Erica Anderson, a 31-year-old mother of three and first-year professor at Columbus State University, was accidentally shot and killed by her roommate in Columbus, Georgia, on October 13. Police said the roommate mistook Anderson for an intruder after hearing a noise while sleeping and fired two shots, one of which struck Anderson. The shooting is being ruled an accidental death, and Anderson’s body will be … Continue reading Mom of three fatally shot by roommate who mistook her for intruder: police

Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly starting the fire that became the deadly Pacific Palisades blaze in Los Angeles earlier this year. The three-count indictment includes destruction of property by fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire, carrying a potential sentence of up to 45 years. Rinderknecht, a former Los Angeles resident now … Continue reading Man suspected of starting Palisades Fire indicted on federal charges; faces 45 years in prison

Dozens of journalists returned their Pentagon access badges on Wednesday in protest of new restrictions imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which would have allowed expulsion for reporting on unapproved information. News organizations rejected the rules, viewing them as a threat to press freedom, and many reporters left together at the 4 p.m. deadline, carrying documents, chairs, and personal items. While the practical impact of … Continue reading Reporters leave Pentagon en masse after refusing to sign on to new rules

Kane Aaron Hammock, 33, was arrested and charged with eight counts of vehicular homicide and one count of feticide after a semitrailer struck a van on Interstate 85 in Georgia, killing three adults and five children. The crash occurred when Hammock’s truck was reportedly following too closely, causing the van to burst into flames. Four other vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction collision, including a … Continue reading Driver following too close behind van charged in crash that killed 3 adults, 5 kids

Donna Adelson, 75, was sentenced to life in prison for her role in the 2014 murder-for-hire of Dan Markel, with no possibility of early release. Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett declined to grant a downward departure, citing Supreme Court precedent, and added 30-year sentences on related charges to run concurrently but consecutive to the murder sentence. Adelson’s attorney argued she was a minor participant compared … Continue reading Donna Adelson sentenced to life for hired hit of daughter’s ex-husband

Two inmates, Samuel Lee Smithers in Florida and Lance Shockley in Missouri, were executed an hour apart on Tuesday, marking a record-setting pace for U.S. executions. Smithers was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. ET for a 1996 double murder, becoming Florida’s 14th execution of the year. Shockley was executed at 7:13 p.m. ET for killing a Missouri state trooper in 2005. October is on track … Continue reading Florida, Missouri execute inmates for killings of 2 women, trooper

Charles Crawford, a Mississippi man on death row for over 30 years, is scheduled to be executed Wednesday for the 1993 kidnapping, rape, and murder of 20-year-old Kristy Ray. Crawford’s prior rape conviction was used as an aggravating factor in his capital murder trial, leading to his death sentence. His lawyers are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing his Sixth Amendment rights were violated … Continue reading Mississippi is set to execute a man convicted of raping and killing a college student

Alec Baldwin crashed his SUV into a tree in East Hampton on Monday while trying to avoid a garbage truck, but neither he nor his brother, Stephen Baldwin, were injured. The accident damaged his wife’s car, which Baldwin described as “pretty smashed up.” He explained the incident on Instagram, thanking the East Hampton Police Department for their assistance. Authorities said the crash was caused by … Continue reading Alec Baldwin crashes car into a tree in East Hampton: Authorities

Ashley Tellis, a Pentagon contractor and State Department adviser, was charged with removing classified documents after over a thousand marked files were found at his Virginia home. Many of the documents reportedly relate to Air Force tactics and techniques, and Tellis allegedly met multiple times with Chinese government officials in recent years. In April 2023, he dined with Chinese officials in a DC suburb, discussing … Continue reading Pentagon contractor charged with unlawful retention of classified information

Two Venezuelan migrants were arrested in Chicago after ramming a Border Patrol vehicle and attempting to flee, prompting a crowd to gather and clash with federal agents. The agents used tear gas to control the situation, exposing 13 Chicago police officers in the process. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker criticized the deployment of tear gas in busy neighborhoods, including near schools. During the operation, a 15-year-old … Continue reading Illegal immigrants arrested after ramming Border Patrol in Chicago amid violent clash with protesters

A Florida judge temporarily blocked the transfer of prime Miami land for Donald Trump’s planned presidential library after an activist claimed Miami Dade College violated the state’s open government law. The lawsuit argued that the board failed to provide adequate public notice for its September vote to give the land to the state, which later approved its transfer to the Trump Foundation. The nearly 3-acre … Continue reading Florida judge halts transfer of downtown Miami land for Trump’s presidential library