Bryan Kohberger’s newly added attorney says forthcoming court filings — and a possible evidentiary hearing — could bring fresh scrutiny to the Idaho student murders case, even as the defense’s immediate focus remains on challenging the constitutionality of the guilty plea Kohberger is now seeking to undo.

“We think the [amended] PCR and evidentiary hearing will naturally address some of the outstanding and unanswered questions,” Jason Goldman, a New York-based lawyer joining Kohberger’s defense team, told News Media on Monday. “That said, the main priority right now is to scrutinize the constitutional issues surrounding Bryan’s plea.”

In a handwritten petition for post-conviction relief filed in July, Kohberger claimed he received ineffective assistance from counsel. He also alleged that his guilty plea was “not knowingly or voluntarily entered because it was induced by unkept promises” and was “not voluntarily entered because of threats asserted by petitioner’s (Kohberger’s) legal counsel.”

Goldman said the events surrounding Kohberger’s plea, particularly what happened in the crucial days before it was entered, require a thorough review by the court. “The circumstances surrounding Bryan’s plea — and what occurred in the critical days leading up to it — deserve careful, independent judicial scrutiny,” he said. “Some of those circumstances are already part of the public record. Others are not.”

He also said that the support Kohberger receives from his family is part of why he agreed to join the case.

“Most family and friends run for the hills when a loved one is quietly arrested, let alone charged with a highly-publicized murder,” he said. “The unwavering support Bryan maintains speaks volumes.” 

Judge Steven Hippler set a Nov. 13 deadline for Kohberger’s lawyers to file an amended petition which is expected to be written by attorneys and include more in-depth legal arguments than the handwritten petition Kohberger submitted in July.

Idaho defense attorney Greg Rauch was appointed to represent Kohberger last month. Goldman said he would be joining as out-of-state counsel but is not yet officially on the docket.

Prosecutors have asked the judge to dismiss Kohberger’s petition on numerous grounds, but Kohberger’s lawyers filed a motion last week to have the judge removed from the case and to change the venue back to Moscow, Idaho, where the offices of Rauch and the Latah County Prosecuting Attorney are both located.

Kohberger had previously sought a change of venue out of Latah County, where the murders took place, which landed him in front of Hippler in Ada County.

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“The motion speaks for itself,” Goldman said. “We must ensure that the serious constitutional questions at play are heard in a forum whose impartiality and neutrality cannot be questioned.”

The motion, signed by Rauch, questions Hippler’s impartiality, noting that he declined to give Kohberger’s former defense team more time when they said they were not finished with discovery review weeks before trial.

Rauch also took issue with some of the language Hippler has since used to describe his client: “someone in whom the Court could identify nothing remaining that was ‘good or intrinsically human.'”

Kohberger, 31, last year pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and a felony burglary charge for the 2022 stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.

He did not give a motive.

In a motion filed last week, Deputy Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Keith Scholl asked for a transcript of Kohberger’s July 2, 2025, change of plea hearing, in which Kohberger’s own words could be used to rebut the new claims in his petition.

Hippler set a Nov. 13 deadline — four years to the day after the murders — for Kohberger’s legal team to file an amended petition and set aside two potential dates for a status conference and evidentiary hearing next year.

Hearings on the recusal and venue motions could be held before then.

“We will let the evidence and the filings speak in due course,” Goldman told News Media. “Stay tuned.”

Detroit public schools are facing a chronic absenteeism problem that is nothing short of alarming. Yet the district’s response may be more troubling than the crisis itself: paying students to come to class.

Under a newly expanded incentive plan, middle school students could receive up to $500 a year in gift cards, while high schoolers could earn as much as $1,000 annually — simply for attending school.

District officials say the effort, called the “Perfect Attendance Pays” program, is meant to encourage students to show up. But critics see it as a desperate attempt to paper over a far deeper cultural and educational breakdown.

The message behind the initiative is deeply misguided: that basic attendance deserves a prize, and that meeting the lowest expectation should come with a reward.

The program has already been available to high school students for the past two school years. This month, the district announced that middle school students will now be eligible as well.

It’s an attempt to chip away at the daunting fact that a full 60.9% of students in the district were chronically absent as of the 2024-25 school year, meaning they missed at least 10% of school days.

For ten weeks between the new year and spring break, when the district’s historical data proves kids are especially unlikely to show up to class, a five-day week of perfect attendance is redeemable by high schoolers for a $100 gift card and $50 for middle schoolers per week for up to 10 weeks.

