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3 killed after plane crashes near major Florida highway

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 12:55:03 -0500

BOCA RATON, Fla. (NewsNation) — Three people were killed and one was injured when a small plane crashed Friday morning in South Florida near a major interstate highway and pushed a car onto railroad tracks, officials said.

Boca Raton Fire Rescue assistant chief Michael LaSalle said the plane crash that killed all three people on board emitted a fireball when it hit the ground, injuring a person in a nearby car. LaSalle said several roads near the Boca Raton Airport will remain closed near Interstate 95.

The Federal Aviation Administration identified the plane as a Cessna 310 with three people on board. It went down about 10:20 a.m. after departing from Boca Raton Airport bound for Tallahassee, the FAA said in an email.

Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer said the investigation was just beginning.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a plane crash occurred earlier today within our community. At this time, details are still emerging, and we are working closely with emergency responders and authorities," Singer said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event. We ask for patience and respect for the families involved as investigations continue.”

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, with the NTSB leading the probe.

The small plane crash in South Florida comes a day after a New York City sightseeing helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed upside-down into the Hudson River, killing the pilot and a family of five Spanish tourists.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Walmart employee kills co-worker in Georgia store: Sheriff

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:32:36 -0500

(WJBF) – A Walmart employee shot and killed a co-worker inside a Georgia store and critically wounded another worker outside early Friday while the business was closed to the public, authorities said.

Newton County deputies responded to the shooting at the Walmart, in Covington, Georgia, at around 1:30 a.m., according to the department. The sheriff's office later determined that an employee had left the building to get a gun, then came back inside and fatally shot a co-worker.

The gunman then left the store and "encountered a second acquaintance" outside, whom he also shot. That victim was transported to a hospital, and was said to be in critical condition as of Friday morning.

Police in Georgia responded to a shooting at a Walmart in Covington at around 1:30 a.m., the sheriff's office said. (Newtown County Sheriff's Office)

After leaving the store property, the gunman then forced his way into a home nearby, where he fatally shot a female acquaintance, the Newton County Sheriff's Office said.

“The suspect specifically targeted individuals they knew,” the sheriff's office said.

Deputies with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina were later contacted by the Georgia State Patrol for assistance in locating the gunman. A suspect was apprehended after a brief standoff only hours after the initial shooting.

The suspect also suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said. He was treated on the scene and transferred to a hospital.

The incident is currently under investigation by officials in both Georgia and South Carolina.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

North Carolina family says deputy shot dog

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:16:47 -0500

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Paige Briggs is still in disbelief her beloved Belgian Malinois Zelda, is dead.

"It was shocking," she said. "Our family is heartbroken over this loss."

(Paige Briggs)
(Paige Briggs)
(Paige Briggs)
(Paige Briggs)

According to Briggs, a Wake County, North Carolina, deputy came to her family's home on Lord Berkley Road Tuesday at 10:20 a.m. to serve a civil summons.

"It was a personal matter and nothing criminal," she said.

Briggs said she was out of town, her husband was at work, and their four children were in school. The home surveillance cameras captured the incident.

"When [the deputy] knocked on the door, the door came unlatched and he decided to come inside," she said.

The surveillance footage shows the deputy describing the situation on his radio. Moments later, the deputy walks inside and Zelda can be heard barking from inside the kitchen, where the family said she was confined.

"She was right by her bed," Briggs said. "She barked and gave him plenty of warning."

Moments later, according to Briggs, four gunshots can be heard, killing Zelda.

Wake County Sheriff Willie Rowe said, "We understand this is a difficult situation for all involved and we recognize the pain this dog's owner is experiencing. The incident is being reviewed in accordance with our agency's policies and procedures."

According to Briggs, her backyard camera caught the deputy telling his captain what happened. She said he can be heard telling his captain he thought there was a break-in and describes the moments before firing his weapon.

"I started to back out and he came right at me, put my leg out like this," the deputy said. "That's when he bit me."

But this family said Zelda was clearly barking before the deputy entered their home.

"He should not be allowed to carry a badge or weapon ever," said Briggs.

The deputy is on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Woman arrested after cockfighting operation discovered at Nutbush home

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 08:24:37 -0500

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A woman is facing more than 50 counts of animal cruelty after a cockfighting operation was discovered behind her Nutbush, Tennessee, home Wednesday, police said.

Perla Hernandez, 33, was also charged with two counts of cockfighting.

Perla Hernandez (SCSO)

According to the affidavit of complaint, Homeland Security was serving a search warrant at the house in the 1200 block of Weiner Road when they found dozens of roosters in the backyard.

A Memphis animal control officer, called to the scene, said some of the roosters were tethered, while others were in cages.

She found what appeared to be a dead rooster in a cage and the skeletal remains of two birds in the rear of the backyard.

1200 block of Weiner in Nutbush. WREG photo.

