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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
SAVANNAH, Ga. () — The Savannah Steel faced another challenging day on Sunday, succumbing to the Jacksonville Waves, 67-59, at Enmarket Arena, marking their fifth consecutive defeat.
After this tough loss, the team’s organization arranged a dual interview with guard LaSha Petree and forward Olivia Cochran to offer insights and reactions to the ongoing circumstances.
During the interview, both athletes expressed their unwavering support for Coach Brown amid her temporary leave due to a personal family situation. Their solidarity was apparent as they addressed questions from .
However, when asked by News 3 whether they had any direct communication with Coach Brown since her leave began, Petree chose to keep her response brief with a succinct, “No comment.”
This prompted a further inquiry with Assistant Coach Toccara Ross regarding Petree’s notable statement.
“Our players don’t need to be speaking on what Coach [Brown] is doing because they don’t know,” Ross said. “At the end of the day, we want to continue to pour love into Coach Brown and how she is navigating her family situation and then that’s it.”
also asked Ross if she could provide an update on when Brown might be returning to the bench area.
“No, unfortunately we don’t,” Ross said. “We tell our players all the time that it’s bigger than basketball. Coach is taking care of some family things right now. That’s our focus with her is to continue to do her job and what she’s built.
As for the game, Savannah held a three-point lead after the first 30 minutes.
However, the Steel were outscored, 27-12, in the final frame to fall, 67-59.
The Steel finished their nine-game homestand at 3-6, losing their last five. This is Savannah’s second five-game losing streak this season.
Savannah returns to action on Friday, when they travel to Jacksonville.
Inset: Hutch Benjamin (Miami-Dade Jail via WFOR). Background: Surveillance footage purportedly capturing Benjamin attacking a woman and her nonverbal son in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (WTVJ).
According to authorities, a 44-year-old man from Florida assaulted a woman and her 12-year-old nonverbal son using a cane or baseball bat while they were en route to the boy’s bus stop.
Hutch Benjamin faces allegations involving two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The incident occurred during a Tuesday morning in a parking area near the intersections of Sunrise Boulevard and Northwest Fifth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. The victim, identified only as Chrissy, recounted her harrowing experience to local news stations, including the CBS affiliate, WFOR, and the NBC affiliate, WTVJ. She shared that she and her son had recently settled in the neighborhood.
As they proceeded towards the bus stop, Benjamin reportedly approached them from behind.
“He just said, ‘I told you not to come,'” Chrissy recalled.
That’s when he allegedly started beating her son, she said. She shielded the boy from the attack and Benjamin allegedly started beating her, too. There was no motive and the victims and suspect did not know one another.
There were bystanders in the area, but they did nothing.
“They didn’t care, even if I showed them blood,” she said.
Chrissy was eventually able to fend her attacker off. He ran away.
The victims suffered cuts and bruises but were traumatized by the violence. Chrissy said she was stunned by what happened.
“You can’t attack a child, especially a kid who’s 12 years old and a woman, and get away with it,” she said.
Fort Lauderdale cops released surveillance video of the attack.
Benjamin was arrested on Friday.
The victims were thankful that cops took Benjamin off the streets.
“It was never forgotten. And that’s what I’m happy for,” Chrissy said. “Justice was done in the community. I can feel some type of peace.”
(KTLA) – As summer ripens into full swing, Americans are stocking up on fresh fruits and vegetables. However, health officials are cautioning the public about a parasitic outbreak that has already affected hundreds nationwide.
Reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that over 840 cases of cyclosporiasis have surfaced across 31 states since May. The actual number could be much higher, as Michigan has recorded more than 1,500 cases on its own.
Authorities are diligently working to trace back the origin of these infections.
The illness known as cyclosporiasis is triggered by Cyclospora cayetanensis. This microscopic parasite wreaks havoc on the intestines after people ingest contaminated food or water. In the United States, the culprit is often produce tainted with the parasite.
Unlike typical gastrointestinal infections, cyclosporiasis does not pass from one person to another.
A Southern California woman, who asked not to be identified, said she recently recovered from the illness. She told Jillian Smukler of Nexstar’s KTLA that it was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
“It was the sickest I’ve ever been,” she explained. “I’ve never felt that sick before.”
She described days of severe gastrointestinal illness, saying she suffered intense stomach pain and was unable to keep food down.
“It was coming out of both ends,” she said. “Every time I tried to eat, it was like a stabbing pain in my stomach, and I couldn’t keep anything down.”
A person shops for produce at a market in California. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
The woman said she lost nearly 10 pounds in about a week before seeking medical treatment. After being diagnosed, she was prescribed antibiotics and quickly began to recover.
