List of All Articles with Tag 'americas'

Authorities have identified the fatal victim in Monday’s shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. UNC PhD student Tailei Qi, 34, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences and a researcher. Mr Yan was listed as his alleged killer’s academic advisor on Mr Qi’s UNC profile, which has since been removed from the university’s website. Yan joined UNC in 2019. Before that, he was an assistant professor at Clarkson University in New York following a postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago. Mr Qi and Yan co-authored several research papers, the latter having been published just last month. But on tweets from an account believed to belong to Mr Qi, the alleged shooter complained about “bullies and his “PI” – referring to his unnamed head of lab – being unable to handle “these girls and tattletales”. “Just have a talk with my PI and get his promise. He should have more experience to handle with these girls and tattletales,” he wrote. Two months later in October, he referred to his PI again: “Both the group of people to say I am lazy and that to prove me working hard instead of telling me that are trying to consume my privacy. I judge their motivation is only to tell my PI then control me by taletelling.” “But it’s weird when I talked about it with my PI, he said no people spoke to him about that. so it’s nothing but some voyeurism for these people?” Yan studied undergrad at the Hauzhong University of Science and Technology, where he obtained his bachelor’s in material science and engineering and computer science in 2005, the NC Newsline reports. The university is located in the same province where Mr Qi studied at Wuhan University until his graduation in 2015. This is a developing story ... check again for updates. Read More UNC shooting – latest: Graduate student charged with murder of faculty member on Chapel Hill campus He moaned about work, ‘bullies’ and his head of lab online. Then police say he shot dead a UNC faculty member UNC shooting suspect’s social media complaints about murdered faculty member revealed

Tailei Qi shared several cryptic posts online after joining the University of North Carolina in 2022. The well-educated graduate student – who previously studied at both Wuhan University and Louisiana State University – complained about bullies, aired his grievances with some “girls and tattletales” and grumbled that his head of lab should have more experience to deal with his issues. “Bully in america seems to be a problem. It often comes with people not stopping them at the first time,” he wrote in one bizarre post in August 2022. But – despite the complaints – the messages could not prepare anyone for the horror of what happened next. On the afternoon of Monday 28 August 2023 – just days into the new term of the second year of his PhD studies – Mr Qi allegedly entered the science lab at the UNC’s Chapel Hill campus armed with a firearm. Inside the lab where he carried out his studies, he shot and killed a faculty member, police said. The campus was plunged into lockdown before Mr Qi was arrested at a home just 10 minutes from the lab around three hours later. The motive for the attack remains unknown at this time and the victim’s identity has not been publicly released. “To actually have the suspect in custody gives us an opportunity to figure out the why and even the how, and also helps us to uncover a motive and really just why this happened today. Why today, why at all?” UNC Police Chief Brian James said in a press conference on Monday. “And we want to learn from this incident and we will certainly work to do our best to ensure that this never happens again on the UNC campus.” The suspect The suspect was identified on Tuesday as Tailei Qi, a graduate student who joined the Yan Lab of the college in 2022. Based on his online bio at the UNC, he studied under Dr Zijie Yan – the leader of the physical chemistry group the Yan Research Group and head of the Department of Applied Physical Sciences. Before joining UNC, Mr Qi previously studied material science at Louisiana State University and physics at Wuhan University. A Twitter account believed to belong to Mr Qi reveals that he had railed against his work and his head of lab as well as what he described as “bullies” in the US before allegedly carrying out the mass shooting. In a post on 1 August 2022, he wrote: “Bully in america seems to be a problem. It often comes with people not stopping them at the first time. “Explanation is not a solution but makes them feel others will plead them every time they raise a problem, making them voyeur to find an excuse day and night.” Two weeks later on 18 August 2022, he tweeted about his “PI” – referring to his unnamed head of lab – handling “these girls and tattletales”. “Just have a talk with my PI and get his promise. He should have more experience to handle with these girls and tattletales,” he wrote. “Then, we can just get ourselves out of these stupid topic. Let’s just focus our attention on nature.I won’t change anything if not necessary.” Two months later in October, he referred to his PI again and an unidentified “group of people”. “Both the group of people to say I am lazy and that to prove me working hard instead of telling me that are trying to consume my privacy. I judge their motivation is only to tell my PI then control me by taletelling,” he tweeted. “But it’s weird when I talked about it with my PI, he said no people spoke to him about that. so it’s nothing but some voyeurism for these people?” In other posts, Mr Qi addressed a mystery woman who he vowed