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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.
A Maryland teenager has admitted to the murder of a local business owner, with authorities stating that the teen assaulted the victim, kidnapped him, and set his truck on fire with him trapped inside.
Jonah Michael Poole, on March 18, entered a guilty plea to first-degree murder for the death of 67-year-old Edward Stephen Koza, as detailed in an arrest warrant issued by the Office of the State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County.
Poole is set to be sentenced on June 26.
At 19 years old, Poole faces additional charges including second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit murder, and arson, according to a statement from the Anne Arundel County Police Department. His girlfriend, Kylee Alyssa Dakes, who is also implicated, faces similar charges, including first-degree murder.
The court documents do not clarify whether Dakes has entered a plea. Her next court appearance is scheduled for April 28, and her trial is set to commence on June 8. Dakes’s legal representative did not immediately respond to Oxygen‘s request for a comment.
Back in May, Anne Arundel police and fire personnel responded to a 911 call abouta truck in Koza’s Tropic Bay Water Gardens parking lot, which had burst into flames right before a red car fled the scene, per the warrant.
When the fire was extinguished, according tothe press release, Koza’s remains were found inside the car.
Koza’s hands, arms and mouth had been bound with tape, stated the warrant, and he was not wearing shoes. An autopsy cited in the warrant stated that Koza had sustained blunt force trauma to the head.
Authorities found a “Bass Pro” baseball hat on the ground next to the truck. Meanwhile, inside the business, there were signs of a struggle, per the warrant, including broken items, a plastic bag with blood, a pair of shoes, blood on the ground and a rock that had been dislodged from a retail display.
Investigators wrote in the warrant that they believe Poole and Dakes attacked Koza inside his store, likely placed him in his truck, and drove to a gas station to purchase gasoline for an accelerant, before returning to Koza’s store to light his truck, with him inside it, on fire.
Surveillance video from that gas station, which was cited in the warrant, allegedly featured a couple arriving in a pickup truck driven by a man who appeared to be wearing a Bass Pro baseball hat. The footage allegedly showedhis female companion exiting the car, handing money to an attendant, and walking out of the store.
Poole and Dakes’ motive is unclear, and a spokesperson from the Office of the State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County declined to comment when asked by Oxygen.
An attorney for Poole could not immediately be reached by Oxygen.
In Tampa, Florida, a perplexing medical billing error left a Hillsborough County resident, Gloria A. Valdes, caught in a frustrating situation where her personal insurance details were mistakenly merged with those of another patient sharing her name. Thanks to the intervention of Better Call Behnken, this issue has finally been resolved, bringing relief to Valdes.
The mix-up involved two women with the same first and last names, differentiated only by a middle initial. For weeks, Valdes grappled with the confusion, which all started when she received a bill for an ambulance ride she never took. The charge was from Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, and it soon became evident that the bill was meant for another woman who also went by the name Gloria Valdes, minus the middle initial “A.”
This erroneous billing situation wasn’t just a clerical headache; Valdes discovered that her insurance had also been used to cover part of the other woman’s ambulance transport costs. It turned out that Digitech, the billing company for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, had mistakenly combined her records with those of the other woman, leading to this entanglement.
After weeks of navigating this bureaucratic maze, Valdes finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel with the help of Better Call Behnken. Expressing her gratitude for the resolution, she stated, “I couldn’t have done it without you. You were the key, and I thank you so much.”
Records showed her insurance also paid part of the bill for the other woman’s ambulance transport. Valdes later discovered that Digitech, the billing company for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, appears to have merged her medical and billing information with the other woman’s records.
8 On Your Side Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken called Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and was promised the issue would be escalated. It took many phone calls and partial fixes but exactly two weeks later, this issue was solved.
Kristi Noem’s most dedicated aide, who exited the Department of Homeland Security amidst controversy, has not attracted employment interest from major conservative media outlets like Fox News.
Tricia McLaughlin, who served as the chief spokesperson for DHS and left her position shortly before Noem’s dismissal, allegedly sought a role at Fox News as a contributor, according to insights from the Daily Mail.
