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.
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.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – The Illinois women’s basketball team is celebrating a significant achievement in player retention, with all indications pointing to a successful offseason.
As of Monday, April 20, the NCAA women’s basketball transfer portal has officially closed. Barring any unexpected developments, Illinois is on track to retain each of its core players from the 2025-26 season.
During the previous season, eight Illini players logged 12 or more minutes per game, contributing to the team’s advancement to the NCAA Tournament and winning a game for the second year in a row. Notably, none of these players graduated, and there have been no reports of any entering the transfer portal as of Tuesday night.
The lineup set to return for the 2026-27 season includes the following players:
Note: The following list reflects the class each player will be in for the 2026-27 season.
Berry Wallace, 18.4 points per game, junior
Cearah Parchment, 13.6 points per game, sophomore
Gretchen Dolan, 12.9 points per game, redshirt junior
Maddie Webber, 10.8 points per game, senior
Destiny Jackson, 9.9 points per game, sophomore
Jasmine Brown-Hagger, 6.7 points per game, senior
Aaliyah Guyton, 6.3 points per game, junior
Lety Vasconcelos, 3.5 points per game, redshirt junior
Plus, Illinois is set to bring in LSU transfer Divine Bourrage.
Illini head women’s basketball coach Shauna Green has made retention the norm among her program in Champaign. Among Illinois’ 2025 graduating class, which was instrumental in turning around the program, were five players who spent three or more years with Illinois.
The Illini are losing three players to the transfer portal from its 2025-26 roster. Erica Finney, Naomi Benson and Hayven Smith are all moving on. None of those three players played more than four minutes per game on the year.
Click here for information on Illinois men’s basketball’s roster outlook for the 2026-27 season.
In response to a recent shooting at a popular tourist site, the Mexican government has announced plans to enhance security measures at key attractions. This decision follows an incident where a gunman opened fire on tourists at the pyramids near Mexico City, occurring just weeks before the start of the FIFA World Cup.
The attack took place on Monday at Teotihuacan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Mexico’s most visited locations. Tragically, the shooting resulted in the death of one Canadian tourist and left a dozen others injured. The assailant acted alone, scaling one of the ancient pyramids to carry out the attack.
The incident prompted a wave of inquiries to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum from reporters eager to understand the government’s security plans as the country prepares to co-host the World Cup alongside the United States and Canada next summer.
Teotihuacan, situated about an hour from Mexico City, was expected to be a major draw for visitors during the World Cup festivities. In the days leading up to the shooting, local legislators had even proposed reinstating a nighttime interactive light show on the pyramids, an attraction that had been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This shocking act of violence poses a significant challenge to President Sheinbaum’s administration, which has been striving to maintain a perception of safety in advance of the global sporting event. This effort comes on the heels of a surge in cartel-related violence earlier this year in Guadalajara, another World Cup host city.
“Events like this only further magnify the negative images that Mexico has on security issues, undermining the narrative that President Sheinbaum is trying to build that Mexico is a safe country,” said Mexican security analyst David Saucedo.
‘An isolated incident’
On Tuesday, Sheinbaum acknowledged that the archaeological site lacked security filters to prevent the attack in part, she said, because the shooting “was an isolated incident” that hasn’t occurred before in such a public space.
While Mexico suffers from cartel violence, especially in strategic and rural areas, mass shootings in public spaces are rare in Mexico compared to the US, where it is much easier to legally obtain a gun.
She noted that the shooter appeared to be motivated by “outside influences,” particularly the 1999 Columbine massacre in Colorado.
“Our obligation as a government is to take the appropriate measures to ensure that a situation like this does not happen again. But clearly, we all know — Mexicans know — that this is something that had not previously taken place,” Sheinbaum said Tuesday morning.
Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch, the face of the government’s crackdown on cartels, said on Tuesday that security forces had been ordered to “immediately strengthen security” at archaeological sites and major tourist destinations across the country.
He said the government will increase the presence of Mexican National Guard, boost security checks at key sites and fortify surveillance systems to “identify and prevent any threats” against citizens and visitors.
Security concerns ahead of World Cup
The announcement was an effort by Mexican authorities to assuage ongoing concerns about violence in Mexico ahead of the tournament.