to “just let her go” and his exhaustion with his workload. “I used to walk 80+ hours per week and I feel relaxing and energetic. Now I only work 60+ hours per week and I feel tired,” he wrote in one. In a post in July 2022 – before he is believed to have started at UNC that fall – he posted a cryptic message calling his treatment by an unnamed boss “disgusting”. “Just feel my privacy was insulted. When I work, I will think I was showing the boss I am working instead of interests, devaluing the meaning of my work,” he wrote. “That’s so disgusting. Self-respect block me from working. Then it takes pains to convince myself what I do is just because I like.” In another post that same month, he wrote that “only work with no play makes Jim a dull boy”. The Twitter account has the same name and the same image as both Mr Qi’s bio and the person of interest sent out by police during the brief manhunt. It describes him as “Graduate student @UNC, engaged in light-matter interaction and related materials”. In one post in early August – just weeks before the shooting – he issued an appeal to meet people at the college. “I would like to make some new friends. I am a second-year PhD student, interested in nanoparticle synthesis, optical trapping, self-assembly, spectra analysis, and ML,” he said. “a bit stupid in daily trifles, very enthusiastic talking about research. Reach me if inerest.” The shooting The shooting unfolded at around 1pm local time on Monday when UNC Police responded to a 911 call reporting gunfire at the science lab in the heart of the campus. Law enforcement arrived on the scene around two minutes after the call came in and found a faculty member shot dead inside the science lab building. The campus was plunged into lockdown, with officials warning that “an armed and dangerous person” was at large. The wrong person was briefly arrested after the unsuspecting individual missed the shelter-in-place alerts. Soon after, the UNC Police released an image of Mr Qi, calling him a person of interest and warning the public that “if you see this person, keep your distance, put your safety first and call 911”. Chilling footage shows terrified students and staff members barricaded inside classrooms and offices for fear that an active shooter was at large. Around three hours on from the shooting, police confirmed that a suspect had been arrested near a residential area 10 minutes away from campus. The gun is yet to be recovered, police said. The lockdown was eventually lifted at around 4.15pm. The victim’s identity is yet to be released, pending next of kin being notified. UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M Guskiewicz said in a statement that a hotline and other mental health resources were on offer for staff and students affected by the shooting. “The students are certainly traumatised,” he said. “But I want to commend those who were inside the building ensuring everyone’s safety.” Classes have been canceled through Tuesday following the deadly shooting. “Due to today’s incident on campus, UNC-Chapel Hill will operate at a Condition 2 on Tuesday, Aug. 29. This means that classes are canceled, and non-mandatory operations are suspended,” the UNC said in an update. The shooting came just days into the start of the new term. Harrowingly, the horror was a somewhat familiar sight for the UNC community coming four years after a mass shooting at the Charlotte campus left two dead and four injured. Back on 30 April 2019 – onthe last day of the spring semester classes – two people were killed and four injured in a mass shooting inside a classroom in the Woodford A. Kennedy Building. The gunman – identified as former UNCC student Trystan Andrew Terrell – was arrested soon after. In September 2019, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced life without the possibility of parole. Read More UNC shooting – latest: Motive remains unknown after shooter kills faculty member in Chapel Hill A new college term, a faculty member killed and a suspect arrested: What we know about the UNC shooting UNC faculty member confirmed dead as active shooter shuts down Chapel Hill school

Heartwrenching videos show students hiding under desks and jumping from classroom windows during an active shooter situation the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The campus was placed on lockdown for several hours on Monday afternoon after an alert went out about an “armed person”. Police later confirmed one member of the faculty was killed and a suspect, identified as graduate student Tailei Qi, was taken into custody. The motive for the shooting, which took place at the centre of the campus in one of the science buildings, remains unclear. Throughout much of the active situation, those under the “shelter in place” order did not have any idea what was going on. Videos posted to social media captured sirens wailing as students and faculty barricaded themselves in dorms, bathrooms, classrooms, and gyms across the sprawling grounds. The shelter in place alert was posted just after 1pm, with sirens emitted within two minutes. Officers found the faculty member, who has not been identified, fatally shot in the lab building, UNC Police Chief Brian James told a press conference. The suspect was apprehended about 90 minutes after the initial report of gunfire but the lockdown persisted as authorities searched for the weapon, officials told a press at a briefing. The arrest took place in a residential area close to the campus, according to local TV station WRAL. The lockdown was lifted at about 4.15pm. It is unclear if the suspect and victim knew each other. Chief James said: “To actually have the suspect in custody gives us an opportunity to figure out the why and even the how, and also helps us to uncover a motive and really just why this happened today. Why today, why at all?” “And we want to learn from this incident and we will certainly work to do our best to ensure that this never happens again on the UNC campus,” he added. Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said: “This loss is devastating, and the shooting damages the trust and safety that we so often take for granted in our campus community.” Graduate student Clayton Ulm, 23, said he was in a class with about 50 to 70 others when the lockdown went into action. The alarm went off and screens in the room also announced the order to shelter in place. “Then there was quite a bit of panic as students were trying to figure out what to do,” Mr Ulm wrote on LinkedIn after three hours of the lockdown, according to the AP. “Then we all started hiding beneath our chairs and under desks. Some students went and locked the doors.” Mr Ulm added that students began listening to police scanners to find out where the shooter was located with the sense of panic eventually subsiding and students could use the restrooms near them. It was “surreal seeing the mass panic,” Mr Ulm said. “We are looking for a firearm. It is too early to determine if the firearm was legally obtained,” Chief James said. The shooting came just a week after the start of classes at the first public university in the US. Tuesday’s classes were cancelled for the school’s 20,000 undergraduates and 12,000 graduate students. Northern Virginia freshman Rushil Umaretiya held a candle outside the lab building on Monday night with two of his friends, just two weeks after he moved to Chapel Hill. “In my family, whenever someone passes, we light a candle, so I thought I’d come out and pay some respect to the community I’m trying to join,” he told the AP. “It’s a scary time for a lot of people, like I have a lot of history with loss, so I think it’s just fear and a lot of mixed emotions.” Mr Ulm moved from Oklahoma to Chapel Hill a couple of months ago. He told the news agency that his mother called him as the students were sheltering in place. She was “crying profusely,” he said. “I knew I should’ve texted you yesterday, I was so worried... this was my greatest fear,” she told him. Read More UNC Chapel Hill graduate student Tailei Qi charged with murder in shooting of faculty member UNC shooting – latest: Graduate student charged with murder of faculty member on Chapel Hill campus

UNC at Chapel Hill graduate student Tailei Qi has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the on-campus shooting on Monday that left one faculty member dead. Mr Qi, a second-year applied physical sciences major, was not officially identified by university officials and law enforcement on Monday but was named in court documents obtained by NBC. His profile page on the university’s website was taken down as of Tuesday morning. According to his LinkedIn page, Mr Qi graduated from Wuhan University in 2015 before pursuing a master’s in material science at Lousiana State University. The suspect’s relationship with the unnamed fatal victim remains unclear. UNC police said during a press conference on Monday that a motive was not immediately evident, adding that the victim’s name would be released once next of kin was notified. Mr Qi was arrested near a residential area two miles from campus nearly three hours after faculty members received an alert about an active shooting situation. This is a breaking story ... check again for updates. Read More UNC shooting – latest: Graduate student charged with murder of faculty member on Chapel Hill campus A new college term, a faculty member killed and a suspect arrested: What we know about the UNC shooting UNC faculty member confirmed dead as active shooter shuts down Chapel Hill school

The community of Jacksonville has been left reeling after a gunman killed three Black people in a racially-motivated attack at a dollar store. The shooting took place inside a Dollar General store in a predominately African-American neighbourhood on Saturday, with 21-year-old gunman Ryan Palmeter opening fire on innocent victims with an AR-15-style rifle decorated with swastikas. As well as the rifle, Palmeter was also armed with a Glock handgun and was wearing a tactical vest and face mask when he carried out his attack. He briefly visited one dollar store before leaving and heading to the historically-Black Edward Waters University, where a security guard refused him entry to the campus. He then headed to the Dollar General, arriving at around 1pm local time. Police said Palmeter first fired 11 rounds into a black Kia before entering the store, allowing some shoppers to leave before opening fire on those who remained. As law enforcement descended on the store, the shooter killed himself. Speaking at a press conference, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said that the shooting was definitely “racially motivated." “He hated Black people,” he said after reviewing the killer’s writings, which were sent to federal law enforcement officials and at least one media outlet shortly before the attack. The gunman acted alone and “there is absolutely no evidence the shooter is part of any larger group,” he added. He added: “This is a dark day in Jacksonville’s history. There is no place for hate in this community. I am sickened by this cowardly shooter’s personal ideology.” On Sunday, the three victims – two men and one woman – were identified as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr, 