Kyle, Texas, resident Mary Ann Flores-Cale was escorted out of a City Council meeting while addressing concerns about a proposed revision to the city Code of Ethics during the public comment period. Mayor Travis Mitchell interrupted her and ordered her removal, citing council rules prohibiting "personal attacks" after her remarks included allegations of misconduct and an affair involving city officials, which he deemed outside the permitted scope. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has now challenged the council's rules as unconstitutional. Mitchell defended his actions, saying the intervention was due to Flores-Cale's refusal to yield, not the content of her speech.
Shotgun owners in the United Kingdom face delays of a year or more for new firearm licenses due to a backlog in police processing. Applicants, including farmers and gamekeepers who rely on shotguns for their livelihoods, are frustrated by the slow pace, with some police forces struggling to handle the volume of applications. More than 1,000 gun owners have had to place their weapons in storage as they await approval.
Police in England arrested Samuel Rowe outside his Manchester home and gave him a warning for possession of an offensive weapon after he was spotted with gardening tools. Rowe had returned home from his allotment—a small piece of property leased from the local government for gardening—with a basket of vegetables and some tools, including a trowel and a sickle, when a member of the public reported him for having a knife in public. Armed police later handcuffed Rowe and took him into custody. He explained the tools were for gardening, and that he carried them because the storage sheds at the allotment could easily be broken into. Rowe was questioned without legal representation and accepted the warning to secure his release; he is now pursuing legal action, arguing the police overreacted and failed to listen to his explanation.
Authorities are deploying new "ultra" two-way speed cameras across the United Kingdom, capable of peering inside vehicles to detect offenses beyond speeding, such as using cellphones or not wearing seat belts. These advanced cameras use video and a virtual grid to monitor traffic in both directions and enforce multiple violations, like running red lights, without the need for road markings or visible flashes. Supporters say the cameras will improve traffic safety, but critics say they will grow the U.K.'s surveillance state.
San Francisco's Board of Supervisors is set to vote on an ordinance proposed by Board President Rafael Mandelman that would ban natural gas in residential and commercial buildings undergoing major renovations, requiring all-electric systems for permitting, a move supporters say will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health. The policy, building on a 2020 ban for new buildings, targets projects altering over two-thirds of a building's walls or ceilings or renovating load-bearing elements supporting over 30 percent of floors, affecting an estimated 785,000 square feet of residential and 250,000 square feet of commercial renovations each year. Critics say the law would deter building upgrades and renovations.
A Detroit police officer was arrested at the city's 6th precinct, accused of stealing approximately $600 from a woman's purse during a March 7 traffic stop. According to the Detroit Police Department, the theft was captured on the officer's own body camera. The incident occurred after three officers stopped a vehicle suspected of a narcotics transaction, found drugs, and arrested the driver and passenger, who were later released. The female passenger filed a complaint with the Office of the Chief Investigator and reported the missing money, which was not logged in any police inventory or evidence records. Detroit Police Commander Michael McGinnis said the bodycam footage provided clear evidence of a "criminal act." While the officer has not been named and was suspended with pay, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office is reviewing a warrant for potential charges.
Belgium's Permanent Commission for Linguistic Control upheld a complaint against train conductor Ilyass Alba for using the French word bonjour alongside the Dutch goeiedag in a bilingual greeting on a train in Dutch-speaking Flanders, violating the country's stringent language laws. The incident occurred in 2024 as the train approached Vilvoorde, near Brussels, when a passenger objected to Alba's use of French. In response, the commission ruled that conductors should only use Dutch in Flanders unless a passenger initiates French conversation, but they should use both Dutch and French in bilingual Brussels. Alba received no formal sanction from his employer and has garnered public support; he is now selling mugs with the phrase "Goeiedag, Bonjour," while calling for more flexibility in Belgium's 1966 language regulations.
