List of All Articles with Tag 'americas'

Wild video footage captured an Iowa police officer clinging to the roof of a man’s car as he drove at speeds of up to 50 mph during a traffic stop that escalated into a full-blown car chase. Police in the town of Carroll stopped Dennis Guider, Jr, of Illinois, for a traffic violation, only to discover that he had an active warrant in Illinois for forgery. Body camera footage released last week in court showed Officer Patrick McCarty approaching the window of a red sedan during the 5 March stop. “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but it sounds like you’ve got a warrant out of Illinois,” he told Guider and a female passenger. The suspect then shoved the woman out of the driver’s seat and drove away slowly. Officer McCarty drew his gun and jumped on the hood of the vehicle while ordering Guider to slow down. He then accelerated with the officer still on the hood, leading officers on a chase in which he hit reported speeds of up to 50mph. During the chase, Officer McCarty fell off the roof of the car and broke a vertebra in his lower back. Guider was sentenced to up to five years in prison on Thursday for the felony of serious injury by vehicle, after pleading guilty and avoiding an eluding arrest charge. The Illinois man, who is Black, told an Iowa court he feared for his life and was afraid when the white police officer jumped on his car with a gun drawn. “I feared for my life after the officer pull(ed) out his gun and jump(ed) on the hood of my car,” he wrote in a February letter. The officer in the case admitted in a hearing last week that he hadn’t been trained to jump onto the hood of a moving vehicle. “Each situation is different,” Officer McCarty said. “It certainly didn’t play out the way I intended.” “Officer McCarty was polite and respectful when he approached the car, was treating everybody with dignity, and then you kick your girlfriend out of the car and you take off,” District Associate Judge Joseph McCarville said during sentencing, the Des Moines Register reported. Read More Harry and Meghan – latest news: Rishi Sunak gives abrasive response to ‘near catastrophic’ car case Chilling video shows New Mexico teen gunman’s shooting rampage: ‘Come kill me’ Grandma who lost finger in dog attack told by police that animal is ‘friendly’

President Joe Biden has told G7 leaders that the United States would support providing fighter jets, including American-made F-16 jets, senior administration officials said. Mr Biden is currently in Japan for a G7 summit, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling the decision one that would “greatly enhance our army in the sky.” Ukrainian officials had said they needed up to 200 jets to push back against Russia’s aggression, which is thought to be five to six times the size of Ukraine’s. The Biden administration’s decision means that other countries can now export their F-16 jets since the United States must legally approve if its allies want to re-export equipment they purchased. The administration official said that the United States would “support a joint effort with our allies and partners to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including F-16s, to further strengthen and improve the capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Force.” “As the training takes place over the coming months, our coalition of countries participating in this effort will decide when to actually provide jets, how many we will provide, and who will provide them,” the official said. The United States has previously hesitated to provide Ukraine with fighter jets after Russia invaded the nation early last year. “The UK will work together with the USA and the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark to get Ukraine the combat air capability it needs,” United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted. He added that the UK would set up a flight school to train Ukrainian pilots. Mr Zelensky has stressed the need for F-16 jets, which can travel at twice the speed of sound and can engage with targets both in the air and on the ground. But some allies have worried that sending jets to Ukraine would be seen as escalating the war and risking direct conflict with Russia. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: US to provide F-16 fighter jets in battle against Putin Zelensky accuses some Arab leaders of ‘turning a blind eye’ to Russian invasion of Ukraine UN envoy reportedly meeting Russian official accused of war crimes for deporting Ukrainian children

