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North Carolina Doctor Faces Charges After Alleged Road Rage Shooting of Sisters on Interstate

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A North Carolina physician found himself in legal trouble after reportedly firing shots into a Jeep during a road rage episode on the highway, leaving two sisters injured. This unsettling incident unfolded on August 22, according to a report from the Virginia State Police.

The doctor in question, 61-year-old Dr. Richard Thomas Arriviello from Charlotte, North Carolina, was driving his Mercedes-Benz northbound on Interstate 77. The altercation escalated around 8:50 a.m., just three miles beyond the border separating North Carolina and Virginia.

According to a press release by state police, Arriviello allegedly discharged his firearm into the moving Jeep, hitting both sisters in their legs as they traveled along the highway.

The injured sisters were promptly airlifted to a nearby hospital. Fortunately, their injuries are not deemed to be life-threatening, authorities confirmed.

Dr. Richard Thomas Arriviello mugshot.

Dr. Richard Thomas Arriviello faces accusations of shooting at two sisters amid an apparent road rage incident. (New River Valley Regional Jail)

Arriviello then fled in his Mercedes-Benz, police said.

Troopers spotted and stopped the Mercedes-Benz about 15 miles away and took Arriviello into custody.

Arriviello faces several felony charges, including malicious shooting into an occupied vehicle, maliciously causing bodily harm to another with intent to maim and use of a firearm while committing a felony.

Aerial view of downtown Charlotte skyline under clear skies.

An aerial view of the skyline of downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. (Omar Vega/Getty Images)

Arriviello remains jailed without bond at the New River Valley Regional Jail, officials told News Media. He is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 29.

State police have not said what led to the alleged road rage encounter or whether investigators recovered a firearm from Arriviello’s Mercedes-Benz.

The Jeep’s driver was also cited for reckless driving, but authorities did not identify the driver.

Dr. Richard Thomas Arriviello

Dr. Richard Thomas Arriviello of Charlotte, North Carolina, was driving north on Interstate 77 in his Mercedes-Benz when gunfire erupted, police said. (Stock Photos/New River Valley Regional Jail)

North Carolina Medical Board records show Arriviello has been licensed as an emergency medicine physician in the state since 2010 and has no public disciplinary actions listed against him.

The records list Arriviello as the owner of Family Urgent Care in Monroe.

News Media reached out to Family Urgent Care in Monroe and Virginia State Police for additional comment.

NYC Parks Revival: Mamdani Unveils $2.3M ‘Renew Crews’ Initiative to Revitalize Playgrounds

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On a promising note this Monday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed a new initiative featuring a 24-member “renew crew” that will set forth on rejuvenating various city playgrounds, recreational centers, and basketball courts.

This dynamic team, consisting of skilled plumbers, painters, and other workers, is geared up to undertake approximately 30 projects each year, with each project lasting about three weeks. Spanning from April to October, these efforts have been allocated a budget of $2.3 million for the current year, as reported by City Hall.

“Our crew is wholly committed to rejuvenating playgrounds, sports facilities, and rec centers in parks scattered across all five boroughs,” Mamdani shared during a press briefing held in Queens.

He painted a vivid picture of the issues at hand by highlighting examples like a dangling basketball hoop, a non-functional water fountain since spring, or a precarious fence. “If it’s broken, this team is ready to bring it back to its prime,” Mamdani assured.

In a symbolic kick-off event at Forest Park’s Dry Harbor Playground, the Mayor, along with city officials, watched as the “renew crew” embarked on their inaugural project—refreshing the look of the basketball courts and sprucing up the nautical-themed playground equipment.

Upwards of 5,000 complaints have been made to 311 regarding needed fixes to recreation areas over the past year, Mamdani said.

The maintenance team will address faulty horseshoe and bocce courts, rickety benches and other common park amenities in disrepair. They’ll also be mulching, pruning trees and enhancing the greenery around 9/11 memorial, city officials said.

New Yorkers can keep up with the crew’s progress at NYC Parks’ online tracker.

Maxime, an eight-year-old New Yorker, told reporters at the press conference that he’d recorded a video urging Mamdani to re-open the McKinley Park playground in Brooklyn, which had been closed for two years.

