveiled his 'Blueprint to End Gun Violence' in January, which includes long-term goals to grow economic opportunities, improve child education and provide more access to mental health resources while addressing the gun crisis.CNN's Liam Reilly, Emma Tucker, Mark Morales and Laura Studley contributed to this report.

Melissa Alonso, CNN

2022-03-13 12:21:21

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us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/13/us/katt-williams-bomb-threat-nashville/index.html

Katt Williams abruptly ends Nashville show because of bomb threat, venue says - CNN

Comedian Katt Williams ended his show in Nashville, Tennessee, early Saturday night because of a bomb threat, according to a statement from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, where Williams was performing.

us, Katt Williams abruptly ends Nashville show because of bomb threat, venue says - CNN

Katt Williams abruptly ends Nashville show because of bomb threat, venue says

(CNN)Comedian Katt Williams ended his show in Nashville, Tennessee, early Saturday night because of a bomb threat, according to a statement from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, where Williams was performing. Williams had to "abruptly end" the show "10 minutes before the end of his set due to a bomb threat," the statement says. "Williams made the decision not to notify attendees of the bomb scare to avoid panic and possible injury." The building was cleared without incident by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the statement adds. The bomb threat was received via telephone at 10:36 p.m., Nashville police spokesperson Don Aaron told CNN, and the venue's staff decided to clear the auditorium. The call was believed to have come from out of state, he said. Police combed the venue, Aaron said, but found nothing. Read MoreCNN has reached out to Williams' representatives for comment but has not heard back. CNN's Dakin Andone contributed to this report.

Alexandra Meeks, CNN

2022-03-13 13:02:29

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us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/13/us/five-things-march-13-trnd/index.html

5 things to know on March 13, 2022: Ukraine, Gas Prices, Saudi Executions, Winter Weather, Cristiano Ronaldoo - CNN

Here's what you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

us, 5 things to know on March 13, 2022: Ukraine, Gas Prices, Saudi Executions, Winter Weather, Cristiano Ronaldoo - CNN

Start your week smart: Ukraine, Gas Prices, Saudi Executions, Winter Weather, Cristiano Ronaldo

If you're reading this right after waking up this morning, you've already lost an hour of your day. But don't be alarmed. The clock on your cell phone automatically sprang forward while you were asleep because it knew all about daylight saving time. Check the rest of your clocks, though. They may need some updating! Here's what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.The weekend that was• Russian airstrikes intensified across Ukraine over the weekend, as Russian forces hit the west and move closer to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Meantime, Moscow warned the US it could fire on foreign weapon shipments to Ukraine, raising the risk of direct confrontation between Russia and a NATO country. • Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to impact global fuel supply, pushing average gas prices in the US above $4.33 a gallon. Uber has announced it will begin adding a fuel surcharge starting Wednesday to help its drivers offset higher gas prices.• Saudi Arabia carried out its largest mass execution in decades -- 81 men, including seven Yemenis and one Syrian -- were executed Saturday for terrorism and other offenses, authorities said.Read More• A late winter storm system had more than 42 million Americans across the eastern US under winter weather alerts. Heavy snow and strong winds in the Northeast led to trouble on the roads and more than 1,300 canceled flights. The unusually freezing temperatures could damage crops in parts of the South. • Manchester United star forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 806th career goal on Saturday, breaking FIFA's all-time record for most match goals in men's soccer history.The week aheadMondayHappy Pi Day! Math enthusiasts and plenty of students know all about the day that celebrates the irrational number that never ends. Going out 31 decimal places, here's how it starts: 3.1415926535897932384626433832795. If you want to appreciate what it looks like to the 10,000th digit, click here.TuesdayTuesday is Equal Pay Day for women, but it's not a day to celebrate. Each year, the National Committee on Pay Equity sets the date, which symbolizes how far into the year women, on average, must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. Currently, women earn 83 cents for every dollar that men make, according to the most recent data from the Census Bureau.And if you're a Shakespeare fan, it's also the Ides of March, so beware!WednesdayWednesday marks one year since the metro Atlanta spa shootings. Eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were shot dead at three spas. Because of the victims' backgrounds, some officials raised fears that ethnicity had come into play, amid rising concerns nationwide about anti-Asian violence during the coronavirus pandemic.ThursdayOn this day every year, the world suddenly looks a bit greener as people don the color to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. March 17 is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. In addition to its religious roots, the holiday has become synonymous with the color green, shamrocks, parades and festive drinking. Go grab a Guinness!Want more 5 Things? This week on the Sunday edition of the 5 Things podcast, CNN Political Reporter Steve Contorno joins us from Florida to examine the implications of the bill opponents have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill, which is aimed at banning certain instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom. Listen here! Photos of the week Photos: The week in 30 photosEmergency workers carry an injured pregnant woman outside of a bombed hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, on Wednesday, March 9.Hide Caption 1 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosBritain's Queen Elizabeth II shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as they meet at Windsor Castle in England on Monday, March 7.Hide Caption 2 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosPeople protest inside the Florida State Capitol on Monday, March 7. They were rallying against legislation that would ban school districts in the state from encouraging classroom discussions related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Opponents have been calling it the "Don't Say Gay" bill, and it is poised to become law after the state Senate voted to pass the measure on Tuesday.Hide Caption 3 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosGeorge Keburia says goodbye to his wife and children as they board a train in Odessa, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 5. They were heading to Lviv in the western part of the country.Hide Caption 4 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosA demonstrator faints after being pepper-sprayed by police during an International Women's Day rally in Istanbul on Tuesday, March 8. According to the Reuters news agency, the Istanbul Governor's office had said that it would not allow marches, protests or press statements to mark the event around Taksim Square.Hide Caption 5 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is displayed on a screen as he addresses British lawmakers via video on Tuesday, March 8. "We will not give up and we will not lose," he said in his comments translated by an interpreter. "We will fight until the end at sea, in the air. We will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost." The House of Commons gave Zelensky a standing ovation at the end of his address.Hide Caption 6 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosAustrian ski jumper Marita Kramer competes in a World Cup event in Lillehammer, Norway, on Thursday, March 3.Hide Caption 7 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosSupreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson meets with US Sen. Cory Booker in Booker's Capitol Hill office on Tuesday, March 8. Jackson has been meeting with many members of the Senate ahead of her confirmation hearings.Hide Caption 8 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosPeople mourn near the body of Rafia Nazir, a young Kashmiri woman, during her funeral in Srinagar, India, on Monday, March 7. She was killed in a grenade attack at a busy market.Hide Caption 9 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosAn isolation facility is seen in Hong Kong on Wednesday, March 9. The health care system in Hong Kong has been overwhelmed by the city's biggest outbreak yet of Covid-19.Hide Caption 10 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosPatria Powell walks through floodwaters after salvaging items from her mother's home in Woodburn, Australia, on Monday, March 7. Since late February, heavy rains have dumped more than a year's worth of rainfall in the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales.Hide Caption 11 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosFrench cyclist Julian Alaphilippe, bottom right, falls during a crash in the Strade Bianche race in Italy on Saturday, March 5. He would go on to finish the race.Hide Caption 12 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosA model displays an outfit by Spanish designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada during Madrid Fashion Week on Thursday, March 10.Hide Caption 13 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosMarina Yatsko runs behind her boyfriend, Fedor, as they arrive at the hospital with her 18-month-old son, Kirill, who was wounded by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, on Friday, March 4. Medical workers frantically tried to save the boy's life, but he didn't survive.Hide Caption 14 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosUS President Joe Biden shakes hands with former Fox News anchorwoman Gretchen Carlson after he signed into law sweeping workplace reforms on Thursday, March 3. The legislation ends the use of forced arbitration clauses specifically for sexual harassment and sexual assault claims, allowing victims the option of bringing up the dispute in federal, tribal or state court.Hide Caption 15 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosMembers of Ukraine's Paralympic Team hold a banner reading "peace for all" in the athletes' village on Thursday, March 10. See more photos from the Winter Paralympics in Beijing.Hide Caption 16 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosPolish President Andrzej Duda, second from left, meets with US Vice President Kamala Harris, second from right, at the Belwelder Palace in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, March 10. Harris sought to reinforce cooperative ties between the United States and Poland in the wake of an apparent disconnect over providing Ukraine with fighter jets.Hide Caption 17 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosFireworks explode from a bull figure during a San Juan de Dios celebration in Tultepec, Mexico, on Wednesday, March 8.Hide Caption 18 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosA photo of Martin Luther King Jr. is held up during a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on Sunday, March 6. It was the 57th anniversary of the "Bloody Sunday" incident, which is when Alabama state troopers violently ended a civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. Two days later, King led a symbolic march to the bridge.Hide Caption 19 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosSheets cover the dead bodies of civilians who were killed while trying to flee Irpin, Ukraine, on Sunday, March 6. CNN determined they were killed in a Russian military strike.Hide Caption 20 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosA Tibetan wears traditional headgear during a function marking the Tibetan New Year in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Saturday, March 5.Hide Caption 21 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosThe women's basketball team from the University of Iowa celebrates after winning the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday, March 6.Hide Caption 22 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosUkrainians crowd under a destroyed bridge as they try to flee across the Irpin River on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 5.Hide Caption 23 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosSouth Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol celebrates at his party headquarters in Seoul on Thursday, March 10. The conservative narrowly defeated Lee Jae-myung from the ruling Democratic Party.Hide Caption 24 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosPoland's Piotr Garbowski competes in a cross-country skiing event at the Winter Paralympics on Wednesday, March 9.Hide Caption 25 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosA demonstrator wearing an American flag walks past a truck during the "People's Convoy" event in Hagerstown, Maryland, on Sunday, March 6. A convoy of vehicles lapped the Washington, DC, beltway that morning to demand an end to Covid-19 mandates and restrictions.Hide Caption 26 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosPeople fight in the stands of a pro soccer game in Querétaro City, Mexico, on Saturday, March 5. At least 26 people were injured in the mass brawl that forced the game to be abandoned in the second half.Hide Caption 27 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosA helicopter carrying US President Joe Biden lifts off from the South Lawn of the White House on Friday, March 4. Biden was heading to his home in Delaware to spend the weekend.Hide Caption 28 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosPeople crowd on a platform as they try to board a westbound train in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Friday, March 4.Hide Caption 29 of 30 Photos: The week in 30 photosA Ukrainian dancer with the Kyiv City Ballet waits before performing at a theater in Paris on Tuesday, March 8. The Kyiv City Ballet danced to a full house in Paris for the last show of a French tour. They described being physically and emotionally exhausted following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. See last week in 37 photos.Hide Caption 30 of 30Here's a look at other moving, fascinating and thought-provoking images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.What's happening in entertainmentCritics Choice Awards The 27th annual Critics Choice Awards, which honor some of the best film and television of the year, will be presented later today. Taye Diggs and Nicole Byer will host the awards ceremony, which will air live on the CW Network and TBS at 7 p.m. ET. "Belfast" and "West Side Story" lead this year's Critics Choice Awards film contenders, having earned 11 nominations each. BAFTA Awards The 2022 British Academy Film Awards will also take place today at 3 p.m. ET. For locals, the ceremony will be broadcast live on BBC One, and will be available to watch live and on replay at BBC iPlayer. US audiences will be able to watch the ceremony live for the first time on the streaming service BritBox.What's happening in sportsMarch MadnessCollege basketball fans, it's here! The NCAA will kick off its annual Division I Basketball tournament, also known as March Madness, this week. Sixty-eight teams will participate in a single elimination tournament on the road to the Final Four in New Orleans. The championship game is April 4.Brittney GrinerWNBA star Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia on drug charges. For three weeks, family and friends of Griner have been clamoring for the release of the two-time Olympic basketball gold medalist after she was held by the Russian Federal Customs Service for allegedly bringing cannabis oil into the country. Griner, 31, plays with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and spends her offseasons playing for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg. Her exact whereabouts since her arrest remain unknown.Quiz time! Take CNN's weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 77% of fellow quiz fans have gotten an 8 out of 10 or better this week. How well can you do?Play me off"Sunday Morning" on Sunday morningFor nostalgia's sake, let's close out the weekend with 2009 feel-good vibes. Here's a Maroon 5 classic -- and feel free to sing along. I know you want to. (Click here to view)

