9/11 Timeline:

Following the sudden dismissal of longtime Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton, the organizers behind the online support chat he was allegedly seen accessing on a plane are now addressing the controversy.

Thornton, 61, was reportedly filmed by another passenger during a May 2026 flight from North Carolina to Los Angeles appearing to view Lifeline.chat, a website designed for people dealing with pedophilic thoughts.

The incident became public last week, and Sony Pictures Television confirmed Friday that Thornton had been fired after first being placed on a short suspension.

On Monday, Lifeline.chat organizers issued a statement to TMZ, seeking to separate the site from the uproar and emphasizing that its rules prohibit ‘any kind of illicit behavior, including the sharing of criminalized images.’

‘LifeLine operates a support chat room for people attracted to children and adolescents,’ the statement said in part, adding that users who breach its rules are ‘swiftly banned and their messages removed as soon as possible.’

‘Many commentators ask why a place like Lifeline even exists,’ it is ‘because most people attracted to minors are fully capable of behaving responsibly, yet extremely distressed by the stigmatization of their feelings.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for the show, and Thornton’s attorney, for comment but has yet to hear back. 

Organizers said that providing people with ‘a place to talk’ ensures ‘better mental health.’

The organizers stress that ‘as a support service, we do not encourage users to feel shame over a sexual orientation that can never be changed,’ adding, ‘We believe that affirming their feelings, while encouraging responsible and lawful behavior, is the best way forward.’

They also noted in the statement that ‘messages that the public may consider “offensive”‘ are permitted ‘so long as they do not cross legal boundaries or put anyone at risk of harm.

‘There is no safe way for minor-attracted people to access professional support in the majority of cases’ amid a ‘severe risk of being reported to authorities simply for disclosing one’s feelings.

‘The metaphorical lynching of the celebrity who allegedly visited our chat illustrates this clearly.’

The statement concluded with the Lifeline.chat organizers reiterating that the site ‘exists precisely because the world is so incredibly hateful and punitive that minor-attracted people have no other means of support.’

Days ago, Thornton’s lawyer Allison Hart said that the television personality had visited the site as a mistake as he has often visited a suicide prevention website named 988lifeline.org and its chat forum, chat.988lifeline.org. 

Thornton claims he was sent a link to a different chatroom, Lifeline.chat, by an acquaintance from the suicide prevention group. Thornton claims he left the chatroom after realizing what it was.

Sony Pictures Television announced news of Thornton’s firing in a statement on Friday afternoon, four days after the announcer was suspended from the program. 

‘Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton’s employment with Wheel of Fortune has been terminated, effective immediately,’ a representative told the Daily Mail. 

Sources told TMZ on Monday that the show went without an announcer as tapings for its 44th season kicked off Tuesday at Sony Studios in Los Angeles.

The show’s Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White were both upbeat at Monday’s taping, insiders told the outlet, noting ‘there was no mention’ of Thornton or the events since May.

On Friday, the Daily Mail obtained images allegedly taken by a fellow passenger on board an American Airlines flight in May showing Thornton visiting the site on board the aircraft.

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A close-up of the computer screen shows disturbing messages, including one participant describing a restaurant as ‘a nice hangout for kids’, and mentioning a ‘couple of cute boys and a hot little girl.’

Another unsettling message reads, ‘All-you-can-eat Boyffet.’ There is also a message referencing ‘CP’ which the passenger who took the photos believed to be short for ‘child pornography.’ 

From the timestamps on the photos, which show Thornton wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket, it appears he was in the chatroom for at least 57 minutes.

As mentioned earlier, Thornton’s lawyer, Allison Hart, told TMZ that the voice actor clicked on the site by mistake. 

Hours after he was fired, Thornton’s Facebook account was no longer publicly accessible. The account was active earlier that day and featured behind-the-scenes photos and videos of Thornton on the popular game show set.

Thornton’s name and photos were also removed from the show’s social media channels.