The animal control officer said the beaks on two of the roosters had been filed down, three had their crowns taken off, and four had weights attached to their legs.

Several vitamins, steroids, and antibiotics often used in cockfighting were also found on the property.

Memphis Animal Services is now caring for 45 roosters.

Police said Hernandez was the only adult at the residence and was taken into custody. She was released from jail on a $10,000 bond and scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

Police have not said why Homeland Security was at the home.

Judge to decide whether activist Mahmoud Khalil can be deported

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 08:08:24 -0500

(NewsNation) — An immigration judge is set to rule whether pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and lawful permanent resident, can be deported from the United States.

The White House submitted a two-page memo as its main evidence in the case, citing the administration's authority to expel noncitizens whose presence in the country damages U.S. foreign policy interests.

The memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, does not allege any criminal conduct by Khalil, stating his campus activities were "otherwise lawful" but that letting him remain in the country would undermine U.S. efforts to combat antisemitism.

“Condoning anti-Semitic conduct and disruptive protests in the United States would severely undermine that significant foreign policy objective," Rubio wrote.

Attorneys for Khalil said the memo proved the Trump administration was “targeting Mahmoud’s free speech rights about Palestine.”

“After a month of hiding the ball since Mahmoud’s late-night unjust arrest in New York and taking him away to a remote detention center in Louisiana, immigration authorities have finally admitted that they have no case whatsoever against him,” attorneys Marc Van Der Hout and Johnny Sinodis said in a joint statement.

“There is not a single shred of proof that Mahmoud’s presence in America poses any threat,” they said.

Where is Mahmoud Khalil?

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Khalil in early March, and the 30-year-old graduate student has remained in a Louisiana detention center ever since.

Khalil, who was born in Syria and raised in a Palestinian refugee camp, helped lead pro-Palestinian protests on Columbia’s campus last year. He holds legal permanent resident status in the U.S.

The U.S. is making the case to deport Khalil under President Donald Trump’s executive order prohibiting antisemitism on college campuses.

According to Khalil’s lawyer Amy Greer, arresting ICE officers said his student visa had been revoked under Trump’s order.

When Khalil proved he was not in the country on a student visa but rather as a legal permanent resident, the officers said that was also revoked, Greer said. The federal government has now accused Khalil of lying on his green card application, among other charges.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Florida campus police agencies partner with ICE

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 07:27:33 -0500

(NewsNation) — At least four major Florida universities are planning to or are already partnering with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement through an agreement initiated by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

University police departments are signing up for ICE training and receiving the same powers to enforce immigration laws as local cops through what's called the 287(g) agreement.

The agreement allows campus police to assist with immigration enforcement efforts and potentially speed up deportations.

While the governor's directive doesn't call campus police out by name, it makes one thing clear: law enforcement agencies, including those tied to campuses, are expected to fall in line.

The University of Florida, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida and Florida Atlantic University are already or soon will be participating, according to multiple reports.

Once trained, officers can get the green light to make immigration-related arrests — but this is not instant.

Most departments are still waiting on ICE approval or for their officers to be certified. There have not yet been any immigration arrests made on campus grounds under the agreement.

DeSantis has floated legislation that would penalize agencies that do not comply.

The news comes as the Trump administration targets international students at colleges nationwide for deportation, such as pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student.

International students are seeing their visas revoked for minor infractions like traffic violations, while colleges are checking immigration databases to find out whether their students are still allowed to be in the country.

Exactly how many visas have been revoked is unknown because the State Department has declined requests to share numbers.

An Inside Higher Ed tracker lists more than 80 colleges and universities affected by the visa revocations, including public and private institutions in a wide range of locations and sizes.

NewsNation partner The Hill's Lexi Lonas Cochran contributed to this report.

Father arrested after 4-year-old found wandering in Arby's drive-thru

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 04:52:45 -0500

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — A man was arrested after a 4-year-old was found barefoot and unattended in an Arby's drive-thru in Florida.

According to an affidavit, a concerned citizen was approached Tuesday by the girl, who told them she was hungry.

The citizen brought the girl inside the restaurant, where they bought her food and found her some shoes to wear.

The affidavit said deputies located the child's father, Clyde Thompson, 31, who stated he was unaware the girl was at Arby's.

Thompson also relayed to deputies he had fed the 4-year-old a doughnut for breakfast around 9 a.m.

The child was discovered at 5:47 p.m.

According to the affidavit, Thompson said he thought the child was at a neighbor's house but admitted to deputies he never escorted the child to their house or checked up on her throughout the day.

Deputies said Thompson told them he didn't have the neighbor's contact information and thought his wife had arranged for them to watch the girl while she was at work.

Deputies spoke to the neighbor, who told them the child showed up at their house several times throughout the day but was escorted home each time.

The neighbor also told deputies that no arrangements had been made for her to watch the 4-year-old.

The affidavit said deputies spoke to the girl and her 8-year-old sibling, who told them that their father sleeps all day and had never offered them food.