Liam Reilly, Emma Tucker and Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN

2022-03-12 23:15:00

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/us/moma-evacuation-stabbing/index.html

New York's Museum of Modern Art evacuated after two people were stabbed inside, police say - CNN

Patrons at New York City's Museum of Modern Art were evacuated Saturday afternoon after two employees were stabbed inside the iconic establishment by a man who was involved in two incidents of disorderly conduct at the museum in recent days, police said.

us, New York's Museum of Modern Art evacuated after two people were stabbed inside, police say - CNN

New York's Museum of Modern Art evacuated after two people were stabbed inside, police say

(CNN)Patrons at New York City's Museum of Modern Art were evacuated Saturday afternoon after two employees were stabbed inside the iconic establishment by a man who was involved in two incidents of disorderly conduct at the museum in recent days, police said.The two employees were stabbed in the back, the collar bone and in the back of the neck and were rushed to Bellevue Hospital within minutes of the attack. They received immediate medical attention and are expected to survive, said Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller during a news conference on Saturday evening."At approximately 4:15 this afternoon, an individual entered the museum, attempted to gain entrance presenting his membership card and was denied entrance because his membership had expired. His membership had expired as a result of two incidents involving disorderly conduct here at the museum on two separate dates in recent days," Miller said.Miller said upon being denied entrance to the museum, the suspect became angry and then jumped over the reception desk and attacked two museum employees, stabbing them multiple times.The NYPD is still searching for the suspect, who was identified in a news release early Sunday as 60-year-old Gary Cabana. Authorities had earlier described him as a man wearing a black jacket and surgical mask. His description was released immediately over division radio units in the area and a search was initiated by units responding to the vicinity of the scene, according to Miller.The NYPD released a series of photos of the man wanted for questioning in connection with the stabbings at MoMA Saturday.Read MoreThe suspect, who is a regular at the MoMA, entered the building Saturday with the intention of attending a film at the iconic landmark. He is known to the NYPD, Miller said, and is wanted by the department in connection with two incidents that occurred in Midtown Manhattan, where the museum is located, prior to Saturday's double stabbing. The man was caught on video leaving the museum and police have a direction of his flight, he added."The individual involved in this incident is known to us and we are endeavoring to locate this person right now," Miller said. The incident is still unfolding and the investigation is in its early stages, he said.The museum will be closed to the public Sunday, it said on social media.Mayor Eric Adams said he was briefed on the incident on Saturday and his press secretary tweeted it "appears to be an isolated, criminal incident.""We can report that the two victims are being taken care of at Bellevue Hospital and are expected to survive their injuries," Adams tweeted. "We're grateful for the quick work of our first responders."Adams asked for the public's help in locating the individual, tweeting: "Please continue to avoid the area while Police continue their investigation and if you have any information, please contact the NYPD immediately. Public safety is our top priority." New York City crime wave continues into 2022 as city rolls out safety plan In videos shared on social media, dozens of people are seen leaving the museum in a large crowd. "We weren't told what was going on, just that they had to close the exhibits immediately," MoMA patron Tina Rook told CNN. "A woman did say it was an emergency," Rook said, adding the whole incident was handled very well by police and museum officials. NYC's official emergency management agency informed residents of road closure and emergency personnel at the scene near West 53rd Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan, according to a tweet on Saturday afternoon. Miller said there was ample security in the area at the time of the incident but described it as a "rapidly unfolding spontaneous incident."The incident in the renowned New York museum occurred as the city experiences a continued wave of violent crime this year. Mayor Eric Adams has begun implementing his comprehensive plan to combat gun violence and crime in the city. Part of the plan includes reviving the NYPD's controversial anti-crime unit. Neighborhood safety teams will be tasked with patrolling high-crime neighborhoods starting on Monday. The city recorded a 41% increase in overall major crime through the first months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, including a nearly 54% increase in robberies, a 56% increase in grand larceny incidents and a 22% increase in rape reports, the data shows. Adams unveiled his "Blueprint to End Gun Violence" in January, which includes long-term goals to grow economic opportunities, improve child education and provide more access to mental health resources while addressing the gun crisis.

Melissa Alonso and Amanda Musa, CNN

2022-03-12 07:15:38

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/us/west-point-cadets-overdose-fentanyl/index.html

5 West Point cadets overdose on fentanyl during spring break, police say - CNN

A suspect is in custody after five West Point cadets overdosed -- four of whom were hospitalized -- on the drug fentanyl while they were on spring break in Fort Lauderdale earlier this week, according to police.

us, 5 West Point cadets overdose on fentanyl during spring break, police say - CNN

5 West Point cadets overdose on fentanyl during spring break, police say

(CNN)A suspect is in custody after five West Point cadets overdosed -- four of whom were hospitalized -- on the drug fentanyl while they were on spring break in Fort Lauderdale earlier this week, according to police.Authorities in Broward County, Florida, have made the arrest of the 21-year-old man in connection to the sale of a fentanyl-laced powder substance that allegedly triggered overdoses, according to CNN affiliate WPLG. The incident occurred in a vacation rental house in Wilton Manors, according to a news release from the Wilton Manors Police Department (WMPD).The Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue (FLFR) responded to the house around 5 p.m. Thursday and aided six men who were feeling overdose symptoms. A seventh patient, who is a woman, was later transported to the hospital after feeling sick, police said. A hazmat team tested the powdered material and found that it was laced with fentanyl, an opioid drug, according to the department.Read MorePolice said Friday that six West Point cadets on spring break in Fort Lauderdale were hospitalized after overdosing on a powder substance laced with the drug fentanyl. However, Lt. Col. Beth Smith, West Point director of public affairs and communications, told CNN on Saturday morning that only five of the six individuals involved in the overdose incident are cadets. Four of the cadets required hospitalization after the incident, according to Smith. According to the arrest report, Broward County Drug Task Force detectives responded to an overdose investigation involving multiple victims. Detectives were able to get the cellphone number "of the alleged dealer who supplied the narcotics to the victims," as part of the investigation. An undercover detective made contact with Axel Giovany Casseus on Friday and "purchased 43 grams of cocaine" from him in exchange for $1,000, the report said. Casseus was later arrested on charges of trafficking cocaine. During a Saturday bond hearing, a Broward County deputy identified Casseus as the man they believe sold the laced substance to the cadets and indicated that Casseus admitted to the transaction involving the West Point students after being taken into custody, according to the CNN-affiliate WPLG. Casseus is being held in the Broward County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 bond, according to BCSO online records. It is unclear whether he has an attorney. Police did not provide information on the suspect or the charges in Friday's press release. The names of the patients have not been released, though police said the college students are from New York who were vacationing in Fort Lauderdale on spring break. "This incident serves as a stark reminder to all, especially those visiting for Spring Break, of the deadly impacts of Fentanyl," Wilton Manors police said in the news release.Beth Smith, a spokesperson for the US Military Academy at West Point, acknowledged to CNN the college students were cadets and said the academy is investigating.Local authorities are investigating the overdose incident, police said.WMPD officers "took precautionary measures by evacuating and securing the residence due to the unidentified powdery substance," said the press release. Drug overdose deaths top 100,000 annually for the first time, driven by fentanyl, CDC data showFentanyl is a synthetic drug that can be up to 50 times stronger than heroin, up to 100 times stronger than morphine and commonly resembles prescription drugs, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is often added to other drugs by dealers "because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous," the CDC said.On Friday, Wilton Manors police warned in a tweet about the dangers of fentanyl."WMPD wants to warn spring breakers about the dangers of using illicit drugs & to avoid mixing drugs with alcohol or other forms of drugs. Protect yourself from the dangers of Fentanyl," police said.Last year saw a record high of drug overdose deaths, with more than 100,000 people dying from April 2020 to April 2021, according to provisional data published in November by the CDC. It was a 28.5% spike compared to the same period a year earlier and nearly doubling over the past five years.