Senator Tim Scott, the only Black Republican member of the upper chamber, has officially declared himself a candidate for president in next year’s Republican primary election. According to a statement of candidacy filed on Friday with the Federal Election Commission, Mr Scott has designated his official campaign committee as “Tim Scott for America”, with a campaign address in the Palmetto State’s capital, Charleston. Mr Scott, who has served as South Carolina’s junior senator since 2013, was first appointed to his Senate seat by one of his presidential primary opponents, then-South Carolina governor Nikki Haley. He filled a vacancy left by the resignation of Jim DeMint, who left the Senate to lead the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. At the time of his appointment, Mr Scott was the first Black senator to represent a state that had been part of the Confederacy during the American Civil War and the first Black Republican since Massachusetts senator Edward Brooke left the body in 1979. The then-freshman GOP senator retained the seat he’d been appointed to in a 2014 special election and was reelected easily in 2016 and 2022 with at least 60 per cent of the vote in both elections. He has long been considered a rising star in the Republican Party, and was given the honour of delivering the party’s response to president Joe Biden’s inaugural address to Congress in 2021. Mr Scott, whose campaign website has teased a “special announcement” on 22 May, joins a GOP primary field that includes Ms Haley, former president Donald Trump, ex-Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Florida governor Ron DeSantis and ex-New Jersey governor Chris Christie are also expected to officially enter the GOP presidential field in the coming days. Mr Trump, who has retained his preeminent position in the GOP despite being impeached twice by the House of Representatives, losing the 2020 election, inciting a deadly attack on the US Capitol in an effort to remain in power, facing criminal charges in his former home state of New York and his status as a potential defendant in at least two more criminal probes, currently holds a commanding advantage in most polls. Read More Parents of transgender kids seek to block DeSantis ban on gender-affirming care for minors How one North Carolina lawmaker's defection from the Democratic Party upended abortion protections Missouri governor to announce his pick as new St. Louis prosecutor after Kim Gardner resignation

The devastated husband of a bride who was struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver on their wedding night has broken his silence to reveal how the best day of his life suddenly turned into the worst. Aric Hutchinson told ABC’s Good Morning America that he is still struggling to “wrap my head around” what happened as he became widowed just hours after marrying the love of his life Samantha Miller. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. That night, going from an all-time high to an all-time low, it’s pretty rough to comprehend,” he said. On 28 April, Mr Hutchinson, 36, and Miller, 34, got married in a wedding ceremony at Folly Beach, South Carolina, surrounded by their families and friends. That night, they were travelling with two others on a golf cart, heading back to their Airbnb when horror struck. Jamie Komoroski, 25, was allegedly driving three times over the legal alcohol limit and speeding at 65mph in a 25mph zone when she ploughed into the back of the buggy in her car. Miller was killed while Mr Hutchinson and the two other passengers were rushed to hospital with critical injuries. Ms Komoroski has now been charged with three counts of felony driving under the influence resulting in great bodily harm or death and one count of reckless homicide. Choking back tears, Mr Hutchinson told GMA that he doesn’t remember the crash but can’t forget his new wife’s final words. “The do remember the last thing I remember her saying is she wanted the night to never end,” he said. He said “I wish I did” recall the crash itself but just remembers waking up in hospital. “I remember waking up foggy and out of sorts and you could see my Mom’s face and you could tell that something was wrong,” he said. “I asked her ‘where’s Sam?’ and then that’s when she told me ‘there’s an incident and that Sam didn’t make it.’” He described how happy Miller and him had been just moments earlier as they celebrated their nuptials. “She was so happy. I mean, planning a wedding, as most people know, is extremely stressful. And she just had a weird, like, calmness that night,” he said. “Sam’s just got that glow. She’s the type to walk in the room and you’d just notice. We had family friends from all over the country everywhere there and everyone was just so happy she was so happy. “It was one of the best nights of my life.” When asked if he had a message for the woman accused of causing his new bride’s death, he said no. “I can’t right now.... he stole something,” he said. “She stole an amazing human being that should not have been taken.” Mr Hutchinson is now back at the home he shared with Miller after suffering two broken legs and brain bleeds in the crash. A toxicology report revealed that Ms Komoroski had a blood alcohol level of 0.261 – over three times the legal limit – when she was taken into custody on the scene of the crash. On Wednesday, Mr Hutchinson filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ms Komoroski and the bars where she allegedly bar-hopped that night before getting behind the wheel of her car. In the suit, seeking unspecified damages, Mr Hutchinson claims that she “slurred and staggered her way through” El Gallo Bar & Grill near Daniel Island then travelled to Folly Beach where she bar-hopped between Snapper Jacks, the Drop In Bar & Dali and the Crab Shack. Each of the bars continued to serve her alcohol after she was clearly drunk, the suit claims. The suit also accuses Taco Boy, where Ms Komoroski had started working, of negligence and recklessness for allegedly coercing its new server into drinking “a dangerous amount of alcohol” at a work event. In a statement, Taco Boy denied the allegation. Read More Widowed husband sues driver, bars after DUI crash killed bride on wedding night Groom sues drunk driver who killed new wife as she left wedding reception Drunk driver who killed bride on wedding day had blood alcohol level three times over the legal limit