A federal judge ruled Salvatore and Jane Mattiaccio, owners of Level and Square Construction in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, can proceed with their lawsuit against former Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor William Scharfenberg claiming malicious prosecution and defamation. Scharfenberg, who has since retired, operated a competing construction business, Beacon Homes of NJ, which the Mattiacios say he ran from the prosecutor's office without getting required approvals for outside employment. They say he also misused his prosecutorial authority to target them in criminal investigations and prosecutions. U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner dismissed most claims in the lawsuit, citing prosecutorial immunity, but claims against Beacon Homes and four people affiliated with the prosecutor's office remain.
Thanet District Council in England is reviving plans to fine individuals up to £100 ($134) for swearing in public spaces, following an attempt last year that was abandoned due to a threatened legal challenge. The proposed Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) would cover towns like Margate, Ramsgate, and Broadstairs. It aims to curb certain antisocial "activities," including "the use of foul or abusive language within the hearing or sight of any other person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby," with the council citing rising tensions and police struggles to maintain order. Councilor Heather Keen argues the measure "is not aimed at preventing free speech or swearing, but foul language that is such to cause fear, distress or alarm," but critics have expressed concern over potential free speech violations.
Australia will implement mandatory age verification for logged-in users of search engines starting Dec. 27, 2025, under a new online safety code that charges non-compliant providers with breaching industry standards, potentially facing fines of nearly $50 million ($32.75 million U.S.) per violation. The rules, developed with input from the Australia's tech industry, require age assurance technologies to filter out pornography, violence, and material promoting eating disorders for users under 18. Critics argue the measures could compromise privacy and that users can simply log out or use a VPN.
Irvington Township, New Jersey, misspent $632,000 in opioid settlement funds on two "Opioid Awareness" concerts in 2023 and 2024, according to an Office of the State Comptroller report, with $368,500 improperly awarded to businesses owned by the family of a township employee who was tasked with securing musical talent. The township held the events without consulting health experts or residents. It claimed Narcan was distributed at the events, but the report found no settlement funds were used to purchase Narcan, and the township provided no evidence of substantive opioid education. At the same time, officials spent money on luxury trailers and cotton candy machines, and more than $205,000 just on promotion. The comptroller criticized the lack of competitive bidding for contracts and noted the township's attempt to block the report's release through a defamation lawsuit, which was dismissed by the state Supreme Court.
Godson Vondee, a police officer in Prince William County, Virginia, has been charged with stalking and five counts of using a computer to obtain identifying information. He is accused of using the department's criminal database to access personal information about a woman he later stalked. Officials say the investigation, launched in June, revealed Vondee accessed the database once in 2023 and four times in 2024—each time while on duty and without a criminal justice reason—and visited the victim's residence multiple times over 15 months. Vondee, a six-year veteran of the department, was placed on administrative leave and is being held without bond, with a court date set for August 19.
Residents of San Francisco's Dolores Heights neighborhood have long parked in their driveways with part of their cars poking out into the sidewalk with no issues. But complaints, and citations, began to surge about six months ago, often reported via the city's 311 system. Some residents, as well as the creator of an app designed to help report code violations, suspect a single complainant may be storing images and using them to make repeated complaints. Residents say the sidewalks still have room for multiple people or wheelchairs to pass, and they argue the enforcement feels like a crackdown amid perceptions of a city-led push against car use. Officials maintain they respond to all complaints to ensure sidewalk safety.
Tobias Otieno, a former auditor with the Office of the New York State Comptroller, was arraigned on charges of second degree grand larceny as a public corruption crime. Between June 2022 and September 2024, Otieno was assigned to audit the town of Wallkill's finances. During this time, officials say Otieno used his access to the town's bank accounts and financial documents to transfer $405,843.25 to business accounts he personally owned. The theft was uncovered by the Orange County White Collar Crimes Taskforce, a division of the district attorney's office, and the Orange County Sheriff's Office, with help from forensic auditors with the state comptroller's office, Otieno's employer. Otieno, who was terminated from his position, pleaded not guilty.