While high schoolers have been getting gift cards directly via email, middle schoolers’ parents would be handed the bonus. It’s a disturbing suggestion that parents themselves will effectively be bribed to get their kids to school.

During the 2024-25 school year, the district handed out an eye-watering $4 million to high schoolers in the form of Visa gift cards, according to Bridge Detroit. It’s just a small fraction of the district’s planned $1.1 billion budget for the upcoming year.

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The school district told The Post the initiative has “already been proven with our students and families to reduce chronic absenteeism,” noting rates in the high school dropped by seven percentage points in the first year of the program and then a further two during the second.

The district also emphasized the program isn’t directly funded by federal or state revenue but rather by “interest generated through District funds awaiting to be used for facility projects.”

A reasonable taxpayer would push back: where did those district funds come from in the first place, and how better could that interest be used than by paying kids to do the bare minimum?

They’d also be right to ask what message this sends to the sort of kids who are already inclined to miss huge chunks of the school year. Even if more of them do come to class, they’re not magically going to become engaged students.

While the district is right to argue that students who show up do better in school, there’s no way a kid who shows up of their own volition is interchangeable with a kid converting attendance into an income stream.

If anything, the teens making bank for ten weeks are going to see the school and its teachers as suckers who pay them for the favor of them showing up.

The real problem here is the emphasis on quantity over quality. The earnest kid who is sick and missed class won’t have a payday, but the girl who shows up and tunes out will.

$100 feels like a ton of money when you’re a teen, and Detroit is telling kids that they’re entitled to it, regardless of the level of their performance or the depth of learning.

For an already entitled generation, it’s about the most toxic message a school district could send.

A father of four from Utah died after he was hit by lightning while riding a jet ski off Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Steve Matheson, 47, was struck around 6.30pm Saturday near Fort De Soto Park in the Petersburg area.

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said Matheson was rushed to a hospital following the lightning strike, but he later died from his injuries.

Robert Molleda, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, warned that the earliest lightning strikes in a storm can be especially dangerous because people may not realize how quickly conditions are deteriorating.

‘The storms in the summer develop very quickly. That first rumble of thunder might be too late,’ Molleda told USA TODAY.

Matheson’s family has created a GoFundMe fundraiser in support of his wife and children as they navigate their loss. April Beck, the organizer, has shared that the money is being raised to help bring his body back to Utah. 

The fundraiser message described him as ‘a wonderful man, devoted husband, and loving father.’ They mentioned how he adored his wife, Abbie and his four children he left behind. 

‘His family was his greatest joy, and he cherished every moment he was able to spend with them. He was the kind of husband and father who loved deeply, showed up fully, and made his family the center of his world,’ said the message. 

His loved ones have raised over $38,000 of their $100,000 goal as support continues to grow. 

One supporter commented: ‘We’ll miss you Steve, you’ll always be our football brother. ‘

Another said: ‘We love you so much, Steve & Abbie. I hope to have the strength to live like you. I miss you and will do all we can to help your family.’ 

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It marks the third deadly lightning strike in Florida in less than a week.

Kenya Glasgow, 31, and her two-year-old daughter were found lying on the sidewalk after being struck down in Margate city on August 23. 

Her husband Kameron said he was sitting in the car with their other daughter when he saw his wife hit by a flash of light. 

‘I got the actual aftershock from the ground. By the grace of God, I’m still here as well,’ Glasgow told the outlet. He described it as ‘the worst feeling in the world.’

Later that same day, a child was taken to a trauma center after they were struck by lightning near Boynton Beach. 

Matheson’s death is the 13th lightning death in the US this year, as reports have been scattered across multiple states. 

In May, Michael Aiden Vargas, 18, was killed while kayaking in the Blackwater River in Santa Rosa County. The high school senior was tossed out of his boat after a freak lightning strike. It took several dive teams over ten hours to find his missing body. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida has famously been known as the ‘lightning capital’ as it has recorded over 2,000 related injuries over the past 50 years. 

Although about 37 million bolts hit the ground in the US each year, the odds of being struck are less than one in a million. Victim data has shown that only 10 percent of such incidents are fatal. 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research has found that the top three activities that lead to lightning-related deaths are boating, fishing and camping. 

Since the bolts are more likely to strike taller objects, activities such as jet-skiing on water can lead to a higher chance of exposure.