Sheinbaum’s government has touted security successes under her leadership. Homicides have dipped sharply since she taken office to the lowest levels in a decade, government figures show. The government has also taken out a number of top capos and highlighted a dip in fentanyl seizures at the U.S.-Mexico border.
But they have hit hurdles in recent months, namely a burst a violence in Guadalajara in February, triggered by the killing of Mexico’s most powerful cartel boss.
The bloodshed was met with a wave of concern by people in and outside of Mexico. Sheinbaum vowed there would be “no risk” for fans coming to the tournament and FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he had “full confidence” in Mexico as a host country. Sheinbaum later met with FIFA representatives to assess security for the World Cup matches to be played in Mexico.
Mexico’s government doubled down on security measures, which include deploying 100,000 security forces across the country, particularly concentrated in the country’s three host cities, Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Officials said it would deploy more than 2,000 military vehicles, as well as dozens of air crafts and drones, and establish security perimeters around areas like stadiums and airports in key cities.
“As you can see, we are very prepared for the World Cup,” Sheinbaum said in early March.
Despite the rare nature of the Monday shooting at the pyramids, the extreme act of violence reignited scrutiny by some about the government’s capacity to prevent violence during the soccer tournament, and once again boosted pressures on the government.
FIFA was approached for comment about the pyramid shooting, but the soccer body typically does not address security issues and incidents that happen away from tournament venues.
Saucedo, the security analyst, said that pressures to concentrate security in host cities and tourist areas like Teotihuacan may come at the expense of other more crime-torn areas in greater need of police and military.
“Events like the one that took place yesterday in Teotihuacan clearly show that public safety agencies are overwhelmed,” he said.
In a move that could significantly influence the upcoming midterm elections, Virginia voters have endorsed a mid-decade redistricting initiative. This decision could potentially pave the way for Democrats to secure four more U.S. House seats in an election that will determine the balance of a closely contested Congress.
The recent approval by voters of a constitutional amendment allows Virginia’s Democratic-led General Assembly to implement new district maps, essentially bypassing a bipartisan redistricting commission. However, this decision faces a legal hurdle as the state Supreme Court deliberates on the plan’s legality, a ruling that could render the referendum’s outcome void if deemed unconstitutional.
The Virginia referendum represents a notable defeat for President Donald Trump, who last year initiated a national redistricting campaign. He encouraged Republicans in Texas to redraw district lines in an effort to bolster their representation in the House and maintain a slim majority, a strategy aimed at countering the political tides that often favor the opposition party during midterm elections.
This initiative in Texas spurred a nationwide wave of redistricting efforts. Republicans are optimistic about potentially gaining up to nine additional House seats through newly designed districts in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio. Meanwhile, Democrats are eyeing gains of up to five seats in California, following a similar mid-decade redistricting approval, and an additional seat in Utah, courtesy of court-mandated district changes.
Virginia stands as a crucial battleground for Democrats, who are looking to close the gap created by Republican redistricting gains. Having successfully flipped 13 state House seats and reclaimed the governor’s office in the previous election cycle, Democrats hope to continue their momentum in Virginia.
But the back-and-forth battle is continuing in Florida, where the Republican-led Legislature is to convene April 28 for a special session that could result in more favorable congressional districts for Republicans.
In Virginia, Democrats currently hold six of the 11 U.S. House seats under districts that were imposed by the state Supreme Court in 2021 after a bipartisan commission failed to agree on a map based on the latest census data.
The new plan could help Democrats win as many as 10 seats. Five seats are anchored in the Democratic stronghold of northern Virginia, including one stretching out like a lobster to consume Republican-leaning rural areas. Revisions to four other districts across Richmond, southern Virginia and Hampton Roads dilute the voting power of conservative blocs in those areas. And a reshaped district in parts of western Virginia lumps together three Democratic-leaning college towns to offset other Republican voters.
Democrats portrayed the Virginia redistricting as a response to Trump. It is “pushing back against what other states have done in trying to stack the deck for Donald Trump in those congressional elections,” Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger said during an online rally last week.
Ads for the “yes to redistricting” campaign featuring former President Barack Obama flooded the airwaves.