19, and Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion, 29. Here, we take a look at the victims who lost their lives in the horrific Jacksonville shooting Angela Michelle Carr - a hardworking mother Angela Michelle Carr, 52, was a mother and worked as an Uber driver. On Saturday, Carr was dropping off a passenger at the Dollar General store and was sat inside her vehicle when the gunman opened fire on her. Speaking to NBC News on Monday, Carr’s daughter Ashley Carr, 36, said: “She wasn’t meant to go that fast. She wasn’t even supposed to be there. She was shot in her car. She never even had a chance.” Ashley remembered her mother as a “dedicated” and “hardworking” woman. “She was a great woman, and she’s been taken. I hope her spirit is at rest,” she said. Carr’s daughter said that she knows the gunman’s family and is also praying for them. As well as her love for her family and her work, Carr was dedicated to her faith. She joined St. Stephen African Methodist Episcopal Church in Jacksonville when she was three years old and still attended services there up until her death. The pastor said the church community has rallied behind her family. “She was just a loving, caring mother,” Reverend David Green said. Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion - the devoted father Jarrald De’Shaun Gallion has been remembered as a devoted father, brother and grandson. The 29-year-old was brutally shot dead as he entered the Dollar General store’s front door on Saturday with his girlfriend. “My brother shouldn’t have lost his life,” his sister, Latiffany Gallion, said on Sunday. “A simple day of going to the store, and he’s taken away from us forever.” As father to four-year-old daughter Je Asia, Gallion’s family said he was planning to spend the weekend with her on the weekend when he was killed. Family members said he worked two to three jobs to try to build the best life for her. Je Asia’s maternal grandmother Sabrina Rozier said at a press conference on Monday that Je Asia’s fifth birthday is coming up and the family was planning a big party for her. Gallion was also looking forward to a father-daughter dance in February. “He was so excited about it, talking about the colours they would wear,” Ms Rozier said. “Now she’s asking, ‘Who shot my daddy?’” “From the time my daughter got pregnant ‘til yesterday, Jerrald never missed a beat,” she added of Gallion. Ms Rozier said that the family is now trying to figure out how to tell his daughter that he “is gone” and said she does not have the “words to tell her, to break her heart”. “This man saw fit to break my granddaughter’s heart and take her daddy away,” Ms Rozier said about the gunman. Tyesha Jones, the mother of Gallion’s four-year-old daughter, said he was a devoted father and co-parent. Although the two were no longer together, they remained close, according to NBC News. In a vigil held on Sunday, Ms Jones told the news outlet that Gallion was her “best friend” and added: “He was my daughter’s best friend. He got her every weekend. He was the best daddy ever.” Anolt Joseph ‘AJ’ Laguerre Jr - a high school graduate Anolt Joseph Laguerre Jr, also known as AJ, was only 19 years old and worked at the Dollar General store when he was shot and killed by the gunman. The youngest of five siblings, they were raised by their grandmother after their mother passed away in 2009. AJ graduated from high school in 2022, which was a proud moment for him and his family. While he was thinking about going to college to study cybersecurity, he took up a job at the Dollar General store just a few months ago to help his grandmother pay the bills. In his downtime, AJ liked to play Fortnite and other videogames on Twitch, his brother said, using the gamer tag galaxysoul. His goal was to build a large online following. “He had dreams and aspirations of being a professional streamer,” Quan Laguerre said. “So after he would get off work, he’d just stay up until 3 or 4am in the morning just grinding, you know, trying to get that stance and have followers.” Additional reporting from agencies Read More Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis faces Black leaders' anger after racist killings in Jacksonville Family of Jacksonville shooting victim say they don’t want call from Biden Jacksonville killings refocus attention on the city’s racist past and the struggle to move on

The motive for the shooting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which left one faculty member dead remains under investigation following the arrest of the suspected gunman. On Monday, the UNC campus was rocked by an active shooting situation which plunged the area into lockdown from around 1pm ET. Local law enforcement and UNC officials warned that “an armed and dangerous person” was on or near the campus before confirming that a faculty member was killed in the shooting. An image of the suspect was circulated by officials before he was taken into custody around three hours later near a residential area 10 minutes away from campus. The weapon used in the shooting is yet to be recovered. Neither the victim nor the suspect have been publicly identified by officials and it is not clear if the attack was targeted or random. “The students are certainly traumatised,” UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M Guskiewicz said. “But I want to commend those who were inside the building ensuring everyone’s safety.” Read More UNC faculty member confirmed dead as active shooter shuts down Chapel Hill school America is on pace for its worst year of mass shootings in a decade. What’s driving the record-breaking surge?