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said there’s something “delicious” about far-right members of Congress positioning themselves against corporations that promote diversity or progressive ideas as he believes it unites most Americans who are on the other side of the fence. Despite what seems like an increasingly polarised political environment, Mr Buttigieg expressed hope about common ground in America, in part thanks to the GOP, while speaking with Wired. Over the last few years, several notable right-wing members of Congress have blasted companies like Bud Light, Disney, Coca-Cola and American Express for promoting inclusivity. Speaking specifically to the Coca-Cola Company being called “woke” for protesting voter suppression laws in Georgia, Mr Buttigieg said, “There’s something delicious about the way that [Senator Ted Cruz] and the rest of them have positioned themselves on one side of the fence.” “And Netflix, Coca-Cola, Disney and Bud Light are on the other side. Along with most of America,” Mr Buttigieg added. Recently, anti-transgender people called for a boycott against Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, after they included a transgender woman in their advertising. Over the last year, Disney has been targeted by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for openly criticising his legislation suppressing LGBTQ+ rights in the state. But many have publicly mocked Mr DeSantis for going after the massive corporation due to their conflicting beliefs. Mr Buttigieg seemingly pointed to the backlash, similar to the kind Mr DeSantis is facing, as an example of many Americans advocating for progressive ideas. “There may in fact be a center of gravity in this country that includes both a Democratic majority of the American people, and even something of a consensus, at least among mainstream business leaders,” Mr Buttigieg said. “We have certain commitments around democracy and inclusion that are really elemental to the whole system,” he added. In the interview, Mr Buttigieg said that while the two goals of the “mainstream right” were to “prevent legal access to abortion and to sustain lower taxes for the wealthy” they had to make “a lot of distasteful bargains” to get there. He cited coming after the US military as an example. “Sometimes the military—the military, of all institutions—comes under attack from the far right. On ideological grounds. Yet another front in the culture war,” Mr Buttigieg said. “You can only put yourself on the wrong side of so many red, white, and blue American institutions, and the question becomes, Is this about you?” Read More Bud Light fumbles, but experts say inclusive ads will stay Tesla shouldn't call driving system Autopilot because humans are still in control, Buttigieg says Disney updates lawsuit against DeSantis to add new events Pete Buttigieg says GOP falling in ‘delicious’ trap against US majority Tesla shouldn't call driving system Autopilot because humans are still in control, Buttigieg says AP News Digest 3 am

Six years ago, Kayla Unbehaun vanished from her Illinois hometown in an apparent abduction by her mother, who did not have custody. Six months ago, the nine-year-old’s photo appeared on an episode of the Netflix show Unsolved Mysteries about parental abductions, an age-progression image flashing on screen to depict what she would look like now. This month, someone at a North Carolina store recognised Kayla as a missing child — setting off a chain of events that led to her mother’s arrest and Kayla’s reunification with her father in the Midwest. Here’s everything we know about Kayla’s abduction and safe recovery — and the questions that remain unanswered in the case. A child and mother vanished on July 4th Kayla was born on 5 July 2008 to Ryan Iskerka and Heather Unbehaun in the western suburbs of Chicago. After the couple split, a judge awarded the child’s father permanent custody. Kayla was spending July 4th with her mother in 2017, however, and was scheduled to be returned to her father the next day, on her ninth birthday. “According to police interviews, Heather was last seen packing her belongings up to the roof of her car,” Mr Iskerka wrote in a GoFundMe established just days later. “Her closest family members indicated she went on a camping trip to an unknown location in Wisconsin and was expected to return on Wednesday July 5th at 7pm for a parenting time exchange with me. “Heather and Kayla did not show up for the court ordered exchange and the police were immediately contacted and an investigation was launched. It was discovered that all of Heather’s social media had been canceled and her phone turned off. As far as we know, no one has