Hart said that Thornton had ‘become active in suicide-prevention advocacy since losing a close family member to suicide two years ago, and he has spent time visiting chat rooms offering support to individuals suffering from suicidal ideation.’    

His lawyer added that the website he visited is ‘not unlawful, there is no unlawful child pornography or other pedophilic content, and my client never viewed, downloaded or consumed any child pornography whether on that commercial flight in May or at any other time.’ 

Hart said that the announcer ‘did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested, and has not been charged with any crime.’ 

The attorney claimed: ‘When questioned about the complaint made by a fellow passenger on the flight, law enforcement spoke to him for five minutes or less, immediately determined that no wrongdoing had occurred and told my client he was free to go.’ 

According to TMZ, another passenger allegedly complained about Thornton to a flight attendant back on the American Airlines plane back in May. 

The plane’s pilot arranged to have law enforcement waiting for Thornton once he reached the gate.

Thornton was questioned by the officers before he was allowed to go on his way. 

In a statement to the Daily Mail, American Airlines said: ‘On May 14, American Airlines Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport following concerns reported by a customer onboard.’

Thornton’s tenure with the show began in 2011, when he replaced former announcer Charlie O’Donnell after his death in November 2010 at 78. 

Thornton is rarely seen on the show, which is hosted by Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest.

However, TMZ noted that in 2023 he filled in for then-host Pat Sajak to host a round of the competition because a contestant was hoping to meet him.

Thornton had a brief stint as an announcer on The Price Is Right in 2004. 

He’s also done voice work in Disney-Pixar’s film Monsters, Inc and the video game adaptation of Wall-E. 

The live-action announcer is best known for appearing on the animated comedy The Cleveland Show and MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch. 

A California man dubbed the “butt sniffer,” who has been arrested more than 40 times, is set to be released again after receiving a 170-day jail sentence for his latest parole violation, renewing concerns over his repeated encounters with women and frequent returns to custody.

Calese Crowder, 39, was taken into custody on Aug. 28 after Glendale police said they received complaints about a man behaving suspiciously and allegedly moving close to customers to smell them inside several businesses.

On Tuesday, Crowder was sentenced to 170 days in Los Angeles County jail, with 12 days already credited as time served. After his release, he is expected to be placed back on parole.

The case has intensified anger among residents and tough-on-crime advocates, who say the outcome reflects a revolving-door justice system and argue that California’s more lenient criminal justice policies have failed to keep a repeat offender away from the public.

According to the Glendale Police Department, officers were called around 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 28 to a store in the 1500 block of West Glenoaks Boulevard after witnesses reported a man crouching or “hunkered down” while getting unusually close to people and attempting to smell them.

Officers were also dispatched to a Marshalls near South Brand Boulevard and East Broadway following a similar report.

Crowder was eventually located in the 100 block of South Brand Boulevard and arrested on suspicion of violating his parole.

He was also ordered to stay away from Marshalls, Home Goods and Big Save in Glendale.

Critics say the sentence is merely the latest turn of a revolving door that has done little to stop the alleged behavior.

Crowder served 99 days in late 2025, 105 days in 2026 and now 170 days.

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Crowder, a registered sex offender, has a history of similar alleged offenses in Glendale and Burbank dating back to 2021.

He was arrested twice in two months last summer and admitted violating his parole last year, when he was sentenced to more than 100 days in jail.

In 2023, he was arrested for allegedly peeping into a family’s Glendale home.

That August, a woman posted a TikTok video that went viral, allegedly showing Crowder crouching behind her and attempting to sniff her at a Barnes and Noble bookstore in Burbank.

His more than 40 arrests include burglary, robbery, and indecent exposure, and critics say the record demonstrates that California’s lax approach to crime is not doing enough to keep habitual offenders behind bars.

They blame measures including Proposition 47 and Proposition 57, arguing that the laws downgraded many nonviolent property and drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors and made early release easier.

Parole rules are another flashpoint.