A college campus in North Carolina is waking up on Tuesday gripped by fear, grief and many unanswered questions. Just days into the start of a new term, students and faculty members at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found themselves hunkering down inside classrooms and leaping from first floor windows as an active shooting situation unfolded on site. Inside the science building, a faculty member was found shot dead. Following a brief moment where the wrong person was arrested – an unsuspecting individual who missed the shelter-in-place alerts – campus police confirmed that the suspect had been taken into custody around 10 minutes from the scene. Harrowingly, the horror was a somewhat familiar sight for the UNC community coming four years after a mass shooting at the Charlotte campus left two dead and four injured. Officials are yet to release the identities of both the suspect and the victim in this latest attack, with much of the details of what happened and why still unclear. Here’s what we do know so far about the shooting The shooting The shooting unfolded at around 1pm local time on Monday when UNC Police responded to a 911 call reporting gunfire at the science lab in the heart of the campus. Law enforcement arrived on the scene around two minutes after the call came in and plunged the campus into lockdown, warning that “an armed and dangerous person” was at large. Officials later confirmed that a faculty member had been shot dead inside a campus building. Soon after, the UNC Police released an image of a person of interest in the case, warning the public that “if you see this person, keep your distance, put your safety first and call 911”. Chilling footage shows terrified students and staff members barricaded inside classrooms and offices for fear that an active shooter was at large. Around three hours on from the shooting, police confirmed that a suspect was arrested near a residential area 10 minutes away from campus. The gun is yet to be recovered, police said. The lockdown was eventually lifted at around 4.15pm. The suspect Neither the victim nor the suspect have been publicly identified by officials. It is not clear if they knew each other prior to the shooting or if the attack was targeted or random. At a press conference on Monday evening, police would not confirm whether or not the person arrested was the same man who was identified as a person of interest. Instead, police said that they would release the suspect’s identity once charges had been filed. The victim’s identity will also be released once next of kin is identified. The motive also remains unknown at this time. UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M Guskiewicz said in a statement that a hotline and other mental health resources were on offer for staff and students affected by the shooting. “The students are certainly traumatised,” he said. “But I want to commend those who were inside the building ensuring everyone’s safety.” Classes have been canceled through Tuesday. Read More UNC shooting – latest: Motive remains unknown after shooter kills faculty member in Chapel Hill Suspect's motive unclear in campus shooting that killed 1 at UNC Chapel Hill, police say A white gunman killed three Black shoppers at Dollar General. Then police uncovered ‘the diary of a madman’

Two adults and two children have been found dead in an apartment on New York’s Upper West Side in what police say could be a murder-suicide. The deceased are a man aged 41, a 40-year-old woman, a one-year-old boy and his three-year-old sibling. There were conflicting media reports over whether the three-year-old was a girl or a boy. NBC News said the adults had suffered trauma wounds to their necks and that the children had sustained trauma injuries to their bodies. CBS New York said the four had suffered stab wounds. A police spokesperson told NBC: “I’m not sure how those injuries were sustained. That is part of an ongoing investigation. It was possibly a murder-suicide, but that’s not been definitively determined yet.” CBS said the man was the long-term super at the building, at 328 West 86th St. The man’s father had reportedly been trying to contact him and, when he couldn’t get through by phone, went to his apartment. Looking through the peephole he apparently then saw his son’s wife bleeding to death and raised the alarm. The rest of the family were then discovered inside the apartment.