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The 8-year-old told authorities that the neighbor made them macaroni and cheese around lunchtime before returning them to their home.

Pinellas County deputies arrested Thompson and charged him with neglect of a child.

Police Department Investigating the Killing of Austin Metcalf Meets with Far Left Advocacy Group

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:43:03 -0500

A new concerning dimension has been added to the circumstances surrounding the death of Austin Metcalf. The 17-year-old Metcalf was fatally stabbed on April 2 at a track meet at […]

The post Police Department Investigating the Killing of Austin Metcalf Meets with Far Left Advocacy Group appeared first on The Western Journal.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims feds can deport Mahmoud Khalil solely over his ‘antisemitic’ beliefs

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:08:47 -0500

Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the feds can deport Mahmoud Khalil solely over his "antisemitic" beliefs, ahead of a Friday hearing in his immigration case.

Frontier Plane Evacuated, Undergoes 'Security Search' After Troubling Noise Is Heard During Flight

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 15:57:04 -0500

A Frontier Airlines flight arriving at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., was evacuated Wednesday after the crew reported a troubling sound. Flight 4708 had departed from Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International […]

The post Frontier Plane Evacuated, Undergoes 'Security Search' After Troubling Noise Is Heard During Flight appeared first on The Western Journal.

Rescued mountain lion cub paired with orphaned companion

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 15:47:21 -0500

(NewsNation) — A mountain lion cub named Spruce was rescued by California's Oakland Zoo and went to his new home at Alabama's Birmingham Zoo where he met his new companion, another rescued cub named Juniper.

In a news release, the zoo said the decision to pair the two cubs together was based on their personalities. Spruce was rescued in January with his siblings Fern and Thistle in California, while Juniper was rescued by a farmer in Montana in December.

Mountain lions in California face threats like getting hit by cars and wildfires, all factors the Birmingham Zoo says contribute to the human-wildlife conflict. A study done in November found that mountain lions in the state have adapted to human schedules.

Before being placed together, the two cubs were observed cuddling, playing, chirping (a form of communication), and getting to know one another.

"They will remain in their nighthouse as they acclimate to their new surroundings," the zoo said. "Once they have settled, they will move into the full Birmingham Zoo’s Wojciechowski Cougar Crossing Habitat, which opened to the public on March 19th."

‘Stop Dunking on Defenseless Girls’: Billboards Outside Masters, Braves Game Blast Jon Ossoff Over Trans Sports Vote

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 15:13:11 -0500

Mobile billboards spotted outside the Masters Tournament and a Braves game this week called on onlookers to tell Sen. Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.) to "STOP DUNKING on Defenseless Girls."

"Protect Girls’ Sports!" the billboards in Augusta and Atlanta read. They included the phone number for the Democrat’s congressional office.

The billboards accompany television ads that aired during the men's and women's Final Four basketball games and will run this week during the Masters tournament and Atlanta Braves broadcasts. The commercials center on Ossoff’s opposition to legislation that aimed to ban biological men from competing in women’s sports in federally funded schools. The bill passed the House in January, but died in the Senate last month.

"Protecting girls should be a layup for any politician, but Senator Ossoff voted to block the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act," a voiceover says in the ad, which features a man wearing an "Ossoff" jersey dunking a basketball over a woman. "Man-to-man defense isn't woke enough for Ossoff. He’s for they/them."

The billboards and the ads—both paid for by the political wing of the Republican's Senate Leadership Fund, One Nation—come as the GOP sees Ossoff’s seat as a top Senate target for 2026. Gov. Brian Kemp is weighing a bid, with a Club for Growth poll in January showing the Georgia Republican winning in a hypothetical match against the incumbent.

The ads carry a similar tone to commercials the Trump campaign ran last year, saying, "Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you."

After former vice president Kamala Harris’s decisive loss in November, including in Georgia, Democrats’ post-mortems frequently questioned whether their support for trans issues played a role. California governor Gavin Newsom (D.), an expected 2028 presidential candidate, recently said it was "deeply unfair" for biological boys to compete against girls—a reversal from his previous position.

The post ‘Stop Dunking on Defenseless Girls’: Billboards Outside Masters, Braves Game Blast Jon Ossoff Over Trans Sports Vote appeared first on .

Man Convicted of Brutally Murdering a Teenage Girl Mistakenly Released from Jail

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:54:56 -0500

A convicted killer was mistakenly released from a Georgia jail last month, and no one was notified for about two weeks. Kathan Guzman, who in 2024 was convicted of killing […]

The post Man Convicted of Brutally Murdering a Teenage Girl Mistakenly Released from Jail appeared first on The Western Journal.

Accused Austin Metcalf killer won't face death penalty or life without parole: DA

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:41:39 -0500

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'Stop the clock': GOP, Dems come together to end Daylight Saving over health, economic risks

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:04:39 -0500

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