Andy Rose, CNN

2022-03-13 02:21:10

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us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/us/ammon-bundy-arrested-trespassing/index.html

Ammon Bundy was arrested for trespassing at a hospital after a protest about a child - CNN

Ammon Bundy, the rancher who gained national attention for leading the armed occupation of federal land in Oregon, was arrested for trespassing at an Idaho hospital, police said Saturday.

us, Ammon Bundy was arrested for trespassing at a hospital after a protest about a child - CNN

Ammon Bundy was arrested for trespassing at a hospital after a protest about a child

(CNN)Ammon Bundy, the rancher who gained national attention for leading the armed occupation of federal land in Oregon, was arrested for trespassing at an Idaho hospital, police said Saturday.The incident began when Meridian police took into custody a 10-month-old child who had been the subject of repeated welfare checks since the start of the month for malnourishment, Meridian police said in a news release. The child's parents were uncooperative in the investigation and left their home, police said. Authorities eventually located the family's car and took the child to the St. Luke's Meridian medical center, the release said.Ammon Bundy announces run for Idaho governorBundy and several of his followers showed up to the facility and refused to leave, police said. After several attempts to get him off the property, Bundy was arrested for trespassing. Bundy, who announced in June he was running for Idaho governor, has been a part of several conflicts with authorities before, including over Covid-related measures. He was indicted -- and later acquitted -- for leading the armed occupation of Oregon's Malheur Wildlife Refuge in 2016. In 2020, he was charged with trespassing and resisting arrest after refusing to leave a protest at the Idaho Statehouse during which he and others demanded an end to the state of emergency. Read MoreIn thiis file photo, Bundy speaks to a crowd of about 50 followers in front of the Ada County Courthouse in Boise on April 3, 2021. He was arrested again last year for failing to appear at his trial after he showed up to court and refused to wear a mask, which was required by policy. Bundy's gubernatorial campaign said in an early Saturday statement he was arrested for "standing for parental rights and against medical tyranny."Ammon Bundy is seen in this booking photo from the Ada County Sheriff's OfficeIn a separate statement posted on Twitter, Bundy said the child was the grandson of a "very good friend," adding the child was "medically kidnapped" because of a missed doctor's appointment. Bundy was charged with 1st Offense Trespass -- Failure to Depart, and booked in the Ada County Jail early Saturday morning, according to sheriff's office records. A jail official confirmed to CNN Bundy was no longer in custody by Saturday evening.Bundy is the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who in 2014 engaged in an armed showdown with the federal Bureau of Land Management over grazing rights for his cattle.

Andy Rose and Emma Tucker, CNN

2022-03-13 00:13:45

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us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/us/missouri-officer-line-of-duty-death/index.html

Missouri officer dies in line of duty after a shooting - CNN

One of the two police officers hospitalized after a deadly shooting in southwest Missouri has died in the line of duty as a result of his injuries, the Joplin Police Department announced Saturday.

us, Missouri officer dies in line of duty after a shooting - CNN

Second officer dies in line of duty after a shooting in Missouri

(CNN)One of the two police officers hospitalized after a deadly shooting in southwest Missouri has died in the line of duty as a result of his injuries, the Joplin Police Department announced Saturday. Officer Jake Reed died Friday, officials said, just a few days after police Corporal Benjamin Cooper, a 19-year officer, was killed and a third officer was wounded Tuesday night in the pursuit of suspect Anthony Felix, spanning two different locations in Joplin. "Yesterday evening Officer Jake Reed continued his service to others as his vital organs were escorted to the airport and flown across the country to give life to others," Joplin Police said in a statement Saturday.Police say Felix was subsequently fatally shot by Captain William Davis, who was not hurt and was placed on routine administrative leave.An officer was killed and 2 others wounded after a chase in Missouri, police say. The suspect is also dead"If not for Captain Davis' actions, additional officers or citizens could have been killed," said Chief Rowland.Read MorePolice in Joplin responded Tuesday afternoon to a disturbance call. "As officers attempted to take the subject into custody, he shot two officers and fled the scene in a stolen patrol car," Assistant Police Chief Brian Lewis said. The suspect crashed the car and fired at officers, striking one. The suspect was shot when officers returned fire, police said. The suspected shooter was identified by police Wednesday as 40-year-old Anthony Felix. Seventy-one US police officers have died in the line of duty this year through early March, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Reed died one day after police chief Sloan Rowland publicly announced he was not expected to recover from his injuries. "We're honored to have served with Jake. Jake is an outstanding young man," Rowland said at a news conference Thursday.Rick HirsheyThe third officer who was shot, identified as Rick Hirshey, is expected to recover from his injuries. "Rick is going to face some serious challenges in the days and months to come as he recovers," Chief Rowland said."Officer Hirshey retired from the Joplin Police Department three months ago, and chose to come back and continue to work," Mayor Ryan Stanley said Wednesday. A public funeral service for Cooper is set for Tuesday. Reed's service will follow on Friday.

Ramishah Maruf, CNN

2022-03-12 23:40:34

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/business/cvs-karen-lynch-sexual-harassment/index.html

CVS removes managers after harassment allegations - CNN

CVS CEO Karen Lynch removed a regional manager and several employees after a harassment allegation was not treated seriously, the company said in a statement sent to CNN Business Friday.

business, CVS removes managers after harassment allegations - CNN

CVS removes managers after harassment allegations

New York (CNN)CVS CEO Karen Lynch removed a regional manager and several employees after a harassment allegation was not treated seriously, the company said in a statement sent to CNN Business Friday. At the end of 2021, the company received an anonymous report that alleged misconduct by someone in field management, CVS said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal reported that two female employees in a New Jersey CVS alleged the store's manager "harassed or inappropriately touched them." CVS confirmed that allegation to CNN. In its statement, CVS said it hired an outside firm to conduct an investigation, which resulted in the firing of not only the store manager but also several employees "for failing to treat the allegations with the seriousness we expect," according to a statement to CNN. "We absolutely do not tolerate behavior or actions that are harassing, hostile, abusive or discriminatory," the company said in the statement to CNN Business. After the incident, CVS said it established an Office of Workplace Assistance, which will report to Lynch and seek to improve employees' ability to confidentially raise concerns or report wrongdoing. Read MoreLynch was named CEO in February 2021, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The company is a central player in the US pandemic response, at first offering Covid testing and later vaccines when they became available. In October, Lynch was named to the number one spot of Fortune magazine's list of the most powerful women in business. CVS announced in November that it will close 900 stores over the next 3 years, or about 10% of its pharmacies, in response to what it said are changing consumer buying patterns. It will remodel some stores as it pivots into health care aspects of business and pointed to "changes in population, consumer buying patterns and future health needs" as factors in its decision to close those locations.-- CNN Business' Nathaniel Meyersohn contributed to this story

Story by Reuters

2022-03-12 17:40:42

news

middleeast

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/middleeast/saudi-arabia-mass-execution-terrorism-intl/index.html

Saudi Arabia executes 81 men in one day, in the biggest mass execution in decades - CNN

Saudi Arabia executed 81 men on Saturday, including seven Yemenis and one Syrian, for terrorism and other offenses including holding "deviant beliefs," authorities said, in the biggest mass execution in decades.

middleeast, Saudi Arabia executes 81 men in one day, in the biggest mass execution in decades - CNN

Saudi Arabia executes 81 men in one day, the biggest mass execution in decades

(Reuters)Saudi Arabia executed 81 men on Saturday, including seven Yemenis and one Syrian, for terrorism and other offenses including holding "deviant beliefs," authorities said, in the biggest mass execution in decades.The number dwarfed the 67 executions reported in the kingdom in all of 2021 and the 27 in 2020."These individuals, totaling 81, were convicted of various crimes including murdering innocent men, women and children," the interior ministry said in a statement."Crimes committed by these individuals also include pledging allegiance to foreign terrorist organizations, such as ISIS (Islamic State), al Qaeda and the Houthis," it added.Some traveled to conflict zones to join "terrorist organizations," the statement said.Read MoreThe ministry did not say how the executions were carried out.The men included 37 Saudi nationals who were found guilty in a single case for attempting to assassinate security officers and targeting police stations and convoys, the ministry added.The kingdom executed 63 people in one day in 1980, a year after militants seized the Grand Mosque in Mecca, according to state media reports.A total of 47 people, including prominent Shiite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr, were executed in one day in 2016.Rights groups have accused Saudi Arabia of enforcing restrictive laws on political and religious expression, and criticized it for using the death penalty, including for defendants arrested when they were minors.Saudi Arabia denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security according to its laws.SPA, Saudi Arabia's state news agency, said the accused were provided with the right to an attorney and were guaranteed their full rights under Saudi law during the judicial process.

