A man who served on the jury that voted to convict former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin defended his participation in a Black Lives Matter protest prior to the trial. Brandon Mitchell said he attended the Aug. 28 “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks!” protest organized by activist Al Sharpton because he had never been to Washington, D.C., according to the Associated Press. Photos recently circulated online show Mitchell wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt at the event. “I’d never been to D.C.,” Mitchell told the AP. “The opportunity to go to D.C., the opportunity to be around thousands and thousands of Black people; I just thought it was a good opportunity to be a part of something.” Mitchell’s shirt said “GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS” and “BLM,” which is short for Black Lives Matter, the AP reported. However, he said he doesn’t recall wearing or owning the shirt. (RELATED: Could Derek Chauvin Win An Appeal? Here’s What Legal Experts Say) Crowds descend upon the … [Read more...]
This is what it’s like to walk in space
(CNN) When astronauts venture outside of the International Space Station to go on spacewalks, the most important thing they have to do is focus. This may sound simple, but imagine trying to focus on a memorized set of tasks while stepping out of an airlock and wearing a 300-pound spacesuit -- with the glow of planet Earth and the sun and the dark void of the universe all around you. A tether connects you to the space station, and the absence of gravity keeps you from falling. "There's a lot of things that you really need to do, one of which is just keep your focus, even though it's amazing out there," said NASA astronaut Mike Fincke. "It's really truly breathtaking. The only thing between you and the rest of the universe, seeing the whole cosmos of creation, is the glass faceplate of your visor on your helmet, and it's just awe-inspiring." Astronaut Mike Fincke conducted a spacewalk on August 3, 2004, while wearing the Russian Orlan spacesuit. You … [Read more...]
White House keeps publicly disagreeing with DOJ decisions while stressing their independence
close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for June 16 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Monday’s Justice Department brief in the case of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was the latest in a recent string of instances where the White House has pointed to the DOJ’s independence while openly criticizing them. The DOJ argued that the Supreme Court should reinstate the death penalty for Tsarnaev after an appeals court vacated the sentence. It was the Trump DOJ that had first pushed for this, and while the Biden White House has not interfered, they publicly disagreed with the move. BIDEN'S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT DEFENDS TRUMP IN E. JEAN CARROLL DEFAMATION CASE "President Biden has made clear that he has deep concerns about whether capital punishment is consistent with the values that are fundamental to our sense of justice and fairness," White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told Fox … [Read more...]
A key witness was scared to testify in a murder trial. Days later, his tavern burned down and he vanished.
Tim Castilleja was so rattled about testifying in a murder trial last week that federal agents had to arrest him to get him into court. On the stand, Castilleja told jurors that he feared reprisals for telling them what he saw at his tavern on the Yakama Indian Reservation two years ago. But his testimony was important for prosecutors making the case that Jordan Stevens, a member of the Yakama tribe, had shot and killed Alillia "Lala" Minthorn, 25, and then hidden her body in a remote wilderness on the reservation. Stevens was convicted of murder on Thursday. Two days later, Castilleja's tavern burned to the ground - and the witness has also vanished, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported. Now the FBI is working with local authorities to determine what happened to Castilleja's establishment, the Brownstown Tavern, and to try to find Castilleja. The fire and disappearance are a twist to a case that federal authorities had heralded as proof of their renewed focus on violent … [Read more...]
Senate panel unanimously advances key Biden cyber nominees
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved two of President Biden Joe Biden Mellman: Trump voters cling to 2020 tale FDA authorizes another batch of J&J vaccine Cotton warns of China collecting athletes' DNA at 2022 Olympics MORE 's nominees to serve in the nation's top cybersecurity positions. The committee approved former National Security Agency (NSA) Deputy Director Chris Inglis to serve in the newly created national cyber director role at the White House, and approved former NSA official Jen Easterly to serve as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). While the nominations advanced unanimously, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said following the vote that he intended to place a hold on Easterly’s nomination and others until Biden visits the U.S.-Mexico border to address a surge in migration. ADVERTISEMENT “I clearly support Jen Easterly to be the … [Read more...]
Athletes abused by late doctor demand U-Michigan probe
close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for June 16 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Former athletes on Wednesday urged the University of Michigan 's governing board to launch a full investigation of sexual abuse committed by a late doctor and how the school failed to stop him during his decades on campus. Standing near the school's historic football stadium, they said a May report that detailed numerous complaints about Robert Anderson and the university's failure to act was not enough. "So Board of Regents, so the University of Michigan — say my name," said Jon Vaughn, a running back from 1988-91 who was repeatedly assaulted. "Because the time is now for all of you who have been abused here to speak up for justice. We speak because every victim matters. I am not John Doe. I am Jon Vaughn." CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM The news conference was held … [Read more...]
Courtroom emotion as trial begins in Florida double slaying
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A death penalty trial in Florida began with the defendant, acting as his own lawyer, shouting at jurors that he did not attack his girlfriend and disabled daughter more than three years ago. Ronnie Oneal III claimed in a dramatic opening statement that the evidence would reveal “some of the most vicious, lying, fabricating, fictitious government you ever seen.” Gesturing and pacing, Oneal shouted at one point during Monday's opening: “I look alone. But I am backed by a mighty God.” He claimed the girlfriend, Kenyatta Barron, attacked their two children and that he killed her in self-defense. The killings happened March 18, 2018, in their home in Tampa's Riverview area. Assistant State Attorney Scott Harmon countered that prosecutors would prove Oneal wounded Barron with a shotgun, then beat her to death. Harmon also said Oneal used a hatchet to kill his 9-year-old daughter — who had cerebral palsy and could not speak — and wounded his son, then 8, with a … [Read more...]
Lisa Banes’ Hit-And-Run Death Amplifies Concerns About Scooters On City Streets
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The theatre community is mourning the death of actress Lisa Banes, who succumbed to her injuries Monday following a hit-and-run involving a scooter earlier this month on the Upper West Side . Her death comes as pedestrian-related traffic fatalities have increased across the city, and as newer and more mobile modes of transportation flood the streets, CBS2’s Christina Fan reported Tuesday. READ MORE: FBI: Kidnapping Suspect Killed During Confrontation In Leonia, N.J. She was known for her roles in “Gone Girl” and “A Cure for Wellness,” but Banes is best remembered by friends for her magnetism and kindness. Ten days after she was hit by a scooter driver, the 65-year-old actress succumbed to traumatic head injuries. The driver who killed her is still on the run. Banes was crossing Amsterdam Avenue at West 64th Street on June 4, when a scooter ran a red light, knocking over the actress, who had the right of way. Her death is one of 60 pedestrian … [Read more...]
People are panic buying homes as prices skyrocket around the world
By Hanna Ziady , CNN Business Updated 0914 GMT (1714 HKT) May 13, 2021 It wasn't long ago that real estate experts were bracing for the worst. The coronavirus pandemic had sent large parts of the world into lockdown, shuttering businesses, costing tens of millions of workers their jobs and putting the housing market into a deep freeze . The number of people asking lenders for more time on their mortgage payments surged as the global recession hit. "This time last year we thought it was going to be 2008 all over again," said Kate Everett-Allen, the head of international residential research at real estate consultancy Knight Frank. The fear was that house prices would collapse, as they reliably had done in past economic downturns. An increase in bankruptcies and unemployment would squeeze disposable incomes and make it difficult for highly indebted homeowners to keep up with their mortgages. Those fortunate enough to own second homes would be forced to sell to … [Read more...]
