Month: November 2024

A 26-year-old man was convicted on murder charges and sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday in the murder of Laken Riley, who was killed on Feb. 22 while she was out on a jog on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Ga.

Jose Ibarra was found guilty of murder in Riley’s killing, in a decision handed down by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard, with the verdict livestreamed on Court TV.  Ibarra was convicted on three counts of felony murder and counts of malice murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape and “peeping Tom.” He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A Venezuelan national, Ibarra entered the country illegally in 2022, immigration officials previously said (per ABC News.). Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial and did not testify in his own defense.

Prosecutors said Ibarra accosted Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University, while she was out for a run on the morning of Feb. 22. She was found dead in a forested area off the University of Georgia campus in Athens after her roommates called police when she did not return home.

Riley’s killing drew national attention to the immigration debate after officials announced that Ibarra is a Venezuelan citizen who entered the United States illegally in 2022. Donald Trump, who met with Riley’s parents before a campaign rally in March, said after the sentencing in a post on Truth Social: “JUSTICE FOR LAKEN RILEY! The Illegal who killed our beloved Laken Riley was just found GUILTY on all counts for his horrific crimes. Although the pain and heartbreak will last forever, hopefully this can help bring some peace and closure to her wonderful family who fought for Justice, and to ensure that other families don’t have to go through what they have. We love you, Laken, and our hearts will always be with you. It is time to secure our Border, and remove these criminals and thugs from our Country, so nothing like this can happen again!”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a post on X that while “we are glad that justice has been delivered on behalf of Laken Riley, we continue to mourn her loss with her family and friends and know that she should still be with us today. This criminal should never have been allowed to enter our country, and he certainly should not have been allowed to stay after shamelessly breaking our laws.”

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A major storm that swept across the northwestern U.S. has killed two people as it battered the region with strong winds and rain, and caused widespread power outages. The storm system that began on Tuesday is considered a “ bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly (per AP News.)

In Lynnwood, Washington, a woman died Tuesday night when a large tree fell on a homeless encampment; and another woman died Tuesday in Bellevue, Washington, about 20 miles from Lynwood, according to th6e Bellevue Fire Department. More than 100,000 electricity customers in Washington state were reported to be without power Wednesday afternoon on PowerOutage.us. California was also experiencing around 30,000 power outages, according to the tracking site.

The Weather Prediction Center issued excessive rainfall risks through Friday and hurricane-force wind warnings were in effect. Forecasters said flooding from the storm systems could be life-threatening for parts of the West Coast, and a bomb cyclone warning was also issued for British Columbia in Canada, with forecasters anticipating winds potentially as strong as 120 miles per hour. The advisory Wednesday from the Weather Prediction Center read: “a significant Pacific storm system and strong atmospheric river have already started pummeling the West Coast and Northwest this morning.”  The system was churning some 300 miles off the coast of Washington and pushing destructive winds over northern California, Oregon and Washington at the time of the advisory.

Per CBS News, flood and high wind watches were in effect in Northern California, with up to 8 inches of rain predicted for parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, North Coast and Sacramento Valley. A ground delay was issued Wednesday morning for San Francisco International Airport due to wind.

Additionally, up to 16 inches of rain of rain was forecast in southwestern Oregon through Friday, with dangerous flash flooding, rock slides and debris flows possible.

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Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office said on Tuesday that while they oppose President-elect Trump’s attempt to dismiss his criminal hush money conviction in New York, they do not object to postponing sentencing in the case.

The district attorney’s office instead suggested deferring all remaining proceedings in the case until after Trump leaves the White House in 2029. Lawyers for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg wrote in a letter to Justice Juan Merchan that Trump should not be sentenced for his crimes, stating: “consideration must be given to various non-dismissal options that may address any concerns raised by the pendency of a post-trial criminal proceeding during the presidency, such as deferral of all remaining criminal proceedings until after the end of defendant’s upcoming presidential term … The People deeply respect the Office of the President, are mindful of the demands and obligations of the presidency, and acknowledge that Defendant’s inauguration will raise unprecedented legal questions. We also deeply respect the fundamental role of the jury in our constitutional system.”

The sentencing in Trump’s criminal case is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 26. Defense attorneys have asked New York Judge Juan Merchan to dismiss the case ahead of Trump’s impending inauguration. Trump’s defense lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove said in a filing made public Tuesday that the case must be dismissed because a sitting president is immune from prosecution: “To require President Trump to address further criminal proceedings at this point would not only violate the federal Constitution, but also disrupt the Presidential transition process.  There is no material difference between President Trump’s current status after his overwhelming victory in the national election and that of a sitting President following inauguration.”

Prosecutors said in their filings, however, that they intend to oppose any effort by Trump to dismiss his case outright. Trump’s lawyers said in a previous letter that they would do so, claiming his election meant the case might cause “unconstitutional impediments to President Trump’s ability to govern. ”

Judge Merchan was tentatively scheduled to sentence Trump later this month on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He will have the final say regarding the next steps in the case.