Georgia’s top elections official received a phone call from Donald Trump on 2 January, 2021, with a warning that he would be taking a “big risk” declaring Joe Biden the victor weeks after then-President Trump lost the state in the 2020 presidential election. “I just want to find 11,780 votes,” then-President Trump told Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger during the hour-long call, four days before a joint session of Congress convened to certify the electoral college results – a ceremony violently interrupted by a mob of Mr Trump’s supporters. Mr Raffensperger, a Republican, told a federal courtroom on 28 August that Mr Trump’s “outreach to that extent was extraordinary.” That call is central to a sweeping racketeering indictment from state prosecutors charging Mr Trump and 18 co-defendants for their alleged criminal enterprise to keep him in power at whatever cost. Mr Trump’s former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who was on that call, is asking a judge to remove the case from the jurisdiction of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and into federal court. Mr Meadows also testified during the hearing on Monday. Mr Raffensperger, who was subpoenaed by Ms Willis to appear in US District Court in Atlanta, testified that he believed a call with White House would be inappropriate. “I told my deputy I don’t think this is in our best interest,” he said, according to CNN. He also said he did not initially return a call because Mr Meadows didn’t leave him a phone number. Mr Meadows sent a text message to Mr Raffensperger in December 2020 asking him to call the “White House switchboard” because his voice mailbox was full, according to messages he provided to the House select committee separately investigating the events surrounding the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021 Prosecutors played audio clips from the call during the hearing; Mr Raffensperger noted that there were no officials from the US Department of Justice or the White House counsel’s office on the call. “I thought that it was a campaign call,” Mr Raffensperger said. He also stressed that the White House nor presidential campaigns do not play any role in the state certification of election outcomes – an argument that undermines arguments from Mr Meadows and his attorneys that he was merely fulfilling his duties as part of his federal duties on behalf of the president. Asked by prosecutors whether he believed Mr Trump won the 2020 election, Mr Raffensperger said: “They lost the election.” Defending the integrity of the state’s election results and ongoing attempts to undermine them, he said: ”We spoke the truth.” Monday’s hearing comes two weeks after a Fulton County grand jury indictment presented the largest and most significant case yet facing Mr Trump and others connected to an alleged racketeering scheme in which they “knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election” to ensure he remained in power. Mr Meadows faces two counts in the sprawling 41-count indictment outlining dozens of acts that encompass the conspiracy: one count of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO statute, and one count of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer. The 19 defendants were booked in Fulton County jail and released on bond last week. They are scheduled to appear in court for their arraignment hearings on 5 September. Attorneys for Mr Meadows have asked for the “prompt removal” of the case from Fulton County, citing federal law that allows US officials to remove civil or criminal trials from state court over alleged actions performed “under color” of their offices, with Mr Meadows performing such acts during his “tenure” as White House chief of staff, they wrote in court filings. Prosecutors, however, have argued that Mr Meadows was acting on behalf of the Trump campaign, performing acts that were “all ‘unquestionably political’ in nature and therefore, by definition, outside the lawful scope of his authority” as chief of staff. “Even if the defendant somehow had been acting as authorized under federal law (rather than directly contrary to it), that authority would be negated by the evidence of his ‘personal interest, malice, actual criminal intent,’” they wrote. Read More Trump handed two key court dates as bid to delay trials until after election falls apart - latest Mark Meadows grilled on witness stand over Trump’s Georgia call to ‘find’ votes and false election claims Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump Trump has raised more than $7m off of his Georgia mug shot Trump made life hell for two Black women election workers. He will have to answer for it in court

A Florida mother killed her two children and then herself in an apparent murder-suicide after losing a custody battle. Brandy Hutchins “from every indication in our investigation now, has murdered her 10-year-old child and her 19-year-old child. Murdered them,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference on Sunday. “And then subsequent to that, she shot herself.” The murders of Hutchins’ 10-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter happened inside a mobile home over the weekend, just days after a judge ordered her to turn over custody of the boy to his father. Sheriff Judd called the tragedy “absolutely devastating for everyone,” including his deputies who responded to the tragic scene on Friday. Hutchins had been ordered to hand over the 10-year-old boy by 6pm Friday. He was later identified online by his father as Aiden Hutchins. When Hutchins failed to comply with the order, a search was launched for the boy so his father could take him back to Maine. On Sunday afternoon, police found the bodies of Hutchins and her two children inside a mobile home in the Waverly neighborhood of Lake Wales. “We’re devastated for this beautiful 