“But guess what? A few weeks later, the park was finally open. So thank you, Mayor Mamdani and NYC Parks for hearing me out,” Maxime said. 

“I’m really passionate about parks being opened because kids need a safe and fun environment to play in.”

New Tariff on China Considered by Trump Amid Concerns Over Market Flooding with Inexpensive Goods

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is poised to introduce a new tariff aimed at China, targeting the nation for its practice of flooding the market with cheaply priced goods. This move, confirmed by three insiders knowledgeable about the situation, intends to address trade imbalances with the world’s second-largest economy.

Two of these sources, requesting anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, indicated that the proposed tariff might be set at 7.5%. This figure is believed to be strategic, aimed at not disrupting the existing one-year trade truce with Beijing or upsetting the anticipated White House summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for late September.

Should this action be finalized, it suggests a carefully measured response from the White House, navigating around a Supreme Court decision earlier this year. That ruling had invalidated Trump’s earlier, more comprehensive high-tariff plan reminiscent of trade measures from the 1930s.

Following the decision, in March, the Trump administration launched formal investigations into China and other countries concerning issues such as surplus industrial capacity and coercive labor policies.

It remains uncertain whether the U.S. is close to reaching conclusions on these investigations into other markets, which include the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, and several others. These countries were flagged for allegedly engaging in unfair trade practices.

The White House and the U.S. Trade Representative’s office did not respond to requests for comment on the tariff deliberations, which Bloomberg News reported earlier Monday.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said in a statement that economic and trade issues should be resolved through bilateral talks rather than unilateral tariff actions, and rejected the idea that it has an issue with overcapacity.

The excess industrial capacity probe of China was initiated under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the president to levy tariffs against nations that discriminate against U.S. companies or commerce.

The new tariff would come on top of existing tariffs on China

The people familiar with the deliberations stressed that Trump could still change his mind on the new tariff on China.

It would come on top of tariffs of 10% to 12.5% announced last month for 60 economies around the globe that the Trump administration accused of failing to effectively enforce a ban on goods produced with forced labor.

Many countries, including China, protested that move, which took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court in February struck down sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs he levied on nearly every U.S. trade partner.

China last month pushed back against claims of overcapacity, anticipating that the U.S. would soon release results of its probe and impose new tariffs.

Massive capacity in a slew of Chinese industries, from autos to solar panels, cement and steel manufacturing, has drawn increased attention from Beijing’s trading partners in recent years.

Although China’s own leaders have prioritized rebalancing the economy, slowing domestic demand has prompted companies to expand into overseas markets. Surging exports pushed China’s trade surplus to a record of nearly $1.2 trillion last year.

China has never sought a large trade surplus, the Ministry of Commerce said in a recently published report titled “China’s Position on the So-called Excess Capacity Issue.”

The deliberations come as the Treasury Department on Monday warned countries doing trade with Iran that new secondary sanctions are in the pipeline aimed at ostracizing nations that continue to do business with Tehran. China is Iran’s biggest trade partner.

Washington has promised the new sanctions would put even more pressure on an Iranian economy already battered by previous sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade as the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran nears the six-month mark.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s announcement Monday provided little detail and did not name which countries could face secondary sanctions.

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AP writer Paul Wiseman contributed reporting.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Supreme Court Decision Paves Way for Trump’s Mail-In Voting Restrictions

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In a striking prelude to the upcoming midterm elections, Donald Trump grabbed a significant win as the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the White House in a pivotal case. This case scrutinized the President’s executive order concerning mail-in voting.

While this decision represents a triumph for Trump, it also paves the way for additional judicial contests that could potentially delay the President’s order. Indeed, similar legal challenges have already emerged.

Just last week, the US Postal Service unveiled its plan to execute the President’s directive. However, with several states poised to distribute mail ballots to voters within weeks, the window for implementing substantial changes is narrowing rapidly.

The Supreme Court’s conservative justices didn’t address the legality of Trump’s order directly. Their ruling merely concluded that the states lacked the legal standing to contest it.

The majority opinion clarified, ‘The Court’s decision on this application does not guarantee that any steps taken by the Government to enforce the Order will be deemed lawful. Time alone will reveal that outcome,’ it stated in an unsigned order.

