List of All Articles with Tag 'americas'

“Cult mom” Lori Vallow is back in court today to be sentenced for the murders of her two children in a dramatic case that gripped the nation. Vallow, 50, was convicted in May of killing her seven-year-old son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 16-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan, who vanished without a trace in September 2019. She was also found guilty of conspiring to kill her husband Chad Daybell’s first wife, Tammy, who died in October 2019. The verdict came after prosecutors convinced a jury that Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with her brother Alex Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their bizarre cult beliefs – but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammy’s life insurance money and the children’s social security and survivor benefits. Before the sentence is handed down, the court will hear victim impact statements from several family members devastated by the harrowing saga that’s seen countless twists and turns over four years. WATCH LIVE Read More Who is Lori Vallow? Mom-of-three, beauty queen – and convicted killer Lori Vallow had two alleged accomplices in her children’s murders. One will never face justice Napping in court, three words and typing too loudly: Bizarre moments from Lori Vallow’s murder trial

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has said that the investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia is “ready to go” – in a hint suggesting a potential indictment could be imminent. “The work is accomplished,” she told WXIA over the weekend. “We’ve been working for two and half years. We’re ready to go.” DA Willis said that there will be people unhappy with the outcome of the probe and praised the actions of local officials who ramped up security around the courthouse in Georgia last week. The DA previously indicated that any charging decisions would likely come in August. Separately, an indictment may also come soon in DOJ special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Mr Trump’s efforts to overturn the election and into the January 6 Capitol riot. This comes after Mr Smith’s office added additional charges against the former president in the case involving his handling of classified documents on leaving the White House. Last week, Mar-a-Lago worker Carlos Oliveira was charged in the case, becoming the third defendant. The property manager will appear in court on the charges on Monday. Read More Trump could be indicted soon in Georgia. Here's a look at that investigation Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump's classified documents case to make first court appearance Trump has spent $40m from his campaign funds on his legal costs, report says Is Donald Trump going to prison?

The Mar-a-Lago IT supervisor identified as “Trump Employee 4” in the latest indictment against former presidentDonald Trump and his alleged co-conspirators was reportedly informed that he’s a target of the ongoing Justice Department probe into alleged mishandling of classified records by the ex-president. According to CNN, the employee in question is named Yuscil Taveras. The outlet said Mr Taveras, who is charged with any crime at this point, subsequently met with Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team of prosecutors and gave evidence that was used to obtain the superseding indictment against Mr Trump, co-defendant Walt Nauta and a newly-added third co-defendant: Mar-a-Lago maintenance supervisor Carlos De Oliveira. According to the superseding indictment, Mr De Oliveira informed Mr Taveras during a conversation at the Palm Beach social club that “’the boss wanted” the contents of a server containing CCTV surveillance records “deleted” in the days following receipt of a grand jury subpoena for video that showed the corridor outside a room where boxes of documents from the Trump White House were being stored. Prosecutors allege that Mr Taveras responded by telling Mr De Oliveira that he did not think he “would have the rights” to delete the footage in question, leading his co-worker to ask: “What are we going to do?” Mr De Oliveira is charged with conspiring with Mr Trump and Mr Nauta to obstruct the DOJ probe into Mr Trump’s alleged unlawful retention of national defence information as well as with lying to investigators about his involvement in moving boxes containing records from the Trump administration when Mr Trump moved from the White House back to his Palm Beach, Florida property. A Trump campaign statement called the charges “nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their Department of Justice to harass President Trump and those around him” and accused Mr Smith, a veteran prosecutor overseeing multiple probes into Mr Trump of “casting about for any way to salvage their illegal witch hunt and to get someone other than Donald Trump to run against Crooked Joe Biden”. Read More Georgia DA says Trump 2020 election probe is ‘ready to go’ in strongest hint yet of looming indictment Trump news – live: Georgia DA says Trump 2020 case is ‘ready to go’ as Mar-a-Lago worker heads to court Right-wing TV host at Trump rally denies he wants to kill liberals, globalists, and RINOs