A Colorado family got a startling surprise one morning in July when they discovered a bear had wandered into their home and helped itself to breakfast in the kitchen.

Security camera video from inside the Colorado Springs house shows the bear making its way into the kitchen on July 21, where it began searching for food and grabbing a snack.

“I was getting ready in the morning and heard a bang. I asked my kids — 8, 6 and 3 years old — if they were all okay, and they were all upstairs playing,” Nerissa England told Storyful.

“I assumed it was a picture that had fallen off the wall, so my curious 8-year-old daughter, Zara Lee, went downstairs to investigate, and my husband followed to grab coffee,” England said. “She rounded the corner into our kitchen, and a bear was eating our trash right outside the kitchen door.”

The bear apparently walked into the home through a back door that was left open so that a breeze could come in amid the hot temperatures.

The animal then ate some Flintstones vitamins left on a table, dragged a trash can outside and began rummaging through it near the kitchen door, England said.

Zara Lee and her father reportedly managed to scare the bear away by opening the door and making noise.

“We will be keeping the door shut for a while until the local bears get the food they need and go into hibernation!” England told Storyful.

Bears have wandered into people’s homes across the United States in record numbers after a dry winter wiped out plants, grasses, berries and nuts that form around 90% of their diet, Reuters reported.

Their sense of smell has lured them to places with human food. This has led to record bear deaths in some states, as hundreds have been euthanized, run over, shot and even electrocuted as they interact with humans.

A Northern California construction worker is accused of targeting homes in wine country, stealing jewelry and other valuables and then reselling the items, as investigators examine a series of bold residential burglaries reported over an extended period.

David Alejandro Gomez Sanchez allegedly entered homes in Napa and Pleasant Hill through unlocked doors and windows, taking “expensive handbags, jewelry and jewelry boxes” before pawning the stolen property, the Napa County Sheriff’s Office said.

Authorities are now appealing to the public for information about additional break-ins, saying the 44-year-old Napa resident may be connected to thefts from area homes dating as far back as 2024.

“Napa County Sheriff’s Office (NSO) detectives noticed a pattern in four recent residential burglaries occurring in the Hagen Road area of Napa. The victims stated their jewelry had been stolen from their homes but with no evidence of a forced entry,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Local officials said the suspect, who lives in Napa, works in construction and has performed jobs at “multiple homes” in the area.

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Sheriffs found stolen jewelry inside Gomez’s truck and said he admitted to participating in the burglaries upon his arrest on Aug. 21.

Photos shared on social media by law enforcement show a collection of earrings, necklaces, watches, designer handbags and jewelry boxes that were recovered.

The suspect was busted after a failed entry into a home on Hillcrest drive, according to authorities.

Gomez remainsedheld at Napa County jail as of Monday, according to the Napa Valley Register.

He pleaded not guilty to 12 felony charges connected to the alleged burglaries.

Lionel Richie was taken to a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, after becoming unwell following a Saturday night performance in the city.

The 77-year-old music icon reportedly admitted himself to a medical facility after his show at The Muny in Forest Park, where doctors conducted tests, according to TMZ. The outlet said Richie received care in the intensive care unit.

As of Monday afternoon, the legendary singer remained under observation at the hospital, though he is expected to be discharged on Tuesday, the report added.

Insiders told the site that Richie sought medical attention as a precaution, with physicians said to be looking into whether dehydration may have contributed to his condition.

The Daily Mail has contacted Lionel Richie’s representative for comment, but has not yet received a reply.

The singer’s latest health scare comes just two months after he stoked concerns among fans when he was forced to cut short a concert in St. Paul, Minnesota, after falling ill on stage.

Concert attendees told TMZ that Richie appeared to be having difficulty at the end of his concert in St. Louis.

During his show-closing performance of his iconic hit All Night Long, Richie had to ask for a chair to be brought out so that he could sit down while singing. 

The incident was reminiscent of the health scare Richie suffered at his St. Paul concert in June, when he had to sit down on stage multiple times while performing.

The septuagenarian hitmaker was performing at the Grand Casino Arena as the start of his joint Sing A Song All Night Long tour with Earth, Wind & Fire when he announced an unusual intermission after a performance of Three Times A Lady from his piano, according to Minnesota’s Bring Me The News.