The 31-year-old has also reached out to other conservative networks such as Newsmax and Real America’s Voice, although no offers have materialized from these platforms.
McLaughlin’s departure in February was shadowed by allegations that her husband, Ben Yoho, unlawfully benefited from a taxpayer-funded, no-bid contract to create border control advertisements featuring Noem.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, McLaughlin refuted claims that she had approached Fox, Newsmax, or Real America’s Voice seeking employment.
McLaughlin was a Fox stalwart during her time at DHS, but her history with the network has done little to help her cause in the wake of Noem’s spectacular sacking by Donald Trump, sources said.
‘Fox is pretty picky, and they don’t like to deal with drama,’ one insider told the Daily Mail.
At the center of the brewing storm is McLaughlin’s husband, Yoho, whose Strategy Group company received hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce an ad campaign featuring Noem on horseback at Mount Rushmore in October 2025.
His firm was paid through the ad campaign as a sub-contractor, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security, in Washington, DC, on January 22
Group, which is owned by McLaughlin’s husband, received hundreds of thousands of dollars for producing a series of ads including one featuring Noem on a horse at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial during a government shutdown in October 2025
At the center of the brewing storm is McLaughlin’s husband, Ben Yoho, whose Strategy Group company received hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce an ad campaign featuring Noem on horseback at Mount Rushmore in October 2025
The 31-year-old has also approached Newsmax and Real America’s Voice, though she has not received a formal offer from any of the networks, sources told the Daily Mail. McLaughlin has denied ever approaching these outlets
Noem faced an intense grilling from Louisiana Senator John Kennedy over the ad after claiming Trump had personally approved the lavish taxpayer-funded campaign.
Trump swiftly shot down those claims and she was fired within hours, becoming the first cabinet casualty of his second term.
McLaughlin’s attempts to salvage her reputation after Noem’s humiliating ouster from Trump’s cabinet have been met with a muted response from the White House.
A senior White House official, however, told the Daily Mail that Tricia was not pushed out of her job: ‘She told us she was planning to leave on her own and we were actually disappointed to hear that because she was great to work with, and she was a great advocate for the President on TV!’
The DHS inspector general’s office has now launched an official investigation into how the contract was awarded.
A DHS spokesman previously said: ‘DHS has no involvement with the selection of subcontractors.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Fox News for comment.
McLaughlin was a prominent feature on Fox during her tenure at Homeland, appearing on the network during their primetime coverage multiple times a week.
‘Tricia really knows her ‘STUFF!’ Trump wrote on Truth Social in December following one of her appearances.
Fox has a history of hiring former Trump officials as on-air personalities, including the president’s ex-press secretaries Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kayleigh McEnany.
McLaughlin has had to perform crisis PR work for herself and her husband while pursuing a new media role.
McLaughlin has pushed back against numerous journalists and some Republican influencers on social media, demanding they update stories and posts to remove any references to wrongdoing or corruption.
Yoho, meanwhile, is continuing to do work for a network of Republicans in his home state of Ohio, where McLaughlin also grew up
Sources told the Daily Mail that Tricia McLaughlin, the former top spokesperson for Kristi Noem who left DHS in February, has reached out to Fox News about joining the network as a contributor but does not have an offer. McLaughlin denied ever approaching Fox for the job
‘Fox is pretty picky, and they don’t like to deal with drama,’ one insider told the Daily Mail.
While pursuing a new media gig, McLaughlin has had to focus much of her attention lately performing crisis PR work for herself and her husband
Yoho, meanwhile, is continuing to do work for a network of Republicans in his home state of Ohio, where McLaughlin also grew up.
His firm is working on the Ohio House congressional campaign for former ICE deputy director Madison Sheahan, a longtime Noem loyalist who fled the department prior to Tricia’s resignation.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s Ohio gubernatorial campaign has also hired Yoho’s firm to produce its first commercial, released Thursday, amid the couple’s swirling scandal, the Daily Mail has learned.