A manhunt is underway to track down a suspect who police said “intentionally” drove an SUV into a group of migrant workers outside a Walmart in North Carolina. The incident unfolded at around 1.17pm on Sunday when the victims were standing outside the store in Lincolnton, the Lincolnton Police Department said. Suddenly, the driver of a black SUV, described as an older white male, ploughed into the group before fleeing the scene. Six workers were struck and injured in the incident. They were all taken to the nearby hospital Atrium Health – Lincoln for treatment for various injuries. None of the victims’ injuries appear to be life-threatening, police said. “Six migrant workers were hit in what appears to be an intentional assault with a vehicle. All six were transported to Atrium Health – Lincoln with various injuries. None of the injuries appear to be life threatening,” police said in a Facebook post. “The vehicle is an older model mid-size black Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with a luggage rack. The driver was described as an older white male. The motives of the suspect are still under investigation.” At this time, police are treating the incident as an intentional assault with a vehicle and are searching for the driver. The identity of the driver – described as an older white male – is unknown at this time and the motive for the alleged attack remains unclear. The Lincolnton Police Department is asking that anyone with information about the incident contacts the Lincolnton Police Department at (704) 736-8900. Read More Hollywood nightclub death – latest: Security guard fatally beaten outside Dragonfly club as 11 suspects on run Man convicted of setting up smuggling trip that killed 13 in California gets 15 years in prison

Former president Donald Trump mocked Ron DeSantis, his chief rival in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, by posting a video of the Florida governor wiping his nose with his hand while greeting people. Mr Trump posted the video on his Truth Social site, which featured the children’s song “One of These Things is Not Like the Other” with Mr DeSantis talking with supporters while holding a beer. The video was created on the right-wing video site Rumble by the pro-Trump Dilley Meme Team. The end of the video shows Mr DeSantis wiping his nose with his hand while speaking with people with a voice saying “ew.” The Florida governor has received negative media attention for his supposed social awkwardness, most notably a story in The Daily Beast where he reportedly ate pudding with his fingers. Mr Trump has regularly pilloried Mr DeSantis, accusing the Florida governor of being disloyal after Mr Trump endorsed him in the Republican primary for governor in 2018, and has dubbed him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” During a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, he mocked the fact that Mr DeSantis’s campaign is shedding money and staff, according to multiple news reports. He also said Mr DeSantis ruined his chances to run for president in 2028. “A lot of people say just saying this is dropping out of the race,” Mr Trump said. “I don't know that that's true, but I wouldn't be surprised. He should. Because I think he's absolutely killed himself for [2028].” Mr DeSantis recently laid off multiple members of his staff after raising only $20m and burning through a large part of his campaign cash despite the fact he has only been a candidate for two months. A New York Times/Siena College showed that 54 per cent of Republicans support Mr Trump, with only 17 per cent supporting Mr DeSantis. Read More Georgia DA says Trump 2020 election probe is ‘ready to go’ in strongest hint yet of looming indictment Trump rehearses defence over possible election lies charges at Pennsylvania rally Trump news – live: Georgia DA says Trump 2020 case is ‘ready to go’ as Mar-a-Lago worker heads to court

Police in Los Angeles are seeking up to 11 suspects after a nightclub bouncer was beaten to death in Hollywood in the early hours of Sunday morning. The 32-year-old security guard was found lying unresponsive in the street outside the Dragonfly club near Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue at around 2am, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Investigators said the man, who has not been named, was set upon by a crowd while working at the club. He died from his injuries in hospital. “We know that oftentimes people will record these types of incidents on their cellphone. We would encourage them to share that with us as it can help bring a sense of justice to this person’s family,” said Detective Samuel Marullo in an appeal for witnesses to come forward. So far, no arrests have been made and no motive has been offered to explain the incident. Friends of the victim, reportedly a father of two, gathered at the site of the attack on Sunday evening to place candles and pay their final respects. Read More Up to 11 suspects sought after security guard beaten to death outside popular Hollywood nightclub