Richie’s band reportedly also left the stage minutes later, but more than 40 minutes after he cut off the show, a band member returned to announce he wouldn’t be able to return because he was feeling ill.

‘Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well,’ said saxophonist Dino Soldo, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. ‘He won’t be able to continue. Additional information will be available.’

On social media, fans who attended the show shared their concerns and revealed that the singer had signaled throughout the performance that he wasn’t feeling well. 

Videos of him performing showed the singer stopping to sit down multiple times during his second-to-last song, Dancing On The Ceiling, and he reportedly told the crowd he was feeling ‘dizzy’ while performing. 

Richie was able to sit at the piano bench for what turned out to be his last song of the evening.

A fan who attended the June concert told the publication Richie ‘said he has been in this business long enough, if you feel dizzy you sit down! And if you don’t feel right, you sit down!’ 

According to the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Jon Bream, Richie was even saltier with his advice, quoting the singer as saying, ‘When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your a** down.’

One video posted by journalist Patrick Kessler on X from the St. Paul show in June showed a portion of his Dancing On The Ceiling performance in which he appeared unsteady as he walked across the stage, before he made an unexpected stop and sat down on the edge of a large stepped platform.

Despite apparently feeling unwell, Richie appeared to be singing throughout his seated portion of the song, rather than relying on a guide vocal. 

Richie was seated for less than ten seconds before he stood up and started making his way across the stage again.

However, less than 30 seconds later, he stopped to sit down again on the risers on the opposite side of the stage, even as he continued singing. 

According to the Star Tribune, Richie’s saxophonist Dino Soldo, who later confirmed that the rest of the show was canceled, took a seat with the singer during Dancing On The Ceiling. 

The publication reported audience members began to file out of the venue as soon as Richie’s band left the stage, about 15 minutes after he announced the surprise intermission.

One disappointed audience member called the surprise end to the show ‘horrible’ while speaking to the Star Tribune. 

‘I’m super bummed. This was my first time [seeing Richie] and I’m old,’ they vented.

The first half of the concert featured a performance from Earth, Wind & Fire, while Richie took the stage for what would have been the second half of the evening. 

The two acts are now touring separately after wrapping up their performances in mid-August, but they’ll reunite for another mini tour with three shows on September 26 in San Francisco, California, September 30 in Chicago and October 2 in Columbus, Ohio.

The FBI on Monday brought back to the United States a Honduran national who had been sought for more than 25 years in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl in Philadelphia.

Alexis Flores, who had been named to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, was arrested in Honduras in February, FBI Director Kash Patel said. Authorities linked Flores to the 2000 killing of 5-year-old Iriana DeJesus, and Honduran officials later approved his extradition to U.S. custody.

“Alexis Flores is yet another high value target brought back by this FBI, after he was arrested in Honduras in February by an anti-gang transnational task force connected to the 2000 murder of a 5-year-old girl, Iriana DeJesus,” Patel told News Media. “After more than 25 years on the run, this arrest proves time and distance do not shield violent offenders from justice.”

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“This also comes as the FBI and Trump administration continue an unprecedented run of man hunting violent fugitives. This FBI has conducted nearly over 70 similar extraditions since the start of June. More than ever before, violent criminals cannot hide from the reach of law enforcement. Thank you to our overseas partners, department of justice, and brilliant FBI teams who got this done,” Patel said.

The FBI said Flores had been removed from the fugitives list in March 2025 due to the prior Honduran government’s refusal to extradite him for his offenses, citing local laws limiting extradition.

Authorities in Philadelphia celebrated Flores’ arrest when authorities apprehended him in Honduras earlier this year.

“The passage of time does not diminish our resolve or perseverance in the pursuit of justice,” said Wayne Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia, in February. “The arrest of Alexis Flores is the culmination of 25 years of tireless investigative effort and the strength of our partnerships across departments. Through this sustained collaboration and the support of our law enforcement partners, both domestically and internationally, the day is now here.”

Flores’ extradition comes just weeks after the FBI captured Most Wanted fugitive Gregory Henderson Jr., just three days after adding the alleged Indianapolis gang leader to its list and offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest.

Henderson, 46, had evaded arrest since a sweeping federal takedown of his alleged organization in August 2023. He faces federal charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture.

The FBI alleges Henderson led a violent Indianapolis gang whose drug trafficking network was supplied by the Sinaloa Cartel and distributed methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl throughout Indianapolis and the surrounding Midwest.