A federal judge sentenced Mario Stewart, a retired police sergeant in Mount Vernon, New York, to six months in prison and six months of home confinement for repeatedly tasing a restrained 20-year-old man who was experiencing a health crisis. Prosecutors say that while the man's hands were cuffed behind his back and his legs were in a restraint bag, Stewart tased him at least seven times in two minutes. The incident took place in 2019, but Stewart remained on the job until he retired in 2023. U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas emphasized the need to "send a clear message" to law enforcement about adhering to rules, saying Mount Vernon residents should not fear victimization by officers. Stewart pleaded guilty in January to depriving an individual of his civil rights, violating the department's Taser policy that prohibits punitive or coercive use on secured prisoners other than as a last resort.
Officials in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate announced they will ban members of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party from holding public office. The order would bar any applicants who are members of extremist groups or have been members within the past five years. Germany's domestic intelligence agency has classified AfD as a right-wing extremist group. Currently, AfD is Germany's second-largest political party, receiving about 21 percent of the vote in the February 2025 elections.
Egyptian authorities arrested belly dancer Sohila Tarek Hassan Haggag at Cairo International Airport, charging her with "corrupting public morals" over dance videos posted on social media, where she has over 2 million followers. The arrest is part of a broader crackdown under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government, which has jailed at least five other belly dancers in recent years for similar morality-related charges. Haggag, a naturalized Italian citizen who returned to Egypt after divorcing an Italian, faces allegations of wearing "indecent clothing" and using "seductive techniques." The Italian embassy in Cairo has gotten involved in the case.
Washburn County officials shut down a 15-year-old's bait stand on his family's farm in Spooner, Wisconsin, deeming the shed a zoning violation, according to a cease-and-desist letter that threatened daily fines for non-compliance. Max McKinney, who sold worms, sodas, candy, and T-shirts from the stand, expressed frustration and sadness, saying he was working hard and following entrepreneurial spirit. The letter, signed by the county's zoning land use specialist, went out after only McKinney's second weekend in operation, and it ordered the stand's closure and removal within 14 days.
Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority blocked access to Grok, social media platform X's AI chatbot, as a result of insulting content directed at Turkish public figures, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The order followed a court ruling in Ankara prompted by public complaints about Grok's responses, which allegedly included derogatory remarks when asked about the president. The block restricts Turkish users from accessing Grok through either browsers or apps.
In England, artist Victoria Culf is suing Watford Borough Council after a council worker falsely claimed Culf was being investigated by police for a hate crime due to her Christian views, which led to her being banned from her own art exhibition at Watford Museum. During a conversation while setting up her exhibit, Culf expressed her belief, based on her Christian faith and experience with children, that transitioning is harmful. This prompted the council worker to report her for "harassment." Despite police confirming no investigation was happening and describing Culf's comments as protected speech, the council worker fabricated a police incident number and misled superiors, causing Culf to be excluded from the museum. Culf's lawsuit accuses the council of breach of contract, discrimination, and harassment.
A police officer in Windsor, Connecticut, faces charges of reckless endangerment and unlawful discharge of a firearm after he mistakenly fired his gun at a suspect when he intended to deploy his Taser.* During a chase, Officer Brandon Thomas told a fleeing suspect to stop, or he would tase him. He then drew his firearm and fired a single shot, which did not hit the suspect. Thomas could be heard on body camera footage saying "oh shit, I didn't mean to do that." A report by the Connecticut Office of the Inspector General concluded, "The discharge was not accidental; it was an error. Officer Thomas bears responsibility for that error."
*CORRECTION: This article originally misstated the underlying details of the shooting. Thomas' bullet did not strike the suspect, who was unarmed and fleeing.
The district attorney's office in Cobb County, Georgia, admitted a critical error led to the wrongful arrest of 83-year-old Alice Cordell in Bartow County, where she spent six hours in a holding cell for a crime she didn't commit. Cordell's family told a local TV station they are now working to remove her mugshot from crime watch pages on social media. District Attorney Connie Allen says the name on the drug trafficking indictment should have been Alica Cordell. Allen said the mistake happened under her predecessor and, she says she is revising processes to prevent future mistakes and seeking to have Cordell's name removed from the case.