Yoho and McLaughlin met initially as staffers on Ramaswamy’s short-lived presidential campaign during the 2024 presidential cycle. The couple celebrated their wedding last summer.
In a surprising twist to an ongoing public spat, comedian Bill Maher was reportedly on the verge of receiving a significant accolade, only to have the White House disrupt the proceedings. Maher, known for his controversial humor, was believed to be in line for the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, a distinguished honor awarded by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which has traditionally celebrated the comedic elite.
According to sources who spoke with The Atlantic and CNN, Maher was poised to receive this year’s prize. However, shortly after these reports surfaced, the White House swiftly countered with a firm denial.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, dismissed the claims as ‘fake news,’ stating unequivocally, “Bill Maher will NOT be getting this award.” This declaration added another layer to the already tense relationship between Maher and the current administration.
Further fueling the controversy, Steven Cheung, Director of Communications for the Trump administration, took to social media platform X to refute The Atlantic’s article, bluntly labeling it as “Literally FAKE NEWS.”
This development adds yet another chapter to the ongoing feud between Maher and political figures, highlighting the intricate dance between comedy and politics in today’s media landscape.
Three sources confirmed to The Atlantic that Maher was chosen for the award, but accounts varied as to whether he had accepted it.
One source said an official announcement was expected soon, while another said that Trump was aware Maher had been offered the prize and was supportive of it.
Another source told CNN that Maher was told he had been selected and was seriously considering it, but had not officially accepted the honor.
Donald Trump and Bill Maher have been publicly critical of one another over the years, frequently hurling insults. The two are pictured together above at the 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 2004
The White House denied that Bill Maher had been offered a prestigious award in comedy at the Kennedy Center
Accounts differed as to whether Bill Maher had officially accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment.
The two have had a long and complicated relationship, often hurling public jabs but occasionally sharing friendly moments.
Maher attended a dinner at the White House in April, 2025. He faced backlash at the time from the comedy community.
However, the civility did not last long as Trump lashed out at Maher on social media after the comedian criticized his administration.
Trump called Maher a ‘highly overrated LIGHTWEIGHT’ in February, and said their 2025 dinner was a waste of time.
‘He came into the famed Oval Office much different than I thought he would be,’ Trump wrote on social media.
‘He was extremely nervous, had ZERO confidence in himself and, to soothe his nerves, immediately, within seconds, asked for a Vodka Tonic.’
The president added that Maher confessed he had never felt that nervous before, with Trump joking that the encounter was ‘endearing.’
Maher addressed the infamous dinner on his HBO show, Real Time with Bill Maher, at the time calling the president ‘gracious and measured,’ adding that he was willing to ‘listen and accept me as a possible friend.’
Donald Trump shared a series of posts on Truth Social saying he regretted inviting Bill Maher to the White House for dinner earlier this month
Maher hit back at the posts on his show, saying he did not suffer from ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’
His tune changed after Trump’s social media rant earlier this year. Maher said last month that he did not suffer from ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome,’ accusing the president of having ‘Bill Maher Derangement Syndrome.’
He joked that the dinner was like a bad date, telling his audience: ‘I know how women feel now—a guy buys you dinner and then expects you to put out. I’m not that guy.’
Maher also revealed to CNN earlier this year that Trump often ‘yells’ at him via text for being a part of the ‘lunatic left.’
The comedian’s political beliefs have consistently come under scrutiny during his multi-decade career.
His show, Politically Incorrect, aired on Comedy Central in 1993, and he positioned himself as a controversial truth-teller at the time.
The show was taken off the air after Maher called the US government ‘cowardly’ after the September 11 attacks.
Maher’s politics now tend to lean center-left. In his 2024 book, What This Comedian Said Will Shock You, he told readers that his beliefs have remained consistent, but that the left has become more radical.
If Maher had been the recipient of this year’s Mark Twain Prize, he would have joined the ranks of comedians like Conan O’Brien, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, and Carol Burnett.
Discover the power of chair exercises to enhance your core strength effectively.
When it comes to core workouts, many envision floor-based planks and intense abdominal routines that leave you feeling the burn. While these traditional exercises have their benefits, they might not always be the most suitable or comfortable for everyone, especially for individuals over the age of 60. The core’s primary function extends beyond a single type of exercise; it is essential for maintaining posture, stabilizing the spine, balancing movements, and controlling nearly every action you perform daily.
Through years of coaching, I’ve found that exercises are most effective when tailored to individual needs. Seated exercises offer the stability and support necessary to focus on engaging core muscles without the added concern of balancing or transitioning from the floor. This approach not only helps in developing foundational core strength but also boosts confidence in one’s physical abilities.
Here are five exercises that transform an ordinary chair into an exceptional tool for core training. Each exercise targets the abdominals, hips, and stabilizing muscles uniquely. By incorporating these exercises into your routine, you’ll strengthen your core and enhance your everyday movements.
The five exercises below turn a simple chair into a surprisingly effective core-training station. Each movement challenges the abdominals, hips, and stabilizing muscles in a slightly different way. Perform them consistently, and you’ll build core strength that carries over into everyday movement.
Seated Knee Tucks
Seated knee tucks are a fantastic way to wake up the core while keeping the movement simple and controlled. As you draw your knees toward your chest, the abdominal muscles contract to stabilize the torso and guide the motion. Many people are surprised by how quickly they feel this exercise working on the lower core. The movement also trains coordination between the hips and abdominals, which plays a big role in everyday movement. With regular practice, knee tucks help strengthen the muscles that support the spine and stabilize the pelvis.
Muscles Trained: Rectus abdominis, hip flexors, and core stabilizers.
How to Do It:
Sit toward the front edge of a chair with your hands holding the sides.
Lean your torso back slightly while keeping your chest tall.
Extend your legs forward.
Pull your knees toward your chest.
Extend your legs again with control.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps. Rest for 30 seconds between each set.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
Best Variations: Alternating knee tucks, slow tempo knee tucks, single-leg knee tuck.
Form Tip: Keep your chest lifted and avoid rounding your back.
Seated Russian Twists
Russian twists strengthen the obliques, which help stabilize the torso during rotation. Many daily movements involve turning, reaching, or shifting direction, so these muscles work constantly behind the scenes. The twisting motion keeps the core engaged while the upper body rotates from side to side. This not only strengthens the waistline muscles but also improves coordination between the upper and lower body. Over time, stronger obliques support better posture and a more stable midsection.
Muscles Trained: Obliques, rectus abdominis, and core stabilizers.
How to Do It:
Sit tall on the chair with your feet planted on the floor.
Lean your torso back slightly while bracing your core.
Hold your hands together in front of your chest.
Rotate your torso to one side.
Rotate to the opposite side and continue alternating.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 16 to 20 alternating reps. Rest for 30 seconds between each set.
Best Variations: Weighted Russian twists, slow tempo twists, pause twists.
Form Tip: Rotate through your torso rather than swinging your arms.
Seated Leg Lifts
Seated leg lifts challenge the lower abdominal muscles and the hip flexors simultaneously. Lifting the legs requires the core to stabilize the torso while the hips move. This simple action strengthens the muscles that help control pelvic positioning and lower-body movement. Many clients notice that this exercise quickly wakes up the lower core. Practicing it regularly helps build strength that carries over into walking, climbing stairs, and other daily tasks.
Muscles Trained: Lower abdominals, hip flexors, and core stabilizers.
How to Do It:
Sit tall on the chair with your hands gripping the sides.
Brace your core and keep your chest lifted.
Extend both legs forward.
Lift your feet several inches off the floor.
Lower your feet slowly back down.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps. Rest for 30 seconds between each set.
Best Variations: Alternating leg lifts, slow tempo leg lifts, and single-leg lifts.
Form Tip: Move slowly and keep your core engaged throughout the lift.
Seated Marches
Seated marches train the core to stabilize while the legs move independently. Each time one knee lifts, the abdominal muscles work to keep the torso steady. This teaches the core how to maintain control during movement, which is essential for balance and coordination. The alternating pattern also promotes better hip mobility and rhythm. Over time, the movement strengthens the core while improving lower-body coordination.
Muscles Trained: Hip flexors, lower abdominals, and core stabilizers.
How to Do It:
Sit tall with your feet flat on the floor.
Brace your core and keep your chest upright.
Lift one knee toward your chest.
Lower the leg and lift the opposite knee.
Continue alternating in a steady rhythm.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 20 alternating reps. Rest for 30 seconds between each set.
Best Variations: Slow-tempo marches, pause marches, alternating-hold marches.
Form Tip: Keep your torso tall and avoid leaning backward as you lift each knee.
Seated Pallof Hold
The pallof hold trains the core to resist rotation, which is one of the most important functions of the abdominal muscles. Instead of bending or crunching the torso, the core works to keep the body steady while the arms extend away from the chest. That small shift in leverage keeps the deep stabilizing muscles around the spine engaged. Many people are surprised by how quickly this movement lights up the midsection. Over time, exercises like this build the kind of core stability that supports posture, balance, and everyday movement.
Muscles Trained: Transverse abdominis, obliques, shoulders, and core stabilizers.
How to Do It:
Sit tall on a chair beside a resistance band anchor point.
Hold the band with both hands at chest height.
Brace your core and extend your arms straight out in front of you.
Keep your torso still while the band pulls to the side.
Hold the position before bringing your hands back toward your chest.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 20 to 30 second holds per side. Rest for 30 seconds between each set.
Best Variations: Standing Pallof hold, kneeling Pallof hold, Pallof press.
Form Tip: Keep your shoulders level and avoid letting the band rotate your torso.
Best Daily Tips for Building Core Strength After 60
Shutterstock
Strong core muscles support posture, balance, and everyday movement. Building that strength does not require complicated workouts or uncomfortable positions on the floor. Simple, consistent routines often produce the most noticeable results.
Train the core regularly: Short daily sessions often build strength faster than occasional long workouts.
Focus on controlled movement: Smooth, deliberate repetitions help activate the deeper core muscles.
Strengthen the hips and abdomen together: These muscle groups work as a team to stabilize the body.
Stay consistent: Regular practice helps the core grow stronger and more supportive over time.
Stick with these chair exercises, and you’ll build a stronger, more stable core that supports the rest of your movement.
References
Rodríguez-Perea, Ángela et al. “Core training and performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis.” Biology of sport vol. 40,4 (2023): 975-992. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2023.123319
Zhong, Yuanji et al. “Effects of core training on balance performance in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” Frontiers in public health vol. 13 1661460. 9 Oct. 2025, doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1661460
Background: The Charlestowne Shops shopping center in Memphis, Tennessee (Google Maps). Inset: Marquis Byers (Shelby County Sheriff”s Office).
In a shocking incident at a Tennessee shopping center, a woman was shot multiple times while attempting to reclaim her daughter’s stolen Hyundai Sonata, authorities report.
The suspect, 23-year-old Marquis Byers, faces charges of aggravated assault tied to the event. According to court documents accessed by Law&Crime, Byers is currently detained in the Shelby County Jail with a bond set at $125,000.
The sequence of events unfolded on a Wednesday when the woman, while driving near the Charlestowne Shops shopping center on Mount Moriah Road Extension in Memphis, Tennessee, spotted the missing 2011 Hyundai Sonata in the parking lot. As per court documents and a report from local CBS affiliate WREG, she decided to take action.
According to her account, the mother parked her own car strategically to block the Sonata, intending to prevent any escape with the vehicle. She then entered the Sonata, closed the door, and bent down to pop the hood. It was at this moment that she was startled by the sound of gunfire.
Tragically, the woman was struck in both legs during the attack.
She reportedly looked up to find two men getting into a black BMW. The mother called 911, and Memphis police officers arrived at the scene.
Officers are said to have tied two tourniquets to the mother’s legs to stop her bleeding from the gunshot wounds. She was taken to a nearby hospital in non-critical condition.