Sean Lyngaas, CNN

2022-03-12 17:04:26

news

europe

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/europe/russia-ukraine-war-cyber-attacks/index.html

Experts are divided on why russia's cyber offensive against Ukraine has been limited so far - CNN

US officials warned that a wave of debilitating cyberattacks could accompany Russia's war on Ukraine. So far they haven't materialized, and US and Ukrainian officials are contemplating why as they prepare for the next phase of the war.

europe, Experts are divided on why russia's cyber offensive against Ukraine has been limited so far - CNN

Russia's cyber offensive against Ukraine has been limited so far. Experts are divided on why

(CNN)US officials warned that a wave of debilitating cyberattacks could accompany Russia's war on Ukraine. So far they haven't materialized, and US and Ukrainian officials are contemplating why as they prepare for the next phase of the war. There have been several hacks of Ukrainian organizations, but no reports yet of the sort of high-impact cyberattacks on transportation or electric infrastructure that some feared. The possible explanations for this, analysts say, range from disorganization in Russian military planning to hardened Ukrainian defenses, to the fact that bombs and bullets take precedence over hacking in wartime. The reason Russia has so far not flexed in cyberspace during the war may be unattainable — or require being inside the minds of Russian spy chiefs. But how US, European and Ukrainian officials perceive the situation shapes how they allocate resources to defend Ukrainian computer networks as the war continues."What we have seen to date from Russia's state cyber actors appears to reflect the same challenges seen in their conventional forces," said a US cyber defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. "It is likely that inadequate preparation and bad assumptions have resulted in a haphazard performance that underplays their known capabilities."Read MoreLimited Russian cyberattacksCyberattacks have played a supporting, not a central, role in the war and hacking incidents preceded and accompanied Russia's bombardment of Ukraine: • February 15: Cyberattacks temporarily knocked the websites of Ukrainian agencies and big banks offline. The White House blamed Russia for the incident (the Kremlin denied involvement).• February 23: Hours before Russian airstrikes began hitting Ukraine, a cyberattack deleted data at multiple Ukrainian government agencies and private companies. • February 25: Ukrainian government officials accused hackers working for the Belarusian Ministry of Defense of trying to break into the private email accounts of Ukrainian military personnel. • March 10: Unidentified hackers caused disruptions at Ukrainian internet service provider Triolan, which has customers in big Ukrainian cities. Triolan blamed "the enemy" (a reference to Russia) for the incident but did not provide evidence to support the allegation.Gen. Paul Nakasone, the most senior military cyber official in the US government, offered a vague, multi-faceted explanation for the relatively muted Russian cyber activity to lawmakers this week. Defensive work by Ukrainians, "some of the challenges that the Russians have encountered, and some of the work that others have been able to prevent their actions" explained the situation, said Nakasone, who heads the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command. "They bomb critical infrastructure, So they don't need to hack it'Ukrainian computer defenses have indeed improved since 2015 and 2016, when cyberattacks cut power in parts of Ukraine, and 2017, when devastating malicious software known as NotPetya emerged in the country and spread to organizations around the world, costing billions of dollars in damage. (The Justice Department blamed Russia's GRU military intelligence directorate for all three attacks; the Kremlin denied involvement.)But many analysts say that heightened Ukrainian cyber defenses cannot be the sole reason for the lack of visible Russian cyber operations. And US officials are predisposed to crediting Ukrainian network defenses in which Washington has invested millions of dollars, and countless hours on the ground in recent years, in building them up. Yegor Aushev, a Ukrainian cybersecurity executive who helped organize an ad hoc group of hackers to target Russian organizations during the war, offered a simpler explanation. "The first phase of the war was a hybrid war," Aushev said by phone from Ukraine this week. US officials eye Russian reliance on unsophisticated but brutal heavy weaponry in UkraineThe Russians, he said, used cyberattacks because there is plausible deniability in doing so. But the second phase of the war has been out in the open. "They bomb critical infrastructure," Aushev said. "So they don't need to hack it, in hidden mode."John Hultquist, vice president of intelligence analysis at cybersecurity firm Mandiant, echoed that point."Cyberattacks are often reversible and they are often carried out for their psychological effects," Hultquist, a US Army veteran, told CNN. "And in a situation when the Russians are already shelling cities, those effects are going to be fairly limited."The so-called Ukraine "IT army" that Aushev is working with claims thousands of volunteer hackers from Ukraine and abroad. The Ukrainian government is actively encouraging these cyberattacks on Russian organizations — and claiming that these hacks are disrupting Russian cyber activities aimed at Ukraine. "As it turns out, [Russian computer] systems are not that secure," boasted Serhiy Demedyuk, deputy secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council. "They employed their potential to carry out destructive attacks on other states, but failed to secure their own resources."The extent to which pro-Ukraine hacking against Russian organizations has been successful is difficult to assess. There have been disruptions to Russian state media websites that parrot the Kremlin's propaganda about the war. The longer gameAnother possibility is that the fog of war has obscured some Russian cyber activity. We might not hear about it for months if some of the elite hacking teams associated with Russian intelligence services have engaged in significant activity in Ukraine, Hultquist said. "It's a perfect environment for chaos to hide in," Hultquist told CNN. All the more so if bombs destroy digital evidence of a hack. The Ukrainian government has made plans to move some of its computer infrastructure out of Kyiv as Russian troops continue to pound the city. Preserving those digital records could be key to learning more about any additional Russian cyber activity during the war. With the war grinding on, US and European officials are also wary of any spillover from a Russian hack in Ukraine that could hobble agencies or corporations in NATO countries. How the US is trying to help Ukraine without triggering a wider war with RussiaThe data-wiping hack on the eve of Russia's invasion was precisely targeted, but did infect two Ukrainian government contractors with a presence in Latvia and Lithuania, which are NATO members. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said a cyberattack could trigger NATO's collective defense clause, requiring all members to defend an attack on another member. But that has never happened and it is unclear what NATO's threshold in cyberspace is.Erica Lonergan, associate research scholar at Columbia University's Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, said it would make sense for Russia to retaliate against Western government sanctions in cyberspace in a way that doesn't escalate conventional conflict with NATO."Precisely for the reasons that cyber isn't necessarily useful in the battlefield, it is a way that states engage in subversion, create information advantage and cause disruption," Lonergan told CNN.

Rebekah Riess, CNN

2022-03-12 17:13:24

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/us/ronald-greene-louisiana-state-police-independent-review/index.html

Ronald Green death: Louisiana State Police hire outside consultant - CNN

The Louisiana State Police has hired an outside consultant to conduct a "comprehensive top-to-bottom assessment" of the agency following the 2019 death of Ronald Greene while in the custody.

us, Ronald Green death: Louisiana State Police hire outside consultant - CNN

Outside firm to review Louisiana State Police after death of Ronald Greene

(CNN)The Louisiana State Police has hired an outside consultant to conduct a "comprehensive top-to-bottom assessment" of the agency following the 2019 death of Ronald Greene while in the custody. The consultant, The Bowman Group, which specializes in police reform and accountability, will assess "the policies, procedures, practices, culture, and training" of the state police through May 2023 at a cost of nearly $1.5 million, the state police said Friday in a statement posted on Facebook. Louisiana governor denies report he tried to hide or influence investigation into Ronald Greene's in-custody death"I have vowed to regain the trust of our citizens, our law enforcement partners, our political leaders, and the men and women of our agency," said Col. Lamar Davis, Louisiana State Police Superintendent. "Through this collaboration, we continue our commitment to the reform process as we work to build trust within our communities." Greene, a 49-year-old Black man, died during the overnight hours of May 10, 2019, after police said he resisted arrest and struggled with officers. His family has said they were told Greene died in a car crash after a police chase.Video of the incident released two years later showed officers kicking, punching and using a taser on Greene before he died in their custody.Louisiana House of Representatives will create a select committee to investigate the death of Ronald Greene Read MoreA select committee of the Louisiana House of Representatives last month launched an investigation of the death after The Associated Press reported that Gov. John Bel Edwards kept quiet about the case for two years. The Democratic governor denied the allegation, saying he welcomed "any and all legislative oversight" of Greene's death. Edwards called the actions of the troopers involved "criminal" and said he was briefed in May 2019 that Greene died after a police chase and a "violent, lengthy struggle" with officers. Louisiana governor to meet Black legislative leaders after new report about investigation of Ronald Greene's deathThe state police statement said Bowman will assess everything from community policing and civilian complaints to use of force policies and recruitment. No one has been charged in Greene's death.His family has filed a wrongful-death civil lawsuit against the state troopers involved in the incident, as well as their superiors -- seeking damages for payment for all medical and funeral expenses.The troopers have maintained that Greene's death "was caused by crash-related blunt force chest trauma that resulted in a fractured sternum and ruptured aorta" and said they used force "for their own personal safety and for the safety of the public," according to court documents. Ronald Greene's family marches arm in arm with supporters as they seek justiceGreene's mother, Mona Hardin, told CNN last year that she believes the state police tried to cover up his death. She said police initially told her he died when he crashed into a tree. An autopsy report from the Union Parish Coroner's Office said lacerations of Greene's head were "inconsistent with motor vehicle collision injury ... (and) most consistent with multiple impact sites from a blunt object."CNN's Ray Sanchez contributed to this report.

Amanda Musa, CNN

2022-03-12 14:47:41

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/us/daytona-beach-couple-murders-arrest/index.html

Daytona Beach, Florida, murders: Man charged with killing couple - CNN

A 32-year-old man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of a couple last weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida, police said.

us, Daytona Beach, Florida, murders: Man charged with killing couple - CNN

A 32-year-old man is accused of killing couple in Daytona Beach

(CNN)A 32-year-old man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of a couple last weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida, police said. Jean R. Macean is accused of killing Terry Aultman, 48, and Brenda Aultman, 55, whose bodies were found early Sunday morning with multiple stab wounds, according to Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young. Macean allegedly confessed to the killing, Young tweeted on Friday.It's unclear whether Macean, an Orlando resident, has an attorney.The suspect was arrested at his home by the Orlando Police Fugitive Investigative Unit, whose members are also sworn as deputy United States marshals, police said.Read MoreEvidence has been recovered but the motive remains unclear, Young told reporters.The bodies of the married couple were discovered by two people in a grassy area in front of a residence shortly before 2 a.m. last Sunday, police said.The couple was apparently on their way home after participating in a bike week event when they were attacked, according to police. Two bicycles were found near the bodies.The Aultmans "were both wonderful and happy and loving and they didn't deserve what happened to them," Brenda Aultman's daughter said. Macean was to be extradited to Volusia County, Young said. CNN's Ray Sanchez contributed to this report.