Jail time for a specific parole violation is legally capped, often at 180 days per violation.

Critics argue that a registered sex offender who repeatedly violates conditions intended to keep him away from women should face far more serious consequences.

Some residents fear the behavior could eventually escalate into physical or violent sexual assaults if Crowder is not kept off the streets.

“He needs to be put away for good,” wrote Candice Horry, the wife of former Los Angeles Lakers star Robert Horry, in a social media post.

Federal investigators said Tuesday that critical stopping systems were not activated during Sunday’s fatal Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport, where the jet ran off the runway and collided with two vehicles, leaving five people dead.

The National Transportation Safety Board said preliminary data shows the aircraft’s wheel brakes were used, but two other key deceleration systems — the speed brakes and thrust reversers — were not deployed.

“There was no indication in the recorded data that speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed,” said Chihoon Shin, the NTSB investigator leading the inquiry into the Miami runway overrun.

Shin said investigators intend to interview the pilots as part of the ongoing probe. He also cautioned that officials are not yet drawing conclusions about what actions should have been taken during the landing.

“When we analyze the full list of parameters, we’ll have a better idea of the aircraft’s performance during this landing. Was it normal? Was it not? And what was working and what was not. So I’m not going to speculate on what should have been right now,” he said.

“What we need to do is talk to the crew and get their account to understand how they’re manipulating the controls in order to get a better understanding of the situation,” he added. “That’s something that we need a complete understanding of.”

While officials did not identify the pilots involved, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the captain was 55 years old and had 7,145 flight hours, according to his latest Class 1 medical certificate dated March 31, 2026.

The first officer was 37 years old and had 2,655 flight hours, according to his Class 1 medical certificate dated April 13, 2026, she said.

Officials confirmed that no hazardous materials were on board and said most of the cargo consisted of contact lenses.

“They did confirm there was no hazmat on board. The cargo was mainly made up of contact lenses, again weighing 32,222 pounds. And then, of course, a flight kit,” she said.

At least five people were killed and another five were injured in Sunday’s fiery crash involving Prime Air Flight 7598.

Seven of the victims were in a van that was crushed on airport property. The plane then traveled through the airport fence and struck another civilian vehicle before coming to a stop near a parking lot.

Austin, Texas, ranked among America’s most sizzling real estate markets throughout the decade leading up to 2022, drawing buyers, investors and major employers at a remarkable pace.

Although the housing market in the Lone Star State’s capital has cooled noticeably in recent years, that momentum has not disappeared. Instead, it has shifted to a new wave of fast-growing Texas boomtowns.

A new report found that Texas claimed four of the top five places in a ranking of the fastest-growing boomtowns in America, underscoring the state’s continued pull for homebuyers and businesses.

Real estate agent Alexei Morgado said communities across the Sun Belt have experienced a surge of new homeowners in recent years, with Texas standing out as one of the strongest magnets for relocation.

‘I can see some common features with what is going on in rapidly growing suburbs and secondary cities, expansion into the outskirts, with new housing and more room available for buyers,’ Morgado told the Daily Mail.

The findings highlighted the runaway popularity of Texas real estate, driven by a surging economy and an energetic pace of new home construction. 

Morgado added that the effects of multiple factors influence prospective residents, like housing supply growth, employment and economic momentum – not only price growth.

The SmartAsset report looked at more than 400 US cities with populations of at least 65,000, analyzing changes over a five-year period in housing units, labor force size and economic output. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, remote workers flocked to Texas – Austin in particular. But the boom quickly went bust as developers flooded the market with new homes. 

According to the Federal Reserve, the median home price in Austin surged from around $365,000 at the beginning of 2021 to well over $450,000 by late 2021.

Real estate developer Uri Man explained that Austin had one of the fastest growing cycles in the country during Covid.

‘That surge in new units has temporarily shifted the market in favor of renters and led to more than two years of rent declines,’ Man told The Daily Mail.