But opponents of the redistricting also distributed campaign materials citing statements from Obama and Spanberger, who had both criticized gerrymandering in the past.
Congressional redistricting typically is done once a decade after each census.
In 2020, Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment meant to diminish political gamesmanship by shifting redistricting responsibilities away from the legislature.
But lawmakers endorsed a new constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade redistricting last fall, then passed it again in January as part of a two-step process that requires an intervening election in order for an amendment to be placed on the ballot. The measure allows lawmakers to redistrict until returning the task to a bipartisan commission after the 2030 census.
In February, they passed a new U.S. House map to take effect pending the outcome of the redistricting referendum.
Republicans have filed multiple legal challenges against the redistricting effort.
A Tazewell County judge ruled that the redistricting push was illegal for several reasons. Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. said lawmakers failed to follow their own rules for adding the redistricting amendment to a special session. He ruled that their initial vote failed to occur before the public began casting ballots in last year’s general election and thus didn’t count toward the two-step process. And he ruled that the state failed to publish the amendment three months before that election, as required by law.
If the state Supreme Court agrees with the lower court, the referendum results could be rendered moot.
Elizabeth Smart, known for her resilience and advocacy, has unveiled a surprising new chapter in her life. Over two decades after enduring a traumatic abduction, she has now captivated her followers with photos from her latest venture: bodybuilding competitions.
At 38, Smart has not only embraced this challenging sport but has also excelled, clinching victories in various contests. She recently shared striking images on Instagram, dressed in a navy bikini and heels, proudly displaying her achievements on stage.
These images were taken during her fourth competition, which took place over the weekend in Salt Lake City. Her decision to reveal this side of her life took many by surprise, as she acknowledged in her Instagram post. “When I shared the pictures of me on stage, I know it shocked many of you,” she wrote. “Just a couple of years ago, if you had asked me if I would compete in a bodybuilding show, I would have said, ‘Absolutely not! Never in a hundred years!’”
Smart, a mother of three, had kept her involvement in bodybuilding under wraps, concerned about how it might be received. Now, by sharing her journey, she continues to inspire those who follow her story, showing once again that she is much more than her past.
The mother of three said she had kept her involvement in the sport private until now, admitting she feared how it might be perceived.
‘This is actually the fourth competition I’ve done, but I was too afraid to post it before. Worried that I would be judged, not taken seriously, somehow perceived as less than or now unworthy to continue work as an advocate for all survivors,’ she explained.
Smart said the realization that those fears mirrored what many survivors experience pushed her to finally go public.
‘Then this past weekend it struck me how eerily familiar these feelings and thoughts are for too many survivors,’ she wrote.
Smart said the realization that those fears mirrored what many survivors experience pushed her to finally go public. She is pictured here in June 2025
Her transformation has been both physical and deeply personal.
‘This was a big change for me, it was hard, it pushed me, challenged me not to give up,’ she shared. ‘I am so proud of myself for doing this. I am so proud of my body, and I want to celebrate it.’
She added that her body represents survival – not just strength.
‘My body has carried me through every worst day, every hellish grueling experience, it’s created and nurtured three beautiful children, my body has risen to every single challenge life has presented it with, and carried me through so I refuse to be ashamed of it,’ she wrote.
‘I refuse to feel embarrassed about trying something new and am embracing my chance at life to the absolute fullest I can.’
Smart also reflected on how her perspective has evolved over time, saying she no longer wants to be defined by a single identity.
‘I think it’s easy to be labeled as one thing, and honestly, that’s not me nor do I think it’s any of us we are more than just one topic, one idea, one label,’ she wrote.
Elizabeth Smart, 38, revealed she has been competing in bodybuilding competitions and recently shared photos from her fourth event
Smart is pictured with her husband and their three children last fall
Smart is seen above as a child before she was abducted from her home in June 2002
Elizabeth Smart’s picture was on missing posters all across the country following her June 2002 kidnapping
‘I am interested in many things, and as I get older I realize more and more how important it is to make the most of today, we don’t know what tomorrow brings.’
‘And I don’t want to reach the end of my life and look back and feel regret for only living a half-life, not going after all the things I want to do and try.’
The competition, the Wasatch Warrior event in Salt Lake City, marked another milestone in her journey.