been able to reach her or has talked to her since the 4th of July. “Because of this, the following day I had filed a missing person’s report for both Kayla and Heather. Heather also did not show up for a court date motioned by her on Friday June 7th. Her lawyer had not talked to her for days, was unaware of what happened and was very concerned.” Mother charged with abduction as father pleads for help After Mr Iskerka filed the missing person’s reports, Ms Unbehaun was charged in 2017 with child abduction, a Class 4 felony, the Kane County State’s Attorney said Tuesday in a statement. A judge set her bail at $10,000 and, “since then, South Elgin police pursued numerous leads and tips, working with police agencies from around the country in an attempt to locate the child and Unbehaun.” Mr Iskerka, meanwhile, was appealing for donations and information, writing on the GoFundMe that he planned to use the assistance “to hire a private investigator and any additional cost concerning the search for them and their health and safety for when they are found. “The safety and return of Kayla is the top priority of all of my family and I and any help we receive through this funding is greatly appreciated,” he wrote. Between July 2017 and May 2023, the page raised just over $2,500 toward its $10,000 goal, the last donation recorded on the site coming in nearly four years ago. In November, however, Kayla’s picture featured on an episode of Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries. At the end of Abducted by a Parent, the final instalment of the program’s third Netflix season, missing posters and age progression images are shown from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). For just under five seconds, a photo of Kayla at nine appears onscreen alongside a picture of what she might look like as a teenager. A Bring Kayla Home Facebook page, meanwhile, was also promoting the age progression image — sharing it as recently as 21 April. Created the same day as the GoFundMe — five days after Kayla was last seen in Wheaton with her mother — the page has more than 7,000 followers. Search meets unlikely ending Kayla and her mother were at Westgate Regional Shopping Center on Saturday evening (13 May) in Asheville, North Carolina, when they caught the notice of a person at upmarket consignment shop Plato’s Closet, according to authorities. That person “recognized Unbehaun and recalled that the child was missing,” Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office posted Tuesday on social media. “A store employee immediately contacted Asheville police, who contacted South Elgin police. “South Elgin police confirmed the identity of the two individuals as Heather Unbehaun and the missing child.” Ms Unbehauen, 40, was subsequently taken into custody, and Kayla has since been reunited with her father. Mr Iskerka, in a statement issued through the NCMEC, that he was “overjoyed that Kayla is home safe”. “I want to thank the South Elgin Police Department, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case,” Mr Iskerka continued. “I also want to thank all of the followers on the ‘Bring Kayla Home’ Facebook page, who helped keep her story alive and were instrumental in spreading awareness. We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning.” South Elgin Chief of Police Jerry Krawczyk also thanked citizens across the country and other law enforcement agencies who worked so dedicatedly to help bring Kayla home. “We are overjoyed to report that the child is in good condition and in good spirits since being reunited with her father,” he said Tuesday in a release. Law enforcement agencies — and well-wishers — were celebrating across several states as the case offered hope to investigators and families looking for people who’ve been missing for years. “I certainly think this is a unique case,” Asheville Police Lt. Jonathan Brown told WLOS. “It is unusual, it’s not a case that we see routinely or often.” He marveled at how Kayla’s mother had managed to go undetected for years. “What’s most unusual is the ability to stay off the grid, if you will, for that period of time,” he said. “Typically we leave a technological bread crumb and those are usually very easy and quick to be tracked down. This was not.” What happens next Following Ms Unbehaun’s arrest in Buncombe County, she was charged with the felony offence of extradition, which she declined to waive. She posted $25,000 bond on Tuesday and was released from custody, then turned herself in the following day in Kane County, Illinois, where she was booked on the abduction charge. The 40-year-old appeared before Judge Julia Yetter on Thursday (18 May) and has been released on bond with an electronic monitoring device. Kayla’s father obtained an order of protection against Ms Unbehaun, who is barred from being within 1,000 feet of his residence and cannot leave Illinois without court permission, a Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office spokesman told The Independent. The 40-year-old’s next scheduled court date is 14 June. A Class 4 Felony in Illinois can carry a sentence of one to three years, often probationary. The Independent has reached out to lawyers for Mr Iskerka and Ms Unbehaun.

