DA recommends Menendez brothers be resentenced for parents’ murders
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Thursday, Oct. 24, he’s recommending the Menendez brothers be resentenced for the 1989 murders of their parents. In 1996, a judge sentenced Erik and Lyle Menendez to life in prison for the killings.
The brothers claimed they had been sexually abused by their father, but prosecutors argued inheriting the family’s money was their motive. The sexual abuse claims recently resurfaced with some Menendez relatives saying the abuse was, in fact, true.
Now, the LA County DA is recommending they be resentenced to 50 years to life, which would make them both immediately eligible for parole under California law because they were younger than 26 at the time of the murders.
“There is no excuse for murder,” Gascón said, “and I will never imply that what we’re doing here is to excuse that behavior — because even if you get abused, the right path is to call the police, seek help — but I understand also how sometimes people get desperate.”
He added, “I believe that they have paid their debt to society.”
Gascón said there was never any question the brothers murdered their parents, but to what degree they should be held accountable was in question.
Iranian general charged in plot to assassinate dissident journalist in US
An Iranian military official is facing charges for allegedly orchestrating a plot to assassinate an Iranian-American journalist in New York, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday, Oct. 22. The charges expose an international network of conspirators working to silence a prominent critic of the Iranian regime, according to the DOJ.
Justice Department Announces Murder-For-Hire Charges Against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Brigadier General and Former Intelligence Officer and Members of an Iranian Intelligence Networkhttps://t.co/6ZCsjfFPpfpic.twitter.com/oBnRZH23Wn
Alinejad is a well-known human rights activist and vocal critic of the Iranian government. The DOJ said Bazghandi contracted members of an Eastern European criminal organization to carry out the assassination in New York.
The Justice Department also unsealed a superseding indictment. It added charges of money laundering and sanctions evasion to the initial murder-for-hire charges, following new findings in the investigation.
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that the U.S. will not tolerate attempts by authoritarian regimes to target U.S. citizens.
“We will never stop working to identify, find and bring to justice all those who endanger the safety of the American people,” Garland said in a statement.
Bazghandi and his associates are believed to be in Iran and face significant legal penalties. If convicted, they could be sentenced to 10 years for murder-for-hire, 10 years for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, 20 years for conspiracy to commit money laundering and 20 years for violating U.S. sanctions against Iran.
Alinejad has previously been the target of similar plots. A man hired to assassinate her was arrested near her home with a loaded rifle in 2022. Alinejad said the plot is a reminder of the lengths Iran will go to silence critics.
This case is the latest in a series of escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. U.S. officials have accused the Iranian government of targeting dissidents and other officials. The DOJ said this is in retaliation for various actions, including the 2020 killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.
Harris, Trump look for votes in battlegrounds with 2 weeks to go
With exactly two weeks to go until Election Day, both candidates for president are blitzing the battleground states. And we’ve learned how long student loan repayments for about eight million Americans will remain on hold. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.
Harris, Trump look for more votes in battlegrounds with 2 weeks to go
With two weeks to go until Election Day, the presidential candidates are crisscrossing the country trying to pick up any undecided voters that remain.
.@Liz_Cheney: Vice President Harris is going to defend our Constitution. We're not always gonna agree, but I know Vice President Harris will always do what she believes is right for this country. She has a sincere heart, and that's why I'm honored to support her pic.twitter.com/lcFD6MGDSF
“So, I think that we are facing a choice in this election; it’s not about party, it’s about right and wrong,” Cheney said. “And I certainly have many Republicans who will say to me, ‘I can’t be public.’ They do worry about a whole range of things including violence, but they’ll do the right thing.”
In Wisconsin, Harris described her opponent former President Donald Trump as “unstable,” referencing comments made by former Trump cabinet members.
“I think it’s very important that we acknowledge — and I have said publicly that Donald Trump is an unserious man,” Harris said, “and the consequences of him ever being President of United States again are brutally serious. Brutally serious.”
Former President Trump visited North Carolina on Monday where he surveyed the damage created by Hurricane Helene and continued his criticism of the Biden administration’s relief efforts.
“The power of nature, nothing you can do about it, but you got to get a little bit better crew and to do a better job than has been done by the White House,” Trump said. “It’s been not good. Not good. I’m here today in western North Carolina to express a simple message to the incredible people of the state: I’m with you and the American people are with you all the way. We’re going to continue to be with you. We’ll see what happens with the election. And we’re, on January 20th, you’re going to have, I think, a new crew coming in to do it properly and help you in a proper manner.”
Trump made two more stops while in North Carolina Monday, holding a rally and speaking at a faith leaders’ event.