Katelyn Polantz, CNN Reporter, Crime and Justice

2022-03-12 14:05:40

politics

politics

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/politics/capitol-riot-prosecutions/index.html

The 4 pillars to convicting alleged January 6 US Capitol rioters - CNNPolitics

Trials are already scheduled in the DC District Court through the end of the year, including for the far-right Oath Keepers charged with seditious conspiracy.

politics, The 4 pillars to convicting alleged January 6 US Capitol rioters - CNNPolitics

The 4 pillars to convicting alleged January 6 US Capitol rioters

(CNN)Federal prosecutors walked out of court this week with new confidence -- that a Washington, DC, jury would be willing to convict participants in the January 6 US Capitol attack for serious crimes. In the first guilty verdict from a jury related to the January 6 Capitol riot, a Texas man was convicted of obstructing the congressional proceeding and other charges. The man, Guy Reffitt, a member of the Texas Three Percenters, was hit by chemical irritants on the steps of the Capitol, then waived on others in the crowd, but did not go inside the building. The case wasn't about Reffitt alone. In addition to cataloging his actions, the prosecutors explained to the jury the destruction of the crowd around him on January 6 that broke into the Senate, and the effect the riot had on US Capitol Police officers who were overwhelmed. And the jury didn't need to take the Justice Department's words alone because the evidence was comprehensive. Exhibit shown during trial of Guy Reffitt in March 2022. Video and witnesses used together, like in the Reffitt case, are "powerful tools," trial consultant Jill Huntley Taylor said this week. "Video makes the jurors eyewitnesses ... Adding actual witnesses, particularly the Capitol Police, adds a type of commentary to what was happening in real time." Read MoreHundreds of other January 6 cases could see a similar approach from prosecutors if they, too, go to trial. Trials are already scheduled in the DC District Court through the end of the year, including for the far-right Oath Keepers charged with seditious conspiracy. These are the building blocks of Reffitt's case that may be replicated as the court tries others for their role in the riot. Admissions on video Some of the strongest evidence in the case against Reffitt came from his own admissions, on Zoom, on text messages and in family conversations after the riot. At their closing arguments to the jury, prosecutors showed Reffitt explaining to his fellow Three Percenters in a video conference moment by moment how he resisted police -- then cut in images of the riot itself, showing each of those standoffs. "I stepped forward. She started pelting me with pepper balls," Reffitt had told his friends in a video conference the prosecutors obtained. "There is Officer (Shauni) Kerkhoff pelting him with pepper balls," prosecutor Jeff Nestler said, showing the jury video of Reffitt at the riot. "He was speaking the truth." A turning point in the fight against right-wing extremismAfter court dismissed, one juror emphasized the importance of the defendant's admissions. "His own words played a big part in how we looked at the evidence," the juror told Politico. In other cases, rioters' admissions in selfies and social media posts may be just as direct and useful to prosecutors. Some, confronted with the evidence, have already pleaded guilty. Another Texan, Thomas Paul Conover, for example, cut a plea deal in January. He admitted to posting on social media both before and after the riot. "GOING TO WASHINGTON DC WITH BLAKELY TO JOIN THE MOB JAN 5TH CMON JOIN US," he posted in all caps in December 2020. While still standing on the Capitol's steps, he recorded a video holding a beer can where he said: "I DON'T ALWAYS STORM THE CAPITOL OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. BUT WHEN I DO, I PREFER COORS LIGHT." Another January 6 defendant, Douglas Jensen, recorded himself in the riot as well, according to Justice Department submissions in his case so far. In his video, Jensen points at the Capitol behind him, with the crowd around him yelling. But he appears to be confused by the geography of Washington. "This is me, touching the f**king White House ... I am at the White House, just so you know," Jensen says. Jensen has pleaded not guilty and is headed to trial in September.JUST WATCHEDNew video shows Capitol rioters' graphic threats against Pence ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHNew video shows Capitol rioters' graphic threats against Pence 02:06 Birds' eye view of the riot Just like Reffitt's own video, the Justice Department heavily relied on other angles of the riot. Hundreds of cameras were turned on as rioters approached the Capitol building and entered inside. The Capitol Police alone has 1,600 closed-circuit surveillance cameras, according to the head of the Capitol Police's command center, who testified against Reffitt. And prosecutors have been strategically using video they've collected through subpoenas, from riot participants' cell phones and online accounts, and from YouTube and media outlets, in several of the nearly 800 January 6 cases. Some of the most jarring video at Reffitt's trial came from what appeared to be a headcam that faced one of the officers Reffitt resisted on the Upper West Terrace. 'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley sentenced to 41 months in prison for role in US Capitol riotThe video captures infamous rioters up close, together, including the so-called QAnon Shaman, Jacob Chansley, in his horns and animal headdress and a man accused of partaking in the Proud Boys conspiracy. The group stands under scaffolding several levels up the Capitol steps, pointing and milling around. Then, the crowd rushes up a level. "This crowd is heading up the steps where we were originally trying to hold. They are heading up to the Upper West Terrace, which I again will say there's many access points to the Capitol building there," Capitol Police officer Adam DesCamp explained to the jury. Rioters on this side ultimately broke into the building through Senate windows -- "that is a breach of the Capitol," another witness from the Capitol Police testified. Dozens of videos have been released so far, but the camera that captured Chansley (who has pleaded guilty) and others hasn't been one of the videos circulated widely. It's possible it will be used in other cases. And it raises the likelihood that the Justice Department is sitting on many more up-close angles of the violence, that could be deployed in court if needed. Giving jurors a 'short civics lesson' about CongressProsecutors at the Reffitt trial played video of the Senate and House chambers as members of Congress began their proceedings to certify the vote, then recessed, as staff rushed around. They called witnesses too who were inside the building protecting the proceedings. That evidence will likely need to be repeated in any other case where a defendant faces the obstruction of Congress charge, a hefty felony that carries a 20-year maximum prison sentence. The Justice Department has built many of its more serious January 6 cases, including conspiracy accusations, around this charge. In the Reffitt case, prosecutors showed the jury congressional resolutions about how Congress would certify the election as evidence. They called it a "short civics lesson." They also used a US Secret Service agent who protected Pence's family to testify to how his motorcade was moved and he and his family were taken out of the Senate chambers during the riot.JUST WATCHEDWhat happened inside the Capitol as rioters stormed the hallsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhat happened inside the Capitol as rioters stormed the halls 01:37This type of testimony is on its way to becoming standard in January 6 cases. On Wednesday, a judge overseeing a separate January 6 case headed to trial later in March said that if prosecutors wanted to prove another defendant was in the restricted grounds of the Capitol illegally later that afternoon, they too would have to call a witness who could give first-hand testimony about then-Vice President Mike Pence's whereabouts. In the Reffitt courtroom, a lawyer for the Senate, Daniel Schwager, recounted how he and others were "under severe threat" on the Senate floor as a mob attacked the US Capitol on January 6. "From the moment I was told protesters had breached the Capitol, I was in a state of alarm. We were in a grave situation," Schwager testified. In the Senate chamber, Schwager was watching over the boxes that contained the Electoral College ballots that would be counted to confirm Joe Biden's election win, the jury saw on video. Schwager said he wanted to make sure no one was opening the boxes or touching the ballots, even when the massive doors of the Senate were locked shut and a plain-clothed Capitol Police officer with a long gun stood in the well of the Senate to protect those inside. The boxes and the officer with the gun were important images for prosecutors too -- and they mentioned them again in their closing arguments to the Reffitt jury. Emotions of the day also play a role From the start of jury selection, it was clear that prosecutors would need to navigate the trauma of January 6 and strong political feelings of Washington, residents as they sought impartial jurors. Some selected for the jury had ties to Capitol Hill and the federal government, either living or working nearby, and potential jurors whose feelings about January 6 were still too strong did not make the jury. Once the trial began, pathos in the prosecutors' case also mattered. In the first day of government witness testimony, a Capitol Police leader broke down on the stand as she recalled the force becoming overwhelmed. And the jury heard chilling audio recordings of Capitol Police calling for help as they tried to confront the mob. "We need every single unit on the Upper West Terrace right now," one officer shouted. JUST WATCHEDOfficers who faced off with rioters on what needs to change in Capitol securityReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHOfficers who faced off with rioters on what needs to change in Capitol security 02:16After the verdict, the Justice Department said it might call witnesses at Reffitt's sentencing. Prosecutors have used statements from injured Capitol Police to implore judges to give severe sentencings, especially to rioters who pleaded guilty to assaulting police. One officer who was knocked unconscious wrote about her traumatic brain injury at one January 6 defendant's sentencing last June.Another recovering officer said at the recent sentencing of a rioter who attacked the police line with a PVC pipe, "He will not hesitate. He will assault me and my fellow officers again and again. Just like he did on that day." CNN's Hannah Rabinowitz and Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.

Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN

2022-03-12 09:07:23

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/us/brittney-griner-detained-americans-history/index.html

Brittney Griner: What could be next in her case - CNN

There are many details we still don't know about WNBA star Brittney Griner's recent arrest in Russia. But there's a lot we can learn from the experiences of Americans who were arrested there in the past.

