Derek Chauvin is once again challenging the judicial system, pressing for the court to revisit his request for a new trial.

Recent legal filings indicate that Chauvin has appealed the decision of a judge who denied his petition for post-conviction relief.

In April 2021, Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd. Evidence presented during the trial showed that the former police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds. During this time, Floyd was in a prone position, handcuffed, and deprived of the oxygen necessary for brain function, which ultimately led to his death.

Represented by criminal defense lawyer Gregory Joseph, Chauvin submitted an appeal on June 29. This came after a judge’s decision on May 1 to reject his plea for post-conviction relief.

“None of the claims raised in this Petition for Post-Conviction Relief warrant relief,” the 41-page order read.

The judge denied Chauvin’s entire post-conviction petition more than five months after it was initially filed in November 2025.

The petition’s arguments include prosecutors improperly relying on video evidence, jury instructions being legally flawed and police officials giving false testimony, among others.

In the May 1 order, the judge repeatedly applied Minnesota’s Knaffla rule, which generally prevents defendants from using post-conviction proceedings to raise issues that were already decided on direct appeal or could have been raised earlier but were not.

The judge concluded that essentially every one of Chauvin’s claims fit into one of those two categories.

Joseph was not Chauvin’s defense attorney for his initial trial, KTTC reported. Joseph has represented him since his conviction and continued appeal efforts.

While legal battles might not overhaul the city’s Department of Education, kudos to Susan Muzafar, a dedicated teacher at Information Technology High School, for unearthing a serious instance of fraud that seems to be widespread within DOE institutions.

Muzafar is pursuing compensation, alleging that school officials altered a student’s failing English grade to a passing one without her consent.

Furthermore, she argues (quite credibly) that she faced repercussions for voicing her concerns.

She asserts that the student wasn’t adequately prepared for an advanced course and didn’t complete the required work; the grade modification reflects a recurring tendency at Information Technology High School to place students in challenging courses and award them unmerited grades.

A roster of “accomplished” students provides a favorable impression of administrators — why focus on genuine educational outcomes?

Such cheating — by school leaders — is longstanding and rampant across the DOE system.

The Post exposed it at Brooklyn’s John Dewey HS in 2015 (kids passed science class by watching “Jurassic Park”!) and in a whole long series of “worthless diploma” stories across a decade.

How many schools are playing these games to hide their failure to teach? The recent Success Academy study identified 906 failures — more than half the city’s 1,600 schools.

Meanwhile, the State Education Department is lowering graduation requirements to further cover up failure all across New York.

The people in charge of the public schools — in the city and indeed the entire state — don’t give a damn about delivering for the kids, and the system’s set up so they don’t have to.

In a shocking act of vandalism, three teenage girls were apprehended after a surveillance camera captured them launching a lit firecracker through the window of a nursery room in a California residence. Their reckless action sparked a fire that devastated a space lovingly prepared for an expected baby.

This disturbing event took place on June 30 in Citrus Heights, a suburban area near Sacramento. Local firefighters were urgently summoned to the scene following reports of a fire outbreak at an apartment complex.

Upon arrival, the firefighting crew was confronted with a mattress engulfed in flames inside one of the bedrooms. The intense efforts to douse the fire paid off, yet the damage had already taken its toll.

Despite their quick action to tame the blaze, the resulting thick smoke and extensive fire damage left the bedroom uninhabitable.

The damaged room held special significance for Antonio Cadena and Lellises Morgans, expecting parents who were eagerly preparing it for their soon-to-arrive son, Noah.

Surveillance footage captured the terrifying moments leading up to the fire. Two girls can be seen lingering outside the apartment before appearing to notice a security camera and pointing toward it.

Moments later, after spotting an open window, they peered inside, looked around the room, then lit a firecracker before tossing it through the window and running away.

A dog can be heard barking frantically as the explosive lands inside. Seconds later, the sound of a fire alarm can be heard.

Thankfully, nobody was injured in the fire.

Cadena told the station he had been at home playing a video game when his wife called to tell him the apartment was on fire.

He rushed to the nursery, where he found the room ablaze, and – with the help of a passerby – managed to slow the flames using a garden hose until firefighters arrived.

Morgans said she was horrified that anyone could deliberately target what was clearly a baby’s room.

‘Seeing someone actually do that to someone’s house… they saw it was a baby room… just to see that these girls just don’t care about anything… it’s unbelievable, honestly, that they would do something like that,’ she told ABC10. 

Anthony told the outlet that he was home at the time playing a video game when his wife called, telling him the house was on fire.

He found the nursery in flames and, with the help of a bystander, was able to contain the fire with a garden hose before first responders arrived. 

The family has now launched a GoFundMe to rebuild the nursery before baby Noah arrives.

‘As they prepare for the arrival of their baby, they are now faced with the unexpected expense of replacing the nursery, baby essentials, and repairing the damage to the room caused by the fire,’ the fundraiser reads which has so far generated $25,000.

CHICAGO (WLS) — On Friday afternoon, the first group of sailors will embark on the famed Chicago-to-Mackinac race, a voyage attracting over 250 participants eager to reach the iconic Mackinac Island finishing line.