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, former President Trump will continue campaigning in North Carolina with a rally in Greensboro, and Vice President Harris will sit down for an interview with NBC News in Washington, D.C.
Blinken in Israel to revive Gaza cease-fire talks after Sinwar death
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel once again — his 11th visit to the region since war broke out between Israel and Hamas a little more than a year ago.
On my way to Israel and other stops in the Middle East for intensive discussions about the importance of ending the war in Gaza, returning the hostages to their families, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people. pic.twitter.com/lIaRUo7Ea2
This visit is the first stop on a wider tour of the Middle East in which Blinken is expected to revive talks for a cease-fire in Gaza in the wake of the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Blinken’s weeklong trip comes as the Middle East braces for Israel’s response to an Iranian missile attack on Tel Aviv earlier this month.
Teen arrested after 2 adults, 3 children killed in shooting at Washington home
Officials with the King County Sheriff’s Office said another teenager who had been injured went to a Seattle hospital. They said that teenager and the teen in custody both live at the home where the shooting happened, but did not know the relationships between those teens and the five people killed.
“I just don’t know the relationships, so I’m going to withhold confirming any relationships, but it does appear to be that this is a family incident,” Deputy Mike Mellis told reporters Monday. “Clearly, a domestic violence incident that involves not only a young man — who’s now in significant trouble — and it involves firearms. Young men and firearms.”
Reports say he has chronic myeloid leukemia, a form of bone marrow cancer, and he’s undergoing treatment at Rikers Island prison in New York where he’s serving a 16-year sentence.
This is just the latest health issue Weinstein has faced behind bars. Last month, he had emergency heart surgery to alleviate a significant amount of fluid in his lungs and heart, and he was hospitalized in July with COVID-19 and double pneumonia.
Student loan payments pause extended for 8 million SAVE plan borrowers
Eight million Americans will be able to continue holding off paying back their student loans for at least another six months, the Department of Education confirmed on Monday.
The Education Department said save enrollees will be placed in an interest-free general forbearance for at least six months pending the outcome of legal challenges to the plan.
Cheapest World Series tickets costing at least $1,000 on secondary market
The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have each punched their ticket to the World Series and now if you want a ticket, you’ll need at least $1,000. According to SeatGeek, the cheapest single seat for the Game 1 in LA on Friday, Oct. 25, will cost $1,034.
For Game 2 on Saturday, Oct. 26, also at Dodger Stadium, the least expensive ticket is $1,209.
Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 28 and 29, head back to the East Coast, with the cheapest tickets for Yankees Stadium costing $1,385 and $1,110, respectively. A possible Game 5 is showing the same as Game 4.
And “if necessary,” Games 6 and 7 would be back in LA, with the cheapest tickets going for around $1,300 or more.
As for the good seats behind home plate at Dodger Stadium, those tickets are going for $1,500 or more.
Former Olympian is accused of running ‘ruthless’ drug smuggling operation
The U.S Department of Justice announced a federal indictment of former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding on Thursday, Oct. 17, which accuses him of running a billion-dollar cocaine trafficking operation and ordering the murders of several people.
“Instead of using his privileges that come with being an Olympic athlete to do good for people, he did the opposite,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada of the Central District of California, said. “He chose to become a major drug trafficker, and he chose to become a killer.”
Federal authorities said the 43-year-old Wedding’s transnational drug trafficking organization, backed by Mexican cartels, smuggled tons of cocaine across the U.S. and Canadian borders for more than a decade, using hitmen to kill people who got in their way.
“These individuals ran what we call the Wedding criminal enterprise,” Estrada said. “This criminal enterprise was extremely prolific and ruthless. By prolific, they moved massive amounts of cocaine. They were one of the largest suppliers of cocaine to Canada and the United States. They move an average of 60 tons of cocaine per year. By ruthless, they were killers. Anyone who got in their way, they would target with violence, including murder.”
Prosecutors said all victims of the assassins were shot execution-style in Canada, so their family members could see them murdered, including two parents in Canada, who were mistakenly thought to have stolen a drug shipment. The mother and father were shot in front of their daughter, who was also shot several times but survived.
Authorities seized cocaine, guns, ammunition, cash and more than $3 million in cryptocurrency.
Wedding is among four of the named 16 defendants in the indictment who are still on the loose and considered to be fugitives.
Biden, Netanyahu react after Israel says it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu react after Israel says it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. And billionaires Mark Cuban and Elon Musk speak to voters in battleground states. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.
Israel says it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces have killed the man they say was the chief architect of the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which started the ongoing war in Gaza. They had been trying to get Yahya Sinwar for a year, describing him as a “dead man walking” in the days after Hamas’ first attack.