The Supreme Court´s three liberal-leaning justices dissented.

Mail balloting has long been a favorite target for Trump, who has claimed that it breeds fraud despite strong evidence to the contrary and his own use of the voting method.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment. 

Donald Trump scored a massive victory ahead of the midterms as the Supreme Court sided with the White House in a case that questioned the President's executive order over mail-in voting

Donald Trump scored a massive victory ahead of the midterms as the Supreme Court sided with the White House in a case that questioned the President’s executive order over mail-in voting 

The case could be one of multiple voting-related challenges before the justices. 

The Justice Department had filed an emergency appeal asking the high court to allow work on implementing the changes before the midterms.

Trump’s executive order, signed in March, calls on his administration to create lists of eligible voters and orders the US Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on those lists.

Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued to block the order. 

They argued that the Constitution gives states and Congress the power to run elections, and Trump´s changes could lead to chaos and partisan abuse.

‘The consequences of allowing such transformative changes to take effect so close to this fall´s elections would be extreme,’ attorneys for the states wrote. 

Dozens of state and local election officials weighed in, asking the justices to leave the order frozen while election preparations are already underway.

A judge in Massachusetts blocked the plan for the midterm elections in those states. An appeals court upheld her decision. 

She later granted a second order blocking it nationwide , another potential stumbling block for Trump administration plan.

The Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court on procedural grounds in late July, arguing that the states sued too soon. 

They also pointed to another ruling out of Washington, where a judge allowed Trump’s order to proceed. 

An appeals court backed that decision, while still leaving room for future court action if the changes are implemented.

Federal attorneys argued that the Massachusetts order ‘blocks the government´s ability to finalize and implement the President´s proposed policies to promote election integrity for the upcoming federal elections in November.’

A dozen Republican-leaning states supported the federal government in their own appeal before the high court, saying states would have input on the final voter lists.

The Supreme Court has previously ruled against Trump-backed arguments on mail-in ballots, finding in June that states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day. 

That case was decided after full briefing and arguments, rather than on the court´s emergency docket.

Trump has blamed mail voting – without credible evidence – for his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. 

He has promoted the proposed changes in his executive order as safeguards to keep non-US citizens from voting.

He´s also repeatedly pressed for the passage of the legislation that requires proof of citizenship to vote. 

Noncitizen voting has been shown to be rare, and is a felony that can be punishable by deportation.

Using mail ballots has become increasingly popular with voters of both parties, with about 30 percent of all ballots cast that way during the 2024 presidential election, according to federal data. The process also is secure. 

A 2025 Brookings Institution study found only about four cases of fraud out of every 10 million mail ballots cast.

This is a developing story.  

Mother Admits Guilt in Baby’s Death After New Evidence Revealed

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Inset: Allysen Armenta. Background: Allysen Armenta’s newborn baby (KBOI).

An Idaho mother, Allysen Armenta, has admitted to charges more severe than she initially faced, following revelations in her case regarding the tragic death of her 12-day-old infant. Initially, the death was presented as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

The 28-year-old Armenta initially agreed to a plea deal on July 30, pleading guilty to failing to notify and injuring a child. Under this arrangement with the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, charges of evidence destruction and resisting arrest were set to be dismissed.

During her plea hearing, as Armenta explained her failure to report her son’s tragic death, the judge unexpectedly paused the proceedings. The courtroom was told, “I’m going to speak with the attorneys, and we’ll come back and we’ll resume in a few minutes, and proceed as we may be able,” according to the Idaho Statesman.

After about 30 minutes, the judge reappeared, announcing that a legal issue had arisen. Consequently, Armenta’s plea hearing has been postponed, allowing time to renegotiate the terms of the plea deal.

“A legal issue has come up,” Judge Thomas Witney told the court, according to local CBS affiliate KBOI. “It is necessary to give the attorneys time to conduct more legal research before we move forward.”

On Thursday, Armenta appeared at her rescheduled plea hearing and pleaded guilty to three felony counts: one count of injury to a child and two counts of evidence destruction. The two counts of evidence destruction were Alford pleas, meaning she maintains her innocence but admits there’s enough evidence to convict her.