Former President Donald Trump’s legal fees are skyrocketing, and have already surpassed $40m as he awaits indictment on a host of charges related to the January 6 attack and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The Washington Post reported the staggering total cost of the president’s legal expenditures on Saturday, citing numerous sources within Trumpworld. The mounting costs are only likely to grow more burdensome after Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith hands down an indictment in the coming days charging Mr Trump for crimes allegedly committed while he served as president. And then there’s Georgia: the former president and members of his legal team are expected to face potential charges as a result of Fulton County prosecutors’ investigation into their efforts to change the election results in that state too. A decision in that matter is expected later this month. Mr Trump’s Save America PAC, his primary vessel for outside spending, is expected to verify this total in a campaign finance filing on Monday, according to the Post. The Trump campaign has been reported in recent months to have begun funneling a greater share of donations directly to the PAC as his legal expenses mount. Complicating the issue: Mr Trump is apparently paying legal fees for a number of those within his inner circle who have been drawn into the investigation — which itself has become an issue that prosecutors are examining. A spokesman for the former president confirmed this, stating only that Mr Trump was paying for legal representation for potential witnesses in the cases against him “to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed” by a supposedly “unlawful harassment” campaign led by the DoJ. The Post’s scoop drew ire on Twitter from Trump loyalists, who decried the ongoing and growing prosecution of the former president as a politicised witch hunt. One of those loyalists was Senator JD Vance, who won a hard-fought election last year with close support from the former president throughout his primary and general election campaigns. “The “Trump paid $40m in legal fees” attack is so lame. I have good friends who did nothing wrong who had their legal fees paid by Save America PAC. Would you rather they throw all of their employees under a bus?” tweeted Mr Vance on Saturday. “The real story is that our system has become so corrupted that it costs millions of dollars to fight ir [sic],” he continued. “Anyone who thinks they wouldn’t do this to [GOP primary candidates Ron] Desantis, or [Tim] Scott, or anyone else, is kidding themselves.” Read More Chris Christie slams Trumps as ‘Corleones with no experience’ Nikki Haley urges McConnell and Feinstein to ‘walk away’ after recent health concerns Trump returns to first impeachment roots by saying Ukraine aid should be linked to Biden probes ‘Poetic’: Trump takes stage in Iowa to song about going to prison Joe Biden, America's oldest sitting president, needs young voters to win again. Will his age matter? Only four out of dozens of former Trump cabinet members say he should be re-elected

Nearly four years after Lori Vallow killed her two children, the “doomsday cult” mom is expected to be sentenced to spend the rest of her life behind bars. Following much delay caused by the Covid pandemic and procedural hurdles, Fremont County District Judge Steven Boyce is expected to hand down 50-year-old Vallow’s sentence at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, on Monday. Vallow was found guilty in May of killing her seven-year-old son Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan sometime in late 2019 and taking their security benefits. She was also convicted of conspiring to kill her husband Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy that year. The children’s bodies were found in June 2020 at a pet cemetery in Mr Daybell’s residence. Tylee’s remains were discovered burned, while JJ was strangled to death and found still in his pyjamas and with a plastic bag over his head and duct tape over his mouth. Vallow’s sentencing may mark the end of her legal saga in Idaho but her husband will be tried later this year on the same charges that she was convicted of — Vallow is also facing charges of conspiring to kill in the death of her fourth husband Charles Vallow in Arizona. Evidence introduced during the six-week trial included bizarre testimony from family members that she called her son and daughter zombies and said she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse. Vallow and Mr Daybell apparently believed in an ability to use their minds to cast out demons from people and “work on them”. The convicted child killer is expected to be sentenced to life in prison. However, Mr Daybell is facing the death penalty in the case. Vallow has been held at Madison County Jail ahead of sentencing but will be transferred to the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction and then expected to be relocated to the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center, according to KTVB. Mr Daybell and Vallow were slated to stand trial together before Judge Boyce ruled in March that the cases would be severed. Four family members are expected to give victim impact statements at Vallow’s sentencing, according to previously submitted requests to the court following Idaho law. Vallow’s only surviving son 27-year-old Colby Ryan and her sister Summer Shiflet are expected to deliver their statements. JJ’s grandmother Kay Woodcock and Tammy Daybell’s aunt Vicki Hoban are also expected to address the court during sentencing. Vallow’s defence attorneys will also have an opportunity to speak on her behalf. Once Vallow is sentenced, Arizona prosecutors are expected to submit requests for extradition. In Maricopa County, she has been charged with conspiracy to kill her fourth husband Charles Vallow, who was shot dead by Vallow’s brother Alex Cox, on July 11 2019. JJ and Tylee then vanished without a trace back in September 2019, with their mother refusing to reveal their whereabouts to authorities for many months. One month after the children were last seen alive, Tammy – Mr Daybell’s wife and an otherwise healthy 49-year-old – died suddenly and Vallow and Mr Daybell soon jetted off to Hawaii to get married on the beach. In June 2020, the remains of JJ and Tylee were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho, and the doomsday cult couple were eventually charged with murder. Prosecutors argued that Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their bizarre cult beliefs – but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammy’s life insurance money and the children’s social security and survivor benefits. Read More American mother-of-three arrested in Bahamas over alleged plot to kill ex-football star husband Sanctuary for Pablo Escobar’s family in UK was part of secret deal Breakthrough in Long Island serial killings shines light on the many unsolved murders of sex workers

GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley says she’s concerned about the new allegations levied at Donald Trump by the Justice Department, a sign that the Republican field may be growing more comfortable with openly criticising the former commander-in-chief. Ms Haley was speaking in an interview that aired on Sunday on CBS’s Face The Nation when she was asked about new charges filed by the Department of Justice in a superceding indictment this past week accusing Mr Trump of showing classified information to guests at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club — as well as a new charge of obstructing justice. The former UN ambassador, appointed under Mr Trump, responded that she was very concerned “if these accusations are true”. The most recent accusations, notably, are supported by an audio recording of the Bedminster meeting in question in which Mr Trump can be heard exclaiming that documents he was holding (or gesturing to) were classified. “I think we need to see it,” Ms Haley said, presumably referring to the extent of the DoJ’s evidence. “You know, I think we've heard about it. I think that we know that there's something out there. But look, everybody's innocent until they're proven guilty. And like I said, if this is true, it's incredibly dangerous to our national security. And I think that will play out, but I think that we have to go and see what all the facts are.” She added: “[I]f these accusations are true, it's incredibly dangerous to our national security. But again, this is coming down from a Department of Justice that, frankly, the American people don't trust. “ Mr Trump’s latest criminal indictment — his second — brings the total number of charges he now faces up to 74, split among state and federal jurisdictions. A third is expected to drop within days, charging him with crimes related to the months-long effort by his team to change the 2020 election results including his actions leading up to and during the January 6 attack. Altogether, the charges depict an unprecedented pattern of criminality stemming back from before Mr Trump was ever elected to the stunning end of his administration in January 2021. He now battles for the 2024 Republican nomination, eager to use the powers of the presidency to thwart as much of the legal pressure he now faces as possible, while facing a crowded GOP field seemingly undaunted by his continued polling dominance and utter rout of his party rivals in 2016. Mr Trump has denied guilt in any of the dozens of criminal counts of which he is accused, and maintains that the Justice Department is conspiring with the Biden White House to block him from the presidency. Read More Chris Christie slams Trumps as ‘Corleones with no experience’ Right-wing TV host at Trump rally denies he wants to kill liberals, globalists, and RINOs Trump returns to first impeachment roots by saying Ukraine aid should be linked to Biden probes Only four out of dozens of former Trump cabinet members say he should be re-elected Nikki Haley urges McConnell and Feinstein to ‘walk away’ after recent health concerns Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against CNN over 'the Big Lie' dismissed in Florida

An American woman has been arrested in the Bahamas for allegedly plotting her husband’s murder. Thirty-six-year-old Lindsay Shiver was arrested after law enforcement in the area uncovered her alleged murder plot while investigating a separate crime, The Bahamas Court News reported. A source told the outlet that Ms Shiver and her husband and father of her three children Robert Shiver, 38, owned a house in the Bahamas. Mr Shiver, who played for Auburn University’s Tigers from 2006 to 2008, filed for divorce earlier this year after finding out that her wife allegedly had an extra-marital affair. Although details about the alleged scheme have not been released, local police arrested Ms Shiver, her alleged 28-year-old lover Terrance Bethel and Faron Newbold, also 28, who authorities say was hired to be the hitman. Texts in preparation for the supposed murder attempt incriminated the suspects, according to The New York Post. The evidence was found during an investigation into a robbery at a Great Guana Cay bar. The three suspects are currently being held in a jail facility in Nassau. They’re expected back in court on 5 October. Read More Mother, 18, accused of trying to hire hitman to kill three-year-old son Jimmy Hoffa disappearance anniversary: What happened to long-lost union leader presumed murdered by the mob? Sanctuary for Pablo Escobar’s family in UK was part of secret deal