The Orange County District Attorney's office in California has charged former Westminster police officer Nicole Brown with 15 felony counts of workers' compensation and insurance fraud for faking an injury to collect over $600,000 in disability benefits. Brown claimed in 2022 that a head injury from an arrest left her unable to work due to symptoms like headaches and sensitivity to light and noise. But investigators found that in April 2023, she attended the Stagecoach Music Festival—a loud, crowded country music festival—and participated in other physically demanding activities like skiing, running 5K races, and visiting Disneyland. Brown, who faces up to 22 years in prison, insists the injury was real and plans to fight the charges.
In Turkey, four staff members of the satirical magazine LeMan were arrested on charges of inciting "public hatred and enmity" after publishing a cartoon that authorities claim depicted Muhammad, the founder of Islam. The cartoon, which LeMan insists was misinterpreted and meant to highlight the suffering of a Muslim man killed in Israeli attacks, showed two figures shaking hands in the sky while missiles flew below, symbolizing peace amidst conflict. Turkish officials condemned the cartoon, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "those who insult the Prophet and other messengers will be held accountable before the law."
Former Warren, Michigan, police officer James Burke faces two felony counts of homicide-manslaughter with a motor vehicle after he drove a police SUV at nearly 115 mph, crashing into a Dodge Durango and killing Cedric Hayden Jr. and DeJuan Pettis in September 2024. The high-speed collision occurred in a 40 mph zone. Burke was responding to a "be on the lookout" alert but was not using his emergency lights or sirens. Macomb County Sheriff's Deputy Joseph Bosek testified that Burke's vehicle reached 114.9 mph five seconds before impact and 93.8 mph at the moment of collision.
An Alabama grand jury has indicted Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith on six misdemeanor charges, and Chief Deputy Ralph Williams on one, for knowingly hiring six people—four school resource officers, a jailer, and a deputy—who lacked Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission certification, as required by law. One of those hires was Deputy Andrew Neves-McDonald, whose police certification in Arizona was suspended for misconduct. Smith claims the charges are politically motivated.
In England, two Metropolitan Police have been fired after strip-searching a 15-year-old girl at her school, without her parent's permission or knowledge. A disciplinary panel found trainee detective Kristina Linge and constable Rafal Szmydynski guilty of gross misconduct. Teachers said the girl smelled strongly of cannabis, but when they searched her, they found no drugs. So, they called the police. When cops arrived, they took the girl into a room and strip-searched her. They also found no drugs.
A judge has sentenced former Antioch, California, police officer Morteza Amiri to seven years in prison for violating a bicyclist's civil rights by ordering his K-9 to bite the man unnecessarily, falsifying a police report about the incident, and wire fraud. In the attack, Amiri approached a man for not having a light on his bicycle, punched him, knocked him to the ground, and then commanded the dog to bite him, causing severe injuries. According to federal prosecutors, Amiri routinely sicced his K-9 on suspects unnecessarily and "kept a running bite count that he celebrated with other officers." In this particular instance, he shared photos of the victim's wounds in text messages and joked that "gory pics are for personal stuff." In a separate trial, a jury found Amiri guilty of paying someone to complete a college degree for him so he could get a pay raise.
Citing extreme heat and humidity, the city of Toronto recently closed several swimming pools temporarily. Temperatures reached the mid-30s Celsius (about 95 Fahrenheit) and humidity index values were in the low- to mid-40s (as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit). Long lines formed at pools as people sought relief from the heat and humidity.
Dammeon Player, a former police officer in Warren, Michigan, was sentenced to 45 days in jail and two years of probation after pleading guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and misconduct in office for tasing someone outside his jurisdiction. In July 2023, a truck driver blocked traffic as he tried to back into a loading dock. Officers said he was non-compliant and pulled him out of the truck, when Player tased him twice. Player also faces felony charges for a similar incident in 2020—when, while serving with the Highland Park police, he tased a man accused of refusing to leave a Burger King. The suspect was walking away at the time, and when tased, he fell and hit his head on a brick wall, briefly losing consciousness. Highland Park did not share details of the event with the Warren police before they hired him.
Former Santa Cruz County, Arizona, Treasurer Elizabeth Gutfahr was sentenced to 10 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to embezzling over $38 million in public funds over 10 years, in what her own attorney called "one of the dumbest, ill-conceived, short-sighted, and most audacious crimes in Arizona state history." Her scheme involved moving taxpayer money into her private accounts with little effort to hide it, yet it went unnoticed until recently, when her bank noticed irregular activities in 2024 and alerted law enforcement. To recover some of the stolen funds, Santa Cruz County is selling off assets like real estate, livestock, and luxury cars Gutfahr purchased, recovering nearly $3 million so far.
The police department in Prichard, Alabama, has placed Officer Tvon Campbell and another officer whose name was not released on administrative leave after video went viral showing Campbell hitting a man with a baseball bat. The officers were responding to a domestic violence call when Devoris Malone fled, holding his wife in the car against her will. When a Taser failed to subdue the suspect, Campbell used a bat, even continuing to strike Malone while he was on the ground. The Prichard Police Department, working with the Mobile County District Attorney, is reviewing body camera footage to assess the officers' actions. Malone has been charged with first degree kidnapping. Mayor Jimmie Gardner emphasized that baseball bats are not authorized by the department.
England's National Health Service will begin a 10-year program to sequence every newborn's DNA using umbilical-cord blood. Supporters say the program will identify risks for hundreds of genetic diseases—far beyond the nine conditions currently screened via the heel-prick test—which Health Secretary Wes Streeting says will shift healthcare from reacting to illness, to predicting and preventing it early. But critics say there aren't sufficient safeguards for privacy.
Police in Miami suspended an officer pending an investigation into an incident in which she sat in her patrol car while numerous bikers assaulted a man in front of her. Video shows the bikers not only beating the man but jumping on the hood and roof of his car and breaking his windshield, while the officer never left her vehicle.
The Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General says the city of Everett wrongly paid Mayor Carlo DeMaria $180,000 in bonuses. The city enacted a rule in 2016 giving mayors $10,000 after each term, but a last-minute word change instead gave mayors $10,000 for each cumulative term. The change allowed DeMaria—then in his fourth term—to pocket $40,000 each year instead of $10,000 every four years. When the City Council found out in 2022, it slashed the payments and the inspector general demanded the money back. The council later passed an ordinance demanding DeMaria stop using city funds to fight the inspector general's recommendation.
Illustration: Peter BaggeIllustration: Peter Bagge
New York's Northville Central School District fired 81-year-old high school basketball coach Jim Zullo after video showed him yanking his star player's ponytail. The incident happened after the Northville girls' team lost a state championship game. Hailey Monroe, Northville's all-time leading scorer, had already fouled out and was crying when Zullo grabbed her hair and yelled at her before a teammate stepped between them. Zullo claimed Monroe had cursed at him earlier.
Los Angeles lost $66 million on parking enforcement in the fiscal year ending June 2024. The city handed out 2 million parking tickets and collected $110 million in fines in that time, while spending $88 million on direct parking enforcement expenses such as salaries and equipment. But pensions and other expenses brought the total cost of parking enforcement to more than $176 million.
Illustration: Peter Bagge
Salvador Garcia Jr. was riding his bike when a Sacramento County sheriff's deputy stopped him, suspecting him of breaking his ex-girlfriend's window earlier that day. The deputy ordered his dog to attack Garcia, who was bitten in the arm so badly that it tore muscles and tendons, requiring multiple surgeries and leaving permanent damage. According to a lawsuit, Garcia wasn't resisting and deputies let the dog continue biting even as they handcuffed him. County officials agreed to pay $755,000 to settle the lawsuit.
In 2023, after an investigation detailed decades of sexual abuse against children in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, lawmakers eliminated time limits on lawsuits against organizations for child sexual abuse. But the state now finds itself facing over 6,000 claims from people who say they were sexually abused in the state's youth detention centers. State leaders claim to have been blindsided by the complaints and say they are now looking at changes to protect the government financially.
The California Assembly Transportation Committee approved a bill requiring all children younger than 10 years old and shorter kids under 13 to sit on a booster seat. All children under 13, and teens up to 16 years old who don't meet a height requirement, would also be prohibited from sitting in the front seat. Currently, only children under 8 years old or 4 feet, 9 inches tall must use a booster seat.
Officials in Walton County, Florida, tried to fine Marvin Peavy more than $63,000 for hanging pro-Trump banners on his property along Scenic Highway 30A. The county said the banners violated property maintenance rules. After years of legal battles, a judge said the banners were protected free speech and ordered the county to pay Peavy $42,000 to cover his legal fees.
Two former employees of Caltrain, a California public commuter rail line, were sentenced to jail for embezzling public funds to build secret apartments inside two train stations. Joseph Navarro, a former deputy director, was convicted of felony embezzlement and sentenced to 120 days in jail with two years of probation for using $42,000 to create a personal apartment inside the Burlingame station, complete with amenities like a kitchen and a gym. Seth Worden, a station manager, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor embezzlement, receiving 60 days in jail and one year of probation for using $8,000 to remodel empty office space into an apartment at the Millbrae station. Their scheme ran from 2019 to 2022 and was uncovered after an anonymous tip to the Caltrain executive director.
Former California correctional officer Avelino Ramirez pleaded guilty to wire fraud after admitting he smuggled contraband like cocaine, cellphones, and weapons into San Quentin State Prison and the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. Between October 2021 and February 2024, Ramirez, a K-9 officer and later sergeant, planted these items in common prison areas. He would then pretend to find them, making himself look good and earning overtime pay and a promotion. He now faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, with sentencing set for September.
Renaldo Norman said he was shocked to find that the Atlanta Department of City Planning had mistakenly started demolishing a house he was building on Highview Road, knocking down one wall. Norman, who had invested over $200,000 in building the house, said the workers thought his building permit had expired. In fact, he had already applied for and been granted a six-month extension. Norman is now considering whether he will have to rebuild from scratch due to the damage.
A federal appeals court ruled that San Diego's ban on yoga classes in public parks and beaches is unconstitutional because teaching yoga is a form of free speech. The 2024 ordinance had prohibited yoga groups of four or more people on shorelines, allegedly to protect public safety. But the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the ban unfairly targeted instructors like Steve Hubbard and Amy Baack, who sued to challenge it. The court restored their right to lead outdoor, donation-based classes—some of which drew up to 100 participants—and stressed that public spaces must stay open and accessible to everyone.
A Brazilian court has sentenced comedian Leo Lins to more than eight years in prison for making what it called racist, discriminatory, and hateful jokes during a 2022 stand-up routine. Lins' jokes made fun of black, indigenous, gay, Jewish, and disabled people. It has over 3 million views online. The court said freedom of speech does not override human dignity and equality. Lins plans to appeal and defends his act as artistic, while critics warn the verdict threatens comic expression.
A new border reform bill proposed by Canada's Liberal Party government would ban cash transactions of $10,000 (U.S. $7,383) or more and restrict large cash deposits from one person to another. Introduced by Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, the legislation—called the "Strong Borders Act"—also gives officials broader powers to search mail and physical locations without warrants in what are deemed "urgent, time-sensitive circumstances."