“I don’t remember how long I was on antibiotics, but within about a week I was perfectly fine,” she said.
Dr. Ariel Malamud, a gastroenterologist, said symptoms typically appear five to seven days after infection.
“The most common symptoms are diarrhea, which can be watery and explosive, nausea, vomiting, low-grade fever and abdominal pain,” Malamud said.
Without treatment, symptoms can persist for weeks or even disappear temporarily before returning, doctors say. Fortunately, the infection can usually be treated effectively with antibiotics once it is properly diagnosed.
“If you get diarrhea, go for an evaluation,” Malamud said. “Do your stool studies so we can get an answer of what we’re dealing with and treat you appropriately.”
While investigators are still trying to determine what has caused a spike in cases this year, previous outbreaks have been linked to fresh produce, including cilantro, basil, raspberries, and leafy greens.
Food safety expert Candice Christian said proper handling of produce at home can help reduce the risk of illness.
“The best defense you can take is to scrub any firm produce,” Christian said. “If you’ve got melons or cucumbers, you want to scrub those with a vegetable brush, not just rinse them.”
Health officials also recommend washing all fruits and vegetables under running water before eating them, peeling produce when possible, choosing whole heads of lettuce instead of pre-shredded bagged greens, and cooking produce when practical.
The Southern California woman said the experience changed the way she handles fresh produce.
“I would not wish that on my worst enemy,” she said. “I was so sick. It was that awful.”
In Tennessee, Starr Harris was the heart and soul of a small family-operated landscaping enterprise.
However, tragedy struck on the night of June 1, 2010, when Starr—who managed office operations and was married to business co-owner Rick Harris—was found sexually assaulted and violently killed in the woodland area behind her home office. The horrific event cast a shadow of suspicion over the close-knit business community.
As detectives sifted through a lineup of potential suspects, a crucial clue emerged from beneath the foliage, blowing the investigation wide open and exposing a murderer who had been hiding in sight all along. This compelling story is featured on Oxygen’s The Killer Among Us.
Who Was Starr Harris?
Starr experienced a rekindling of affection when she met and wed Rick, forming a joyful merged family consisting of eight children.
Beyond her familial role, Starr was also the office manager for Rick’s thriving lawn care business, based at their home in Drummonds, Tennessee.
“We ranged from 10 to 30 employees at any given time,” Rick’s business partner Kelly Phelps recalled during the July 12 episode. “During the summertime, we were excelling. Our business was just really taking off.”
The Harris’ often treated their employees like family, hosting barbecues and poker parties.
As Kelly remembered, “Starr was such a loving, kind, giving person.”
What Happened to Starr Harris?
But on June 1, 2010, Kelly grew concerned after she couldn’t get in touch with Starr that afternoon.
As Kelly explained, “I really just didn’t know what to think.”
Then around 8 p.m., Starr’s stepson Nathan came home and called Kelly after he saw the home office was in complete disarray, with the computer desk toppled over and the back door of the house standing open.
As Kelly rushed to the property, Nathan went into the woods behind the home and discovered Starr’s body.
“Nathan was coming up from the woods yelling and screaming and kind of crying,” Kelly recalled. “And he is saying, ‘I found her, and it’s not good.’”
One of Nathan’s coworkers called 911 to report the grisly finding around 8:30 p.m..
“When I get to the house it was dark as pitch and the humidity was so high it felt like it was raining,” former Tipton County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Donna Turner recalled. “As I’m walking up to the body, the first thing that I see is that her clothes are down around her waist and she has no bra on.”
Starr had suffered a gruesome head wound, likely caused by bloody pieces of wood found near the body, and had extensive bruising on her body.
“It appeared that she had put up a heck of a fight,” Turner remarked. “Who would have that much rage?”
Clues Found at Starr Harris’ Murder Scene
Back at the house, investigators could find no signs of forced entry, leading them to believe Starr had likely known her killer.
They also found a stack of money still sitting on a table in her office, suggesting the killing had not been motivated by a robbery.
“We believe that bad guy’s at the house. There was possibly a small fight inside the house,” Tipton County Sheriff’s Detective Sherri Wassel explained. “And we believe at this point bad guy forces Starr outside the back door and they enter this wooded area.”
There, the 36-year-old was raped and murdered. A medical examiner would later determine she died of strangulation and blunt force trauma.
Suspects Emerge in Starr Harris’ Murder
As detectives tried to determine who could have wanted to harm Starr, they took a look at her husband Rick—especially after learning that he had been having an affair with his ex-wife. But at the time of the murder, Rick had been miles away at a job site in another city.