10-year-old child, all because mom did not want to turn the child over to the rightful father pursuant to a court order,” the sheriff said. Aiden’s father shared a heartbreaking post after learning the news on Sunday. “[i]t is with a heavy heart that I am writing this to give everyone an update about my son Aiden Hutchins who was missing and taken by his mother on August 25 2023 who decided to murder him.” “[H]e was killed by her today August 27 2023. he will forever be in my heart and did not deserve this. Rest in peace my sweet boy I will see you again. I love you,” he said. Sheriff Judd also noted at the press conference that there was no indication of possible violence as a result of this custody battle or any history of mental illness. “There was no indication that there should be any violence, but it was violent,” Judd said. “This was a domestic event, a court-ordered event, where she had to turn custody over to the ex-husband and she wasn’t going to do that, so she murdered the 10-year-old. The 19-year-old daughter was there and [she] murdered her as well.” “There was absolutely zero evidence in the court order or testimony that there was any violence or threat of violence or a danger,” Judd added. The sheriff said that his office deals with “hundreds and thousands” of court orders, so for one to turn out like this has left them “heartbroken and devastated over this horrible, horrible event.” “I can’t imagine a more horrific set of circumstances.” Read More Rachel Morin’s mother shares ‘unbearable’ pain as Bel Air killer still at large weeks after murder Couple who considered making Lucy Letby their son’s godmother now believe she was trying to kill him

During a surprise testimony in a courtroom hearing connected to a sprawling criminal conspiracy case in Georgia, Mark Meadows did not recall how a highly scrutinized and recorded phone call at the center of the case against Donald Trump and 18 allies came to be. The phone call – during which then-President Trump urged Georgia’s chief elections official to “find” votes to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state – is among central pieces of evidence in a sprawling racketeering indictment targeting Mr Trump’s efforts to subvert the outcome of 2020 presidential election results in the state. Mark Meadows, a former White House chief of staff, testified in US District Court in Atlanta on 28 August as part of his effort to move the state case out of Fulton County and into federal court, marking one of the first courtroom battles between the 19 defendants and prosecutors under Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in the largest case against the former president and his allies yet. He faces two counts in the sprawling 41-count indictment outlining dozens of acts that encompass the conspiracy: one count of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO statute, and one count of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer. Mr Meadows said on the stand that he was not sure whether attorneys on the call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger were working for Mr Trump or his campaign. US District Court Judge Steve Jones, shaking his head, asked why Mr Meadows would even allow them on the call without knowing their roles, ABC News reported. He said that the purpose of the call was to find a “less litigious way” to resolve a dispute over ballot signatures. He testified that he reached out to both Mr Raffensperger himself and a member of his staff, but neither had responded. Mr Trump himself eventually reached out to Mr Raffensperger, according to Mr Meadows. Ms Willis has subpoenaed Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to testify. Mr Meadows repeatedly testified that he did not recall setting up the call or how aides connected to the campaign – not the federal government – joined in. “I dealt with the president’s personal position on a number of things. It’s still a part of my job to make sure the president is safe and secure and able to perform his job,” Mr Meadows said, according to CBB. “Serving the president of the United States is what I do, to be clear.” His surprise testimony comes two weeks after a grand jury indictment presented the largest and most significant case yet facing Mr Trump and others connected to an alleged racketeering scheme in which they “knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election” to ensure he remained in power. Mr Trump, Mr Meadows and their 17 other co-defendants were booked in Fulton County jail and released on bond last week. They are scheduled to appear in court for their arraignment hearings on 5 September. Attorneys for Mr Meadows have asked for the “prompt removal” of the case from Fulton County, citing federal law that allows US officials to remove civil or criminal trials from state court over alleged actions performed “under color” of their offices, with Mr Meadows performing such acts during his “tenure” as White House chief of staff, they wrote in court filings. His lawyers said they then intend to file a motion to dismiss the indictment “as soon as feasible,” according to attorneys. “Nothing Mr Meadows is alleged in the indictment to have done is criminal per se,” his attorneys wrote. “One would expect a Chief of Staff to the President of the United States to do these sorts of things.” Prosecutors, however, have argued that Mr Meadows was acting on behalf of the Trump campaign, performing acts that were “all ‘unquestionably political’ in nature and therefore, by definition, outside the lawful scope of his authority” as chief of staff. “Even if the defendant somehow had been acting as authorized under federal law (rather than directly contrary to it), that authority would be negated by the evidence of his ‘personal interest, malice, actual criminal intent,’” they wrote. During the hearing on Monday, which was not