However, it appears that while Israeli forces had been tipped off Sinwar was in the Rafah area, troops just happened to come across him unknowingly during battle. It was not until later they realized they had killed Israel’s most wanted man.
The IDF released drone video of what appears to be Sinwar’s final moments, showing a man with a wounded hand, who they say is Sinwar, sitting down in a destroyed building and throwing a piece of wood at the drone. They say Sinwar’s body was found with a bulletproof vest, grenades, and 40,000 Israeli shekels.
“Since the beginning of this war that Sinwar started on October 7 — we’ve said: Our war is with Hamas, not the people of Gaza. We mean it.”
IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on the elimination of Yahya Sinwar and our operational goals in Gaza: pic.twitter.com/OgkgUc5Bhi
Israeli leaders celebrated his killing as a settling of scores and said it could be a turning point in the war.
“While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it’s the beginning of the end,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “To the people of Gaza, I have a simple message: this war can end tomorrow. It can end if Hamas lays down its arms and returns our hostages.”
U.S. officials are hoping with Sinwar out of the picture, a cease-fire can finally be reached between Israel and Hamas. President Joe Biden, who has already tried to broker cease-fire deals, seemed to have renewed hope when speaking to reporters Thursday, Oct. 17.
“Now’s the time to move on,” he said. “Move on, move toward a ceasefire in Gaza, make sure that we move in a direction that we’re able to make things better for the whole world. It’s time for this war to end and bring these hostages home.”
President Biden said he’s sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel to help figure out what’s next. Netanyahu has said Israel will keep fighting until all the hostages taken on Oct. 7 are free, and that it will keep control over Gaza long enough to ensure Hamas does not rearm.
While Sinwar’s death has sparked optimism the war in Gaza will soon end, it won’t be the end of fighting in the Middle East.
Just this month, Israel opened a new front against the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon after a year of trading cross-border fire. Hezbollah had been striking Israel as a show of solidarity with Hamas.
In the wake of Sinwar’s death, Hezbollah announced a “transition to a new and escalating phase in the confrontation with Israel.”
Musk, Cuban talk election as candidates take part in charity event
As the 2024 presidential campaign inches closer to its final two weeks, the candidates each garnered the support of two billionaire representatives to spread their message to voters on Thursday.
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has appeared alongside Republican candidate former President Donald Trump at recent events, held a town hall at a Pennsylvania high school near Philadelphia. Musk called on Pennsylvanians to register to vote and described the importance of the battleground state to this election.
“You show what matters by your actions, not your words, and my actions are I’m here,” Musk said. “I’m in Pennsylvania, and I’m here for a very important reason, which, yeah, which is, I can’t emphasize, I can’t emphasize enough that Pennsylvania is, I think, the linchpin in this election. And this election, I think is going to decide the fate of America, and along with the fate of America, the fate of Western civilization.”
Meanwhile Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris called on NBA team owner and “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban to reach voters during a rally at a college campus in Wisconsin. In his address to the crowd, Cuban took aim at Trump’s trade policies.
“I mean back in the 90s, in the early 2000s, he was a little bit coherent when he talked about trade policy, and he actually made a little bit of sense,” Cuban said, “but I don’t know what happened to him. The way he’s been thinking about tariffs and trade now, something’s a little bit lost. And now his trade policies, particularly with tariffs, are basically just gibberish.”
As for the candidates themselves, they both made an appearance at Thursday night’s Al Smith charity dinner in New York City, which raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities and is a traditional stop for both parties toward the end of the election cycle. However, breaking from tradition, Vice President Harris did not appear in person.
Instead, she sent in a video in which she appeared alongside former Saturday Night Live star Molly Shannon, who reprised her famous character Mary Katherine Gallagher.
“It is a very important dinner, and it’s an important tradition. And I’m so proud to be a part of,” Harris said.
In his speech, former President Trump criticized Harris for not showing up to the event in person. Harris is the first presidential candidate to do that since 1984.
“It’s been a long tradition for both Democrat and Republican candidates for President of the United States to attend this dinner,” Trump said. “You know, it is a rule; you got to go to the dinner. You got to do it. Otherwise bad things are going to happen to you from up there. You can’t do what I just saw on that screen. But my opponent feels like she does not have to be here, which is deeply disrespectful to the event and, in particular, to our great Catholic community. Very disrespectful.”
In a statement regarding her absence, the Harris campaign said the vice president was campaigning Thursday and “the campaign wants to maximize her time in battlegrounds this close to the election.”