Smart placed first in the novice category, third in the Masters 35+ division and second in Class D.
Smart was just 14 years old when she was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City in June 2002. She was held captive for nine months before being rescued in March 2003.
In the years since, she has become one of the most prominent advocates for child safety and survivors of sexual violence, founding the Elizabeth Smart Foundation and speaking publicly about her experiences.
Smart is now happily married and the mother of three children Chloé, now 10, James, 8, and Olivia, 6
Elizabeth Smart (seen age 14) managed to orchestrate her own rescue by convincing her abductors to return to Utah
She revisited her case earlier this year in the Netflix documentary ‘Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart.’
Now married to Matthew Gilmour, whom she wed in 2012, Smart is also a mother to three children – Chloé, James and Olivia – and says her latest pursuit is about fully embracing life.
‘I only hope that we all find the courage to chase new experiences, goals, bettering ourselves, and most importantly happiness,’ she wrote.
In the world of anime, striking visuals transcend mere aesthetics, weaving deep emotional narratives. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners masterfully utilizes its neon, rain-soaked, chrome landscapes to create an atmosphere of emotional intensity. Meanwhile, The Heike Story employs soft watercolor hues and textures reminiscent of traditional woodblock prints, imbuing its historical tale with a sense of fragility and lingering ghostliness. In these works, color is not just for embellishment; it serves as a vital storytelling element.
Films like Promare captivate with their bold use of primary colors, while Land of the Lustrous dazzles with a luminous, gem-like brilliance. Devilman Crybaby takes a different approach, twisting vibrant colors to evoke a sense of unease. These anime productions distinguish themselves through art direction that deeply influences tone, theme, and leaves a lasting impression on the audience.
The team at Trigger effectively employs a cel-shaded color palette that complements the vibrant, neon-lit ambience of Night City. The cityscape, adorned with glowing architecture and signage in vivid shades of pink, blue, and green, pulses with life. Characters like Rebecca, with their fluorescent hair and illuminated eyes, mirror the city’s lively aesthetic. The rain-slicked streets magnify the neon brilliance, enhancing the visual impact of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and making it truly unforgettable.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Bathes Night City In Neon
Trigger’s cel-shaded color scheme fits perfectly with Night City’s neon-drenched streets. The background architecture and signs glow in saturated pinks, blues, and greens, making the city feel alive. Rebecca and other characters wear fluorescent hair and glowing eyes that echo the vibrant city scape and rainy streets reflect and amplify the neon signs, doubling Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ visual impact.
The stark contrast of neon and darkness emphasizes Edgerunners’ cyberpunk atmosphere. Flashes of color in rain and holograms set the tone for each intense scene and the continuous neon palette reflects the blend of gritty action and stylized futurism in the series. The intensity of neon color often spikes during action sequences, highlighting the drama.
The Heike Story Uses Textured Watercolor Tones To Evoke Antiquity
Biwa from The Heike Story anime sticks out her tongueImage via Science Saru
The Heike Story’s art mimics classical Japanese scrolls with a woodblock-inspired look. Animators gave Heike rich, earthy hues and almost no shading, creating an ink-on-parchment effect. The backgrounds have a textured, paper-like finish that softens edges and blends foreground with background, and each frame’s brushstroke textures and subtle gradients reinforce the hand-painted feel.
Heike’s muted palette of saffron yellows, moss greens and indigo blues evokes the Heian period setting and the scenes feel like living paintings where colors flow as if brushed on silk. The overall subdued palette keeps the focus on narrative and historical atmosphere, not flashy visuals. The gentle, historical palette enhances the overall epic and poetic mood of the Genpei War tale.
Promare Erupts In Neon-soaked Ultra-vibrant Color
Lio Fotia looks at a flame on her palm in PromareImage via Studio Trigger
Promare’s palette bursts with bright pinks, blues and yellows in every scene. The fantastic film uses flat, vivid color blocks and heavy black outlines which are reminiscent of synthwave or arcade art. The bright neon colors and futuristic setting define Trigger production’s design. Characters like Galo Thymos have costumes and hair that also adopt vivid neon shades, reinforcing the candy-colored aesthetic.
