News Daypop Archives

A Colorado man was sentenced Monday to life in prison for killing his pregnant wife and their two young daughters and dumping their bodies on an oil work site. Prosecutors have said they agreed not to seek the death penalty in exchange for Christopher Watts’ guilty plea, after seeking approval from Shanann Watts’ family. Watts had pleaded guilty to three charges of murder in the deaths of his wife, Shanann Watts, and their young daughters. He also pleaded guilty on Nov. 6 to two counts of killing a child, one count of unlawful termination of a pregnancy and three counts of tampering with a deceased human body.... [Read Full Story]

On Monday, CNN called on a federal court to hold emergency proceedings — this after the White House said it would again revoke press access to correspondent Jim Acosta despite a temporary restraining order on Friday to reinstate him. Acosta’s credentials were revoked after Trump denounced him as a “rude, terrible person” during a Nov. 7 news conference. CNN challenged the move in court and on Friday won a ruling that temporarily reinstated Acosta. In a filing on Monday, CNN and Acosta asked for an expedited hearing next week after top White House communications officials told Acosta in a letter late on Friday that it had already decided to suspend his press once the two-week restraining order expires.... [Read Full Story]

Authorities continued to search through the burnt wreckage of California’s deadliest ever wildfire on Sunday, searching for any signs of the reported 1,276 people listed as missing after the Camp Fire tore through the mountain town of Paradise. As of early Sunday the blaze was 60 percent contained, officials said; up from 55 percent as of Saturday. The death toll far surpasses that of any other single California wildfire, and already ranks among the deadliest U.S. wildfires since the turn of the last century.... [Read Full Story]

Republican Rick Scott, Florida’s outgoing governor, was declared the winner of the state’s U.S. Senate race on Sunday. This comes following a manual recount of ballots in the tight contest against three-term Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson.... [Read Full Story]

Pipe bomb suspect Cesar Sayoc, who is accused of mailing explosive devices to prominent Democrats and critics of President Donald Trump last month, pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he used weapons of mass destruction in a domestic terrorism plan. Sayoc, 56, sat silently as his attorney entered the plea to a 30-count criminal indictment in Manhattan federal court. If found guilty of the most serious charges, he could be sentenced to life in prison. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff scheduled a preliminary trial date of July 15.... [Read Full Story]

In a story that grabbed national attention, a New Jersey couple raised more than $400,000 to help a homeless good Samaritan. However, prosecutors said on Thursday that the story was built on deception and all three parties involved were in on the scam. The couple — Mark D’Amico, 39, and Kate McClure, 28, and the homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., 35, — were charged with second-degree theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception. If found guilty, they could serve up to five to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors allege that in November 2017, D’Amico and McClure concocted a GoFundMe campaign in honor of Bobbitt as a way to deceive donors moved by Bobbitt’s plight, and was allegedly motivated by a get-rich-quick scheme. Scott Coffina, the prosecutor in Burlington County, New Jersey, said at a press conference that “the entire campaign was predicated on a lie.” The couple first ran into Bobbitt at a freeway ramp near a casino in Philadelphia they frequented about a month before McClure supposedly met him. They befriended him with money and coffee, and eventually hatched their plan, Coffina said. However within a few months of the campaign’s creation, all of the money had been spent and when Bobbitt accused D’Amico and McClure of withholding most of the GoFundMe money he was owed, it led authorities to investigate the case, where the original tale then unraveled. D’Amico and McClure surrendered to authorities on Wednesday in Burlington County; police in Philadelphia also arrested Bobbitt on Wednesday in connection with the case. A court date has not been set.... [Read Full Story]

Just one day after the Office of the First Lady released a statement publicly criticizing Deputy National Security Adviser Mira Ricardel, the White House on Wednesday announced that she will be leaving her post. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement on Wednesday that Ricardel “departs the White House to transition to a new role within the administration.” Sanders did not specify the aide’s new role. On Tuesday, the first lady’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement: “It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House.” ... [Read Full Story]

Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels, made bail Wednesday evening after his arrest earlier on domestic violence charges. Avenatti appeared before a group of reporters and said he will be “fully exonerated,” denying the accusations and thanking the LAPD.  In his brief statement, Avenatti said: “I have never struck a woman. I never will strike a woman. I have been an advocate for women’s rights my entire career and I’m going to continue to be an advocate. I’m not going to be intimidated from stopping what I’m doing. I am looking forward to a full investigation at which point I am confident that I will be fully exonerated.”... [Read Full Story]

After a year of anticipation, Amazon has picked two locations for its HQ2 project. On Tuesday Amazon announced that Long Island City in New York City’s Queens borough and National Landing in Arlington, Virginia, outside Washington, DC were selected. These 2 picks are expected to each land 25,0000 jobs.... [Read Full Story]

Opening statements were delayed Tuesday in the high-profile trial of alleged Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman when a juror had to be excused for an unknown reason shortly before opening statements were set to begin. Guzman, 61, has escaped Mexican jails twice, so Intense security is now in place around the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. “El Chapo” is expected to be kept in Brooklyn during the week, and will be escorted by a highly secure motorcade each time he arrive and departs from court. He has pleaded not guilty to 17 charges, including drug smuggling, money laundering and conspiring to murder. In addition, jurors will receive special security, and will also be transported to and from the courthouse by armed federal marshals. The trial is expected to last about four months. If convicted, Guzman could spend the rest of his life behind bars, and he is currently being held in solitary confinement.... [Read Full Story]

Officials said Monday that the Woolsey Fire continues to rage across Southern California, and may still be going a week from now. The deadly blaze has consumed 91,572 acres since it started Thursday in Simi Valley, near the border of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, according to L.A. County Fire Chief Daryl Osby. While reports said the fire was 20 percent contained by midday Monday, fire officials said full containment was still awhile away. “As far as 100-percent containment, we’ll be out here for the next week or two trying to mop this fire up,” Osby told reporters. It is estimated that 370 structures have been destroyed in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, more than double what had been estimated this past weekend.... [Read Full Story]

According to U.S. officials briefed on recent intelligence, North Korea is continuing work on its ballistic missile program. This confirms a private report Monday detailing recent improvements made at undeclared military sites. According to one U.S. official, “North Korea has continued its ballistic missile program at a number of bases but it’s significant that they have not tested one in nearly a year; we need to give the diplomats time and space to work.” Reports released Monday said researchers had identified 13 of an estimated 20 undeclared North Korean missile bases, and included a detailed analysis of one facility, the Sakkanmol Missile Operating Base, about 50 miles north of the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.... [Read Full Story]

Miami-Dade County elections officials say they’ve started recounting ballots from Tuesday’s election, and officials from the county’s elections office confirmed Saturday evening that they’ve started a machine recount. Considering there were some 800,000 ballots cast, and official will need to load paper ballots into scanning machines, the results of the recount could take days. The unofficial results show that Republican former U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis led Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum by less than 0.5 percentage points, which will require a machine recount of ballots. In the Senate race, Republican Gov. Rick Scott’s lead over Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson is less than 0.25 percentage points, which will require a hand recount of ballots from tabulation machines that couldn’t determine which candidate got the vote. ... [Read Full Story]

Miami-Dade County elections officials say they’ve started recounting ballots from Tuesday’s election, and officials from the county’s elections office confirmed Saturday evening that they’ve started a machine recount. Considering there were some 800,000 ballots cast, and official will need to load paper ballots into scanning machines, the results of the recount could take days. The unofficial results show that Republican former U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis led Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum by less than 0.5 percentage points, which will require a machine recount of ballots. In the Senate race, Republican Gov. Rick Scott’s lead over Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson is less than 0.25 percentage points, which will require a hand recount of ballots from tabulation machines that couldn’t determine which candidate got the vote. ... [Read Full Story]

Massive wildfires raging in Northern and Southern California have killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes as firefighters deal with heavy winds.  According to officials, the largest and deadliest of the infernos is the Camp Fire, which as of Sunday had burned 109,000 acres, leveled 6,453 homes and another 260 commercial structures in Northern California’s Butte County. At least 23 civilians have been killed in the Camp Fire, which began on Thursday and quickly swept through communities in the Sierra foothills, devastating the town of Paradise. ... [Read Full Story]

Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate several Northern California communities due to a fast-moving wildfire that exploded in size Thursday. Panicked residents are racing to help neighbors who had to drive through walls of flames to escape. It was not immediately known if there were injuries or fatalities. According to the Butte County Sheriff’s office, an evacuation order was issued for areas of Paradise, a town of about 27,000 people 180 miles northeast of San Francisco. Cal Fire spokesman Rick Carhart said the wildfire was reported at 6:30 a.m., affecting about 30,000 people in the towns of Paradise, Concow and other small communities. Carhart also said officials were sending as many crews as they could gather. The California Highway Patrol closed a nearby highway and urged motorists to avoid the area. The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for fire dangers in many areas of the state, saying low humidity and strong winds were expected to continue through Friday evening.... [Read Full Story]

Federal authorities announced on Thursday that a federal grand jury indicted the duck boat captain whose vessel capsized near Branson, Missouri, killing 17 passengers. Officials said that the captain, 51-year-old Kenneth Scott McKee of Verona, Missouri, was charged with 17 counts of misconduct, negligence or inattention to duty by a ship’s officer. Back on July 19 this tragedy occurred when a Ride the Ducks amphibious boat, dubbed “Stretch Duck 7,” ventured on to Table Rock Lake during a thunderstorm with 60 mph winds. The U.S. Coast Guard found probable cause that the accident “resulted from the misconduct, negligence, or inattention to the duties” by McKee, according to an August court filing. According to the indictment, McKee operated the boat “in violation of the conditions and limitations specified in the vessel’s United States Coast Guard issued Certificate of Inspection.”... [Read Full Story]

The U.S. Air Force conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California yesterday. In a statement, the Air Force Global Strike Command said that the missile was launched at 11:01 p.m. Tuesday to determine the accuracy and reliability of the system and such tests “are not related to any real world events.” They also said that the missile’s re-entry vehicle reached its intended target, but further details about the test can’t be released. The Air Force tests Minuteman missiles by launching them from California to a target in the Pacific Ocean.... [Read Full Story]

At least 12 people were killed and as many as 10 others were injured when a gunman burst into a packed Southern California bar, tossing smoke grenades and firing dozens of rounds, witnesses and authorities said. The suspect was found dead inside the bar, police said. Police said they responded to the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles west of Los Angeles, just before midnight local time. Hundreds were inside the bar at the time. Sgt. Ron Helus was among the dozen killed overnight, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. Helus was a 29-year veteran and was one of the first on the scene, when he was fired on multiple times. Authorities are working to determine who the suspect was, and what his motive may have been.... [Read Full Story]

Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned Wednesday, at the request of President Donald Trump. The announcement was made by the President on Twitter, just a day after the midterm elections. “At your request, I am submitting my resignation,” Sessions wrote to Trump, adding that he was “honored to serve” the president. Sessions’ departure after the midterms was no surprise, given the many conflicts between the two. When Mr. Trump was asked about Sessions’ future at a lengthy press conference Wednesday afternoon, he declined to comment on whether Sessions would be leaving the administration. However, Sessions’ resignation letter had already been submitted earlier in the day. President Trump has now named Matthew Whitaker, Sessions’ chief of staff, as acting attorney general. Whitaker is now set to oversee special counsel Mueller’s probe.... [Read Full Story]

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A Bangladeshi immigrant who set off a pipe bomb in New York City’s busiest subway station at rush hour last December, was convicted Tuesday of terrorism charges. The conviction of Akayed Ullah was returned in Manhattan federal court after a trial in which the defense maintained that he intended to kill only himself last Dec. 11. Fortunately no one died in the incident.  Prosecutors said that Ullah wanted to maim or kill commuters as part of a “lone wolf” terrorist attack on behalf of the Islamic State group, disputing the defense’s claim and saying Ullah would not have worn a bomb had he wanted to kill only himself. They also cited social media postings by Ullah as well as comments he made after his arrest to investigators. In closing arguments Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney George Turner said Ullah told investigators after his arrest that he wanted to avenge U.S. aggression toward the Islamic State group and had chosen a busy weekday morning to attack so he could terrorize as many people as possible.... [Read Full Story]

Authorities say that a newlywed couple from Texas died after the helicopter carrying them from their wedding crashed into the side of a mountain in Uvalde, Texas. Uvalde is in northwest Uvalde County, about 100 miles west of San Antonio. Will Byler and Bailee Ackerman Byler were married just before the fatal crash on Saturday evening at the Byler family ranch, just before departing on the helicopter in front of family and friends. The couple – both seniors from Sam Houston State University – were on the way to their honeymoon in San Antonio when their helicopter crashed into the mountain, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Authorities were notified of the crash just after midnight on Sunday morning, but rescue crews were unable to reach the helicopter overnight because of the difficult terrain and “pitch dark” conditions. The helicopter crashed about five to 10 minutes after it took off, said Craig Hatch, an air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. ... [Read Full Story]

NBC, Fox News and Facebook all pulled ads by President Donald Trump’s campaign that critics had labeled racist; this coming the day before election day as a fight for control of the U.S. Congress will play out. The 30-second ad, sponsored by Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, featured courtroom video of an illegal immigrant from Mexico convicted in the 2014 killings of two police officers, juxtaposed with scenes of migrants headed through Mexico.... [Read Full Story]

Shooter Poses as Customer and Kills 2 Women at Florida Yoga Studio

Via www.time.com

(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — What was supposed to be a routine Friday night ritual of…

11/04/2018 3:20 PM

 

... [Read Full Story]

On Thursday, thousands of Google employees walked off the job in offices around the world in protest of the company’s handling of sexual harassment claims. The walkout yesterday took place a week after the New York Times revealed in an article that Google had suppressed allegations of sexual misconduct against several of its executives. The protest, called “Walkout for Real Change,” has five goals: bringing an end to forced arbitration, improving processes for reporting sexual misconduct and reporting publicly on sexual harassment within the company. The organizers of the walkout took aim at what they called a “culture of complicity, dismissiveness, and support for perpetrators.” Both men and women participating in the walkout said they were demanding broad changes in how the company handles harassment complaints, and that they were protesting in solidarity with colleagues who had been victimized under the current system. In a statement, Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said Google is in support of employees who choose to participate in the walkouts.... [Read Full Story]

Authorities say that a 7-year-old boy was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver as he waited at a school bus stop. This marks the fourth incident just this week involving children being hit by cars while waiting to board their school bus. Pennsylvania State Police said theboy, a second-grader, was killed around 7 a.m. A school bus driver discovered the boy’s body at the bus stop and called 911. Investigators said they determined the child was struck by a vehicle, which then fled the scene. The crash comes on the heels of Tuesday’s tragic accident in Indiana, where three siblings were killed by a driver as they waited to board their bus in Indiana, while a fourth child suffered critical injuries. Police said she drove past the bus as its stop-arm was deployed.... [Read Full Story]

Police in Indiana charged a 24-year-old woman with reckless homicide after a crash at a school bus stop in Rochester left three children dead and one severely injured. According to Indiana State Police, the children were crossing the street to get to their bus stop at approximately 7:15 a.m. Tuesday when they were struck by a 2017 Toyota Tacoma driven by Alyssa Shepherd. Police said that at the time of the crash, the school bus was stopped in front of a mobile home park with its stop arm down and lights flashing. Three students from Mentone Elementary School, identified as 6-year-old twins Xzavier Ingle and Mason Ingle and their sister Alivia Stahl, 9, died at the scene. A fourth child, identified as 11-year-old Tippecanoe Valley Middle School student Maverik Lowe, was last listed in serious condition, after having been airlifted to a hospital with multiple broken bones and internal injuries. Authorities charged Shepherd with three counts of reckless homicide and one count of passing a school bus with the stop arm extended, causing injury. She was booked into Fulton County Jail Tuesday, as police continue to investigate.... [Read Full Story]

According to grand jury filings on Wednesday, the suspect in the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre faces 44 federal charges in the slaying of 11 worshippers during last weekend’s Shabbat services, 32 of them which are death penalty offenses. Included are 11 counts each of obstruction of the free exercise of religious belief resulting in death and use of a firearm to commit murder during a crime of violence, a conviction on any of which could be punishable by death, according to the indictment. The suspect, 46 year old Robert Bowers of Baldwin, was wounded at the scene of the shooting and was brought into federal court Monday in a wheelchair. He spoke only to answer the judge’s questions. Bowers is accused of the shooting at Saturday morning services at the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, after making anti-Semitic posts online. He also said he wanted to kill Jews during his shootout with police. Four police officers were wounded trying to apprehend Bowers, who stands accused of shooting three of the wounded officers. Two civilians were also wounded.... [Read Full Story]