Officers reviewed nearby surveillance footage and said they saw a black-clothed man — alleged to be Byers — get out of the BMW, approach the driver’s door of the Sonata, and fire several shots, hitting the mother in the legs.
A woman then exited the BMW and confronted Byers, authorities said. Another man grabbed the gun that Byers allegedly dropped, and the two men left.
The woman reportedly stayed behind to help the shooting victim.
The BMW was tied to Byers and his two associates, who were not charged as of Thursday, WREG reported. Byers was arrested and booked into jail.
He appeared in court this week. It is unclear when he is set to return.
The International Energy Agency has raised alarms as diesel prices soar to an unprecedented $3 per litre.
In its list of 10 recommendations, the watchdog has also urged Australians to slow down on the roads, avoid air travel and carpool to work or take public transport.
Petrol selling for 299.9 cents a litre on March 6, 2026. (9News)
This morning, the cheapest petrol in Australia was in Perth, at $2.19 a litre, and Melbourne was the most expensive place to fill up at $2.99 a litre in Hawthorn.
In Melbourne’s northern suburb of Kingsbury, some petrol stations have already pushed prices to $3.10 per litre.
The next most expensive petrol in Sydney is in Lewisham, at just over $2.79.
Meanwhile, the national average price remains at $2.45 per litre, with no immediate relief expected due to the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East.
Liberal Senator Paul Scarr emphasized the necessity for government transparency regarding fuel reserves and future supply plans. Speaking on Today, he stated, “The government needs to clearly convey to Australians what our current fuel supplies are and where future supplies will originate.”
An Ampol petrol station in Neutral Bay, a favourite for motorists on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, has been run dry. (Supplied)
He further stressed the importance of maintaining diesel availability for farmers, adding, “Ensuring diesel reaches our agricultural sector is crucial to keep food on our tables and support all productive industries.”
In an urgent decision, the ACCC has allowed fuel companies to collaborate and coordinate fuel supply.
“This is part of the government’s decisive action to make more fuel available to industry and households and keep fuel flowing to where it’s most needed, including the bush,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.
Petrol prices showing BP petrol station in Clovelly 16th March 2026. (Steven Siewert)
“It’s really important that the big players in the fuel markets don’t treat this as a chance to disadvantage the independents who play a vital role, including in regional Australia.”
The decision will allow fuel companies to exchange and coordinate information surrounding the fuel supply across the country to prevent shortages without breaching competition laws.
However, fuel suppliers are still not allowed to share information or reach agreements on fuel prices.
The call comes as NSW Premier Chris Minns announced yesterday that about 80 petrol stations in the state were without diesel and about 40 had no petrol at all.
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Josh Duggar, currently serving a 12-year prison term for child pornography charges, has spoken out after the arrest of his younger brother, Joseph Duggar, in Florida on child molestation charges.
Josh Duggar’s legal representative conveyed to the Daily Mail that the arrest of Joseph Duggar on Wednesday has left his client “deeply saddened.” The attorney further noted that Josh has not maintained regular contact with Joseph, who faces allegations of inappropriate conduct with a 9-year-old girl back in 2020.
“Josh knows firsthand the stigma associated with such accusations,” the attorney stated. “He is acutely aware of how false allegations can devastate a life and how a person’s image can be manipulated into sensationalized fiction for publicity purposes.”
Josh Duggar/Washington County Jail
According to the 14-year-old accuser, the alleged abuse took place during a family trip to Palm Beach in 2020. The police report indicates that the victim claimed Joseph Duggar had asked her to sit on his lap. He allegedly later asked her to sit beside him, covering them with a blanket, during which he reportedly moved her underwear and touched her genitals and thighs.
It has been reported that Duggar apologized for his actions and subsequently ceased the inappropriate conduct.
On Tuesday, the victim’s father confronted Duggar about the abuse. Duggar allegedly confessed to both the father and Tontitown investigators.
Duggar, who was arrested in Arkansas, is charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older. He is currently awaiting extradition to Florida.