Flames and explosions in Promare appear in surreal neon pink and cyan, tying the color scheme to the pyrokinetic themes of the film. Geometric overlays and colored smoke fill action scenes which turn battles into light shows. Characters’ costumes also reflect the palette, like Galo’s red jacket mirroring the fire motif. Promare’s gaudy palette reinforces the movie’s flamboyant style and high-energy rebellion.
Land Of The Lustrous Glitters With Gem-toned Brilliance
Orange’s CGI renders each gemstone character with glowing, translucent hair and eyes. The Land’s scenery is bright and crisp and every single green blade of grass feels vivid. Land of the Lustrous’ use of lighting and color is brilliant, and the backgrounds and characters literally glow under sunlight. Even the sky and water glow while sunset scenes cast pinks and oranges across the Lustrous, enhancing their shine.
Moreover, each gem has a distinct color, like Phosphophyllite’s mint green, Bort’s purple and Cinnabar’s red. Metallic highlights and sparkle effects are used freely, and each scene feels like light is bouncing off the Jewels. Their hair casts colored light onto objects, integrating characters and the environment. While the abundant color and light emphasize the fantasy setting, making the Lustrous world feel precious and otherworldly.
Dorohedoro Contrasts Grunge With Bold Earthy Hues
Caiman and Natsuki enjoy a beverage together and laugh in Dorohedoro.Image via MAPPA
Dorohedoro blends a dirty, post-apocalyptic setting with sudden flashes of color. The palette is vibrant and diverse, but the overall aesthetic is earthy and bold. Grayscale browns and greens cover alleyways and factories, while neon blues and yellows appear in magic spells and goggles. Neon signs and graffiti in the city provide bright highlights against the otherwise muted backdrop.
Each violent scene splashes vivid color, with bright blood-red spills against charcoal stone. Dorohedoro’s animation mixes textured 2D backgrounds with CGI elements, highlighting both grit and color. Everyday items in the Hole, like pizza and soda, also get neon touches which bring playful color to the otherwise grim setting. This earthy-yet-vibrant palette matches Dorohedoro’s mix of horror and dark comedy, making the grotesque world feel alive.
Ping Pong The Animation Uses A Subdued Pastel Palette To Highlight Character Drama
Smile swings a ping pong paddle in Ping Pong the Animation.Image via Tatsunoko Production
Masaaki Yuasa’s style in Ping Pong the Animation is intentionally muted and raw. The color palette is dreary and pastel with virtually no vibrant hues. Soft blues, browns and grays dominate the scenes, giving the sports anime a rough and sketch-like feel. Each scoreboard and game ball is carefully colored to subtly highlight the intense drama of matches.
Ping Pong’s subdued colors make each match feel weighty and every flash of brighter color, like a red table tennis paddle, stands out dramatically. This restraint directs focus to motion and emotion instead of flashy effects. Small details like players’ jersey colors or the ball’s red and white panels are subtly emphasized and, even without bright colors, Ping Pong’s palette still catches your attention by emphasizing form and movement.
The Garden Of Words Bathes Tokyo’s Rain In Gray-green Washes
Takao makes Yukino wear the shoes he made in Garden of WordsImage via CoMix Waves Films
Creator Makoto Shinkai centers the film on a rainy garden, using mostly greens and grays. The limited palette lets the foliage stand out and the garden’s greens feel more lush against the gray rain. Overcast skies and wet streets dominate The Garden of Words, making each green leaf and puddle appear radiant. Falling raindrops and garden flowers appear with crisp detail and gentle color tints, blending with the quiet scene.
The visuals literally glow as the lighting softly tints Takao and Yukari with garden green so that the scenes seem to glow from within. Background textures like the pavement and wood are rendered in soft blue and green tints, blending smoothly with the rain-soaked atmosphere. Diffused light and misty backgrounds heighten the film’s depth, turning rain and columns of light into artistic effects. Together, The Garden of Words’ subdued tones evoke a calm, dreamy mood that mirrors the film’s introspective tone.