In the fleet is seasoned sailor Rich Stearns, age 71, who has competed in the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac more than 50 times. For him, this year’s race offers a deeper significance.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

On Thursday, Stearns was busy fine-tuning final preparations and verifying weather conditions before setting off.

With decades of experience under his belt, the pre-race rituals have become second nature to Stearns, though the past decade has presented him with hurdles far more significant than the typical last-minute race preparations.

Approximately ten years ago, Stearns was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which led to an extensive period of medical treatment. Both he and his wife found solace and stability in dedicating their time to working on his boat.

“A lot of people when they get cancer think, ‘I’m gonna die. It’s over. Give up.’ Look, it’s a beautiful day out, and I’m here. I woke up this morning. Life is good,” he said.

Stearns, who began racing sailboats at age 7, believes his cancer is under control and is now focused on encouraging men to get regular checkups.

“Nobody wants to talk about it. Women talk about breast cancer all the time but men can’t seem to talk about this,” he said.

Rush University Hospital, where Stearns received treatment, issued a statement saying in part, “Richard Stearns is a proud example of people not only thriving after a cancer diagnosis but using their experience to raise awareness and support other patients and families.”

Stearns hopes to start that conversation within the community he knows best.

“I think that’s the goal to begin with is get it out there in the sailing community at least. It’s a big community.”

To find out more about the cause, visit give.rush.edu.

The first racers are expected to reach Mackinac Island early Monday morning, depending on wind conditions.

A man in North Carolina is accused of breaking into his former partner’s apartment and tragically stabbing his 5-year-old son to death before fleeing to a nearby Taco Bell.

The suspect, Jehaaz-Akil Khaliq Echoles, 31, is facing charges of first-degree murder, according to a statement from the Pineville Police Department released on Thursday.

Police were called to the Sabal Point Apartments in Pineville just after midnight on Thursday following reports of an assault with a weapon. Upon arrival, officers discovered the young victim suffering from multiple stab wounds.

In a bid to save the child’s life, the officers administered emergency medical treatment and rushed the victim to the hospital in their patrol car.

The boy was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Echoles’ ex-girlfriend, who is also the child’s mother, said the man broke into the apartment, entered their son’s room and closed the door, according to an arrest affidavit, WGHP reported.

She said she heard a commotion and went to the bedroom and opened the door, at which point Echoles fled, according to the affidavit. She found her son bleeding and unresponsive, covered in stab wounds to his head, neck and arms, and she immediately called 911.

The woman and another child in the home were unharmed.

Echoles was later arrested at a nearby Taco Bell, according to police.

Police said this was a domestic incident and not a random act of violence. The motive for the attack is unclear.

Echoles has a previous criminal history of assault.

This includes a conviction in North Carolina for assault on a woman in an October 2020 incident. He also has multiple other assault-related cases going through the court system.

He has been accused of two assaults on women this year. In one case, he allegedly beat a woman with a belt. In the other, he threw keys at a woman after he borrowed her car and refused to return it.

Echoles is being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail without bond. His next court date is scheduled for July 30.

In a Southern California beach community, sunbathers were sent scurrying for safety as two enormous sea lions unexpectedly emerged from the ocean in San Diego.

Capturing the dramatic scene on Instagram on July 7, Dion Ruzicka shared a video showing these formidable sea creatures charging onto the shore, sending beachgoers into a frenzy under the sunny California sky.

One of the sea lions lunged forward unpredictably, causing a startled reaction among those on the beach. As the massive animal raced across the sand, the shocked visitors shrieked and dashed away with the growling creature in pursuit.

Just moments later, chaos intensified as a second sea lion entered the fray, causing the terrified crowds to flee toward higher ground or even dive into the surf to evade the pursuing pair.

The more the onlookers ran, the more the bulky sea lions were spurred on, engaging the escaping beachgoers in an uncanny chase across the sandy expanse.

“Oh my God,” one person could be heard saying, in the midst of the chaotic scramble.

It didn’t matter whether the visitor was young or old, the sea lion just kept chasing them.  Finally, both animals dived back into the ocean and swam away at a quick pace.

It is not the first time such an encounter has happened in the popular La Jolla spot. A year ago, a video showed a pair of sea lions chasing beachgoers around before finally leaving.

San Diego has warned the public about the potential dangers of going near wildlife living in the area.

“With the increase in the sea lion population, Point La Jolla has become a popular tourist destination for the public to view these wild animals close up,” a message on the city’s website read.

As a result, interactions between sea lions and the public have increased.

“Members of the public have been observed trying to touch, take selfies, and get as close to sea lions as possible which is a dangerous situation for both the public and the animals,” it added.

Officials suggest people watch the animals from the boardwalk and keep their distance from the sea lions.

While it is unclear what lead to Tuesday’s chase, the summer months are pupping season for these ocean animals. Mothers and fathers become protective of their young ones, and will display aggressive behavior, if they sense a threat, per officials.

“These interactions are not only dangerous for both humans and wildlife, it may be a violation of the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act which helps to safeguard these animals,” the city said.

The California Post has reached out to the La Jolla Parks and Beaches group for further comment.