us, Brittney Griner: What could be next in her case - CNN

What could be next for Brittney Griner

(CNN)There are many details we still don't know about WNBA star Brittney Griner's arrest in Russia. But there's a lot we can learn from the experiences of Americans who were detained there in the past. The country's strict drug laws also offer some indication of what could be next for Griner, experts say.Some experts who spoke with CNN were quick to tie Griner's arrest to the bigger geopolitical picture, and warned she's likely to be used as a bargaining chip in the days to come. Others say it's premature to draw any connection between the drug charges Griner's facing and tensions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Here's what experts say are some key things to keep in mind: Drug laws in Russia are strictRead MoreRussia's federal customs agency says a criminal case is underway, and state media reports say Griner is accused of drug smuggling after cannabis oil was allegedly found in her suitcase at a Moscow airport. Those are serious accusations, given how strict Russia's drug laws are, says William E. Butler, a professor at Penn State Dickinson Law."Russia has, and has had for many decades, a zero tolerance attitude towards narcotic substances, so it's a serious offense," he says.The crime Griner is accused of carries a possible punishment of 5-10 years in prison, Butler says, in addition to the possible imposition of a fine.Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury has been detained in Russia for weeks.False accusations are a possibilityBut it's also important to consider another possibility, says Peter Maggs, a law professor at the University of Illinois and an expert on Russia's civil code. "There have been a lot of allegations of planting of substances on people, particularly on the part of human rights advocates," he says.And a February State Department warning urged Americans to avoid travel to Russia, noting the risk of arrest."Russian security services have arrested U.S. citizens on spurious charges, denied them fair and transparent treatment, and have convicted them in secret trials and/or without presenting credible evidence," the warning said.Prison conditions have come under fireAuthorities haven't said where Griner is being held, and her family has been tight-lipped about the details of the case. But her arrest has brought renewed attention to two other Americans detained in Russia -- Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed.Both men and their families have denied the charges against them and criticized their treatment while in custody. Whelan, a former US Marine, was detained at a Moscow hotel in 2018 and arrested on espionage charges, which he has consistently denied. He was convicted and sentenced in June 2020 to 16 years in prison in a trial widely denounced as unfair by US officials. In a call with CNN in June, Whelan described the grim conditions of the remote labor camp where he spends his days working in a clothing factory that he called a "sweatshop," and said, "Getting medical care here is very difficult."Reed, a former US Marine detained in Russia since 2019, was sentenced to nine years in prison in July 2020 for endangering the "life and health" of Russian police officers after a night of drinking, according to state-run news agency TASS. US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan called the trial "theater of the absurd" after Reed's 2020 sentencing.Trevor Reed stands inside a defendants' cage during a 2020 court hearing in Moscow.In recent calls to his parents from the Russian prison where he's being held, Reed said he had been coughing up blood, had intermittent fevers and had pain in his chest, according to his father -- and the family is concerned he has tuberculosis. In a statement Thursday, Reed's parents said they were concerned he will be sent to solitary confinement rather than to medical care."It's hard to explain how panicked we are after hearing his voice today," his parents said.CNN has reached out to the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service for comment. Nick Daniloff, an American journalist who was detained in the USSR in 1986, told CNN he has questions about where Griner is being held."The Russians seized her and she's incommunicado. ... It's very possible that she's being held in the sort of a prison where I was taken -- an isolation prison," Daniloff says.Daniloff, who was imprisoned for weeks in isolated conditions while officials negotiated his release, says he believes his roommate in prison was tasked with informing authorities about his behavior -- and Griner could find herself in a similar situation.US reporter Nicholas Daniloff holds up a T-shirt after his release from being detained in Russia in 1986.Griner should have access to a lawyer and consular representativesRussian law guarantees Griner access to counsel and consular representatives, Butler says."She's under what I understand to be investigative detention. ... She will have had the right to counsel. She will have had the right to contact the embassy, the American consulate, she will have had the right to be visited," he says.But a US lawmaker told CNN Thursday that consular officials haven't been able to meet with Griner."The embassy has requested consular access to her ... and that has been denied now for three weeks. She has been in touch with her Russian lawyer, and her Russian lawyer has been in touch with her agent and her family back home. So, we do know that she's OK," US Rep. Colin Allred, a Texas Democrat, told CNN's "Don Lemon Tonight." "We just know that she's been held now for three weeks without official government access to her, which really is unusual and extremely concerning," Allred said.CNN has reached out to Russian officials regarding Griner's consular access but has not heard back.The State Department has declined to provide details on the case, citing privacy considerations."We are aware of and closely engaged on this case," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement Thursday.The war 'makes everything more complex' This much is clear: the timing is terrible. In the days since Griner's February detention, Russia has invaded Ukraine, and tensions between Russia and the United States have intensified."It's hard to imagine a more difficult negotiating environment than this," says Philip Mudd, a CNN counterterrorism analyst who used to work for the CIA. "We have the difficulty of diplomatic negotiations with the Russians, whom we don't trust, obviously, overlaid with the fact that we're involved in the war and the Russians don't trust us. I don't see how it could be more difficult than this right now."The war in Ukraine "makes everything more complex" and will make Russian authorities even more inclined to manipulate the situation, says Nikolay Marinov, a political science professor at the University of Houston. "They will be less forthcoming, and they will be less cooperative, and it may be a while before they give more official information," he says.A trial could be swift, but appeals could be lengthyAuthorities haven't said when, or if, a trial could be held in Griner's case. Legal experts told CNN a trial could happen quickly, but appeals can be lengthy. "Usually, where the facts are relatively simple, one would expect things to move very quickly. They've got the witnesses of the airport experts, they've got the physical evidence, they've got the lab report," Maggs says. "That shouldn't take a lot of time. But then appeals can take all sorts of time."US citizen Paul Whelan attends a 1020 sentencing hearing at the Moscow City Court.He points to the recent case of US businessman Michael Calvey, which concluded more than two years after he was first detained. Calvey was convicted of embezzlement -- an accusation he denied.There may be an 'off ramp'Despite the serious charges Griner faces, there could still be an "off ramp," Butler says: Authorities could decide to charge Griner with possession rather than smuggling."If they were to decide that she made a mistake, she went through the green line instead of the red line (at the airport), she failed to declare it, they could treat that as an administrative offense instead of a criminal offense," he says. "If they did that, they wouldn't charge her with smuggling, they would charge her with ... possession. If that were the case, she would be subjected to a fine and probably deportation."Griner, a two-time Olympic basketball gold medalist and WNBA star, plays for the Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason.But Butler stresses there's a lot we still don't know about Griner's case."It's very hard to judge from the outside. ... In this case we really know astonishingly little of the actual facts and what's happened ever since the detention occurred," Butler says.A prisoner swap may be possibleAt points in the past, when Americans have been detained in Russia and other countries, their release has been negotiated as part of a prisoner swap."In my case, the FBI had arrested a Soviet in New York for espionage, and the Russians then arrested me. I was coming to the end of my assignment in Moscow (working for US News and World Report), and ... a negotiation eventually took place involving my being released, involving a solution for the guy who was arrested in New York, and there were some other elements that came into play as well," Daniloff recalls.At the time, Daniloff credited President Reagan for pushing for his release."This was a very complex situation, and if it hadn't been for President Reagan's taking a very deep and personal interest in my case, it would probably be some years before I could stand in front of you and say, 'Thank you, Mr. President,'" Daniloff said at a news conference beside Reagan after his release in 1986.US reporter Nicholas Daniloff stands with President Ronald Reagan after his release from being detained in Russia.Could a similar deal be made for Reed, Whelan and Griner?"The question is whether we have enough to trade for three Americans. But a deal's a deal, and Putin is going to be ready to make a deal," Mudd says. "If we do have Russians that he wants, I don't see why it's worth avoiding a negotiation just because we're at war."Marinov says Griner's case is just one small piece in the big geopolitical picture. But there's no doubt, he says, that Russian officials are contemplating how to use it to their advantage."I'm sure they have 10 plans at the moment of how they can exploit this, and what kind of a spin they can put on it -- what maximum advantage they can gain," he says.Cases like Griner's have been resolved through negotiation in the past, he says. But how long that could take in this case, he says, is yet another unanswered question.CNN's Rosa Flores, Brian Todd, Lucy Kafanov, Holly Yan, Travis Caldwell and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.

Julia Jones, CNN

2022-03-12 10:02:23

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us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/us/excited-delirium-police-deaths-study/index.html

Excited delirium: What is it and why the diagnosis and the term itself should be abandoned, according to a new study - CNN

The term excited delirium is "scientifically meaningless," the study says, and should be replaced with an approach that prioritizes quick treatment of the underlying causes of behavior that first responders encounter, as well as expanding who responds to emergency calls.

us, Excited delirium: What is it and why the diagnosis and the term itself should be abandoned, according to a new study - CNN

Authorities claimed these Black men had excited delirium just before they died. But the diagnosis itself is a problem and should be abandoned, a new study says