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Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said Tuesday that the bill she introduced to ban transgender women from using female bathrooms at the U.S. Capitol is a direct response to the election of Sarah McBride, who will become the first openly transgender person in Congress. On Monday, Mace introduced a resolution to prohibit any lawmakers and House employees from “using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.”

When asked by reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday if the bill she introduced was in response to McBride, Mace said: “Yes, and absolutely. And then some. I’m not going to stand for a man, you know, someone with a penis, in the women’s locker room. I’m absolutely 100% gonna stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a women’s restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms. I will be there fighting you every step of the way.”

McBride, a Democrat from Delaware, didn’t respond to questions on the topic as she entered the House Democratic caucus meeting Tuesday morning.  However on Monday in a post on X, McBride said: “This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing. Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness.”

GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia called McBride a “biological man” and said she had confronted House Speaker Mike Johnson at during the House Republican Conference meeting Tuesday morning about what “men in leadership” would do to address their concerns. Greene said: “you know, Sarah McBride … should not be using any of our restrooms in the Capitol, in our office buildings. But Nancy Mace’s resolution doesn’t go far enough. A resolution is just a statement by Congress saying that Congress disagrees with something we need, something more binding. And that’s what I just brought up at the microphones there — in our conference, I directly asked Speaker Johnson what the men in our leadership are going to do about this, because this this has to be stopped.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday that Republicans are trying to resolve the issue but that they will make accommodations for McBride: “This is an unprecedented matter, so we’re going to, we’ll find a resolution that that solves the problem, but we’re working on that … and stay tuned for how we respond. We welcome all new members with open arms who are duly elected representatives of the people. I believe it’s a command we treat all persons with dignity and respect …. this is an issue that Congress has never had to address before. We’re going to do that in a deliberate fashion with member consensus on it, and we will accommodate the needs of every single person.”

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In a move widely expected, Spirit Airlines announced Monday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying they intend to spend the next year attempting to reboot and recover after the pandemic caused a lapse in travel. Spirit also faced issues after an airplane engine recall, and its high-profile failure to merge with JetBlue Airways.

Spirit has lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020 and faces looming debt payments totaling more than $1 billion over the next year; the airline said they expect to operate as normal as it works its way through a “prearranged, streamlined” Chapter 11 bankruptcy process and that customers can continue to book and fly without interruption.  Spirit employee’s wages or benefits will not be affected from the Chapter 11 process, adding that vendors and leaseholders would continue to be paid.

The budget airline becomes the first U.S. carrier to file for bankruptcy protection since American Airlines more than a decade ago. Spirit said in a statement: “Spirit expects to continue operating its business in the normal course throughout this prearranged, streamlined Chapter 11 process. Guests can continue to book and fly without interruption and can use all tickets, credits, and loyalty points as normal.”

Shares of Miramar, Florida-based Spirit dropped 25% on Friday after The Wall Street Journal reported that the airline was discussing terms of a possible bankruptcy filing with its bondholders. It was just the latest in a series of blows that have sent the stock crashing down by 97% since late 2018 — when Spirit was still making money.

Spirit’s stock dropped 25% last week after the The Wall Street Journal reported that the airline was discussing terms of a possible bankruptcy filing with its bondholders.

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One person is dead and over a dozen others were hospitalized due to an E. coli outbreak connected to recalled organic carrots.

California grower Grimmway Farms issued a nationwide recall of multiple sizes and brands of baby and whole organic carrots tied to the outbreak, which they produced for some of the country’s leading supermarkets over an E. coli outbreak, which includes Trader Joe’s, Albertsons, Kroger, Publix, Walmart and Whole Foods, amongst others.  Grimmway Farms shared on its website that organic whole carrots sold without a “best-if-used-by” date between Aug.14 and Oct. 23, 2024, and organic baby carrots with “best-if-used-by” dates from Sept. 11 to Nov. 12, 2024. Consumers are urged to check their refrigerators and dispose of any recalled carrots immediately.

The recall comes after reports from 18 states documenting nearly 40 cases connecting its baby carrots with the illness, which led to one death and 15 hospitalizations. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement: “Interviews with sick people and traceback findings show that organic whole and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms are making people sick. Multiple brands and sizes of bagged organic whole and baby carrots were recalled. These products are no longer for sale at stores but may still be in people’s homes. Check your refrigerators and throw them away.”

The carrots have been removed from retailers, but the CDC has warned consumers to not eat recalled bag carrots and to check their refrigerators or freezers and throw away any carrots that fit the description. Per the CDC, most of those infected with E. coli lived in New York, Minnesota and Washington, followed by California and Oregon, although infections have been reported in states throughout the country.

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