No Game No Life Dazzles With An Over-the-top Rainbow Spectrum
Sora and Shiro look at their PSP in No Game No Life anime.Image via Madhouse
No Game No Life is a fantasy series that floods every frame with saturated bright colors. The palette is instantly noticeable, to the point of being an assault on the senses. Electric pinks, purples, oranges and blues cover characters, environments and game pieces alike. Main characters Shiro and Sora often appear with bright, unconventional hair colors which underline the series’ rainbow motif.
Color patterns shift wildly as the game world changes rules, keeping the visuals in constant flux as the high-contrast shading makes even small details pop in neon pink or yellow. UI elements, cards and scores flash with the same rainbow theme, reinforcing the high-energy game world. The gaudy, kaleidoscopic palette matches No Game No Life’s hectic tone, making each episode feel like a flashy light show.
Devilman Crybaby Surges In Bleak Neon And Surreal Reds
The demonic teenager Akira smiles maliciously in Devilman CrybabyImage via Science SARU
Yuasa’s Devilman Crybaby adaptation mixes Go Nagai’s horror with fluid, psychedelic visuals. The Netflix series features a mix of bleak and sharp colors which creates a bizarre, trippy mood. Demon scenes explode in neon red and blue against stark blacks and the palette turns garish during parties and raves in the series, with neon spotlights framing character silhouettes.
Ordinary world scenes use muted grays, so color erupts only at moments of violence or transformation. Devilman Crybaby’s sharp contrast makes the supernatural horror feel intense and nightmarish. Even party or casual scenes are filled with off-kilter color choices like pastel skin tones and neon lights to unsettle viewers. The resulting palette feels chaotic and surreal, reflecting Devilman’s themes of madness and despair.
Made In Abyss Unlocks A Colorful World Amid Darkness
Riko looks shocked and scared in Made in Abyss.Image via Kinema Citrus
Despite its grim setting, the Abyss is rendered in lush, vibrant color. The upper layers are bright and alive, presenting a colorful and vibrant world of strange flora and creatures. Sunny skies and vivid greens greet Riko and Reg, masking the descent’s dangers with deceptively warm hues.
Sunlight filters down from above into the Abyss, illuminating relics and butterflies. As the descent into the Abyss continues, the palette shifts as comforting oranges turn to eerie blues and purples in deeper layers. The rich palette creates a sense of wonder as the children explore deeper. The contrast between beauty and horror in Made in Abyss draws viewers in, making the journey feel magical as well as perilous.
Inset: Cedric Valdez (Hillsboro Police Department). Background: The Target in Hillsboro, Ore., where cops say Cedric Valdez was caught and arrested for his “school project” scheme (Google Maps).
A 23-year-old man from Oregon has been charged with orchestrating a deceptive scheme that allegedly targeted over 100 individuals, including minors, under the guise of being a “reflexology student” needing assistance with a “school project,” according to police reports.
Cedric Valdez is accused by the Hillsboro Police Department of approaching women in various locations such as large retail stores, parking lots, and shopping center storefronts with the intention of gaining access to their feet. These details were outlined in an official press release issued by the department.
Court documents reviewed by local NBC affiliate KGW reveal that Valdez allegedly posed as a student conducting a reflexology project, claiming it required him to meet strangers and examine their feet. However, authorities assert that this ruse was merely a cover for his foot fetish.
The legal documents indicate that Valdez confessed to law enforcement he was “sexually attracted” to feet and fabricated the school project story to facilitate access to numerous victims. Prosecutors allege his scheme spanned five years and ensnared more than 100 victims aged between 14 and 47.
During this period, Valdez is accused of engaging in inappropriate conduct with the victims’ feet, including massaging, smelling, kissing, and even licking them. He reportedly requested to accompany his victims to their cars, where he proceeded to remove their shoes and massage their feet. Furthermore, he allegedly captured photos and videos of these encounters, which he subsequently uploaded to adult websites, according to the prosecution.
Valdez allegedly told investigators that for many of the interactions he was accompanied by a juvenile. Court records viewed by Law&Crime show that Valdez is facing 41 counts of third-degree sexual abuse, sexual harassment and practicing massage without a license.
“We want to thank the brave women who came forward to report the incidents to police,” the Hillsboro Police Department says. “Multiple victims have been identified in this case, but it is believed there are more who have not yet come forward.”
At least 13 of Valdez’s alleged victims are said to be minors. Police say he was arrested at one of his foot-hunting grounds, Target, in January and his bail was set last week at $10,000. Court records show that he was still locked up as of Friday and is scheduled to go on trial in August.
During a city council workshop in Richmond Hill, Georgia, local officials deliberated on the future of the airport authority, following a delayed decision on its approval.
The Richmond Hill City Council had initially planned to vote on April 7 regarding the endorsement or rejection of the Bryan County Airport Authority. However, the decision was postponed.
The airport authority, consisting of 11 members, is tasked with developing a strategic vision for a prospective noncommercial airport. The vote was deferred after Mayor Pro Tem Cindy Hatala revealed she had come across new information about the authority that other council members were not aware of.
In the meeting on Tuesday night, Hatala presented her findings to the council, urging them to reject the authority’s proposal.
“I am requesting the council to pass the resolution to halt any economic support or potential funding for this project from this point onward,” Hatala stated. “We have determined it is not economically viable.”
Hatala said she learned this information after a conversation with Georgia State Rep. Ron Stephens (R-164).
The airport authority is a state-created entity; therefore, the state has the power to dissolve the authority and make decisions, Hatala said.
“The state has the authority to do anything and any time we’re trying to get ahead of it by saying at this economic feasibility standpoint, we don’t feel it’s necessary to support it,” Councilmember Kevin Bowes said.
Hatala and Bowes openly agreed and said that the city is not in a position to financially support the airport.
“We’re not going to sit there and wait for you guys to tell us to give us money,” Bowes said. “We want to say at this time, we don’t want to support it.”
Councilmember Steven Scholar asked whether, if economic support were pulled, the city could rejoin the conversation. Bowes said currently they can’t support it financially and he is unsure if things will change.
“I don’t believe it’s economically feasible right now,” Hatala said. “In the future, I don’t know.”
The airport authority is slated to be voted on during the May 5 City Council meeting.
The Justice Department revealed on Tuesday that a 56-year-old individual from Shreveport has been taken into custody in connection with the tragic mass shooting that took place in Louisiana over the weekend.
Authorities allege that Charles Ford, who is barred from firearm ownership due to his criminal record, had the rifle that was eventually used by a father to end the lives of eight children. Investigators were able to trace the weapon back to him.
The violent incident, characterized as a domestic assault, erupted on Sunday. Shamar Elkins, 31, is said to have acquired the firearm before embarking on a multi-location shooting spree. This rampage concluded with police shooting Elkins in Shreveport. Seven of the slain children, aged between 1 and 14, were reportedly his own.
Prosecutors also accuse Ford of misleading law enforcement regarding the firearm, compounding his charges of illegal possession.
A family photo showing Shamar Elkins.(Facebook/Shamar Elkins)
“Holding people accountable does not stop with the person who pulled the trigger but also includes those who give access to and proliferate firearms that are later used in violent crime,” ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson said.
The DOJ released a photo of the rifle used in the mass shooting, adding that the ATF and the Shreveport Police Department both conducted a firearms trace on it.
Ford was later identified as the original purchaser of the firearm and is accused of giving it to Elkins, authorities said.
When confronted by law enforcement, Ford initially lied to ATF agents about possessing the firearm, claiming he never had it.
He later admitted to the possession, stating that he kept it under a seat and believed Elkins took it, according to authorities.
Ford faces up to 15 years in federal prison on the felon-in-possession charge and up to five years on a false statement charge.
A rifle was confiscated from the scene of a deadly mass shooting that left eight children dead in Louisiana.(United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana)
United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller said the department hopes to hold accountable the person who gave Elkins access to the firearm.
“Elkins’ death means that our community will never see him face justice. Our hope, as we continue to investigate and prosecute this case alongside our law enforcement partners, is that holding the person whose gun Elkins used to perpetrate the crime accountable will give some small bit of solace to our Shreveport community,” Keller said.
“Our law enforcement partners are investigating every angle of how this tragedy came to occur, and this case arises from that investigation—in particular, how Elkins secured a firearm that he used to execute his own children,” he added.
Shamar Elkins, 31, is pictured in a family photo(Facebook/Shamar Elkins)
An Army official told Fox News Digital that Elkins previously served in the Louisiana Army National Guard.