(CNN)In videos that show George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis police custody, an officer holding down the Black man's ankles says, "I just worry about excited delirium or whatever." Another officer responds: "That's why we have the ambulance coming."But Floyd did not meet any of the 10 criteria used by many to diagnose "excited delirium," a police surgeon testified later in the murder trial of the second officer, Derek Chauvin. And an independent autopsy found the 46-year-old died during the 2020 encounter of "asphyxiation from sustained pressure" when his neck and back were compressed. That same year, Elijah McClain was diagnosed with "excited delirium" by paramedics in Aurora, Colorado. McClain was placed in a carotid hold by police and injected with ketamine when paramedics arrived. The medics never checked the 23-year-old Black man's vital signs, talked to him or touched him before making the diagnosis, a Colorado grand jury found. McClain was declared brain dead three days later.Two strangers, with the same first name, and a terrifying story about ketamine in policingAnd "excited delirium" was among the causes of death listed for Daniel Prude in Rochester, New York, along with complications of asphyxia in a setting of physical restraint and acute PCP intoxication, according to a medical examiner's report. The 41-year-old Black man was having a mental health emergency in 2020 when officers covered his head with a mesh hood and held him prone on the ground before he stopped breathing. He was declared brain dead and died a week later.Excited delirium is used as a field diagnosis by first responders across the country. Officers in many police departments are officially taught to look for "superhuman strength" and "police non-compliance" as symptoms of a syndrome that could kill the subject of an emergency call or induce that person to kill them.Read More"Pain tolerance," "unusual strength," "agitation" and being "inappropriately clothed" are other potential features of the syndrome listed in an American College of Emergency Physicians white paper cited in expert testimony in Chauvin's trial, though the doctors' group told CNN it never officially endorsed the 2009 document.Similar descriptions of excited delirium can be found in police training materials used in several major US cities. Officers are called upon to make split-second decisions to identify the condition in order to preserve their own safety and the safety of their subject, including potentially by using force. Such a determination also later can be key to how the public, their supervisors or the courts view the incident.Bans on chokeholds for federal officers latest in nationwide push to hold police to a 'higher standard' Authorities claimed these Black men had excited delirium just before they died. But the diagnosis itself is a problem and should be abandoned, a new study says. But a new study from doctors at Harvard, the University of Michigan and Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as civil rights lawyers, says the term excited delirium is "scientifically meaningless" and has become a "catch-all for deaths occurring in the context of law enforcement restraint, often coinciding with substance use or mental illness, and disproportionately used to explain the deaths of young Black men in police encounters." Indeed, a case that helped cement the term's widespread use unfairly targeted Black people. And while there is no national database of excited delirium deaths in police custody, one study of 166 cases found that Black people made up 43% of those deaths from 2010 to 2020 nationally. Black or African Americans made up 13% of the population in the most recent US Census. In rejecting the term outright, the coalition of physicians, civil rights attorneys and researchers who worked on the Physicians for Human Rights study wants it stricken from the official vocabulary used by emergency medicine technicians, doctors, law enforcement and medical examiners. It should be replaced, they say, with an approach that prioritizes immediate treatment of the underlying causes of the behavior encountered by first responders. A better approach might also mean expanding the type of professional who responds to emergency calls to include those with specialized training in mental health and social work. Medical groups don't recognize police termThe problem with "excited delirium" goes deeper than the phrase itself, said Dr. Michele Heisler, medical director of Physicians for Human Rights, a co-author of the study and a professor of public health and internal medicine at the University of Michigan. "We were concerned about the concept," she explained, pointing to the myriad of symptoms often listed under the term's umbrella. "People can become agitated or delirious due to multiple factors, ranging from alcohol withdrawal, drug overdose, psychosis. ... What we're arguing is that these underlying causes require medical attention, rather than forcible restraint by police." Officers learn in academy training to restrain and control a subject until medics -- who are supposed to make any medical diagnosis -- get to the scene. "Training typically involves recognizing signs of ED (excited delirium) and summoning emergency medical services immediately in such cases," Sherri Martin, national director of wellness services for the Fraternal Order of Police told CNN. FBI may have to shut down federal use-of-force database due to low participation from law enforcementPolice also sometimes lean heavily on paramedics to use powerful tranquilizer drugs so subjects experiencing what they say is excited delirium stop resisting. Later on, coroners and medical examiners may use the same language, including as part of autopsies. An umbrella term like excited delirium can also help facilitate the training process, Sergeant Tony Lockhart, crisis intervention trainer for King's County, Washington, said. "You call it whatever you want; I see these behaviors." Aggregating them into one idea, he said, is "helpful in some areas, to at least give us a different title to think about in our head." Even so, the term is not listed in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases nor the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, tools seen as the standard for medical diagnosis across the world. The American Medical Association does not support it as a diagnosis, and the American Psychiatric Association, which does not recognize it as a mental disorder, referred to it in 2020 as "too non-specific" and its criteria unclear, adding that no rigorous studies had been done to validate it. The term's roots also raise questions. Excited delirium was first used in the 1980s, when a deputy chief medical examiner in Florida publicized a theory that Black women could die from "combining sex with cocaine use," the Physicians for Human Rights study details. "For some reason, the male of the species becomes psychotic and the female of the species dies in relation to sex," Dr. Charles Wetli of Miami-Dade County told the Miami Herald at the time, adding that it might be the genetic makeup of Black people that predisposes them to dying. The modern incarnation of the term, the report says, was popularized by the 2005 mass-purchase and distribution of one book to police departments by the makers of TASER guns, Axon Network. The company distributed those copies to bring awareness to excited delirium, it told CNN in a statement. What delirium looks like"Superhuman strength," one of the criteria to identify excited delirium listed in the 2009 ACEP report, is completely unfounded, Heisler said. Instead, "if you're frightened, it's going to be an intense adrenergic response," she said. "You're going to have a strong fight-or-flight response. (But) it's not a response that in and of itself is going to cause death." Adrenaline-related responses are responsible for an increase in heart rate, constriction of blood vessels and dilation of pupils, she said. But it's unfounded "that you can just suddenly scare yourself to death -- which in a way seems to be the implied physiological mechanism of excited delirium. But it certainly is the case that it's very frightening," Heisler said.In their report, the Physicians for Human Rights authors used the American Psychiatric Association's definition of delirium: "a neurocognitive disorder characterized by a 'disturbance in attention and awareness that develops over a short period of time and is not better explained by another preexisting, evolving, or established disorder.'"In layman's terms: "Delirium is a symptom of an underlying cause and not an independent diagnosis," Heisler said. A person with delirium may show "fear, agitation, or euphoria, as well as reduced awareness of the environment," and delirium itself is usually a sign of an underlying problem, such as organ failure, infection, lack of oxygen, low blood sugar levels, drug side effects, intoxication or withdrawal, according to the Physicians for Human Rights report. In any case, "delirium ... wouldn't be defined just by the need for use of force," said Dr. Debra Pinals, director of the American Psychiatric Association's Council on Psychiatry and Law. A photograph of Elijah McClain is part of the "Say Their Names" memorial, in part honoring Black people who died in police custody across the US, in 2020 in Boston.The report also raises concern over the use of the term in medical examiners' and coroners' reports as a cause of death. "Delirium is not itself considered a cause of sudden death," it reads. "You can't say that someone dies from any form of delirium," Heisler said. "It's like saying, what is the cause of death? Chest pain. What is the cause of death? I don't know, shortness of breath. In a way, it's as nonsensical." The National Association of Medical Examiners has never issued "any type of consensus on excited delirium and as an organization have not formally 'recognized the condition as a diagnosis,'" it told CNN in a statement. Its president, Dr. Kathryn Pinneri, said, "I suspect it is accepted among many NAME members." Officers often feel caught in the middleIn the field and in medical settings, the treatment for delirium is to address the underlying cause with medical care such as hydration, medication, and pain control, Heisler said. Restraints are actively discouraged, according to the Physicians for Human Rights report, and "never include prone or neck restraints, and are monitored by an independent medical oversight organization." But Lockhart said in his trainings, he teaches officers to restrain subjects in "altered states" -- for their own safety and for the safety of others involved -- as swiftly as possible. "The longer it goes on, definitely more danger to the subject, definitely more danger to every officer involved and for that matter, any other folks around," he said. Grand jury votes not to indict police officers in Rochester death of Daniel Prude Lockhart's view is that there should be as many officers around the subject as possible. "In an ideal world ... one officer grabs one leg, and another grabs one leg, another grabs an arm and other grabs an arm, obviously giving commands and try to do that quickly as we can to get them detained to get that medical person access to that individual." But in reality, restraining a person in distress can be much more challenging, especially when only one or two officers are on the scene, he said. The exhaustive training police officers go through as cadets on excited delirium -- and continue to attend as mandatory refreshers throughout their careers -- has shown, even in court, to be part of the problem. "The fact is, that term has been increasingly co-opted by nonmedical professionals and being used in nonclinical discussions or nonclinical realms," said Dr. Jeffrey Goodloe, member of the American College of Emergency Physicians board of directors and chief medical officer for the EMS system for Metropolitan Oklahoma City and Tulsa. "There's quite a spectrum of educational programming, even within the house of medicine between different specialties. And then obviously, that just becomes even more exponentially magnified, if you will, if you look at the various and sundry training programs within EMS agencies, ambulance services, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and so there's not one national standard educational curriculum in this." It's clear more training and dialogue between the law enforcement and the medical communities is needed, Goodloe said. In Lockhart's 40-hour classes on excited delirium, he said he specifically tells officers, "You are not here to learn how to diagnose. You're looking at these behaviors so that you may alter your techniques to get a good solution so everybody's safe." But a disconnect between first responder training -- based on the handful of studies that validate excited delirium -- and most academic medical literature has first responders acting out of step with the medical community. "Police officers often feel like they're caught in the middle," said Martin, of the Fraternal Order of Police. "They're not thinking about all of these other voices. They show up to work every day to answer the calls, to do their job, and they want to have the tools and the knowledge to do the best job that they can." Departments are also concerned with liability, she said, and they have an incentive to ensure officers are acting in accordance with regulations. "They don't want their department, their officer, their community to suffer the death of someone who was or may be suffering with excited delirium." Pictures of Elijah McClain and George Floyd left by demonstrators line the fence outside a Minnesota police station in April 2021.'Term can produce a visceral and negative response' But changes in how police learn to respond to medical emergencies and mental health crises might not come easy. In Minneapolis, despite a 2021 directive from the city to halt excited delirium training, officers were still being trained on the concept months later, the Star Tribune reported in February. A digital slide from a training program shows the words "excited delirium" stricken through and below them, "severe agitation with delirium," is suggested as a better term, a video obtained by the newspaper shows. During Chauvin's trial in April, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo testified the then-officer's actions and use of force during Floyd's arrest were contrary to department policy. 3 former Minneapolis police officers found guilty of violating George Floyd's civil rights "There is an initial reasonableness in trying to just get him under control in the first few seconds," Arradondo said. "But once there was no longer any resistance and clearly when Mr. Floyd was no longer responsive and even motionless, to continue to apply that level of force to a person proned out, handcuffed behind their back -- that in no way shape or form is anything that is by policy. It is not part of our training, and it is certainly not part of our ethics or our values." After an outcry over the term excited delirium in 2020, even the American College of Emergency Physicians -- whose definition remains the industry standard -- has tried to shift its language in new studies to "'hyperactive delirium." "We recognize the term 'excited delirium' is increasingly being used in non-clinical medicine discussions and the term can produce a visceral and negative response, particularly among those in communities with complicated relationships with law enforcement or medicine," a spokesperson for the group told CNN in statement. "In clinical discussions, patient care, and especially safety of patients during care, must remain the focus."Officers instead could be taught about an array of medical emergencies that may look like what's long been known as excited delirium but that may warrant different medical responses, "including heart attacks, drug or substance overdoses or withdrawals, acute psychosis, and oxygen deprivation," the Physicians for Human Rights report states. "I think we're asking too much of police officers, and I think many of them are responding as best they can," Heisler said. "They're being told that you can put your knee on someone's back and that's safe. ... Are we expecting police officers to be trained in all these medical diagnoses? I mean, are we expecting doctors?" Getting mental health experts to emergency callsThe Physicians for Human Rights report's main recommendation is to nix the use of the term "excited delirium" altogether -- erasing it from training manuals and autopsy reports -- and encouraging medical associations that haven't done so to issue statements discouraging its use among their members. Official responses to people experiencing mental and behavioral health challenges must improve, authors say in the report. That might start with rethinking who first responders should be, Heisler said. "We need to think about -- are there other models? Could we bring in social workers, psychologists, trained behavioral health people, instead of having a group of armed, uniformed police that (are met) with a strong fight-or-flight response?" she said. More than a dozen cities push to minimize or even eliminate police presence at mental health callsLockhart, the crisis intervention trainer, agrees with this recommendation and sees major advantages in having team of "co-responders" that include police and mental health specialists. "Just inherently, by that officer being there and listening to the mental health person deal with a subject, that officer is getting better because they're seeing things that work, new ideas, a different way of approaching something," he said, adding that an officer's presence helps ensure the safety of the mental health professional. In the end, he said, the main benefit is that "the subject we're dealing with is getting better help and hopefully sooner" than they would otherwise. On an institutional level, the Physicians for Human Rights study recommends establishing "independent oversight systems and mandat(ing) independent investigations of deaths in law enforcement custody," involving excited delirium in state and local governments, and it calls on Congress to do the same. A report commissioned by Congress could answer many questions the study has identified, said Joanna Naples-Mitchell, human rights lawyer and researcher at Physicians for Human Rights. "For example, where has excited delirium come up, and trying to understand why it is they are finding what seems to have been the case so far, that it's majority Black men and other people of color this term is being attributed to?" Naples-Mitchell said. "And is it exclusively in the context of law enforcement where this term is coming up? Is it exclusively in the context of restraints being used that this comes up and deaths are attributed to excited delirium? There's a lot that legislators can do to really leverage their powers as investigators to look at this and bring public attention to it more broadly."