In a significant legal development, a jury in San Francisco has concluded that Elon Musk is liable for defrauding investors by intentionally lowering Twitter’s stock value in the lead-up to his high-profile acquisition of the company in 2022. However, the jury cleared him of certain fraud charges, determining that he did not engage in a deliberate scheme to mislead investors.
The case revolved around a class-action lawsuit initiated shortly before Musk’s takeover of Twitter, which he has since rebranded as X. At the heart of the trial was the question of whether two tweets and Musk’s statements on a podcast in May 2022 constituted deliberate deceit aimed at Twitter shareholders, who sold their shares based on his communications.
The verdict was reached by the nine-member jury after nearly four days of deliberation, following almost three weeks of testimony and evidence presented since the trial commenced on March 2. The jury found Musk responsible for misleading investors with two specific tweets, one of which claimed the Twitter deal was “temporarily on hold.” However, they determined that a podcast statement did not contribute to any intentional scheme to defraud.
As a result, the jury awarded damages to shareholders ranging from approximately $3 to $8 per stock per day, totaling around $2.1 billion in stock and an additional $500 million in options, according to lawyers representing the plaintiffs. Musk’s wealth, primarily linked to his stake in Tesla, is currently valued at approximately $814 billion.
Joseph Cotchett, representing the plaintiffs, remarked on the broader implications of the verdict: “It’s an important victory, not just for investors of Twitter, but for the public markets. The jury’s decision underscores that wealth and influence do not exempt individuals from legal accountability. No person is above the law.”
Musk’s legal team referenced other cases Musk won and said they will appeal.
“Last month, Elon won the largest appellate victory in this country’s history after getting an unfair shake at the trial level. Earlier today, in a Texas court he won another appellate victory in which the trial judge was reversed,” the legal team at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan said in a statement. “We view today’s verdict, where the jury found both for and against the plaintiffs and found no fraud scheme, as a bump in the road. And we look forward to vindication on appeal.”
Much of the trial focused on Musk’s claims about the number of bots on Twitter. Musk testified that Twitter had a much higher number of fake and spam accounts than the 5% it disclosed in regulatory filings. He used what he called Twitter’s misrepresentation of the number of fake accounts on its service as a reason to retreat from the purchase.
After Musk tried to back out, Twitter went to court in Delaware to force him to honor his original deal. Just before that case was scheduled to go to trial, Musk reversed course again and agreed to pay what he had originally promised.
The central question of the case was whether Musk sent out tweets — including one on May 13, 2022, that said the Twitter deal was “temporarily on hold” while he sought information on the number of fake accounts on the service — as a deliberate scheme to tank Twitter’s shares. The jury found that while Musk did mislead investors with two tweets, he did not do so with a statement he made on a podcast because it was an opinion. The jurors also absolved him of scheming to drive down the stock.
The nearly three-week trial in San Francisco federal court for the Northern District of California saw testimony from former Twitter executives including CEO Parag Agrawal and CFO Ned Segal, as well as Musk, who was on the stand for more than a day.
In his testimony, Musk maintained that Twitter’s leadership lied about the amount of bots on the platform and withheld information from him about how the number of fake accounts was calculated. He repeatedly described the information that Twitter’s board provided with an abbreviation for a bull’s scatology. “I did make it clear that I thought it was BS,” Musk said of Twitter’s calculations asserting that only about 5% of its accounts were bots.
Musk also asserted that his decision to follow through on the deal at the original sales price provided a huge windfall for most Twitter shareholders.
But Twitter’s shares fell below $33, or about 40% below Musk’s original purchase price, while the deal was hanging in limbo. That downturn cost shareholders who sold their stock during the uncertainty caused by what the lawsuit alleges was Musk’s deceitful behavior.
“I can’t control whether people sell their stock, but everyone who held the stock fared extremely well,” Musk said.
The plaintiffs argued that, as Tesla’s stock price declined and buying Twitter became too expensive for Musk, he tweeted statements that drove down the stock price in the hopes he could renegotiate the deal for a lower price or get out of it altogether.
Musk’s tweets, the plaintiffs’ lawyer argued, were not some “innocent mistake” or a “stupid tweet” off the top of his head, but carefully calculated to drive down’s Twitter’s stock price.
In closing arguments, Mark Molumphy, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, asked jurors to hold Musk accountable and compensate thousands of investors who lost money because of tweets Musk sent, including one from May 13, 2022, that said the deal was “on hold.”
“He knew what he was doing,” Molumphy said.
Musk’s lawyers motioned for a mistrial several times during the contentious trial, contending that the billionaire Tesla CEO can’t get a fair trial in San Francisco because of animosity toward him from the public.
This isn’t the first time that Musk has been dragged into court to defend himself against allegations of duping investors with his social media posts. Three years ago, Musk spent about eight hours testifying in a San Francisco federal trial about his plans to buy Tesla — the electric automaker that he still runs as a publicly traded company — for $420 per share in a proposed 2018 deal that never materialized. A nine-member jury absolved Musk of wrongdoing in that case.
Monte Mann, a business litigation lawyer who was not a part of the case, said the “verdict sends a clear message—if you move the market with your words, you own the consequences.”
“The law has always prohibited misleading statements. What’s new is the scale and speed,” Mann said. “When one person can move billions with a tweet, the consequences of those statements are amplified — and juries are starting to take that seriously.”
A California man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a Los Angeles mother of six, less than a year after he was released on parole for a previous double homicide under a youthful offender provision, officials announced on Friday.
Darryl Lamar Collins, aged 55, received the life sentence for the tragic death of his partner, Fatima Johnson. The 53-year-old mother was discovered by her daughters in her apartment on July 4, 2021. Her wrists and ankles were tied with shoelaces and duct tape, and her mouth was covered with underwear and duct tape, ultimately leading to her death.
Prosecutors revealed that Collins took Johnson’s cell phone, jewelry, and Lexus. In the hours following the murder, he pawned two of her necklaces and sold the car to procure drugs.
Remarkably, this heinous act occurred just 364 days after Collins was released from prison, having served time for two separate murders. His freedom was short-lived, as he committed this crime within a year of his release.
The killing happened 364 days after he was released from prison for two previous murders.
“Darryl Collins took three innocent lives. Today’s sentence isn’t just about punishment, it’s also about protection from this sociopath to ensure he will never walk free again,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. “This case shows exactly what can happen when someone with a history of extreme violence is released from prison early. We can only hope that three families who have experienced unimaginable loss find some measure of peace knowing he will never again be back in our communities.”
Collins had previously been convicted of two separate murders in 1995 and was sentenced to two consecutive terms of 25 years to life.
However, he was released after serving 25 years — half of his sentence — under a youthful offender parole provision enacted by state lawmakers in 2017. The law raised the cutoff for youthful offender parole from age 23 to age 25.
At the time of the two earlier murders, Collins was 24.
“Had the state legislature not changed the law in 2017, almost 20 years after Collins’ sentencing, raising the age cutoff from 23 to 25 for youthful offender parole, Collins would have been behind bars rather than on the street and able to senselessly and brutally take another innocent life,” said Hochman.
On Sept. 17, 1995, Collins carjacked Derrick Reese, 28, who was using a payphone. After taking the vehicle, Collins backed up and shot Reese at least twice, killing him.
Eleven days later, Collins tried to rob a diner where Thomas Weiss, 44, was working as a cashier. Collins held Weiss at gunpoint and fatally shot Weiss in the face.
On January 15, 1998, Collins was sentenced to 50 years to life imprisonment.
Gregory Vogelsang, 57, was granted parole by the California Parole Board, despite his history of child sex offenses. Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho spoke out against the decision on Thursday. (Sacramentio County Sheriff’s Office )
The California Parole Board has come under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks after it found two convicted serial child rapists — David Funston and Gregory Vogelsang – suitable for early release, despite at least one admitting that he still fantasizes about children.
U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., cited Collins’ criminal history while calling for a review of the board’s decisions and state early release laws.
“California’s reckless laws and runaway Parole Board are getting our citizens killed,” he wrote on X.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Parole Board.
