Crimes, Homicides & Suicides

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Minneapolis police chief resigns after interfering with an investigation, mayor says

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who was hired to oversee reforms in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing, chose to resign rather than face disciplinary action for interfering with an investigation into his conduct, Mayor Jacob Frey announced Tuesday.

https://apnews.com/article/brian-ohara-minneapolis-police-resigns-investigation-8e4da8213005aa7d51f23754b7ace1bc?

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Matthew Perry’s assistant gets more than 3 years in prison for central role in his ketamine death

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew Perry’s live-in personal assistant, who had a central role in the “Friends” actor’s descent into ketamine addiction and injected him with a fatal dose of the drug, was sentenced Wednesday to three years and five months in prison, bringing an end to the legal saga surrounding the death of one of the biggest TV stars of his generation.

https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-assistant-sentencing-d58a608daa1eca55e20fed284763e5aa?

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SpaceX’s Starship rockets are grounded pending investigation after test flight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX Starship launches are on hold pending an investigation into last week’s test flight.

https://apnews.com/article/spacex-starship-faa-investigation-7bc8ecccd1f32fa2b1d2ea204f2b785b?

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💰 Kirk critics win settlements

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios At least $2 million in settlements has been agreed to after employees and other critics were fired or penalized over their posts about Charlie Kirk following his killing, Axios' Avery Lotz and Rebecca Falconer write. Why it matters: Kirk's death became a catalyst for a free speech debate with repercussions that were backed by the Trump administration. Ball State University this week agreed to pay $225,000 to settle a First Amendment lawsuit the ACLU brought on behalf of Suzanne Swierc, who was fired after posting about Kirk. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission settled a lawsuit last week with biologist Brittney Brown for $485,000 after she was fired for reposting a meme criticizing Kirk on her personal Instagram account. Retired police officer Larry Bushart secured an $835,000 settlement from a Tennessee county and its sheriff after he was arrested and held for 37 days in connection with a meme he shared on a post about a vigil for Kirk.

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Colorado elections clerk released from prison after governor commutes sentence

DENVER (AP) — Tina Peters, the former county clerk convicted of participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories promulgated by President Donald Trump, was released from state prison Monday after the president successfully pressured Colorado’s Democratic governor into commuting her sentence.

https://apnews.com/article/colorado-election-clerk-peters-prison-release-b974d394595c75a6db831962551d094f?

Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, appeals court panel rules

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, a divided panel of federal appeal court judges ruled on Monday in another legal setback for President Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda.

https://apnews.com/article/transgender-military-ban-trump-02c27819995ebfbea6aa45d2633028d3

South Carolina jury finds store owner not guilty of murder in killing of Black teen

COLUMBIA, S.C (AP) — A South Carolina jury on Monday found a store owner not guilty of murder in the 2023 shooting of a Black 14-year-old.

https://apnews.com/article/store-owner-shooting-black-teen-south-carolina-d1d6534afe8cb98a5e4fc153290d480b?

George Santos reported to prosecutors over suspicious Kalshi trades, AP source says

NEW YORK (AP) — A prediction market reported former U.S. Rep. George Santos to federal prosecutors after he boasted he’d be going to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, then bet against his own attendance, according to a person familiar with the investigation.

https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-kalshi-2ea925949a0f3f72ec46411b41344858?

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Suspect who took 10 people hostage in California standoff has been shot and killed, police say

A man was shot and killed by the FBI early Wednesday after taking 10 school employees hostage inside a Southern California office building and warning that he had strapped explosives to himself and some of the hostages, police said.

https://apnews.com/article/bank-hostages-bakersfield-california-barricade-bf4cf78abb0f06cc4bb2c9a92d799d34?

Ex-national security adviser John Bolton will plead guilty in classified information case: AP source

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the Justice Department that could allow him to avoid prison time, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.

https://apnews.com/article/bolton-justice-department-trump-classified-information-3a92a8f87521cee9a7627db53a75e9c1?

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Virginia man gets life in prison for double murder scheme in affair with au pair

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A Virginia man who was having an affair with the family’s au pair was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole for the murder of his wife and a man who was lured to the couple’s home as a fall guy.

https://apnews.com/article/au-pair-affair-murder-sentence-brendan-banfield-b28c0b8d57a0faac3a7264b210b86e63?