Armenta was accused of rolling over on her baby, Benjamin, who was called “Benji,” while they were sleeping. She and the child’s father, Brian Lemke, 32, texted each other after their child’s death instead of immediately calling police, according to court documents obtained by local NBC affiliate KTVB. Both were charged with four felony counts of injury to a child, destruction of evidence, failing to report or delaying reporting a death, and resisting and obstructing law enforcement. They claimed to find Benji unconscious in a bassinet.

At her canceled plea hearing, Armenta was going through the elements of the charges and explaining how she would co-sleep with Benji and she admitted to keeping him in a home that was “unfit for living” for a baby, according to KBOI. She also admitted to having a cellphone that she could have used to alert first responders about Benji’s death right before Judge Witney shut things down.

It’s unclear who directly caused Benji’s death, only that police believe the child suffocated inside the trailer, which was allegedly filled with trash, food, dirt, cigarettes, and animal feces.

Nampa police responded to a 911 call from Lemke on Dec. 16, 2025, around 3:32 a.m., according to a press release posted on Facebook. Police said they went to a property in the 300 block of Lone Star Road and spoke with Lemke at a house where he claimed Benji died, not the “filthy” trailer where he actually died. Armenta was not at the scene.

“After further investigation by detectives, it was determined the infant passed away in a different location and was later moved into the house,” police say in reference to the trailer. “Officers also found the infant’s mother hiding in a camp trailer in the backyard. She was taken into custody without incident on an unrelated out-of-county warrant.”

Lemke was sentenced in late July to spend between six and 15 years in a state correctional facility after pleading guilty to failure to report a death and destruction of evidence.

Court records show that the couple has multiple prior convictions for injuring children in Idaho. They had other kids removed from their home in recent years and placed in foster care, some for hazardous living conditions, KTVB reports.

Armenta is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 3.

The post Mother who tried to pass off suffocated 12-day-old baby in ‘filthy’ trailer as SIDS death admits to more serious charges after new info comes to light first appeared on Law & Crime.

Tragic Loss: Oklahoma Flight Attendant Found Dead in Hawaii; Investigation Underway

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A tragic incident unfolded in Hawaii as a flight attendant from Oklahoma, working for Southwest Airlines, was discovered deceased outside her hotel.

The Honolulu Police Department has launched an investigation into the unattended death of 50-year-old Jenny Lupton. According to her family, she tragically fell from the 24th floor of her hotel in Honolulu.

As reported by News9, officials from the Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner informed Lupton’s family about the fall from her balcony at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in luxury Waikiki.

Jenny Lupton smiles while seated in an airplane cockpit, resting her feet on the flight deck console.

Originally from Moore, Oklahoma, Jenny Lupton was deeply respected for her 29 years of dedicated service as a Southwest Airlines flight attendant. Her body was found during a layover in the vibrant locale of Waikiki. (Jenny Lupton/Facebook)

Jenny’s sister, Tresa Lupton, revealed that before the incident, Jenny had gone out with her colleagues to socialize.

“She just went out with one of her flight attendant friends, and they danced and had a good time,” said Tresa Lupton. “She had gotten a tattoo while she was there.”

Jenny Lupton smiles for a selfie outdoors on a sunny day, wearing sunglasses and a lanyard.

Jenny Lupton, 50, adored her 15-year-old son and was remembered by family as full of life. (Jenny Lupton/Facebook)

Tresa Lupton said her sister was in Hawaii due to work and planned to stay for a few days before returning to Oklahoma.

According to Lupton’s family, hotel security told them that police are reviewing over 70 cameras that were in the area. Police aren’t sure if anyone witnessed the fall.

Southwest Airlines flight flying in the air.

A Southwest Airlines 737 comes in for landing at Portland International Airport on Feb. 9, 2026. (iStock)

Tresa Lupton said she’s traveling to Hawaii to search for her sister, saying “the timeline doesn’t make sense, and we are afraid that maybe there was foul play.”

The Honolulu Police Department said it won’t be releasing more information until its investigation is complete.

News Media has reached out to Southwest Airlines and Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.