broadcast, Mr Meadows himself argued in his sworn testimony that he was both a principal figure and an observer in meetings with and about Mr Trump, and was “invited to almost every meeting that the president had,” CNN reported. “Those were challenging times, bluntly,” he said during his sworn testimony, according to CNN. “I don’t know if anyone was fully prepared for that type of job.” He also was grilled over false election claims amplified by the former president despite statements from members of his own administration rejecting them, including then-Attorney General Bill Batt telling then-President Trump that allegations of voter fraud are “bull****.” Mr Meadows said he believed the claims warranted “further investigation” at the time but had “no reason” to doubt Mr Barr, according to CNN. Mr Meadows is one of five defendants in the Georgia case who want to transfer the case out of Fulton County. Former assistant US Attorney General Jeffrey Clark and three people wrapped up in the so-called “alternate” elector scheme – David Shafer, Cathy Latham and state Senator Shawn Still – are also asking a judge to move the case to federal court. Mr Trump also is expected to do the same. Ms Willis also has subpoenaed his former lead investigator Frances Watson. Mr Meadows met with Ms Watson in December 2020 during a state-run audit of absentee ballot signatures that Ms Watson was overseeing. Mr Trump called her the next day. On 27 December 2020, Mr Meadows asked if “there was a way to speed up Fulton County signature verification in order to have results before Jan 6” if the Trump campaign can “assist financially”, which Ms Willis is likely to use to bolster prosecutors’ argument that Mr Meadows acted on behalf of the campaign, thus not immune from federal protections allowing his removal. Mr Meadows testified on Monday that he did not “recall reaching out” to Ms Watson. He also denied that he directed White House aide John McEntee to draft a memo outlining how to delay the certification of electoral college results on 6 January, 2021 during a joint session of Congress that would be targeted by a mob of the former president’s supporters in a violent attempt to upend the election’s outcome. Mr Meadows “did not ask” Mr McEntee to that, he said, according to CNN. Those allegations outlined in the indictment from Georgia prosecutors “did not happen” and were the “biggest surprise” to him as he read the charging document, Mr Meadows said. The Georgia case is separate from the US Department of Justice investigation and federal charges against Mr Trump for his efforts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. At a separate hearing on Monday, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington DC set a tentative trial date in that case for 4 March, 2024 – one day before Super Tuesday primary election contests. Read More Trump handed two key court dates as bid to delay trials until after election falls apart - latest Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump Trump and all 18 others charged in Georgia election case meet the deadline to surrender at jail

The San Franciscopolice officer’s union reacted with outrage last week when Reem’s, a local bakery chain, refused to serve an officer in uniform. “NO COPS ALLOWED,” the San Francisco Police Officer’s Association wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “That’s the confirmed policy of the bakery chain Reem’s. One of our officers was denied service last weekend because he was in uniform. Reem’s confirms that they will not serve anyone armed and in uniform. Presumably, this includes members of the US Military.” The union also claimed the policy was “bigoted” and “discriminatory.” Reem’s, a bakery serving Arab food, with locations across San Francisco and Oakland, confirmed the indicent took place at its Mission neighbourhood store, but said the policy applies to all armed people and that officers were welcome to come in while off duty. “Reem’s has a deep commitment to uplifting social and racial justice in our communities,” the business wrote in a statement on Instagram. “This includes fostering an environment of safety for our staff and customers. In a time of increased gun violence – particularly impacting people of color, youth, and queer people — we belive that maintaining a strict policy of prohibiting guns in our restaurant keeps us safer.” “Many members of our community have been impacted by gun violence, whether that be experience on the streets of San Francisco, having come from war or occupation, or having increased fears due to a growing climate of political extremism,” the bakery continued. “All too often, Black and brown people, and poor people are the victims of this violence. At Reem’s, we aim to provide a space where people can eat delicious Arab food and work together to strengthen our community, without fear of violence or harassment.” The Mission neighbourhood is a diverse area home to numerous immigrant communities from different countries. It’s not the first time such a controversy has occured. A cashier was fired from a San Francisco pizzeria earlier this year for refusing to serve a police office. Meanwhile, in 2021, the San Francisco restaurant Hilda and Jesse apologised for refusing to serve three uniformed SFPD officers. The San Francisco Police Department has a well-documented record of disproportionate violence against people of colour. Black people are 6.5 times more likely to be shot by the SFPD than white people, while Latinx people are 3.6 times more likely, according to data from Mapping Police Violence. Read More San Francisco's music scene in the 1960s and '70s takes center stage in an MGM+ docuseries Tensions high in San Francisco as city seeks reversal of ban on clearing homeless encampments How a vote to empower autonomous ‘robotaxis’ from Cruise and Waymo has divided San Francisco