Crimes, Homicides & Suicides

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Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz called 'cheaters' at fraud trial

Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were described by a prosecutor Wednesday as “cheaters” during opening statements at a New York criminal fraud trial that has cast a spotlight on the threat gamblers pose to America's pastime. Read More.   Scientist who brought frog embryos to Boston for cancer research is cleared of smuggling charges U.S. prosecutors have dropped all criminal charges against a Russian scientist who was tossed into an immigration jail last year after she landed at a Boston airport with frog embryos intended for her cancer research at Harvard Medical School. Read More.   'ER' and 'The Pitt' are similar enough for lawsuit to move forward, appeals court finds A California appeals court has found that “ER” and “The Pitt” have enough similarity that a lawsuit brought by the widow and estate of “ER” creator Michael Crichton alleging “The Pitt” is an unauthorized reboot can move forward. Read More. Mexican judge accused in US with taking $2 million bribe in international drug trafficking case A Mexican judge is accused of taking a $2 million bribe in exchange for releasing a suspected Canadian drug trafficker from custody in an investigation into a billion-dollar drug trafficking ring, U.S. officials said Thursday. Read More. Wendy's rejects buyout bid and girds itself for a hostile takeover campaign Wendy’s rejected a $1.4 billion buyout offer from an activist investor, saying Thursday that the bid was too low and didn't take into account the company's long-term earnings potential under its new CEO. Read More.

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Violent, property crime victimization rates fell in 2025, federal data shows

A new federal report released the week before Tuesday’s midterm elections found that Americans experienced declines in several categories of violent and property crime victimization in 2025, including aggravated assaults, burglaries and motor vehicle thefts.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/11/06/repub/violent-property-crime-victimization-rates-fell-in-2025-federal-data-shows/?

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Russell Brand is sentenced to 10 1/2 years in British prison for rape and sexual assault

LONDON (AP) — Russell Brand was sentenced Monday to 10½ years in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others during a time when his bawdy behavior was indulged and celebrated during his rise to stardom.

https://apnews.com/article/russell-brand-sentenced-convicted-rape-sexual-assault-b1a4d27cbe73ed8b447947fdf9f05d59?

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Cold case solved

Two young women were sexually assaulted and strangled outside of Pittsburgh nearly 50 years ago. For decades, the answer to who did it remained a mystery. Now police say a serial killer was responsible.

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Judge jails Thomas Markle, father of Meghan, after he cut off his ankle monitor

The 82-year-old estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was ordered to jail Tuesday because he removed an electronic monitoring device from his ankle, just days after he was charged with possession of child sexual abuse material.

https://apnews.com/article/thomas-markle-charges-ankle-monitor-fce501251ffa12c5427a9a4f2b96b2ee?

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Judge weighs dismissing charges against journalists in anti-ICE church protest

Attorneys for five journalists facing felony charges over an anti-ICE protest inside a St. Paul church urged a federal magistrate judge during a Monday court hearing to reject the “vindictive” prosecution of the press by the Trump administration and dismiss the charges.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/11/10/repub/judge-weighs-dismissing-charges-against-journalists-in-anti-ice-church-protest/?

Teen arrested in killing of Ghanaian student, 15, on his way to school in New York City

A teenager was arrested Wednesday in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old Ghanaian immigrant on his way to school, New York City police said as the victim's family, Ghana's government and civil rights advocates pressed for justice. Read More.

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Big-city crime decline

Data: Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA). (Tulsa Police changed crime-reporting systems, which may affect year-over-year comparisons.) Chart: Russell Contreras/Axios Axios' Russell Contreras, who has closely tracked America's stunning post-pandemic crime drop, writes: Homicides fell 15.2% across major U.S. police jurisdictions through the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, a new Major Cities Chiefs Association report found. Robberies fell 9.1%, rapes 3.5% and aggravated assaults 3.4%. 51 of the 66 large law enforcement agencies in the report logged overall declines. Between the lines: Not every city followed the trend. New York City was a major outlier, with more violent crime reported in all four categories, including 24.5% more homicides. In D.C., homicides fell 29.9%, but robberies surged 41.1%. Keep reading.