Nolan McLean’s Impact Grows in Importance for the Mets Despite Recent Challenges

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Nolan McLean seems unlikely to clinch the National League Rookie of the Year Award this season. While JJ Wetherholt has led the race for most of the year, the Cardinals second baseman has struggled with a .193 batting average since July 7. Meanwhile, Reds infielder Sal Stewart has gained significant ground, boasting a .310/.367/.474 performance since July 24, along with impressive stats of 28 home runs and 98 RBIs.

In this competitive setting, McLean is largely seen as the third favorite, reflected in most tracking polls and market speculations. This assessment seems fitting, especially as his teammate, Carson Benge, has shown remarkable improvement recently, at times overshadowing McLean as the Mets’ leading candidate for the Rookie of the Year title.

Some may perceive McLean’s current standing as a missed opportunity, stemming from two key reasons:

1. McLean was heavily favored to dominate this season after an impressive eight-game performance at the conclusion of last year. His prospects were further boosted by the honor of starting in the World Baseball Classic championship game against Venezuela on St. Patrick’s Day.

Chicago Students Head Back to School Amidst Funding Uncertainty and Rising Community Concerns

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CHICAGO (WLS) — In a spirited celebration of a new academic year, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King made appearances at various schools across the city on Monday morning.

During his visits, the mayor underscored a critical message: Illinois must boost funding for its educational institutions as countless students return to their studies.

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The atmosphere at George Leland Elementary on the West Side was electric. Mayor Johnson welcomed enthusiastic students streaming into the school, marking the beginning of the academic year for over 300,000 pupils across the district as he rang the ceremonial bell.

“I feel excited!” exclaimed second-grader Tommie with gusto. “I want to do crafts, everything—art, and more!”

CPS parent Latecia Williams felt a surge of emotion as her child started school. “I can’t wait for him to reach eighth grade,” she said. “He’s thrilled, and I share his excitement. I’m holding back tears—this is a truly joyful moment for any parent.”

But with excitement also comes uncertainty over Chicago Public Schools funding and the chance of layoffs during the school year.

ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington joins ABC7 to talk about the uncertainty CPS faces over school funding.

“Since I’ve been mayor, I’ve released over $1 billion into our public schools,” Mayor Johnson said. “There is no mayor in the history of Chicago that is contributing more into the surplus. In other words, I’ve done my part. The state of Illinois has to do theirs.”

The mayor said the state can do better in helping fund the public school system, calling for what he refers to as a “millionaires tax” to do so.

“We have to demand more from those who have the ability to give more, to actually do more.” Johnson said. “For too long, big corporations and the ultra wealthy of this country and particularly in Chicago, in the state of Illinois, they have been able to get away without paying their fair taxes. The fact that a millionaire pays the same tax rate as the women and men who provide food, our luncheon cafeteria workers, that’s just unconscionable.”

The CPS Board is banking on $150 million from the state, even though that funding has not yet been secured.

Parents are growing more wary if dollars don’t come.

“Our teachers need it,” parent Keyatta Wilburn said. “We need it. The community needs it. We need our teachers. Without our teachers, we don’t have nothing. It’s already hard enough out here; we need our teachers. The kids need them to come to school. That’s who inspires him to come to school.”

“It hurts the kids, especially kids who actually want to attend school,” parent Michael Soto said. “Because there’s kids who don’t want to show up, but they show up because of the teachers and for food or it’s a safe haven.”

At Madero Middle School in Little Village, eighth-grade language and literature teacher Nancy Ballesteros welcomed students into a classroom she prepared over the summer.

Entering her 19th year with CPS, Ballesteros painted her room blue, installed window treatments and added cultural touches designed to create a welcoming learning environment.

“They want to feel like the classroom environment motivates them to want to learn, and I think it makes a huge difference,” Ballesteros said.

Through attrition, Madero Middle School was able to retain its staff, and Principal Hamed Flores said he hopes that remains the case throughout the year.

“We are at the minimum, pretty much at the minimum of the number of people. So we cannot get more cuts; so I’m trusting that it continues that way,” Flores said.

Johnson, a former CPS teacher, criticized Springfield for not fully investing in Black and brown students.

“You have politicians who have more expectations of third graders than they do of themselves,” Johnson said.

Despite concerns about funding, families focused on the milestone of a new school year.

“I’m excited for him; it’s his first year here,” parent Taquana Davenport said.