Embattled lawmaker George Santos has been accused of allegedly defrauding fellow Republican candidates running for office, a report says. Mr Santos, a Republican first-term congressman from New York has been accused of a string of lies and falsehoods about numerous parts of his background. He was indicted in federal court last week for, among other things, having an associate tell a donor that a contribution to a firm Mr Santos owned would go to support his campaign. Much of the money allegedly went to Mr Santos’s personal accounts instead. But deep-pocketed donors are reportedly not the only people Mr Santos allegedly conned into donating to his firm. According to The Daily Beast, Mr Santos also allegedly took money from his fellow Republican candidates. The firm in question, identified only as “Company #1” in the indictment, is believed to be Redstone Strategies — a limited liability company founded in Florida in 2021 that listed Mr Santos’ Devolder Organization as one of its managers. Mr Santos has denied that Redstone Strategies is the company in question in the indictment but said he was unsure what that company could be. Other people seem to recall more details. Redstone reportedly served as a vendor for multiple New York Republican candidates during the 2022 election cycle and was given a substantial amount of money by Rise NY PAC, a political action committee run by Mr Santos’s sister. “George didn’t only lie to his voters, but also to fellow candidates around him for his own alleged financial gain,” Stefano Forte, a Queens Republican who ran unsuccessfully for the New York state Senate last year, told The Daily Beast. Mr Forte told the publication that Mr Santos approached him personally and pitched him on hiring Redstone, which he did — parting ways with the firm only after he’d paid it $14,000. Mr Forte said he never knew that Mr Santos had a stake in the company, meaning Mr Santos did not disclose that information when he pitched him on hiring the firm. Mr Santos confirmed to The Daily Beast that he had pitched fellow candidates on hiring Redstone, but said he never personally profited from the resulting transactions and dismissed Mr Forte’s criticism as a political attack. Mr Santos is facing a bevvy of legal issues that have made his position in Congress tenuous. Following his indictment, House Democrats introduced a resolution to have him expelled from the chamber. The House voted along party lines on Thursday to refer the resolution to the House Ethics Committee, with Mr Santos himself voting against his explosion. Read More Effort to expel Santos falters as Republicans vote to send measure to Ethics Committee Aide to embattled Republican George Santos resigns: ‘You never took one point of professional advice’ Republicans will regret taking the easy way out on George Santos Jamaal Bowman: Marjorie Taylor Greene used racial ‘bullhorn’ after Capitol exchange George Santos bizarrely compares himself to a Mean Girls character Aide to embattled Republican George Santos resigns

A man accused of being a Bosnian war criminal who faked his way into the US was arrested in Boston, according to court records. Kemal Mrndzic, who authorities took into custody on Wednesday, allegedly oversaw a prison camp in Bosnia & Herzegovina where prisoners were murdered, raped, and tortured in the 1990s. Federal prosecutors allege that Mr Mrndzic, 50, lied about being a refugee and claimed he had US citizenship, according to Boston.com. They claim he worked as a supervisor at the ÄŒelebići prison camp in the country during the Bosnian War. Survivors accused him of being involved in the war crimes committed against prisoners at the camp. He has been charged with falsifying, concealing, and covering up a material fact from the US government by trick, scheme, or device, for using a fraudulently obtained US passport, and for possessing and using a fraudulently obtained naturalisation certificate and fraudulently obtained Social Security card. Three former guards who allegedly worked with Mr Mrndzic have already been convicted by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Prosecutors said he was interviewed by the UN's tribunal after the Bosnian War and was then accused of participating in the war crimes carried out in the camp. Mr Mrndzic allegedly fled the region to Croatia, where prosecutors say he took on a fake identity and presented himself as a refugee to gain entry to the US. He gained access in 1999 and was later granted citizenship, according to Radio Free Europe. Prosecutors said Mr Mrndzic claimed he had been taken prisoner by Serb fighters and was afraid they would seek revenge on him if he was not granted refugee status. “It is alleged that in his refugee application and interview, he falsely claimed that he fled his home after he was captured, interrogated and abused by Serb forces, and could not return home for fear of future persecution,” the Department of Justice said in a statement. “He was admitted to the U.S. as a refugee in 1999, and ultimately became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009.” Mr Mrndzic made his first court appearance on Wednesday morning and was released on a $30,000 bond. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the fraudulent passport and naturalisation charges — 10 years each — and up to five years in prison for the remaining charges, with three years of supervised release afterwards as well as a $250,000 fine. Approximately 240 ethnic Serbs were imprisoned at ÄŒelebići as part of the systemic ethnic cleansing of Serbian civilians by Bosnian Muslim and Croat forces. Read More Death row inmate challenges new Tennessee post-conviction law Remains of Georgia woman killed 46 years ago identified, confirmed serial killer victim Man accused in baseball bat attack of Connolly congressional staffers now facing federal charges

Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign wasted no time in knocking Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the news that Disney is cancelling a $1bn plan to expand its business in Florida. The campaign for the former president to return to the White House sent out a fundraising email on 18 May after the news broke about the shelving of the planned relocation of some thousands of staff to the Orlando area. Headlined: “President Trump is always right”, the email included a Truth Social post from Mr Trump dated 18 April. The post reads: “DeSanctus is being absolutely destroyed by Disney. His original P.R. plan fizzled, so now he’s going back with a new one in order to save face. Disney’s next move will be the announcement that no more money will be invested in Florida because of the Governor.” He continues: “In fact, they could even announce a slow withdrawal or sale of certain properties, or the whole thing. Watch! That would be a killer. In the meantime, this is all so unnecessary, a political STUNT! Ron should work on the squatter MESS!” Walt Disney has pulled the plug on a $1bn office complex in central Florida, following a warning from Disney leadership that billions of dollars in projects were on the line after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis escalated his feud with the company. The development scheduled for construction in the Orlando area was set to bring 2,000 jobs to the region, with 1,000 employees expected to be relocated from southern California. In an email to employees on 18 May, Disney’s theme park and consumer products chair Josh D’Amaro pointed to “changing business conditions” for the cancellation of the 60-acre Lake Nona Town Center project, according to The New York Times, which first reported the move. “I remain optimistic about the direction of our Walt Disney World business,” he added, noting that the company has still planned $17bn in projects over the next decade at its Disney World campus. “I hope we’re able to,” he said. For years, Florida legislators and the governor’s office enjoyed a close relationship with the state’s largest taxpayers, among the state’s largest employers, which has wielded enormous political influence while bringing in billions of dollars to the state each year. Now, the company and DeSantis allies are suing one another, following a year-long feud over opposition to what opponents have called Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law that boiled over into political and legal battles that could shape the company’s business in the state. Moments after a board appointed by Mr DeSantis voted to strip the company’s control of its Florida park, Disney filed a federal lawsuit against the governor and state officials alleging a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” for “expressing a political viewpoint.” The lawsuit follows the governor’s state takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, now the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, made up of conservative activists and DeSantis loyalists, a move that followed Florida Republicans’ punitive measures against the company after its public opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” law. Days later, the board voted to sue Disney in state court. In March, Disney slammed the governor’s “anti-business” approach to the company, which Mr DeSantis has accused of advancing a “woke agenda” while his administration targets LGBT+ people and their families with sweeping laws to control public school education, healthcare access and speech. The governor dissolved a decades-old municipal district that allowed Disney to control its own land use, zoning rules and public services, without putting a tax burden on Florida residents. In effect, Disney taxed itself to foot the district’s bill for its municipal needs. “Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people, and pay more taxes, or not?” Disney CEO Bob Iger said on a conference call with analysts last week. A statement from Disney said the company has decided to pull out of the new campus construction “given the considerable changes that have occurred since the announcement of this project, including new leadership and changing business conditions.” Governor DeSantis’s office said in a statement: “Disney announced the possibility of a Lake Nona campus nearly two years ago. Nothing ever came of the project, and the state was unsure whether it would come to fruition. “Given the company’s financial straits, falling market cap and declining stock price, it is unsurprising that they would restructure their business operations and cancel unsuccessful ventures.” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings released his own statement reading: “It is unfortunate that Disney will not be moving forward with construction of the Lake Nona campus. However, these are the consequences when there isn’t an inclusive and collaborative work environment between the state of Florida and the business community.” He concluded by saying: “We will continue to work closely with our valued partners at Disney.” Read More Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis Ron DeSantis mocked over bizarre video of roaring laughter: ‘A faulty robot’ Pete Buttigieg says GOP falling in ‘delicious’ trap: ‘Coca-Cola, Disney and Bud Light are on the other side’ Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