Those at the scene that night also recalled him being devastated by Starr’s death.
“The look of sheer terror and just horror and heartbreak on his face it overtook his whole body,” Kelly shared. “It was like he was frozen.”
Rick told investigators that the last time he’d spoken to his wife was around 1 p.m. One of the employees, Rickey Bell, had come to the house because he believed his paycheck was short. But when Starr called Rick to sort out the matter, Rick reminded Rickey—who lived just around the corner—that he’d called in sick one day.
“Rickey Bell was like, ‘yep, you’re right,’ and that was the end of it,” Wassel explained. “There was no confrontation. Nobody was yelling, nobody was screaming.”
It was the last call Starr would ever make.
Rickey told detectives that after speaking on the phone with Rick, he’d left for another town and insisted he had nothing to do with the murder. Rickey gave investigators a sample of his DNA and also showed them that he had no scratches or injuries on his body to suggest he’d gotten into a violent struggle.
Key Piece of Evidence is Discovered in the Woods
The next day, while investigators were doing a grid search of the crime scene, Turner and the sheriff made a chilling discovery. Hidden in the leaves was a used condom.
“We feel we had a sexual assault because we found the condom,” Wassel said. “You’re hoping for DNA. It’s a very big deal.”
Also at the scene, authorities discovered an unusual lighter designed to look like a pistol. Investigators theorized that the killer may have used the lighter to gain the upper hand during a confrontation, leading Starr to believe it was a real weapon.
Who Killed Starr Harris?
When questioning Rickey’s mother, she admitted to having a similar lighter that she kept on top of a cabinet, but when detectives went to look for it, it was no longer there.
Then, the DNA results came back. Though the condom was found to have Rick’s DNA on the outside, it had Rickey’s on the inside.
Investigators learned that Rick’s DNA was likely transferred there because he and Starr had sex the night before, but Rickey’s had been left during the sexual assault.
Rickey—a man with a violent criminal past—was arrested for first degree murder and sexual assault. He refused to admit to the murder during an interrogation, leading Turner to describe him as “pure evil.”
Detectives theorized that he killed Starr after getting upset about his paycheck.
Rickey’s arrest sent shock waves through Starr’s circle of friends and family.
“The question in our mind was how can someone that we’ve hired, who works for us, someone that we go to work with everyday, we’re sharing lunch with on lunch breaks, how could someone do this to Starr?” Kelly questioned. “Finally, maybe, we’re going to get some justice.”
Where is Rickey Bell Now?
He was convicted in March 2012 of first-degree murder and aggravated rape.
“We were extremely happy of course because somebody’s now going to pay,” her sister Tonya Aloia said. “He’ll be in prison for the rest of his life.”
For Starr’s loved ones, however, life was never the same. Her children went to live with their father and Rick took an extended leave from the business. According to Kelly, he died several years ago, unable to ever fully move past his wife’s death.
To learn about more shocking murders, watch The Killer Among Us, Sundays at 7/6c on Oxygen.
A former player from the Kansas men’s basketball team has been charged with attempted first-degree murder following a reported incident earlier this month.
Lagerald Vick, known for his tenure with the Jayhawks from 2015 to 2019, is also under indictment for using a firearm during a dangerous felony, as detailed by The Kansas City Star on Sunday.
On Saturday, Vick was detained by Memphis authorities and taken to Shelby County Jail, where his bail was set at $1.5 million.
These charges stem from an incident on July 5, which prompted law enforcement to respond to a reported shooting, ultimately resulting in the victim being hospitalized at Regional One Hospital.
According to the victim, the altercation began on July 4 at a party. Around 11 p.m., a verbal dispute ensued with a man reportedly concealing a handgun under his arm. As the victim attempted to flee, he was shot in the back.
The victim was transported to the hospital by a private vehicle.
The shooting victim gave investigators the alleged shooter’s first name, which led them to Vick, and he was later identified in a photo lineup as the suspected gunman.
Vick is due in court on Monday for arraignment and will be back in court Tuesday for a bail review hearing, according to the Kansas City Star.
The former hooper had a previous run-in with the law following an incident earlier this year that resulted in two felony charges and a misdemeanor, including aggravated burglary, theft of property, and a misdemeanor vandalism charge.
He is said to have broken into an ex-girlfriend’s house and allegedly stolen several electronic devices and unscrewed a camera that was on the porch. Vick is due back in court on July 30 related to that case.
And back during his freshman year at KU, a Title IX investigation found that he had likely hit a female student several times in 2015 after he was accused of punching the female in the arm multiple times and kicking her in the face.