As CPS leaders, teachers and the mayor continue to push for additional state funding, district officials have said that even if lawmakers approve more money during their fall session, it would not arrive in time to affect the current school year.

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Heartbreaking 911 Call: Father’s Tragic End after Leaving Daughter in Hot Car

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The nanny’s frantic voice quavered across the phone line, edging on the verge of hysteria, almost reduced to tears and barely comprehensible.

“I found the dad in his car… I think he’s dead. There’s no pulse… he’s dead,” she sobbed.

The young woman had stumbled upon Christopher Scholtes slouched lifeless in his red Honda S2000, parked inside the garage of his sprawling $1 million property in Phoenix on the morning of November 5, 2025.

At 38, Scholtes ended his life just hours before he was scheduled to begin serving a lengthy 20 to 30-year prison sentence. The conviction stemmed from a horrendous tragedy where he left his young daughter to perish inside a sweltering car under the relentless Arizona sun just outside their home.

Little Parker Scholtes, only two years old, met her tragic end in the family’s blue Acura in July 2024. She was trapped for three excruciating hours just feet away from her father, who was engrossed in drinking beer, indulging in pornography, and playing video games.

Scholtes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges last year, but gassed himself to death in his car while his family slept rather than go to jail. 

After discovering Scholtes dead, the traumatized nanny told the 911 operator in the six-minute call at 5.20am how the garage was full of fumes and his wife, Dr Erika Scholtes, was struggling to get their two other daughters out of the house.

‘Why do you think he’s dead?’ the operator asked. The nanny, who has not been identified, explained that the car was still running and described in detail how Scholtes had poisoned himself.

Christopher Scholtes, 38, took his own life on November 5, the same day he was to begin a 20 to 30-year prison sentence for the second-degree murder of his daughter

Christopher Scholtes, 38, took his own life on November 5, the same day he was to begin a 20 to 30-year prison sentence for the second-degree murder of his daughter

Parker Scholtes, 2, died of heatstroke after her father left her napping in a hot car while he drank beer, watched porn and played video games for three hours

‘He’s in our home garage, it’s suicide, it’s suicide,’ she said, through tears. ‘He’s not breathing, and I can’t find a pulse.

‘It (the garage) was locked and I had to get the keys to open the garage door and then I found him in there.

‘He was supposed to… he had to surrender tomorrow.’

The 911 operator brought the emergency dispatch onto the call, using a code for a possible dead person at the address, who asked if the garage was still closed.

‘No, I opened the garage door because the carbon monoxide is so bad, like, it was coming into the house,’ the nanny replied.

She explained that she heard Scholtes arrive home between 12.30 and 1am, but not him coming inside the house from the garage.

‘I just thought he was in the garage, I didn’t think anything of it, but I got up to get the girls ready for school and…’ she said, before starting to cry.

The dispatch told her help was on the way and to get everyone out of the house, which the nanny said was already happening.

Scholtes, 38, was found dead in his beloved red Honda S2000 inside the garage of their new home (pictured in the former family home on the day Parker died)

Scholtes, 38, was found dead in his beloved red Honda S2000 inside the garage of their new home (pictured in the former family home on the day Parker died) 

The Scholtes family moved 94 miles from the house in Marana where Parker died after buying a four-bedroom, 2,400sqft home in the Phoenix suburbs in April. Scholtes was found dead in the garage

Christopher Scholtes (left) and his wife Erika, holding Parker in her arms, along with their two older daughters

Christopher Scholtes (left) and his wife Erika, holding Parker in her arms, along with their two older daughters

The nanny said Scholtes’ mother had just arrived, but it was unclear if she meant his biological mom or stepmother.

‘She checked his pulse, too, and she said there’s no pulse. I was shaking so bad, I thought maybe I was doing it wrong and I should do something, but she said there’s no pulse,’ she said.

The nanny was heard telling someone, presumably Erika or Scholtes’ mother, to get the two girls completely out of the house.

‘I got them up to get the girls out, but they haven’t, like, gotten the girls out – like everything is kind of chaotic,’ she told the emergency operators.

Seconds later, she said the police had arrived and the call ended. 

Scholtes’ autopsy report, released last December, confirmed he died of self-administered carbon monoxide poisoning.

A suicide note was left inside the house and Scholtes left a living will on the roof of the car in case his suicide attempt failed but left him disabled, the report revealed.

Medical examiner Daniel Casa wrote that a rope and a ladder had also been arranged in the garage in a manner that suggested Scholtes had a backup suicide plan. 

The killer dad was found with a blood carboxyhemoglobin level of 80 percent – far higher than the two to three percent of a healthy non-smoker.

Marijuana, caffeine and diphenhydramine – the active ingredient in cold and flu medications like Benadryl – were also found in his blood.

The blue 2023 Acura MDX parked in the driveway of the family home in Marana, Arizona on July 9, 2024 - the day Parker died

The blue 2023 Acura MDX parked in the driveway of the family home in Marana, Arizona on July 9, 2024 – the day Parker died

Casa cataloged Scholtes’ long list of health conditions, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and ADHD, plus cocaine, alcohol, and marijuana use, and a degenerative joint disease.

‘He reportedly made suicidal statements after the death of his daughter, and he had recently exhibited a depressed mood,’ Casa wrote.

The report noted that Scholtes was ‘under stress’ due to his criminal case and he was expected to report to prison on the day he was found dead.

Casa’s report matches a neighbor’s visceral account to the Daily Mail of the moments after Scholtes was found.

‘They were all standing looking at the car and he was already in the car dead at that time,’ said the neighbor, who had a clear view of the chaotic scene through the open garage door.

‘All of a sudden [Erika] started walking around and this other lady pulled up all frantic and they ran up to the door. Then the police and the fire department showed up.

‘I don’t know how far [the fumes] went into the house, but the kids were there, the family was there. It could have been bad.’

Scholtes killed himself 16 months after Parker died in the back seat of the family car in the driveway of the former family home in the Tucson suburb of Marana, Arizona, where he left her in 90F heat.

The Scholtes family pictured together in happier times. Dr Erika Scholtes must now contend with the loss of her husband and her youngest daughter  

Scholtes left Parker napping with the air-conditioning on and the car running outside his then-home during 109F weather - but it switched off after 20 minutes

Scholtes left Parker napping with the air-conditioning on and the car running outside his then-home during 109F weather – but it switched off after 20 minutes

The unemployed father left his youngest daughter napping for three hours in the boiling hot family car while he drank beer, played video games and watched porn inside the house as she slowly died. 

He told police that he left Parker in the car with the engine running and the air-conditioning on because she was asleep when they arrived home.

However, he lost track of time and the engine automatically shut off after about 20 minutes – as police testing confirmed. 

Crime scene photos previously obtained by the Daily Mail showed tiny handprints on the inside of the window in the blue family 2023 Acura MDX.

The haunting marks on the rear driver’s side window were just inches from where Parker’s forward-facing car seat was buckled in.

Police testing found the surface temperature of the car seat was 149.1F, according to detailed incident reports by the Marana Police Department. 

Parker was only found when Erika came home from work at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson – where the toddler was declared dead an hour later. 

Erika now works as an anesthesiologist at Banner’s Phoenix hospital.

Scholtes’ two surviving daughters described to detectives the frantic moment before the couple realized where Parker was and sprinted to the car.

‘[One of the girls] said when her mom got home she asked, “Where’s the baby?” and her dad said, “Where’s the baby!?” and ran outside,’ one officer wrote.

‘”My dad started screaming cause he walked outside and he saw that she was in the car still, her lips were purple and she wasn’t breathing.”

‘When they saw her mom and dad crying, they knew Parker was dead.’

Erika was seen packing away Halloween bits and putting up Christmas decorations last December as she kept a low profile since her husband’s suicide

Crime scene photos taken by the Marana Police Department showed tiny handprints on the inside of the window in the car inches from where Parker was strapped in

Crime scene photos taken by the Marana Police Department showed tiny handprints on the inside of the window in the car inches from where Parker was strapped in

Erika continued to stand by her husband up to his suicide – petitioning the court for his release and for permission to take a holiday to Maui in Hawaii. 

She also bought a beautiful $1 million four-bedroom, 2,369sqft Italian villa-style family home in Phoenix in April last year.

Scholtes rejected a plea deal in March 2025 that would have seen him serve up to 10 years behind bars.

Just six months later, Scholtes had no choice but to accept a far worse deal to plead guilty to second-degree murder and be jailed for 20 to 30 years without parole.

But he was allowed to stay out on bail until November 5, when he would be taken into custody, and used that time to plan his suicide.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org. 

Ukraine’s Election Tsunami: Zelenskyy’s Fight to Prevent Political Upheaval

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Over four years have passed since Russia initiated its full-scale assault on Ukraine, leading to devastating losses and countless lives lost. Amidst this crisis, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now confronted with a significant political dilemma: the decision of whether to conduct elections during wartime.

This debate surfaced last week when former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, following his dismissal, urged Zelenskyy to consider the possibility of organizing elections amidst the ongoing conflict.

This proposal poses the most formidable challenge to Zelenskyy’s presidency since Russia’s invasion commenced in February 2022, as he continues to resist the pressure to hold elections under such precarious conditions.

“Elections at this moment would be akin to a tsunami striking our country, causing a split within Ukraine,” Zelenskyy remarked on Sunday, local time.

“Thus, my priority is steering the nation towards concluding the war, while ensuring the maintenance of our independence and sovereignty.”

National elections have been suspended since the invasion began and polling shows most Ukrainians support delaying a vote until the fighting ends.

Why can’t Ukraine hold elections?

Zelenskyy won Ukraine’s 2019 presidential election in a landslide and would have ordinarily served a five-year term.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine introduced martial law, which suspends some civil liberties, including national elections.

Zelenskyy’s presidential term expired in 2024, but he remained in office as Ukraine’s constitutional and legal system provides for continuity of government during martial law. The country’s parliament has also continued operating.

Security remains the biggest obstacle to holding elections.

Fighting continues along a front line stretching more than 1,200km, while Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, remain under regular bombardment from Russian drones and missiles.

An election would potentially require millions of Ukrainians to travel to polling stations, creating security risks and raising concerns about how voting could be conducted safely.

Political parties would also need to campaign while the country remained under attack, while authorities would have to find a way for hundreds of thousands of soldiers serving on the front line to vote.

As of the end of June, more than 4.4 million Ukrainians had temporary protection status in the European Union, meaning Ukraine would have to organise hundreds of polling stations across Europe.

Nearly four million Ukrainians have also been internally displaced, making voter registration more difficult and potentially diverting resources from the war effort.

Then there are those living under Russian occupation unable to vote. Ukrainian officials estimated that, as of 2024, around 4.5 million adult Ukrainians remained in Russian-occupied territory.

Russia controls about 19 per cent of the Ukrainian territory and plans to ​hold its own elections there next month, which Ukraine has said would be ⁠illegal.

Zelenskyy has previously said a wartime vote might be possible if Ukraine’s allies could guarantee the security needed to hold one but no viable plan has been proposed.

Why has this become an issue now?

The question of wartime elections in Ukraine is not new.

US President Donald Trump last year called Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections”, while Russia has repeatedly used the expiry of his presidential term to paint him as an illegitimate leader.

But polls have consistently shown that a majority of Ukrainians oppose holding elections until fighting ends.

Last week, Fedorov, 35, made a shock public call for Ukraine to find a way to hold elections while at war.

“A legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to renew its full democratic process even in the conditions of a long war,” he said.

The intervention comes amid a broader political crisis for Zelenskyy, who fired the young, popular Fedorov as defence minister last month.

Fedorov became a popular figure as a backer of Ukraine’s drone warfare strategy and for arguing for reforms within the military.

Thousands took to the streets to demand his reinstatement. Zelenskyy has offered other roles to Fedorov, but he has so far refused.

Activists carrying placards and holding Ukrainian flags while marching down a street

Fedorov, a former political ally, did not explicitly state that he wanted to challenge Zelenskyy but he is now seen as a political rival to the president after his ousting.

Ukrainian politician Lesia Vasylenko said it was “unrealistic” to talk about an election while fighting continued.

“It would require a constitutional change,” she told Times Radio, something that is a “difficult enough process to orchestrate at peacetime and during the martial law regime, it’s virtually impossible”.

For now, there is little sign that Ukraine is preparing to hold an election, but the longer the war drags on, the louder the calls will become.

— With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse