Alex Ovechkin scored the 827th goal of his NHL career to help the Washington Capitals beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3

When Ray Epps, now 61, arrived in Washington DC in early January, 2021, he believed he was answering the call of his president. Mr Epps was one of the thousands of MAGA loyalists who believed former President Donald Trump's lie that the 2020 election had been stolen. He also thought he and a throng of conservative allies would protest the election's certification. The night before the Capitol riot on Jan 6, Mr Epps told a crowd of fellow Trump supporters that they should enter the Capitol. This exchange was caught on video. He did not call for violence, and later claimed that he was encouraging a peaceful protest inside the building. Nearly 900 people have been arrested for their participation in the failed insurrection that occurred the following day. Though Mr Epps is not among that number, he has nonetheless become the focus of a MAGA-world conspiracy theory placing the blame for the entire debacle squarely on his shoulders. Who is Ray Epps? Mr Epps is a former Marine who runs a wedding and event venue in Queen Creek, Arizona. He describes himself as a staunch conservative, and was a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump. Mr Epps went to Washington DC believing that the 2020 election had been stolen. Politico has reported that Mr Epps is a former Oath Keeper, the militant right-wing gang whose members are currently under investigation on seditious conspiracy charges. Since the Capitol riot, his life has been turned upside down by the very people he once marched alongside. The conspiracy theory After failing to pin the Capitol riot on Antifa, right-wing media outlets refocused their efforts to reshape their narrative around Mr Epps. According to the New York Times, obscure right-wing outlets like Revolver Media began reporting on selectively-edited videos of Mr Epps during the Capitol riot, and later capitalised on the footage from 5 January in which he called for people to enter the Capitol. The theory claims that Mr Epps, who was not arrested in the wake of the Capitol riot despite apparently encouraging people to enter the building and participating in the event himself, could only have evaded law enforcement if he was working with the government. To explain this apparent contradiction, outlets and conspiracy theorists decided that Mr Epps had to have been an FBI agent sent into the crowd to stir dissent and set up a "false flag" event meant to justify the incarceration of hundreds of Trump supporters. Larger right-wing media platforms, including Fox News' Tucker Carlson, picked up on the story, thrusting Mr Epps into the mainstream conservative consciousness. Republican lawmakers including Senator Ted Cruz and Representatives Thomas Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Matt Gaetz leapt on the theory in their efforts to reframe the Capitol riot narrative. Mr Trump himself eventually signed onto the conspiracy theory, feeding the man who believed his lies into the right-wing conspiracy machine's ever hungry maw. What really happened? Days after the Capitol riot, Mr Epps learned that the FBI was treating him as a person of interest in its then nascent investigation into the riot. He immediately called the agency and agreed to call them to discuss what had happened. During their talks, Mr Epps insisted that he had remained peaceful and had instructed other rioters to do the same. Video footage that was eventually edited and used to suggest Mr Epps was inciting violence actually showed that he was trying to talk down other protesters who were getting angry. In one video, he tells another protester, Ryan Samsel, to relax and reminds him that the Capitol police were doing their jobs. According to the Times, Mr Samsel was questioned by the FBI and fully corroborated Mr Epps' version of events. “He came up to me and he said, ‘Dude’ — his entire words were, ‘Relax, the cops are doing their job,’” Mr Samsel told investigators. Further, Mr Epps was able to prove that he had left the Capitol before the violence began in earnest. A protester who had fallen ill required help away from the chaos, and Mr Epps volunteered to help lead them out. The fallout Since then, Mr Epps’ life has turned upside down. He has become a persona non grata in conservative circles due to his association with the conspiracy theory. After the conspiracy theory picked up steam, Mr Epps began receiving death threats and even had intruders trespass on his property. According to Mr Epps, those individuals approached him and demanded to know the "truth" about his supposed involvement with the FBI. He has had to leave his home in Arizona and is currently hiding out in an RV with his wife at an undisclosed location. Mr Epps told theTimes that he fears the direction the US is heading, and called what was done to him "criminal." “I am at the center of this thing, and it’s the biggest farce that’s ever been,” he said. “It’s just not right. The American people are being led down a path. I think it should be criminal.” Lawsuit In July 2023, Mr Epps filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News and its former host, Tucker Carlson. Mr Epps filed the lawsuit in the Superior Court of Delaware, the same court in which Fox was given a $787.5m judgement to settle a separate defamation case brought by Dominion Voting Systems, the New York Times reports. Fox News has since sought to have the lawsuit moved to the Federal District Court in Wilmington. Mr Epps is seeking an unspecified amount in damages. The move comes after Mr Epps demanded in March that Fox News and Carlson retract their stories and issue on-air apologies to him. “Ray is taking the next steps to vindicate his rights by seeking accountability for Fox’s lies that have caused him and [his wife] Robyn so much harm,” his attorney, Michael Teter, told the Times. The lawsuit blames Fox News for spreading 2020 election fraud misinformation, painting Mr Epps as a loyal viewer who trusted the network’s commentary. “When Fox, through its on-air personalities and guests, told its audience that the 2020 election had been stolen, Epps was listening,” the complaint says. “He believed Fox. And when Epps kept hearing that Trump supporters should let their views be known on Jan. 6 in Washington D.C., Epps took that to heart.” It goes on further to claim that Fox News and Carlson made Mr Epps the “villain” of their stories, and said Carlson in particular became “fixated” on the former Marine. Read More Ray Epps sues Fox News and Tucker Carlson for ‘defamatory attacks’ after January 6 White House cheers ‘Bidenomics’ as inflation rises by only 0.2% Trump slams DoJ for scrapping immunity in E Jean Carroll suit White House cheers ‘Bidenomics’ as inflation rises by only 0.2% Trump slams DoJ for scrapping immunity in E Jean Carroll suit GOP 2024 hopeful appears to draw only six people to campaign event