Republican Congressman Clay Higgins yanked and shoved an activist who he claimed was mentally disturbed during a press conference outside the US Capitol. Jake Burdett, an activist with leftist political views, was filming and asking questions of the GOP lawmakers present when a man in a suit approached him. The moment, which is captured in Mr Burdett's footage, shows the man in the suit — Mr Higgins — walking up, introducing himself, and telling the activist to back off and that he will answer his questions after the conference. “All I’m asking you to do is just peacefully stand by with your camera and I promise you—look at me—I’ll come talk to you straight up and answer all your questions. Fair enough?” Mr Higgins asks. Mr Burdett stood back, but zeroed in on the lawmakers again when Congresswoman Laura Boebert began to speak. The activist began to ask questions about her recently announced divorce but was intercepted by Mr Higgins. Footage capturing the moment shows Mr Higgins grabbing the activist and shoving him several feet away from the press conference. “Uh-uh. Uh-uh. No. You’re out. You’re out," Mr Higgins can be heard saying in the footage. Mr Burdett can be heard protesting Mr Higgins’s interference, asking: “Aren't you a congressperson, touching me?” He then demanded that he “get off” and said that the lawmaker was hurting him. Mr Higgins continued to grapple Mr Burdett until DC Metropolitan police intervened and split the men up. Mr Burdett was questioned by DC police and was later allowed to leave. He spoke about the experience with The Daily Beast, saying he felt “scared, intimidated, powerless, [and] defenceless”. Mr Burdett said he felt as though he could do nothing to defend himself since Mr Higgins is a member of Congress. “Like, who do I think the cops are going to crack down on, me, or the congressperson?” he said. He believes the incident was an example of a lawmaker thinking of themselves as “untouchable” because of their position. “It’s one thing for anybody to do that,” he said of Higgins’ behaviour. “But for a sitting US congressperson to think that that’s OK—it just shows an extra level of entitlement, that they feel they’re untouchable and the law doesn’t apply to them.” The footage was shared widely on social media, sparking a Change.org petition for the arrest of Mr Higgins. The Independent has reached out to Mr Higgins and Mr Burdett for comment. Mr Higgins responded to the incident in a video response posted to Twitter. Mr Higgins offered a comment to KATC, and said Mr Burdett "was a 103M," which is a police code referring to mentally disturbed individuals. The statement goes on to accuse Mr Burdett of being “threatening”. Mr Burdett told The Daily Beast he was in Washington to attend a Medicare for All rally featuring Senator Bernie Sanders. After that rally, he spotted the Republican press conference setting up in the same spot. He decided to stay and "ask them some tough questions." He said that after the incident he is weighing his options and strongly considering making assault charges against the congressman. “I’m absolutely evaluating my options here, and if it looks like there is a strong case for assault and [there is] an attorney willing to take on the case, I am absolutely prepared to press charges,” he said. Read More The school librarian in the middle of Louisiana’s war on libraries Lauren Boebert denies claim husband flew into rage after being served divorce papers Marjorie Taylor Greene launches racially-loaded attack on Black Democrat after Capitol steps shouting match Lauren Boebert denies claim husband flew into rage after being served divorce papers Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis FACT FOCUS: Who’s to blame for the national debt? It’s more complicated than one culprit

Sam Brinton, the former Department of Energy official who was accused of stealing a Tanzanian fashion designer’s dresses from her airport luggage, has been arrested as a “fugitive from justice” by Maryland police. Brinton was reportedly taken into custody in Rockville, Maryland by police on Wednesday, according to police records. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police, said the arrest was again related to the alleged theft of airport luggage, reported Fox News. It is the third such allegation made against Brinton. “Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police executed a search warrant May 17 in Montgomery County, Maryland, in connection with allegations of stolen property in luggage from Reagan National Airport that was brought to the department’s attention in February 2023,” James Johnson, a spokesperson for the MWAA, said in a statement. They previously oversaw nuclear waste policy at the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, but more recently has been battling charges related to luggage theft in both Nevada and Minnesota. Brinton was charged in October for allegedly stealing a traveller’s bags worth a total of $2,325 from the Minneapolis-St Paul Airport on 16 September. They were charged again in early