In Riverview, Missouri, James Carroll faces a city-issued subpoena, signed by Mayor Michael Cornell, after posting an online joke implying the mayor was involved in a 15-year-old boy's disappearance. The incident began when Carroll shared a photo of the missing boy on a local Nextdoor group, humorously suggesting, "Someone check Riverview's mayor's basement!" Days later, he found the subpoena at his condo, demanding he appear at city hall to discuss his social media posts and threatening "severe penalties" if he did not. The Institute for Justice says the subpoena violates Carroll's free speech rights, as his joke was protected speech and not a call to violence.
Seven police officers in West Palm Beach, Florida, face charges related to an unauthorized high-speed chase that ended in a fatal crash in Boynton Beach, killing Marcia Pochette and her pregnant daughter, Jenice Woods. The officers pursued suspect Neoni Copeland at speeds up to 119 mph, despite it being against department policy because they only wanted to conduct a routine interview. Copeland crashed into the victims' car, but the officers did not aid or even check on the victims, and they left without notifying authorities in Boynton Beach. The officers also failed to activate their body cameras, notify supervisors, or file paperwork. Three of the officers face two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving death—a first-degree felony—while all seven face one count of official misconduct, a third-degree felony.
A federal judge sentenced Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Douglas Kirk to four months in prison after he was allowed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of excessive force despite being previously convicted of a felony. In February 2025, a federal jury convicted Kirk of the felony, which carried a potential 10-year sentence, for his actions during a June 2023 arrest in a Lancaster, California, grocery store parking lot, where he used excessive force on a couple. But after the new Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli took office, prosecutors offered Kirk a deal to plead guilty to a misdemeanor.
The monks of St. Catherine's Monastery, a 1,600-year-old Greek Orthodox site in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, closed its doors to visitors in protest after an Egyptian court ruled that the monastery's land belongs to the government. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery, St. Catherine's faces uncertainty as the ruling strips the monks of property ownership, prompting fears of eviction or conversion into a museum. The decision sparked outrage among global Christian leaders, with the Greek Orthodox Church and Greece's foreign minister engaging in diplomatic talks with Egypt to protect the monastery's status. Egyptian officials, including President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, insist the ruling preserves the monastery's spiritual value and ensures the monks' access, but the monks, led by 91-year-old Archbishop Damianos I, call it a de facto expulsion. Greek and Egyptian officials later announced the site would be safe but provided no further details.
Home security video revealed a babysitter funded by the New York City Administration for Children's Services abusing three young boys in her care. The video shows La'keysha Jackson beating the boys—brothers aged 2, 4, and 6 years—nearly 60 times with belts and hangers, throwing the youngest, and using a Halloween mask and a Santa Claus costume to scare them, prompting the family to demand answers. The New YorkPost reports Jackson has been fired and the police are investigating but no arrest has yet been made. Jackson was apparently the family's second city-funded sitter; the first was fired after she was found to be drinking and smoking at the playground while watching the kids.
Peng Yujiang, a Chinese paraglider, survived an incident when a powerful updraft known as "cloud suck" lifted him from 9,842 feet to 28,209 feet above the Qilian Mountains in Gansu Province, exposing him to low oxygen levels and temperatures 40 degrees below zero, leaving his face and body covered in ice. Peng landed safely after regaining consciousness and navigating the harsh conditions, but local officials banned him from paragliding for six months for violating airspace rules. His flying companion, Gu Zhimin, was also banned for six months for publishing the video of the incident.
Massachusetts State Auditor Diana DiZoglio reports that Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, mishandled the state's emergency shelter system by approving "improper and unlawful" no-bid contracts for food and transportation services, costing taxpayers millions. Some of the contracts went to Healey's campaign donors. DiZoglio's audit criticizes Healey for not using competitive bidding, leading to overpayments, while highlighting a lack of transparency and oversight in the program. Healey's team says the contracts were necessary due to an unexpected surge in migrant and homeless families.
Christina Broadway of Marietta, Georgia, says she doesn't feel safe after her security cameras caught a city employee entering her home without her permission while she was at a funeral. City officials say the man was a code enforcement officer who had a right to enter the home because he thought he saw construction without the proper permits taking place at the residence.