Andy Rose, Rosa Flores, Rosalina Nieves and Ray Sanchez, CNN

2022-03-11 19:55:37

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/11/us/texas-transgender-minor-investigations/index.html

Judge issues temporary injunction barring Texas from investigating pediatric gender-affirming care as 'child abuse' - CNN

A judge in Texas blocked the state from enforcing Gov. Greg Abbott's order to investigate gender-affirming care of minors as "child abuse."

us, Judge issues temporary injunction barring Texas from investigating pediatric gender-affirming care as 'child abuse' - CNN

Judge issues temporary injunction barring Texas from investigating pediatric gender-affirming care as 'child abuse'

(CNN)A judge in Texas blocked the state from enforcing Gov. Greg Abbott's order to investigate gender-affirming care of minors as "child abuse.""The court finds sufficient cause to enter a temporary injunction," Judge Amy Clark Meachum in Travis County said Friday evening.The judge said Abbott's order was "beyond the scope of his authority and unconstitutional" and that the parents of a transgender child and a psychologist who filed suit against the governor were likely to succeed at trial, which is set for July. Texas confirms 9 investigations of transgender minors receiving gender-affirming health careIn late February, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared gender-affirming surgical procedures in children and prescribing drugs that affect puberty to be considered "child abuse." In response to Paxton's legal opinion, the governor directed the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) "to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of any reported instances of these abusive procedures in the State of Texas."The state's actions have been widely criticized as an attack on transgender children. Read MoreMeachum ruled in district court last week the state must stop a child abuse investigation of a family seeking gender-affirming health care for their transgender child. That decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas and LGBTQ civil rights organization Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit on behalf of the parents of a transgender girl. The child's mother, a DFPS employee, was suspended from her job because of Paxton's legal opinion. Abbott and Paxton appealed Meachum's decision, but the state's Third Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal over jurisdiction. The ACLU and Lambda Legal applauded the judge's ruling in a statement Friday. "We feel relieved and vindicated that the judge understood the magnitude and breadth of the harm that would have resulted if Texas' child welfare agency -- at the direction of the governor -- were allowed to continue enforcing this lawless directive," said Paul Castillo, senior counsel at Lambda Legal. Brian Klosterboer, an attorney with ACLU of Texas, said "trans young deserve to live freely as their true selves.""The court's decisive ruling today brings some needed relief to trans youth in Texas but we cannot stop fighting," Klosterboer added.The DFPS employee who is suing spoke off-camera on Friday and was identified only as Jane Doe. Dr. Megan Mooney, the psychologist in the suit, testified the state's order "goes against medically-necessary research about what gender-affirming care is. It goes against my ethical standards."Randa Mulanax, a supervisor in the Child Protective Services department of DFPS, said in court on Friday that department workers were not given discretion over whether to pursue a child abuse investigation under the governor's order, which prompted her to submit her resignation. "I felt that this was an overreach and placing us in a situation that our department should not be in," Mulanax testified, "meaning private medical decisions between a parent, the child, and doctors."Paxton said on Twitter late Friday evening he would appeal the judge's decision. 'Gender affirming care is life-saving care'The ruling came the same day parents and advocates spoke out against such investigations during a meeting of the Texas Family and Protective Services Council in Austin. "Children will die because of Governor Abbott's order," warned the mother of a teenager who, she said, attempted suicide at the age of 12 after coming out as transgender. At the Texas Family and Protective Services Council meeting, dozens of people urged the state to remember its duty to protect all minors, including transgender children. Advocates, including nurses and child care workers, read statements from trans youth and parents who they said were terrified to appear in person. In one statement, a parent asked, "How can someone not want a child to feel comfortable in their own skin?""We hope to be able to provide them with the tools to make them the best version of themselves without the fear of our child being ripped from a loving home," the parent added. The news out of Florida and Texas exemplifies a larger conservative trendAn attorney read a statement from a grandparent of a transgender child who said her son's family will be moving out of Texas because of the governor's directive. "I'm relieved that both my grandchildren won't have to deal with the stress of the newest way to single them out," the grandparent said.Another statement was titled, "Don't Make Us Write Our Transgender Son's Obituary."The family wrote that "gender affirming care is life-saving care."Ricardo Martinez, CEO of the LGBTQ rights group Equality of Texas, said he had a message for youth: "To trans young people across Texas and the country, you have done absolutely nothing wrong. You are perfect just the way you are. And there are countless people across Texas, across this country, across the world that are fighting to protect your right to exist authentically." Rocio Fierro Perez, a political coordinator with the Texas Freedom Network, read a letter from a 13-year-old transgender girl: "Having support can literally save a child's life and hearing from people in power that your parents are abusing you and you're not real will and has ended the lives of many children."Texas has opened nine alleged abuse investigations of minors receiving gender-affirming health care, Patrick Crimmins, a DFPS spokesman, told CNN Thursday. CNN's Sarah Moon, Nicole Chavez, Ashley Killough and Jessica Jordan contributed to this report.

Christina Maxouris

2022-03-12 03:21:08

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us

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/11/us/makhia-bryant-columbus-officer-not-indicted/index.html

An Ohio grand jury declined to indict officer who fatally shot Ma'Khia Bryant, state AG says - CNN

A Franklin County, Ohio, jury declined to indict the police officer who fatally shot Ma'Khia Bryant, a Black teenager, last April, state Attorney General Dave Yost said in a news release Friday.

us, An Ohio grand jury declined to indict officer who fatally shot Ma'Khia Bryant, state AG says - CNN

An Ohio grand jury declined to indict officer who fatally shot Ma'Khia Bryant, state AG says

(CNN)A Franklin County, Ohio, jury declined to indict the police officer who fatally shot Ma'Khia Bryant, a Black teenager, last April, state Attorney General Dave Yost said in a news release Friday. Yost also released investigative materials in the case, including more than a dozen interviews, crime scene and evidence photos and other records. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which was called in to investigate the officer-involved shooting, completed its probe and referred the case to the prosecuting attorney in July, the attorney general's office said. Bryant, 16, was fatally shot by police officer Nicholas Reardon on April 20, 2021, outside her foster home, after an argument with two other young women over housekeeping escalated, Ma'Khia's foster mother previously said. The next step in the case is "an administrative investigation to determine whether the officer's actions were within Division policy," the public safety department of the city of Columbus said in a statement."Because of that pending investigation, at this time we are not able to comment further," the Friday statement said. Read MoreOn the day of the fatal shooting, police responded to the home for reports of a disturbance.Ma'Khia Bryant was shot 4 times by officer, autopsy showsBody camera footage showed Bryant lunging at a woman outside the house before she was fatally shot. In the moments that followed, Ma'Khia can be seen falling to the ground, while a man at the scene tells the officer, "She's a ---- kid." The officer responds that the teenager was coming at a woman with a knife. Ma'Khia was shot four times: in the back, lower torso, right shoulder and right thigh, an autopsy report showed last summer. Her cause of death was gunshot wounds to the torso, and the manner of death was homicide, a report from the Franklin County coroner's office said. Some policing experts at the time said the officer justifiably used force because someone else was in imminent danger. "He had no other alternative, in my mind, other than to take some action because of what was going on," Charles Ramsey, a former Philadelphia police commissioner, told CNN in April.The foster care system is failing Black children and the death of Ma'Khia Bryant is one example, experts and attorney say Weeks after Bryant's killing, several Democratic lawmakers requested a federal investigation into the 16-year-old's foster care journey, writing in a letter that "when a child dies in foster care, the system has failed.""Unfortunately, it's apparent that the many systems responsible for Ma'Khia's protection failed her," Michelle Martin, the attorney for Bryant's family, said in a statement after the fatal shooting. Reardon was hired in December 2019, police previously said. He also served in the Ohio National Guard since August 2015, and at the time was a staff sergeant assigned to the 121st Security Forces Squadron, Ohio Air National Guard, which is part of the 121st Air Refueling Wing, according to records. CNN has reached out to the Bryant family attorney for comment. CNN's Jenn Selva contributed to this report.