But for some Texas suburbs, including Georgetown and New Braunfels, that housing boom didn’t result in vacant apartments collecting cobwebs. 

Georgetown, instead, emerged as America’s biggest boomtown. Just 30 minutes from Austin, the suburb is known for its historic downtown and its stunning lagoon along the San Gabriel River. 

There’s also the Inner Space Cavern to the south, covered with hundreds of stalactites. 

Additionally, the area is somewhat of a haven for new residents looking for a cheaper and cozier alternative to Austin. 

Andrew Gardner, founder of Houston-based Leap Properties team, told the Daily Mail that people are moving to Texas suburbs so they still have access to major job markets ‘without paying core-city prices.’

‘Georgetown gives families and retirees breathing room,’ Gardner told us. ‘You can still be connected to the Austin economy while getting more space and a different pace of life. That’s a pretty compelling trade.’

The city saw its number of housing units climb 34 percent between 2019 and 2024, while its labor force also grew by 34 percent. The median sale price for a home in Georgetown, Texas, is $430,000 according to Redfin data.

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Meanwhile, real GDP in Williamson County, used by SmartAsset as a proxy for the city’s economic output, grew at a compound annual rate of 7.7 percent.

Mitch Coluzzi, Head of Construction for SoldFast, told the Daily Mail that Georgetown has noticeably grown ‘a ton’ in the past few years. 

That could be in part, he said, because many seniors are starting to avoid expensive metros in Florida and Arizona. As a result, suburbs like Georgetown are ‘picking up some of the slack.’

‘Honestly, this is just another example of the pattern small towns experience all over,’ Coluzzi said. ‘Word spreads that the town has charm and good job prospects, developers take note and homeowners looking for lower prices/new builds start moving in.’

‘Once property taxes spike and the rate of building slows down, another suburb will have a turn,’ he added.

Less than two hours from Georgetown, New Braunfels claimed second place.

The Central Texas city added 40 percent more housing units over the five-year period and saw its labor force grow by 32 percent. Real GDP in Comal County increased at a compound annual rate of 6.8 percent.

Part of New Braunfels’ appeal is also its proximity to Austin, but it also has its own sense of community and city, with a world-famous waterpark, a historic district and even an annual ten-day German festival. 

Fourth on the boomtown list is Texas’ Leander, which had the biggest housing-unit increase among the top five – the number of homes in the area jumped 48 percent.

‘The city’s population has continued to grow, which is a testament to its growing appeal,’ the city said in a statement. ‘People from all over the country are flocking to this gem of a city, enticed by its natural splendor, strategic location and vibrant economy.’ 

Leander describes itself as ‘business-friendly,’ with many residents holding ties to tech companies Samsung, Dell, Tesla and Apple. Leander’s labor force expanded by 25 percent, while county-level real GDP grew 6.1 percent.

In fifth place was Lewisville, north of Dallas.

Just minutes from Dallas Fort Worth Airport and near two major highways, Lewisville says it is ‘perfectly positioned for easy access to the rest of North Texas and the world.’

The median sale price for a home in Lewisville, Texas is current hovering around $400,000, according to Redfin. 

The city added 24 percent to its housing stock and expanded its labor force by 23 percent, while its county-level GDP grew at 6.7 percent annually.

Texas may dominate the boomtown ranking, but Lehi, Utah, breaks up the Lone Star State’s sweep. 

Ranked third overall, Lehi is the fastest-growing city outside Texas, boasting a 39 percent increase in housing units and a stunning 67 percent increase in its labor force over the five-year period analyzed. 

Recently, the area has become an technology and business hub along Utah’s Wasatch Front, attracting companies like Adobe, Microsoft and Texas Instruments.

That growth has transformed Lehi from a relatively small Utah community into a city of nearly 100,000 residents. US Census Bureau estimates put Lehi’s population at 95,313 in 2025, up from 47,407 at the 2010 census – roughly doubling in 15 years.