A broadcaster at the rightwing network Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN) interrupted the programming ahead of former President Donald Trump’s rally in Erie, Pennsylvania to reject the notion that he wanted to kill liberals, globalists, and insufficiently conservative or Trump-supporting Republicans, known as RINOs (Republicans In Name Only). Matthew Alvarez said on Saturday that “There is something that is trending on Twitter right now ... I was interviewing people ... they were talking about how great the country is, how great the president is, and I heard something else that was spoken ... what I’m hearing is somebody said, ‘Well let’s kill them all.’ That is not something that I agree with, obviously,” he said, according to RawStory. Footage from the pre-rally interviews shows a Trump supporter saying that he will “guarantee” that Mr Trump gets back into the White House. He’s then asked what his opinion is on the globalists and RINOs and he appears to respond “Kill them all” to which Mr Alvarez says “I agree with you on that”. After the incident, Mr Alvarez backtracked to his viewers: “So if there is something that happened, where somebody was speaking out there, I didn’t hear those words spoken. It’s very loud outside. All I know is I’m here for God, for this country, for truth, for President Trump, that kind of thing. Definitely not a proponent of anything like that happening.” A fellow host on RSBN added: “It is very natural for someone to maybe agree with them, even if you didn’t understand.” “They will take a clip of that and run with it. We all know that’s not what you meant,” he added. “I didn’t say it, I didn’t hear the guy say it,” Mr Alvarez responded. Read More Nikki Haley urges McConnell and Feinstein to ‘walk away’ after recent health concerns Trump indictment – live: Trump echoes Ukraine impeachment as his PAC spends $40m on legal fees Only four out of dozens of former Trump cabinet members say he should be re-elected

Chris Christie launched yet another attack on former President Donald Trump and his team following the filing of further charges against him in relation to his handling of classified documents. The former New Jersey governor and ex-Trump ally called the Trump team “the Corleones with no experience” in reference to the crime family in the Godfather movies. “This is bad stuff. And you can’t say there was no underlying potential crime here,” Mr Christie said on CNN on Sunday. “This was the withholding of confidential classified information from the government. After 18 months of asking Donald Trump to return it voluntarily, not only did he not return it. He lied about having it,” he added. In the updated indictment, prosecutors state that two of Mr Trump’s employees, Walt Nauta, an aide, and maintenance worker Carlos De Oliveira, tried to delete surveillance footage at Mar-A-Lago, Mr Trump’s private club and residence in Florida, after the Department of Justice had issued a subpoena seeking the footage. The indictment states that Mr De Oliveira told the IT director “that ‘the boss’ wanted the server deleted”. Another count of willful retention of national defence information and two counts of obstruction were added to the 37 counts Mr Trump already faced in the case. On Sunday, Mr Trump rejected the notion that he had told his staff to delete the footage, writing in a post on Truth Social that his team had “voluntarily” provided the authorities with the footage. “This is not what a former president should be doing, and it’s certainly not something that someone who wants to be president should be doing,” Mr Christie said on CNN. “The government has made a very, very compelling case,” he added. The former Garden State governor is one of the staunchest critics of the former president to enter the race against him while most other candidates are still very reluctant to criticize Mr Trump. Fellow GOP 2024 candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur, told CNN on Sunday that the additional charges against Mr Trump made no difference to his promise of pardoning Mr Trump if elected. “I intend to be our next president. And, yes, I do believe I will move us forward. And, yes, I think one of the right ways to do that is to pardon the former president of the United States from what is clearly a politicized prosecution,” he said. Mr Ramaswamy added that Mr Trump shouldn’t be convicted of a crime “that would not have existed but for the existence of an investigation”. The former UN ambassador and governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, another 2024 candidate, told CBS News on Sunday that if the allegations Mr Trump faces are accurate, “It’s incredibly dangerous to our national security”. But she said the charges are “coming down from a Department of Justice that, frankly, the American people don’t trust”. When asked if she would pardon Mr Trump, she said she would do “what’s in the best interest of the country”. Read More Trump indictment – live: Trump echoes Ukraine impeachment as his PAC spends $40m on legal fees Nikki Haley urges McConnell and Feinstein to ‘walk away’ after recent health concerns Only four out of dozens of former Trump cabinet members say he should be re-elected GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie calls Trump a ‘one man crime wave’ Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his presidency? Unanswered questions about Trump’s looming January 6 indictment