He reportedly shot several people in addition to the eight deceased victims during the attack, including the mother of his children, who is expected to survive.
Separately, another woman suffered life-threatening injuries, while a teenage victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Following the shootings, investigators said Elkins fled the scene, carjacked a vehicle and led officers on a police chase.
The incident ended in Bossier City, where Elkins was shot and killed by police.
Sunday’s shooting marks one of the deadliest mass shootings in the United States in recent years.
Bonny Chu is a Digital Production Assistant at Fox News Digital.
A fourth individual has been charged in connection with the alleged kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian, a case reportedly stemming from mistaken identity. This suspect is additionally facing accusations of arson.
Moustafa Ohrok, 19, did not apply for bail in Mt Druitt Local Court today after being charged with the murder of the 85-year-old in February.
Ohrok was arrested yesterday, after Baghsarian was taken from his home in Sydney‘s north in the early hours of February 13.
Chris Baghsarian (NSW Police)
Three other individuals have already been charged and are currently navigating the legal system.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the young man arrested yesterday was involved in the initial abduction of Baghsarian.
Speaking to 2GB radio, Lanyon stated, “We allege that this 19-year-old supplied the firearm used in the initial kidnapping.”
Authorities are actively investigating to identify any additional suspects involved in the case.
In court yesterday, Ohrok was confronted with two distinct charges: property damage by fire and involvement in a criminal organization.
The 19-year-old will appear in Penrith Local Court on the murder and kidnap charges on June 12.
The widower was not the intended target and had been taken in a case of mistaken identity, police have said.
They made several public appeals, urging the kidnappers to release the 85-year-old and return him to his family.
But on February 24, his body was found near a golf club in Pitt Town in Sydney‘s northwest.
Police suspect the perpetrators aimed to abduct a relative of Sydney businessman Dimitri Stepanyan, who lived on the same street as Baghsarian, with the hope of receiving a $50 million ransom.
Investigators believe Baghsarian was killed on the night of February 14 at a makeshift stronghold in Dural, about a half-hour drive from where his remains were found.
A growing number of underworld attacks have permeated Sydney streets, with Lanyon saying the city is dealing with a very different organised crime environment.
“We are seeing young people predominantly being contracted online to conduct very serious criminal activity,” he said.
“There are a lot of young people who are seeing what they believe to be an easy dollar but not understanding the ramifications … the crime of murder carries life.”
Five others, including a 15-year-old boy, were charged today over a separate kidnapping in south-west Sydney.
The group are accused of beating up a bodyguard with a baseball bat and abducting him in his own car before being freed by police an hour later.
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The production of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” is set to resume after a suspension caused by an investigation into domestic abuse involving cast member Taylor Frankie Paul and her former partner, Dakota Mortensen.
Hulu has confirmed to Deadline that filming for Season 5 of the reality series will proceed, though they have not disclosed further details at this time.
Attempts to reach a Hulu representative for additional comments were unsuccessful, as they were not immediately available to respond to Page Six.
Paul recently made headlines when “SLOMW” halted its Season 5 production due to an investigation into allegations of domestic violence against her by Mortensen.
In the wake of these events, ABC decided to cancel the planned season of “The Bachelorette” featuring Paul, following the release of a troubling video depicting a domestic incident between her and her ex.
In the footage from 2023, she attacks Mortensen with chairs in front of her now 8-year-old daughter, Indy.
It was later revealed on March 25 that Paul was under a third domestic violence investigation being led by the West Jordan Police Department in addition to the two investigations being pursued by Draper Police in Utah.
The most recent charges against Paul have been dropped, but she remains embroiled in a heated custody battle with Mortensen, 33, after he petitioned the courts for an order of protection against her.
Mortensen was granted temporary custody of their 2-year-old son, Ever.
Reportedly, sources told TMZ earlier this month that the other stars of the hit reality show “resolved” concerns about filming following the headline-grabbing alleged altercation and were ready to film again.
The cast at the time reportedly anticipated production to resume “in a matter of weeks,” per the report, allegedly pushing Hulu bosses to start as soon as possible so that the delayed production doesn’t affect their summer plans.