December by Las Vegas prosecutors with grand larceny of an item with a value between $1,200 and $5,000. Those charges accuse Brinton of stealing a suitcase from the Harry Reid International Airport with an estimated worth of $3,670 on 6 July, 2022. That bag also contained jewellery valued at $1,700, clothing valued at $850, and makeup valued at $500. Brinton faced a combined 15 years in prison for the alleged thefts, but judges in both cases determined jail time was not necessary. Brinton made headlines after Tanzanian fashion designer Asya Khamsin spotted them wearing one of her custom-made dresses packed in her luggage that she reported missing in 2018. “I saw the images. Those were my custom designs, which were lost in that bag in 2018,” she told Fox News at the time, adding that Brinton “wore my clothes, which [were] stolen”. She reported the theft to the Houston police, who then forwarded the complaint to the FBI for investigation. The DOE announced Brinton had left the agency shortly after the second set of luggage theft charges were brought against them. The agency did not provide further detail on why Brinton was no longer working at the DOE. Read More Fashion designer who lost her luggage in 2018 claims embattled US nuclear official has been wearing her clothes US nuclear official fired after being accused of stealing luggage from airport Man accused of stealing ‘Wizard of Oz’ ruby-red slippers in 2005 indicted by federal grand jury

Rep Jamaal Bowman (D - New York) criticised Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene for characterising him as threatening when they confronted each other on the steps of the Capitol on Wednesday. The two had a heated exchange on the steps of the US Capitol after the House voted to refer the expulsion of Representative George Santos to the House Ethics Committee. At a press conference on Thursday, Ms Greene said criticised Mr Bowman, an outspoken progressive, for confronting her on the steps of the US Capitol on Wednesday, for calling her a white supremacist. Ms Greene later criticised Mr Bowman for calling her a white supremacist. “That is like calling a person of colour the n-word,” she said. “Jamaal Bowman was down there cursing at me, telling me to get the eff out of there, right outside the vehicle I was sitting in.” Mr Bowman confronted Ms Greene in a heated conversation on the steps of the US Capitol on Wednesday following the vote to refer the expulsion of the embattled New York Republican representative to the House Ethics Committee rather than subject his expulsion to a full vote on the House floor. “What is on video is Jamaal Bowman shouting at the top of his lungs, cursing,” she said. “Calling me a white supremacist, which I take great offence to. That is like calling a person of colour the N-word.” Ms Greene accused Mr Bowman of “leading the mob” right outside a vehicle as she was prepared to leave the Capitol. She then noted that he confronted her after the vote. “His physical mannerisms are aggressive,” she said, criticising his recent interaction with Rep Thomas Massie (R - Kentucky) and accusing him of shoving Mr Massie when discussing gun violence. “I am concerned. I feel threatened by him.” The Daily Beast’s Ursula Perano filmed the interaction as Mr Bowman admonished Ms Greene, who has promoted conspiracies such as QAnon, to fix the Republican Party. Eventually, Mr Bowman’s friend Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D - New York) stepped in to tell him of Ms Greene: “She ain’t worth it, bro.” During their back and forth, Mr Bowman told Ms Greene of Mr Santos: “Expel him. Save the party. The party is hanging by a thread.” But Ms Greene deflected, saying: “We got to get rid of Biden to save the country,” before she tried to start a chant of “impeach Biden.” Mr Bowman then said Ms Greene needed to stop promoting conspiracy theories. “No more QAnon,” he said, to which Ms Greene replied: “No more CNN.” “No more debt ceiling nonsense,” he said. “Come on, now. Save the party.” Mr Bowman also called on Ms Greene to do something about guns. “So close the border,” Ms Greene, which led Mr Bowman to scoff. “The border is where Trump left it,” he said. Mr Bowman ultimately moved on following the advice of Ms Ocasio-Cortez. The confrontation came after Mr Bowman and Ms Ocasio-Cortez heckled Mr Santos outside of the Capitol building, imploring him to resign as he spoke to reporters. Last week, Mr Santos was indicted on 13 counts of criminal charges related to wire fraud, money laundering, making false statements to the House of Representatives and theft of public funds. However, on Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted to refer the resolution to expel Mr Santos to the House Ethics Committee rather than sent it to a House vote. The charges come months after it was revealed that Mr Santos lied on his resume before being elected to represent New York’s 3rd district. Democrats have been pushing for Mr Santos to resign, citing ethical concerns- including Mr Bowman and Ms Ocasio-Cortez. Read More AOC heckles George Santos after Congress votes on his future: ‘Resign! Resign bro!’ Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis Marjorie Taylor Greene files impeachment against Biden, unlikely to pass AOC heckles George Santos after Congress votes on his future: ‘Resign! Resign bro!’ Marjorie Taylor Greene falsely claims slain Georgia activist killed police officer at Cop City protest