Vick started 41 games during his tenure at Kansas and appeared in 94 contests, averaging 14.1 points per game his senior year before leaving the team in early February.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A Vermont man who was just 17 at the time when he and an accomplice murdered a couple of Dartmouth College professors is now petitioning for his life sentence to be adjusted to a term of 30 to 40 years.
Robert Tulloch, who is now 43 years old, was handed an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole after admitting to the first-degree murders of Half and Susanne Zantop in a 2001 stabbing incident. However, in 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that mandatory life without parole for juveniles is unconstitutional, later applying this ruling retroactively.
This ruling opened a door to potential freedom for numerous individuals sentenced as juveniles, including five men in New Hampshire who were given life sentences for crimes they committed in their teenage years. Among them, Tulloch is the last to undergo a resentencing hearing, which is set to commence on Monday at Grafton County Superior Court.
The prosecution has yet to announce the sentence they will advocate for. Nevertheless, in a recent court document, Tulloch’s legal team has suggested a new minimum sentence ranging from 30 to 40 years. This recommendation was made after reviewing the outcomes of similar cases involving juvenile offenders in New Hampshire and across the nation following the landmark Supreme Court decisions.
Attorneys Richard Guerriero and Oliver Bloom further highlighted Tulloch’s growth during his imprisonment. They pointed out that except for some early misconduct, Tulloch has maintained a clean record, with no major violations since 2012 and no minor ones since 2017. His most frequent infractions were for having excessive books, they noted.
Quoting from Tulloch’s therapy records, they said he has expressed “significant remorse” for what he sees as a heinous and unforgivable crime, his “warped youthful thinking,” and his “good capacity for empathy.”
According to Tulloch’s friend, James Parker, the teens were bored with their lives in Chelsea, Vermont, when they concocted a plan to kill strangers, steal their money and move to Australia. For several months, they knocked on doors in New Hampshire and Vermont pretending to be conducting a survey on the environment before being let in by the Zantops. Susanne Zantop, 55, was head of Dartmouth’s German studies department and her husband, Half Zantop, 62, taught Earth sciences.
Parker, who was 16 at the time, told prosecutors that Tulloch stabbed Half Zantop and then directed Parker to attack Susanne Zantop. Tulloch also stabbed her. Fingerprints on a knife sheath and a bloody boot print linked the teens to the crime, but after being questioned by police, they fled Vermont and hitchhiked west. They were arrested at an Indiana truck stop weeks later.
Parker, who cooperated with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to being an accomplice to second-degree murder, was released from prison on parole in 2024 at age 40, having served nearly the minimum term of his 25-years-to-life sentence.
“I think it’s unimaginably horrible,” Parker said during his parole hearing when asked by a board member what he thought of what he did. “I know there’s not an amount of time or things that I can do to change it, or alleviate any pain that I’ve caused.”
The Supreme Court rulings addressed only mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles, leaving the U.S. the only country that allows discretionary life sentences for minors. Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have banned the practice, while another five states allow it but have no one serving such a sentence, according to the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth.
New Hampshire lawmakers have rejected attempts to end life sentences for juveniles, but Tulloch’s case could bolster future attempts. After Tulloch argued in 2018 that sentencing juveniles to life without parole violated the state constitution, the judge asked the state Supreme Court to weigh in, but it declined. Last July, Superior Court Judge Lawrence MacLeod agreed with Tulloch, finding that the constitution categorically prohibits such sentences as “cruel or unusual” punishment.
Among the juvenile lifers nationwide who have been resentenced after the U.S. Supreme Court rulings, more than 75% have received sentences of less than 40 years, according to a study published in 2024 in the Journal of Criminal Justice.
In New Hampshire, one man was resentenced to life without parole after refusing to attend his hearing or authorize his attorneys to argue for a lesser sentence. Others received sentences of 25-, 40- and 45-years-to-life.
Over the years, viewers have noticed a growing number of questionable aspects of “The Big Bang Theory.” As society progresses, this list seems to expand. For instance, the character of Penny, played by Kaley Cuoco, often draws criticism. Many argue that her character is a result of being crafted predominantly by male writers, which is evident in how every major female character in the show serves as a love interest for one of the four main male protagonists, all of whom happen to be mostly white and heterosexual. The show is criticized for perpetuating what Pop Culture Detective refers to as “Adorkable Misogyny,” a misguided notion that when a nerdy man behaves disrespectfully towards women, it is humorous and charming rather than problematic and sexist.
Throughout its 12-season run, “The Big Bang Theory” was primarily driven by a male-dominated creative team. Few women received significant recognition during its duration. The introduction of characters like Amy, played by Mayim Bialik, and Bernadette, portrayed by Melissa Rauch, primarily served to solidify romantic subplots for three of the main male characters, effectively deflecting criticism of their characters’ predatory actions towards women they desired. Fortunately, numerous other sitcoms explore similar themes without compromising the intricacy of their female characters or resorting to cringe-inducing humor, which “The Big Bang Theory” unabashedly employed for years.
The IT Crowd
Channel 4/Amazon
The realm of nerd culture, long overlooked in media, was brought to the forefront by the British sitcom “The IT Crowd.” The British often pioneer unique comedic approaches, and this show is a prime example. It centers around the IT department at Reynholm Industries, a vast corporation set in London. The team consists of Jen Barber (Katherine Parkinson), the head, whose strengths lie in social skills rather than technical know-how, Maurice Moss (Richard Ayoade), a brilliant software engineer, Roy Trenneman (Chris O’Dowd), an underachieving jokester, and part-time tech Richmond Avenal (Noel Fielding), who intriguingly shares traits with a vampire.
“The IT Crowd” masterfully blends humor with workplace realities in the tech industry, depicting the quirks of life in IT. Ayoade’s portrayal of Moss offers a wealth of standalone comedic moments, making for some of the show’s funniest sequences. The series employs subversive humor without malice, appealing to a devoted fanbase in both the U.K. and the U.S. Though it spanned only four seasons — quite the accomplishment for British TV yet modest compared to series like “The Big Bang Theory” — it left a lasting impression, celebrated for its clever humor and authenticity.
How I Met Your Mother
CBS
For viewers seeking comedy that occasionally dips into sexism, “How I Met Your Mother” provides an alternative without the overwhelming presence of objectionable behavior seen in 12 seasons of “The Big Bang Theory.” With a cast that includes only a couple of objectionable characters, who frequently encounter their just desserts, the series offers a refreshing take on the sitcom formula. Following in the footsteps of “Friends,” which defined a generation, “How I Met Your Mother” assembled a charismatic group of New Yorkers, enhanced by a compelling mystery — how did the main character, Ted, eventually meet the mother of his children, a story narrated by Bob Saget as an older version of Ted?
It ran for nine network seasons (remember when TV shows were made of 22-episode-long seasons?), so “How I Met Your Mother” offers many episodes full of comedy and intrigue. While Neil Patrick Harris was definitely the show’s rising star, each of its main cast members brings confidence and individuality to their performances, and they have genuine chemistry as an ensemble. The show’s inside jokes are top-tier; for example, Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) has to wear a funny-looking tie with ducks on it for a good chunk of episodes in Season 7 because of a lost bet with Marshall (Jason Segel).
St. Denis Medical
NBC
A workplace comedy with heart and substance, “St. Denis Medical” is a spiritual successor to “Superstore,” Justin Spitzer’s earlier series. “St. Denis” follows the staff of a small hospital in a fictional Oregon town. David Alan Grier has found something really special as the show’s elder statesman, and it’s a joy to see Wendi McLendon-Covey finally appreciated as the leading comedic talent she’s always been. Alex, the charge nurse at St. Denis, is the series’ — and the hospital’s — anchor, and manages to be endearing even at her most neurotic moments.
More importantly, there is something essential in the act of finding humor in a place like a hospital. In the same way that “Abbott Elementary” raises awareness about issues in America’s education system as well as conveys the many unique joys that come with being a teacher or a student, “St. Denis Medical” gives an accurate picture of healthcare in today’s United States and shows that there are a lot of hardworking, well-meaning people working in emergency medicine. “St. Denis Medical” just wrapped up its stellar sophomore season and will be back with a third in the fall.
Mythic Quest
Apple TV+
There are many facets of what many people call “nerd culture,” and within those facets, even more variability, so it’s impossible to capture all of it in one fell swoop. Better, then, to zoom in on particular parts when seeking a window into something a little cool and a little geeky. “Mythic Quest” follows the developers of a fictional, wildly popular MMO RPG in the same vein as “World of Warcraft.” It’s also a great window into the video game industry, not just its draining, disheartening downsides like increased monetization and rampant misogyny, but also its good sides. People who love video games are often imaginative and open-minded, and video games have become a proper art form in their own right. They’re still relatively new to the world, and yet so much a part of entertainment and popular culture.
To be clear, “Mythic Quest” is not particularly uplifting most of the time. Most of the time, its flawed characters will disappoint, consistently making the wrong choices and ignoring the right people. But the cast is lousy with comedic talent, including Danny Pudi as Brad, the brilliant, soulless head of monetization. Jessie Ennis’s Jo could easily stand in the company of other iconic, workplace weirdos like “The Office’s” Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) or “Parks and Recreation’s” April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza). It’s not a perfect show — the plot occasionally dwindles, and Rob McElhenney will never easily read as sincere on screen thanks to his many years of playing Mac on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” — but the laughs are top-notch, and there is an earnestness in its love for video games that somewhat counters the general awfulness of the industry as depicted onscreen.
What We Do in the Shadows
FX
Some of the comedies on this list relate to “The Big Bang Theory” through its many elements, offering an alternative avenue for enjoying them. “What We Do in the Shadows” is on this list just because it’s really, really good and criminally underrated. The series follows a group of vampire roommates who share a big, creaking house together on Staten Island. Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak) is the eldest, while Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Laszlo (Matt Berry) are a wedded couple from the Europe of centuries past. The most interesting residents of the house aren’t traditional vampires, but rather Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) — the show’s fantastic interpretation of a paranormal “energy vampire” (he drains energy as the coworker you never want to get stuck talking to at the office) — and Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), Nandor’s devoted familiar.
The cast of “What We Do in the Shadows” was never in it for the Emmys, but it’s a shame the series didn’t receive more praise while it was airing new seasons. The cast has fantastic chemistry as an ensemble, but more importantly, it works to utilize every possible combination of characters throughout its six seasons on FX. In every venture into paranormal lore, with the introduction of things like werewolves and ghosts, the series offers clever framing and context that buffs the humor. It’s already pretty funny to see an ancient vampire becoming best friends with his obnoxious, Staten Island neighbor in mockumentary format, but the joke writing on the show — the bit writing on the show, so many great bits — is immaculate.
In a tragic incident in Georgia, a sleepover turned deadly for a 13-year-old boy who was fatally shot when a gunman unleashed a barrage of bullets into a house during the night. This horrifying attack also resulted in the death of a 45-year-old man.
The young victim, identified as Demarcus Shirley, was spending the night with several friends at a home in DeKalb County when gunfire shattered the pre-dawn calm on July 2.
According to investigators, multiple rounds were fired into the residence, tragically killing both Demarcus and the older victim, Chauncey Newman. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
Remarkably, the other children present in the house escaped unharmed physically, despite the terrifying events that unfolded.
In a significant development days after the shooting, authorities apprehended 21-year-old Keyshun Webb. He now faces charges for the murders as the investigation delves into suspicions of a gang-related motive behind the violent assault.
DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Webb was arrested on July 7 in connection with the deadly shooting.
He is being held without bond at the DeKalb County Jail and faces two counts of murder, eight counts of aggravated assault with a weapon and one count of cruelty to animals.
According to arrest warrants obtained by Atlanta News First, investigators believe Webb was also involved in another drive-by shooting on the same day.
Demarcus Shirley, 13, was fatally shot while at a sleepover at a friend’s DeKalb County home after a gunman fired dozens of rounds into the house
Chauncey Newman, 45, was also killed in the shooting. He was remembered by neighborhood children as a kind man who let youngsters into his home when they had nowhere else to go
Authorities said shell casings recovered from both crime scenes matched, and investigators determined gang involvement was ‘likely.’
Police believe two vehicles carrying four male suspects were involved in the shootings, although no additional arrests have been announced.
As detectives continue piecing together the attack, friends and relatives are remembering Demarcus as an energetic teenager whose life was cut tragically short.
‘He seemed eager to learn. Kind of athletic,’ his great-uncle, Gregory Carthon, told Atlanta News First. ‘He had a lot of life in front of him.’
Heartbreaking video shared by family members showed Demarcus smiling and enjoying Father’s Day celebrations with loved ones little more than a week before he was killed.
For the boys who survived the shooting, the trauma remains overwhelming.
Larenzo Pinkins, who had been sleeping inside the house, recalled the horrifying moment he discovered his friend.
‘We had come upstairs, and I had seen him, and I tried to grab him, and he was dead. Demarcus,’ Pinkins told 11Alive.
Keyshun Webb, 21, has been charged with two counts of murder, eight counts of aggravated assault with a weapon and one count of cruelty to animals. He and is being held without bond
Consumed by grief, he struggled to explain why he wished he could have taken his friend’s place.
‘I’m happy it wasn’t me. I’m happy I wasn’t hit, but it should’ve been me, though, before Demarcus,’ he said. ‘Demarcus had too much life to live. He died too young.’
Another boy who survived the attack, Larry Bell-Ware, said Demarcus had no connection to violence.
‘He wasn’t in the streets at all,’ Bell-Ware said. ‘He’s just a funny little kid who liked to run around and play like a normal little kid.’
Pinkins said the pair had become inseparable.
‘He was really like my little brother for real. I’ve been with him every day for like two months,’ he told 11Alive.
The children also remembered Newman, whose home had become a safe haven for neighborhood youngsters.
Bell-Ware said Newman never turned children away if they needed somewhere to spend time.
‘He let us come over there when we had nowhere to go. Anybody,’ Bell-Ware said. ‘Any kids who were ever just walking around and didn’t have anywhere to go, they could just come here. He was just a good person in general.’
Authorities have not publicly disclosed what investigators believe sparked the fatal shooting.
The investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to identify the remaining suspects they believe were involved.
GREENE COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – On Saturday, skilled rescue teams successfully carried out the evacuation of residents stranded by rising floodwater near a property on Little Cassi Creek Road in Chuckey, TN.
The Washington County/Johnson City Emergency Management Agency (WCJCEMA) reported that they received an urgent 911 call at 4:45 p.m. as torrential rain inundated the region, triggering the emergency response.
A coordinated effort was launched involving Washington County 911, Washington County/Johnson City EMS (WCJCEMS), the Nolichuckey Valley Fire Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and WCJCEMA to manage the rescue operations efficiently.
WCJCEMA officials noted that upon their arrival, the floodwaters intensified rapidly, becoming increasingly perilous. Due to the swift response of the WCJCEMA team specializing in swift water rescues, the residents were safely relocated to a secure area until the threat subsided. Fortunately, no injuries were recorded.
“Everyone involved trusted their training and made good decisions,” James Matthews, Public Affairs Officer for WCJCEMA and WCJCEMS said. “Because of that, everyone went home safely which is always our goal.”
The WCJCEMA said that Washington County will remain under a Flood Watch through late Sunday night into Monday morning.
If you or someone you know is in danger due to flooding is urged to call 911.
Catch the latest episode of Vienna: A Renters’ Paradise, streaming now on SBS On Demand.
Vienna: A Renters’ Paradise
episode • Dateline • News And Current Affairs • 28m
Anthony and Alex share a charming one-bedroom, one-bath apartment complete with a balcony in Vienna. Their monthly rent is a modest €400 ($658), a figure that might raise eyebrows among Australians used to seeing similar apartments listed at weekly rates.
This affordability is largely due to Vienna’s robust social housing system, which houses Anthony, an Australian, and his Austrian partner, Alex. They join half of Vienna’s more than 2 million residents who benefit from this model of affordable housing.
“I think the rent we pay now is what I was paying in a sharehouse in Brisbane 24 years ago,” Anthony told SBS Dateline.
Alex has lived in the apartment since his 20s, when he became eligible through a Viennese municipal housing scheme.
Now, he can live there for the rest of his life.
Anthony moved in around nine years ago, and the pair have completely renovated the place.
The couple have been able to paint walls, renovate the kitchen (including installing a new countertop and oven), and decorate to their hearts’ content: something practically unheard of in Australia’s rental market.
“It’s definitely different from Australia because I mean, you would never even think replacing an oven or something in a rental,” Anthony said.
If the couple leaves, they can take the appliance with them, “or pass on the price to the new person coming if they want to keep it”.
So could this system — which may look to some like a renter’s paradise — ever work in Australia?
How Vienna’s social housing system works
Vienna has multiple forms of social housing, stemming back to the period between World War One and Two, when the city was governed by the Social Democratic Workers’ Party.
One type, Gemeindebau – meaning community or municipality building — is owned by the city of Vienna and is open to anyone whose income is below a specific level and who meets certain criteria. They form around 22 per cent of the city’s total housing stock.
Other social housing requires a deposit. Subsidised homes that require a deposit are largely run by non-profits or co-operatives with government subsidies. Often, the initial deposit is returned at the end of tenancy.
Some of Vienna’s affordable housing schemes are designed to help people in their twenties access the housing market.
Local Maximilian Schranz, 28, lives with his girlfriend Lisa in a one-bedroom social housing apartment, which they accessed through an under-30s scheme. They pay around €640 ($1,055) per month.
Max could stay in the apartment “however long I wanted to, theoretically”.
“The leases are without any term limits and then there’s even ways to give the lease to your immediate family if they wanted to and they’re eligible.”
He says the programs designed to encourage young Viennese people to live in apartments like these has “changed the image” of social housing.
“Now, I think, [there is] a kind of ‘cool feeling’ to it often in younger circles.”
The affordability of Vienna’s system
A single person who wants to get into one of Vienna’s social housing dwellings can’t be earning more than €61,280 (around $100,800).