Scientists have urged people not to speculate about why Iberian orcas have been ramming into vessels, warning that demonising them could put the already endangered animal at risk. Orcas coming into contact with vessels n the Mediterranean are most likely being playful and are not “attacking” the boats as previously speculated, after more than 250 boats have been damaged by the species since 2020. Experts have warned the idea that the orcas intend to do harm could lead to the creatures being harmed by humans, after footage showing a sailor opening fire on a pod earlier this month. One theory proposed by marine scientists is that the orcas’ behaviour is a ‘cultural fad’ and will likely go away as attention over the animals decreases. There are 15 orcas believed to be responsible for the recent rammings, with damage varying from teeth marks to the sinking of five boats entirely. In an open letter, the scientists said: “We urge the media and public to avoid projecting narratives onto these animals. In the absence of further evidence, people should not assume they understand the animals’ motivations. “We are concerned that factual errors related to these interactions are being repeated in the media … we believe this narrative inappropriately projects human motivations onto these whales and we are concerned that perpetuating it will lead to punitive responses by mariners or managers.” Scientists remain baffled over the behaviour of the orcas off the Spanish and Portuguese coasts, but agree they are likely being playful and socialising with each other instead of acting aggressively, the letter says. “The whales have shown a wide range of behaviours during the interactions, many of them consistent with playful social behaviour,” the letter continues. “There is no evidence of an identifiable ‘leader’ of these interactions. Despite the damage to vessels, we believe characterising the interactions as ‘attacks’ is misleading. “ Orcas (and other dolphin species) elsewhere have been known to develop cultural ‘fads’ (novel behaviour that briefly persists and expands within a population—an analogy might be fashion trends in people), such as carrying dead fish on their heads. While these vessel interactions may be a similar phenomenon, they are persisting longer than typical fad behaviour, expanding within the population and escalating in impact. Nevertheless, it is possible the behaviour, as previous fads have, will disappear as suddenly as it appeared. Of the fifteen orcas believed to be responsible for the rammings, 11 are calves and four are adult females. Iberian orcas are considered critically endangered, with possibly less than 40 in their population. Earlier in June a sailor told how his yacht was thrown around like a “rag doll” by orcas near Gibraltar, as the mammals tore off its rudders. “I noticed a fin then noticed a light bump and then a very big bump and looked round and there was a very large whale pushing along the back and trying to bite the rudder,” he told BBC Radio 4. “Then we lost the second rudder so we had no mechanism of steering the boat and the whales were in charge of the boat and they pushed us around like a rag doll,” he added. Read More Shark attacks swimmer in shallows of popular Spanish holiday beach Fisherman airlifted to hospital after shark bite off coast of Portugal Lolita the orca dies after spending more than half a century in captivity Russia says 10 bodies and flight recorders recovered from Prigozhin jet crash site Tourist sprays football graffiti on 460-year-old Italian landmark Belarus president says he warned Wagner chief to watch out for threats – Ukraine live

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The FBI has offered to show top lawmakers next week a bureau document that purports to relate to President Joe Biden and his family following weeks of demands by congressional Republicans and a contempt threat against Director Christopher Wray

Jerry Boylan failed to train his crew before a fire ripped through the boat in California, a jury found.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 11, 2023--