Texas execution of man in shaken baby case halted
The Texas Supreme Court halted the execution of a man sentenced to death for the 2002 murder of his 2-year-old daughter.
A jury convicted Robert Roberson of killing the toddler in a case of “shaken baby syndrome,” which his attorneys, as well as Texas lawmakers and medical experts, now say was based on faulty and outdated scientific evidence related to the diagnosis.
The last-minute stay came just over one-hour before Roberson’s death warrant was set to expire. However, a legal battle is still ongoing, and a new execution date could be set after Roberson’s potential testimony before Texas lawmakers next week. A House committee subpoenaed him on Wednesday, Oct. 16, as it reconsiders the lawfulness of his conviction.
Liam Payne’s preliminary autopsy report released; One Direction statement
A preliminary autopsy report from the Argentinian Public Prosecutor’s Office said pop singer Liam Payne died of “multiple traumas” and “internal and external bleeding.” The 31-year-old died Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
The autopsy found a total of 25 injuries on the singer’s body, suffered from the fall. The prosecutor’s office has requested additional studies to help in the investigation.
On social media, Payne’s One Direction bandmates paid tribute to their friend in a joint statement Thursday, saying, “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Phoenix ends 21-day streak of record hot temperatures
The city of Phoenix, Arizona is getting its first feel of fall, relatively speaking, after 21 straight days of record-breaking hot temperatures.
From Sept. 24 to this past Monday, Oct. 14, the Weather Service recorded 19 new all-time highs and two days tied previous records; all temperatures well into the triple digits.
Parts of Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico have been gripped by the recent heat wave, with unseasonably warm temperatures 10 to 20 degrees higher than normal for this time of year.
A cold front is expected to move in this weekend and cool things down.
Rare copy of US Constitution sells for $9 million
You don’t have to be in a Nicholas Cage movie to get your hands on an important document from American history — but you do need millions of dollars. A rare copy of the U.S. Constitution sold at auction Thursday evening in North Carolina for $9 million.
The document was printed 237 years ago and is the only copy of its type believed to be privately owned. The copy of the Constitution was found two years ago when a property in North Carolina was being cleared out.
The property was once owned by Samuel Johnston, the state’s governor in the 1780s. The document also came with a letter from George Washington asking for the Constitution to be ratified.
Father of school shooter knew of son’s school shooting obsession: Prosecutors
Prosecutors released new details about the teen accused of killing four people at a Georgia high school and what his father allegedly knew behind closed doors. Investigators said at a preliminary court hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 16, that Colin Gray was aware his son, Colt Gray, was obsessed with school shooters.
Prosecutors said Colt had a shrine with newspaper clippings above his home computer for the gunman of the Parkland school shooting.
Colt is accused of killing two teachers, two students and injuring nine others at Apalachee High School outside Atlanta on Sept. 4.
Police later found Colt’s notebook at the Gray home which was filled with drawings that showed stick figures with wounds. Next to the images it said, “Shoot the teacher first.”
Colin Gray was arrested for allegedly buying his son the AR-15 style rifle used in the shooting as a Christmas gift. Investigators say Colt hid that gun with a poster board on the school bus the day of the shooting.
Colin also allegedly continued to buy Colt accessories including a tactical vest and ammunition despite knowing his son was dealing with mental health issues.
Investigators also interviewed Colt’s mother. She said her son’s fascination with guns over the past year had gotten “very bad.”
Colt is charged as an adult with four felony counts of murder.
Colin is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children.
The case will now go to a grand jury, where prosecutors will pursue formal indictments.
Canada, India each expel diplomats as tensions rise over 2023 murder
Canada and India have both expelled diplomats as tensions rise over accusations that Indian officials orchestrated violence against Sikh separatists in Canada. The fallout follows an investigation into the 2023 murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which Canadian authorities allege was part of a broader campaign by Indian agents targeting dissidents.
The Canadian government expelled six Indian diplomats on Monday, Oct. 14, accusing them of involvement in a plot to track and threaten dissidents. Nijjar, a vocal advocate for the Khalistan movement that seeks an independent Sikh state in India’s Punjab region, was shot dead outside a British Columbia temple.
Getty Images
India had labeled Nijjar a terrorist, and now Canadian authorities believe Indian agents were behind his killing. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police uncovered what they describe as a “criminal network” of Indian agents operating in Canada.
In response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats, calling the allegations baseless and accusing Canada of harboring extremists.
This escalation follows months of strained relations, including the suspension of trade talks. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has raised the issue with allies, including the U.S. and U.K., calling for international cooperation to address the killing.
With both countries refusing to back down, the diplomatic row could have significant economic and geopolitical consequences.