For a couple, combined income can be no more than €91,320 (around $150,300) per year. Approximately 75 per cent of the city’s population earn less than these limits.
On its website, the City of Vienna says these relatively high income limits are so the “middle class” can also access social housing.
This helps create communities where people from a range of different backgrounds live together in the same building.
As well as being able to stay in apartments indefinitely, Anthony and Alex also aren’t subject to inspections.
“It’s your place. You don’t have inspections — it’s just really like your own,” Anthony said.
There are limitations to the system, though. Not everyone is entitled to social housing.
The requirements include living in Vienna for at least two years, and having either Austrian citizenship or equivalent status. This can make it difficult for asylum seekers to find affordable accommodation.
How does Australia’s social housing system work?
Around 4 per cent of Australia’s housing stock is social housing, compared to around 40 per cent in Vienna and 24 per cent in Austria generally.
In Australia, social housing is primarily divided into public housing, managed by state or federal governments, and community housing managed by non-profits.
Hal Pawson is an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales who has researched housing for more than 30 years.
“The main difference [to Australia] is that the Viennese social housing sector has been established for a hundred years and has been well funded for a big part of that time,” he told SBS Dateline.
A significant factor, Pawson said, is the obligations placed on developers to include social housing.
Because this system has been funded so consistently, social housing providers have “[built] up financial resources”. This has allowed them to build their own housing, adding to the existing social housing stock.
In contrast, community housing providers in Australia often manage state government-owned homes.
“They don’t benefit from the uplift of land values or anything like that, and they don’t have the capacity to redevelop or make better use of the sites because they don’t own the sites.”
Pawson said Australian public housing was consistently funded for a 50-year period after World War Two. But it has decreased significantly under Australian governments since the mid-1990s, starting when the Howard government decided to prioritise funding the Commonwealth Rent Assistance program.
“During the 2010s, somewhere between 2,000 or 3,000 social homes were being built a year, which is barely enough to compensate for the ones that are so worn out and out of date you have to knock them down,” Pawson said.
In the 2020s, investment in social housing has increased. Pawson cited the Victorian government’s Big Housing Build plan launched in 2020 as a key benchmark, and Queensland and NSW have launched similar self-funded programs. He said Tasmania has also consistently invested in social housing.
Across Australia, though, there is still high demand for social housing. Pawson said those who are not deemed ‘high priority’ can be waiting for more than 10 years.
At a federal level, the Albanese government’s Housing Australia Future Fund aims to fund around 30,000 social homes over five years. However, the funding is not guaranteed beyond that timeframe.
Could a Viennese system ever work in Australia?
Pawson said something Australia could copy from Vienna is adding social housing requirements for private developers buying government land.
Independent ACT senator David Pocock introduced a private senator’s bill on 2 July that would require federal land sold or leased for residential development to have a default level of 30 per cent affordable housing built on it.
“They’ve made no … requirement on people who buy that land to say that some of that must be social and affordable housing,” Pawson said.
“That’s something that all governments could do straight away. Of course, it wouldn’t have an immediate effect, but it would change the system.”
Another important element of the Viennese system is the way it reduces stigma.
Anthony said back in Australia, living in social housing wouldn’t have occurred to him.
“But I think in Vienna, it’s such a huge percentage of the housing market that it’s quite normal to live there,” he said.
“I guess there’s always a bit of stigma … but yeah, I think you can’t even compare it with Australia.”
Pawson said Vienna’s approach “absolutely” helps to destigmatise social housing.
“This is one reason why social housing in Australia has become a sort of shrivelled version of its old self,” he said.
“The stigmatisation of a sector which is highly rationed — we have really strict, restrictive rules for who can get a tenancy — just almost inevitably means it becomes a very stigmatised tenure.”
Australia’s housing obsession
Vienna isn’t a perfect city: high cost of living and inflation are still issues, though Austria’s inflation rate is lower than Australia’s at 3.2 per cent compared to 4 per cent.
But its approach to housing may make people more comfortable being long-term renters, placing less value on owning homes, particularly compared to Australia’s competitive market.
German speaking countries, including Austria, generally have lower rates of home ownership. Pawson said they don’t “fetishize [it] in the way that we do”. And these countries also incentivise investment in property less.
As an Australian living in Vienna, Anthony thinks people have a different perspective on housing, including treating it as an investment.
“If they’re going to buy something, they’re buying it to live in …. They’re not even really thinking about ‘How can I make an extra buck?'”
It’s also reflected in the way he sees people back in Australia discuss property and housing affordability.
“When you hang out with friends at a barbecue or whatever, there’s lots of talk about how you’re going to get into the property market, or get your next apartment,” Anthony said.