Gareth Southgate is proud the worldwide perception of the England national team has changed even if he feels it is a different story in his own country. England secured qualification to Euro 2024 last month and will be amongst the favourites to taste success in Germany next summer, especially given recent showings in major tournaments. After Southgate guided the team to fourth place at the 2018 World Cup, they were runners-up at the last Euros before they suffered a quarter-final exit at the World Cup in Qatar last year. With the Three Lions no longer viewed as a team built on passion and commitment, as well as boasting two of the world’s in-form players in Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane, the 53-year-old feels the nation’s technical ability is now recognised. “That was one of the reasons I joined the FA 10 years ago to work with the Under-21s. We felt we wanted to do that,” Southgate said in reference to England’s perception. “We have achieved that throughout the rest of Europe because when I travel I realise that’s how people now see us. “We haven’t achieved that so much with our own public at times! But it’s interesting to see how we are viewed elsewhere. “Without a doubt, that’s how we want to play. We were top scorers per game at the World Cup and we’ve been top scorers in qualifying for the two previous tournaments. “We want the fans to come to Wembley to see goals and exciting performances – and we’ve had some good nights. We will keep trying to do that.” Bellingham’s goalscoring emergence in a more advanced role at Real gives England another attacking option. Southgate said: “In terms of what I’ve had, we’ve certainly got some exciting players in the wide and number 10 areas behind the strikers and different types. “(James) Maddison is different to Jude, for example, with different attributes and so it’s good that we’re not replacing like-for-like during games because it means we can give teams different problems to cope with.” Such are Southgate’s options in the forward areas that he again left Raheem Sterling out of the 25-man squad originally selected on Thursday to face Malta and North Macedonia. Youngsters Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer also missed out despite England listing nine attackers in the squad list, but while Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish all look assured of a place at Euro 2024, there is less certainty around Kane’s deputy. Ollie Watkins will aim to impress after scoring in last month’s friendly win against Australia and Southgate will have another name in the mix for March when Ivan Toney is available again following the completion of his ban for repeated betting breaches. “Next striker into Harry there’s competition. I don’t think anybody’s quite nailed that down yet. I’d say that’s an even fight between a few,” Southgate reflected. “Ivan’s obviously got a tougher challenge than a lot of the players because he has got that limited time frame, but we think he’s got some really good attributes. “We’ve just got to see where he is. I haven’t spoken with him for a few months, but I am in touch with the club. We know how he is progressing. “In the end the key is, when he gets back playing, how he goes on the pitch.” One player unlikely to make a late charge into Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad is Mason Greenwood, currently on loan at Getafe from Manchester United. Greenwood was suspended by United on January 30, 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online. He faced charges including attempted rape and assault, but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February the case had been discontinued. Southgate said: “We’re a long path from needing to think about that. I haven’t been tracking his games at this stage and we’ve got a lot of good players in those attacking areas of the pitch.”

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy died after he was shot inside his patrol car Saturday evening, authorities said.

Ron DeSantis will launch his 2024 presidential campaign during a Twitter chat with Elon Musk. The Florida governor, who is seen as the leading rival to Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, will kick off his bid for the White House during a Wednesday night Twitter Spaces event with the billionaire. The Twitter Spaces event will take place at 6pm ET and be moderated by tech entrepreneur David Sacks, who is a supporter of Mr DeSantis and a close business adviser to Mr Musk, according to NBC News. Following the event, Mr DeSantis’ campaign will also release a video about his attempt to beat Mr Trump, and he will begin visiting key states after Memorial Day on 29 May. Mr Musk has previously talked about his admiration for Mr DeSantis and said that he would support him if he ran for president. It is unclear if Mr Musk, who has 140 million Twitter followers, will formally endorse Mr DeSantis at the event. The far-right governor’s team has been in talks with the Tesla CEO for several weeks, a source familiar with the discussions told NBC News. And during those talks, Mr Musk reportedly told them that he does not believe Donald Trump, who leads all polls for the GOP nomination, can beat Joe Biden and take back the White House. “He’s interested in the future, and he’s interested in winning again,” the source told the outlet. The Independent did not receive a response when it asked Twitter for comment. On Monday, Mr DeSantis, 44, teased his 2024 bid while speaking at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Orlando in which he outlined his vision for a conservative grip on the Supreme Court to last a quarter of a century. In what appeared to be a subtle swipe at Donald Trump he announced his plans to run for eight years – something Mr Trump cannot do. Read More Ron DeSantis news – live: Governor to announce 2024 run in live Twitter event with Elon Musk on Wednesday Ron DeSantis boasts about ‘quarter century’ of 7-2 conservative Supreme Court majority if he wins in 2024 DeSantis v Disney: Why Florida’s governor is at war with the Mouse Ron DeSantis teases 2024 bid as he makes subtle dig at Trump and vows to ‘protect faith and family’ Trump slams Fox News’ Laura Ingraham over ‘hit piece’ saying DeSantis would do better against Biden than him Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement