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Seattle Prosecutors Replace ‘Gangs’ With Controversial New Term

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Seattle Prosecutors Replace ‘Gangs’ With Controversial New Term

Seattle prosecutors avoid describing criminal groups as gangs, using the term “cliques” instead, according to an official.

Amy Barden, the first chief of Seattle’s Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department, said the terminology caught her off guard during a meeting. She discussed the issue on the Jason Rantz Show.

“Everybody’s talking about ‘cliques,’” Barden recalled. “And I remember I had to lean over and say, ‘What are we… Are we talking about gangs?’”

“And you know, the captain next to me said, ‘Yeah, they’re talking about gangs. We call them cliques.’”

Barden said the word “gang” was avoided during a SeaStat meeting, a regular crime statistics briefing attended by prosecutors and city officials, because some consider the label stigmatizing.

The CARE chief questioned the value of calling the groups “cliques” when the individuals involved refer to themselves as gangs.

“I think it’s well-intentioned. I’m a compassionate person. I don’t like stigmatizing language,” Barden said.

“I also think we need to dwell in reality, and that it slows us down to not just name the problem, try to identify the solutions, and understand with human behavior, you always need incentives and deterrents. There has to be accountability.”

Amy Barden, the first chief of Seattle's Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department explained on the Jason Rantz Show how during a meeting with prosecutors and city attorneys gangs were referred to as 'cliques'

Amy Barden, the first chief of Seattle’s Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department, said on the Jason Rantz Show that gangs were referred to as “cliques” during a meeting involving prosecutors and city attorneys.

Seattle's dedicated gang unit was disbanded in 2020 as the department shifted its approach toward gun violence. Under former Mayor Bruce Harrell, officials were reluctant to use the terms gang and gang member, according to Seattle Red

Seattle’s dedicated gang unit was disbanded in 2020 as the department shifted its focus toward gun violence. Under former Mayor Bruce Harrell, officials were reportedly reluctant to use the terms “gang” and “gang member,” according to Seattle Red.

Merriam-Webster defines a “clique” as “a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons.”

By contrast, its definition of “gang” is “a group of persons working to unlawful or antisocial ends especially: a band of antisocial adolescents.”

Asked by the Daily Mail whether King County prosecutors had been instructed to use “cliques” instead of gangs, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said “no.”

The office emphasized that it operates separately from the city of Seattle.

The comments come months after then-Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes repeatedly described gangs as “small groups” following a mass shooting that killed three people.

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Barnes used the phrase several times during a press conference after the July 26 massacre at the Bite of Seattle food festival, a shooting authorities linked to gang violence.

He said investigators were still determining the motive but described the incident as “certainly group activity.”

Appearing to refer to gangs, the police chief said during the press conference: “We have small groups that appear to be at odds with each other.”

“In our city, 0.01 percent of the population is connected to 52 percent of our shootings, most of which are young people,” Barnes said.

According to Seattle Red, officials under former Mayor Bruce Harrell were reluctant to use the terms “gang” and “gang member.”

Seattle’s dedicated gang unit was disbanded in 2020 as the department shifted its approach toward gun violence.

Seattle mayor Katie Wilson has came under scrutiny for her response to a horror mass shooting in her city on July 26 that killed three people and injured at least four others and was suspected to be connected to gang violence

Seattle mayor Katie Wilson has came under scrutiny for her response to a horror mass shooting in her city on July 26 that killed three people and injured at least four others and was suspected to be connected to gang violence 

Harrell’s successor, Mayor Katie Wilson, has favored a community-policing approach that prioritizes relationships and problem-solving over strict enforcement.

Wilson came under fire for her response to the mass shooting in July. The shooting unfolded at around 6pm local time, but the city’s response was later scrutinized over delays and problems communicating information to the public.

Wilson has since asked the city’s Office of Inspector General to conduct an independent review of the public information response to the shooting.

She was previously a supporter of efforts to defund the police in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020 but has since said her views have evolved.

According to crime statistics tracker NeighborhoodScout, Seattle residents have a one in 132 chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime.

The robbery rate is more than triple the national rate, at 2.16 cases for every 1,000 residents, and there are an average of 446 crimes per square mile in the city.

Seattle has also struggled with a significant homelessness crisis. A Brookings Institution analysis found that unsheltered homelessness in Seattle jumped 88 percent from 2015 through the period it examined.

The Daily Mail has contacted Barden, the Seattle Mayor’s Office, Seattle Police Department, and Seattle City Attorney’s Office for comment.

Southern California High School Students Punished Over Blackface Post

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Southern California High School Students Punished Over Blackface Post

Four California high school students are facing criticism after sharing a meme that appeared to show them posing in blackface inside an African American studies classroom.

The students, whose identities have not been released, attend San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara. In the image, their skin had been digitally darkened.

The photo appeared to imitate an AI-generated image of four young Black boys striking different poses, a picture that has circulated widely on TikTok.

The post carried the caption, “Meet the gc🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷…” The ninja emoji has been used online as a reference to a racial slur against Black people.

San Marcos High School Principal Dare Holdren said the students had “portrayed blackface” and confirmed that the school had imposed consequences. He shared the information with parents in a letter sent Friday.

Holdren said the image was reported to administrators through the school’s Safe to Speak Up system roughly two weeks earlier, adding that the administrative team acted quickly.

Because the image continued spreading among students and had affected members of the school community, Holdren said school leaders believed it was necessary to address the incident publicly.

The school contacted the students’ families and began working with them to understand the consequences of their conduct, he said. “Racial stereotypes are harmful and have no place in our schools,” Holdren wrote.

He added that intent does not erase impact, and that students must recognize how their words, images and actions can affect other people.

The teenagers have not been publicly identified, and the specific disciplinary measures taken by the school remain unclear.

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San Marcos High School is part of the Santa Barbara Unified School District. Superintendent Hilda Maldonado also condemned the post, saying the incident caused real harm.

“Blackface has a long history of dehumanizing and humiliating Black people,” Maldonado told Noozhawk. “What happened was harmful.”

She said the incident could leave Black students, employees and families—as well as anyone who has experienced being treated as an outsider—wondering whether they will be judged by their skin color instead of their humanity.

“No child or staff member should have to carry that feeling into school,” Maldonado said. The district has faced other allegations and incidents involving racism in recent years.

Last year, a substitute teacher at San Marcos High School reportedly read the n-word aloud during a lesson on Of Mice and Men, despite being instructed not to use it. The substitute was subsequently removed from campus.

At a June 9 community meeting, residents and students said racial tensions and concerns remained present at the school.

“Black students do not feel safe here, and I have personally lost friends who moved away because of it,” one student told attendees.

Maldonado said the district would continue working toward a more inclusive school environment.

She acknowledged that no single statement, classroom lesson or program could transform the culture overnight.

“This is not a one-and-done issue,” Maldonado said. “But I can promise that we will keep listening, learning, examining ourselves and continuing this work.”

Hamilton Kicks Off Broadway Season at Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center

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Hamilton Kicks Off Broadway Season at Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center

ORLANDO, Fla. – Broadway has returned to Orlando, and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is opening its new season with a bold showcase of what the venue has to offer.

The center launched its latest Broadway season this week with the blockbuster musical “Hamilton.” But for visitors who have never stepped inside, the Dr. Phillips Center offers far more than a night at the theatre.

A venue built for every kind of arts lover

Spanning nearly 700,000 square feet and five floors, the Dr. Phillips Center is home to four distinct theatres, each created to serve a different artistic purpose.

The largest is the 2,700-seat Walt Disney Theatre, which will present 11 Broadway shows during the season. “Hamilton,” now onstage, is expected to sell out every performance during its run.

Steinmetz Hall, the center’s second-largest space, may be its most striking. It is ranked among the 10 most beautiful theatres in the world and is one of only a small number of venues worldwide with an interior sound rating as quiet as the human ear can detect. The hall serves as the permanent home of the orchestra, ballet and opera.

Music enthusiasts can find a more intimate experience at Judson’s Live, a 150-seat venue known for its top-tier acoustics. Its programming ranges from jazz performances to bourbon tastings.

Training the next generation

The Dr. Phillips Center was designed with more than today’s performers in mind. The Pugh Theater stages youth productions, while an on-site school of the arts gives aspiring performers a place to develop their skills.

“Every single piece of this $600 million building is intentional,” the center said.

More than a performance hall

The Dr. Phillips Center also serves as a gathering place for the wider Orlando community. The DeVos Family Room can be reserved for private events, including wedding receptions. Outside, the center’s spacious front yard remains open to the public, offering a green space where families can relax, read and enjoy the grounds without purchasing a ticket.

The venue’s plans are continuing to expand. The center is working on a proposed project that would add parking, arts programming and wellness spaces.

“Hamilton” runs at the Dr. Phillips Center through Oct. 18.

Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.

Where Is Thomas Randolph, Subject of Netflix’s The Widower: Til Death Do Us Part, Now?

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Netflix’s newest true-crime documentary, The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part, began streaming today—and its astonishing story is likely to keep viewers hooked.

Directed by Chris Smith and produced by Library Films and NBC News Studios, The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part examines the case of Thomas Randolph, a man who married six times. Four of his wives are now dead. Dateline NBC producer Dan Slepian spent nearly two decades reporting on the case, and he now guides Netflix viewers through the disturbing saga of a man accused of killing his wives for insurance payouts while repeatedly avoiding conviction.

After years of investigations and courtroom proceedings, Thomas Randolph was finally convicted of murder in 2024. The documentary explores the full, complicated history of the case.

Once you finish The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part, you may be left with another question: Where is Thomas Randolph now? Here’s what is known about his current situation.

A man with long, light hair and a suit jacket, and a woman with curly hair and a white collared shirt holding a red rose, pose together in front of an archway decorated with ivy.

Photo: ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

The Widower: Til Death Do Us Part on Netflix true story:

Netflix’s The Widower: Til Death Do Us Part tells the true story of Thomas Randolph, who was sometimes called “the black widower.” In 2024, he was convicted in connection with the 2008 killing of his wife, Sharon Causse, at their Las Vegas home.

Prosecutors said Randolph tried to make his neighbor and handyman, Mike Miller, appear responsible for Causse’s death. Randolph allegedly hired Miller to kill Causse so he could collect her life insurance, promising to share the money. But on May 8, 2008, Randolph reportedly shot Miller, then told police that Miller had killed his wife during a burglary and that Randolph had acted in self-defense. Miller’s family said he had told them Randolph wanted him to kill Causse.

The investigation and legal battle stretched on for years. Dateline NBC producer Dan Slepian covered the case alongside Las Vegas Metro Police Detective Dean O’Kelley. Their work revealed that Randolph had been married six times, with four of his wives now dead. Randolph had also previously faced the death penalty in the case involving one of those wives, Becky Gault.

Randolph’s second wife, Becky Gault, died in 1986. As he later did with Causse, Randolph had taken out a life insurance policy on Gault before her death. He was prosecuted for her murder and faced the possibility of a death sentence, but his attorneys persuaded jurors that Gault had died by suicide. Randolph was acquitted and collected approximately $500,000 from the policy, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Randolph again faced the death penalty when he first went to trial in 2017 for Causse’s murder. A jury found him guilty, but the conviction was overturned and the case ended in a mistrial in 2020. The Nevada Supreme Court ruled that jurors should not have heard evidence from Randolph’s 1986 case because Nevada law generally bars evidence of prior “bad acts.”

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At a later trial in 2024, Randolph was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder—for the deaths of Miller and Causse—and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. He received a sentence of at least 60 years in prison.

THE WIDOWER: ‘TIL DEATH DO US PART, Dan Slepian, 2026.

Photo: ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

Where is Thomas Randolph now?

Now 71, Thomas Randolph is serving a 60-years-to-life sentence at Lovelock Correctional Center, according to the Nevada Department of Corrections. The medium-custody facility, which houses general-population offenders, is located in Pershing County, Nevada.

Earlier this month, a local Las Vegas news report stated that the Nevada Supreme Court had rejected Randolph’s appeal. The court found that the roughly 15-year period leading to his conviction did not justify a third trial over the killings of Causse and Miller. Randolph had argued that the delays violated his rights, but the court upheld both his convictions and sentence.

“After considering each of the relevant factors, we conclude that Randolph has not shown his right to a speedy trial was violated,” the court wrote. “Therefore, no relief is warranted on this ground.”

Randolph also claimed that police coerced him into participating in a filmed walkthrough of the crime scene, an interview that raised questions about inconsistencies in his account.

“The detectives testified that Randolph was not threatened with arrest or other consequences if he did not participate in the walkthrough,” the court wrote. “In fact, Randolph agreed on video that he was participating of his ‘own free will.’”

Thomas Randolph mugshot

Photo: Nevada Department of Corrections

Why didn’t Thomas Randolph face the death penalty in his second trial?

During the first two trials over his wife’s murder, Randolph faced the possibility of execution. Yet after his eventual conviction, he received a sentence of 60 years to life rather than the death penalty. Why?

The reason is that Nevada prosecutors did not seek the death penalty at Randolph’s later retrial. The state’s rationale for that decision has not been made clear. Nevada still permits capital punishment as of 2026, although the state has not carried out an execution since 2006.

One possible explanation is that pursuing the death penalty could have created additional legal challenges for the state—avenues Randolph had successfully used over the course of his case. He raised one such issue on appeal, arguing that he should have been permitted to have both attorneys deliver closing arguments. However, because prosecutors did not seek capital punishment, the district court was not required to allow both defense lawyers to give closing statements.

Long-Lost Van Gogh Painting Could Fetch $180 Million at Auction

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Long-Lost Van Gogh Painting Could Fetch $180 Million at Auction

A dozen Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces, together valued at nearly half a billion dollars, are headed to auction after remaining hidden for decades in a legendary private collection in South America.

Sotheby’s said Wednesday that works by Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne could set new auction records for both artists when they are offered in New York on Nov. 18. The sale is the latest indication that, amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty, ultrawealthy collectors are turning to exceptional artworks as a store of value.

The paintings belonged to the collection assembled by the late Argentine art collector Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier and her husband, sugar magnate Carlos Pedro Blaquier. Their children are now offering the works for sale.

Among the highlights are van Gogh’s landscape Châtaigniers en fleurs (Chestnut Trees in Flower), estimated at $180 million, and Cézanne’s portrait Arlequin, valued at $120 million. Neither painting has been publicly exhibited in 50 years.

Britain Art Auction

Paul Cezanne’s ‘Harlequin’ is displayed during a preview of the Blaquier-Arrieta Collection, a group of twelve Impressionist and Modern works which have been largely unseen for half a century, at Sotheby’s in London, Sept. 30, 2026.

Ben Bauer/PA via AP

Helena Newman, Sotheby’s global head of Impressionist and Modern art, compared the collection to a “mini-Musée D’Orsay,” referring to the Paris museum renowned for its holdings of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art.

“In my 30-plus years at Sotheby’s, I’ve never had the privilege of handling a collection of quite this content and caliber,” Newman said.

Newman said van Gogh’s flowering chestnut trees convey the “explosion of energy and vitality” the artist experienced after leaving a psychiatric asylum in May 1890. Van Gogh died by suicide two months later.

Cézanne’s portrait is one of four paintings depicting the artist’s son dressed as the Harlequin, a clowning character. The other three works are held by major museums.

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The collection also features Paris scenes by Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro, an Edgar Degas painting centered on horse racing and a boating scene by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Each is estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars.

Britain Art Auction

Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “En Canon (Jeune fille a la barque)” is displayed during a preview of the Blaquier-Arrieta Collection, a group of 12 Impressionist and Modern works which have been largely unseen for half a century, at Sotheby’s in London, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026.

Ben Bauer/PA via AP

Philip Hook, a former Sotheby’s auctioneer and an expert in the art market, said the collection had become “the stuff of legend” because its owners never loaned the works for exhibitions.

“No one knew really what was in it. So now, for this to be revealed, is tremendously exciting,” Hook said.

The collectors, he added, “rather cleverly” built the collection around a representative work by each of the major figures in Impressionist and post-Impressionist art—an exceptionally difficult feat.

Newman expects the auction to draw worldwide interest, from American technology billionaires and wealthy buyers in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia to well-funded institutions in the Middle East.

“In times where there’s a lot of global macro geopolitical uncertainty, it’s almost like there’s a return to really established, tried and tested” works that are “unquestionably great,” Newman said.

A museum-quality Impressionist collection of this scale and rarity, she added, is “pretty rare.”

Police Officer Who Tasered 92-Year-Old Amputee Joked Online

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Police Officer Who Tasered 92-Year-Old Amputee Joked Online

A police officer who used a 50,000-volt Taser on a 92-year-old wheelchair user living with dementia later responded to a social media post with a lightning emoji, which a misconduct hearing was told appeared to make light of the incident.

PC Rachel Comotto deployed the weapon against Donald Burgess, an amputee in a wheelchair, after he allegedly threatened care-home staff with a dinner knife and refused to put it down.

Body-worn camera footage shown to the disciplinary panel captured Mr Burgess crying out in pain as the Taser probes struck his chest and sent an electric shock through his body.

His health later worsened, prompting his transfer to hospital. He died three weeks afterwards following a cardiac arrest.

Hours after the confrontation at Park Beck Care Home in St Leonards-on-Sea, PC Comotto posted a lightning emoji while responding to a Facebook message.

The exchange began when a colleague commented on a separate officer’s Facebook page: “Happy birthday, the care home is getting closer and closer,” accompanied by a winking face and a laughing emoji.

PC Comotto replied: “We all know what happens in care homes,” followed by a lightning emoji.

The colleague responded: “I think you’ll be banned from going to any care homes in future. All he wanted to do was butter his bread,” adding two laughing emojis.

Sussex Police officers PC Stephen Smith and PC Rachel Comotto are facing a disciplinary hearing after pepper-spraying and tasering an elderly man with dementia

Sussex Police officers PC Stephen Smith and PC Rachel Comotto are facing a disciplinary hearing over the use of pepper spray and a Taser on an elderly man with dementia

Mr Burgess was taken in handcuffs to a police station where his condition declined and he died three weeks later after contracting Covid-19

Mr Burgess was handcuffed and taken to a police station before his health deteriorated; he died three weeks later after contracting Covid-19

Giving evidence to the police disciplinary panel, PC Comotto said she made the remark after colleagues at the station had turned her into the subject of a joke.

She said other officers had been “laughing and joking” at her because she had used the Taser on a vulnerable dementia patient at a care home.

During the misconduct hearing in Lewes, East Sussex, PC Comotto accepted that her Facebook comment “doesn’t look good” and apologised to Mr Burgess’s family.

However, she maintained that she had posted it after colleagues made her “the butt” of jokes about what had happened.

Her lawyer, Colin Banham, asked whether colleagues had been “ribbing” her and how widely the joke had circulated.

PC Comotto replied that the officers did not know the full details, but had been laughing at her expense, saying the comments had spread throughout the office.

Mr Banham then asked whether the jokes referred to the incident taking place in a care home.

PC Comotto answered: “There was no humour directed at Mr Burgess.”

She also denied that her Facebook response was intended to mock Mr Burgess or make fun of the incident itself.

She said: “It was a continuation of the joke I was the subject of, or the butt of. I am the target of the joke, not Mr Burgess.”

‘With hindsight and without context it doesn’t look good and I want to extend my apologies to the family.’

The incident happened in June 2022 after police received reports of an elderly man threatening staff with a knife.

PC Stephen Smith and PC Comotto arrived at the home at 1.15pm and confronted wheelchair-bound Mr Burgess, who had been isolated in his own room and was holding a dinner knife.

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PC Smith walked into the room first and told Mr Burgess he would be ‘sprayed or tasered’ if he failed to immediately drop a knife he was holding.

PC Smith allegedly sprayed Donald Burgess in the face when he refused to let go of a knife

PC Smith allegedly sprayed Donald Burgess in the face when he refused to let go of a knife

PC Comotto allegedly used her Taser against Mr Burgess after he had been sprayed and hit with a baton

PC Comotto allegedly used her Taser against Mr Burgess after he had been sprayed and hit with a baton

In body-worn footage taken from PC Smith’s camera, the officer says: ‘Do you want to put the knife down mate for me or you will be sprayed or tasered. It’s up to you. Do you want to put it down for me?

‘Put it on the floor Donald don’t be silly. Come on, don’t be silly. We can solve this without having to resort to this.’

Raising his voice he says: ‘Do as you’re told. Put it down. Put it down. Donald put it down. Seriously, put it down. Last chance. Put it down now. Drop the knife. Drop the knife!’

He then pepper sprays the pensioner in the face before repeating his demands for Mr Burgess to drop the knife.

When Mr Burgess fails to do so he screams at the pensioner and hits him with his police baton.

PC Comotto then shouts ‘Taser, Taser’ before discharging the weapon at the wheelchair-bound pensioner who screams in pain.

In the second video shown of PC Comotto’s body-worn footage, she tries to tend to the pensioner, who is struggling to breathe following the pepper spray.

She says: ‘Donald. How’re you feeling?’

‘I’m dying,’ replies the 92-year-old.

The video footage shows the officers handcuffing the pensioner and then wheeling him out of the care home to give him fresh air.

PC Comotto, 37, and her colleague PC Stephen Smith, 52, are appearing before a disciplinary hearing accused of using ‘excessive force’ amounting to gross misconduct.

Earlier, PC Comotto told the hearing she had discharged the Taser at Mr Burgess to prevent him being hit with a baton a second time.

She said that after the initial strike was unsuccessful, she saw PC Smith was about to deliver a second blow.

PC Comotto said in consideration of his age a second strike was going to be too much for Mr Burgess.

She said: ‘I believe it was safer to use a taser as a lower level of risk. 

‘A baton strike is a high level of force and can be quite injurious. 

‘For an older person to receive a strike from a baton it would have more impact than on a younger person.’

It is not alleged at the disciplinary hearing the officers’ actions continued to the subsequent death of Mr Burgess who died after contracting Covid-19 in hospital and suffering a cardiac arrest. 

The hearing continues.

Princess Kate Delights Elderly Minibus Passengers While Volunteering Alongside Community Helpers

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Princess Kate Delights Elderly Minibus Passengers While Volunteering Alongside Community Helpers

The Princess of Wales delighted elderly passengers in Sussex this morning when she joined a volunteer-led community transport service.

Catherine travelled to the picturesque village of Pulborough to meet the West Sussex Minibus team, whose service provides a crucial lifeline to people facing isolation, mobility difficulties or financial hardship that makes accessing public transport challenging.

Her first surprise visit was to Stella Drewett, 94, at her immaculate bungalow. Catherine then helped her board the minibus before accompanying her on a short trip to collect other passengers.

The journey ended at Pulborough Village Hall, home to a weekly lunch club that offers local residents a friendly place to enjoy activities, conversation and company.

Guests were stunned when the future queen joined them at each table, snacking on crisps and chatting warmly. She also revealed that she and the Prince of Wales make a “good double act” when it comes to washing up.

West Sussex Minibus, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, is run entirely by volunteers and serves people living in rural communities across the county.

The organisation was created in response to the decline of local public transport, helping older residents preserve their independence, social connections and quality of life.

From its beginnings with a single minibus, the service has expanded to a fleet of 11 vehicles operating from eight village hubs, with support from 284 volunteers.

The Princess of Wales during a visit to the West Sussex Minibus in Pulborough today

The Princess of Wales visits the West Sussex Minibus in Pulborough today

Catherine laughs with Lynda Jones, 74, during her visit to Pulborough Village Hall today

Catherine shares a laugh with 74-year-old Lynda Jones at Pulborough Village Hall today

The Princess of Wales joins the West Sussex Minibus team in Pulborough this morning

The Princess of Wales meets the West Sussex Minibus team in Pulborough this morning

Catherine's visit is to highlight the role community transport plays in bringing people together

Catherine’s visit highlights how community transport helps bring people together

Each year, the fleet covers approximately 60,000 miles and carries out 13,000 passenger journeys.

Wearing elegant grey trousers, a blouse and a matching overcoat, with her hair tied back in a ponytail, the princess stepped from the bus in vertiginous heels onto the driveway of former school cook Mrs Drewett.

Catherine waited courteously outside until Mrs Drewett invited her in. The 94-year-old insisted on making her own way out, telling the princess: “I like to do these things myself.”

“I bet you do!” Catherine replied. “I’ll follow you.”

The royal helped Mrs Drewett up the steps and onto the minibus, explaining that she was joining the lunch club “because I want to see what it’s all about”.

Catherine sat beside her during the journey and joked that she was always forgetting her handbag.

“Everyone always runs after me [shouting], ‘you forgot your handbag’.”

As she encouraged Mrs Drewett to fasten her seatbelt, the princess added: “I have to remind my children to put their seatbelts on too.”

At the village hall she chatted to the Lord Lieutenant of Sussex and volunteers outside, telling Alex Dolby and Pippa Reid: ‘I can see how much this means to them.’

Inside she first sat down a table with lively Lynda Jones, 75, who had her in fits of giggles. She told her: ‘I love washing up. I really do.’

‘Oh good, a volunteer,’ joked another guest.

Asked whether her husband helped, Catherine said: ‘He does the drying. We are a good double act. And we get the children involved.’

Examining the food on the table, the princess noted there was a bowl of crisps.

‘I bet you never eat crisps,’ Lynda teased her.

‘I do. I love salted,’ Catherine said, and took one to prove her point, gently nibbling on it as they chatted.

‘Is this a good way to make friendships? You seem to have a really wonderful community here,’ she said.

‘So many people feel isolated and cut off in their communities, it’s wonderful there are these places to come. You must all love coming together on your Wednesdays. A few crisps here and there!’

The Princess of Wales helps pick up a 94-year-old minibus user in Pulborough this morning

The Princess of Wales helps pick up a 94-year-old minibus user in Pulborough this morning

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Catherine plays with one-year-old Albie as she visits Pulborough today

Catherine plays with one-year-old Albie as she visits Pulborough today

The Princess of Wales chats to those attending the lunch in Pulborough today

The Princess of Wales chats to those attending the lunch in Pulborough today

Lynda said afterwards: ‘Very natural, very beautiful. She looked at the crisps, so I let her have one. She said these are the ones she buys when she goes shopping…the salted ones.

‘She was lovely, very natural. I wouldn’t want to meet the other thing, shhhhhh!’ she added cheekily, perhaps in reference to other royals with Sussex links.

‘This is lovely. If you’ve got nothing at home you can book them, they will bring a minibus to your door and take your home. It gets you out, otherwise you would go mad.

‘It’s soup by royal appointment today! I didn’t think she would sit down by me. She so natural, she isn’t made up.’

Sarah Broadhurst, 87, stopped by to thank the princess for coming to Pulborough, and Catherine held her hands as they chatted.

‘I think it’s amazing she has come to our little place. It can be isolating so it lovely to have a royal visit,’ she said.

The princess also spoke to Clare Atkinson and Lynn Richards from the Pulborough District Community Care Association about the activities they put on for the lunch club guests.

‘She is so easy to talk to and we spoke about the benefits for health and mental wellbeing that things like this bring,’ said Clare.

Marian Graves, 84, added: ‘This village really is very special. And she really understood that.’

Outside the village hall a small crowd had gathered after word spread about the Princess’ visit, which had been kept secret in advance.

Amanda Ridley. 37, was FaceTiming her poorly mother, Sandra Berry, and twin sister, Sam Berry, and asked Catherine if she ‘would mind saying hello to them’.

‘I’m so sorry, I’ve just got my phone in your face. There’s my mum and my sister,’ she said, holding up her phone.

The Princess of Wales visits Pulborough Village Hall during her visit to West Sussex

The Princess of Wales visits Pulborough Village Hall during her visit to West Sussex

The Princess of Wales during her visit to the West Sussex Minibus Service this morning

The Princess of Wales during her visit to the West Sussex Minibus Service this morning

Catherin waves to Amanda Ridley's mother and sister on FaceTime in Pulborough today

Catherin waves to Amanda Ridley’s mother and sister on FaceTime in Pulborough today

The princess smiled broadly and waved. ‘Hello! What are your names? Oh no, I’m sorry you are not feeling well. Poor you. Have you got someone looking after you?’

She also said hello to her daughter Paloma, five, who was also unwell. ‘Are you missing school today?’ she asked her sympathetically, running her head. ‘I hope you get better soon. Have lots of sleep.’

Ms Ridley told her: ‘Thank you so much.’

She said afterwards: ‘I really admire her and the way she has conducted herself given what she has been through. We are very lucky to have her. ‘

Another well-wisher told the princess: ‘You do such a fabulous job. You are such a role model. It’s a hard role to navigate and do justice to. You have such poise. ‘

She also stopped to speak to Thea Botley, 25, with her sons Alfie, one, and Arthur three.

Catherine immediately hunkered down on her heels to say hello and helped Albie jump off the kerb, holding his hands.

‘What’s your name? Hi. Hi Albie. Look at your cool boots. Jump? Well done. One more? Well done.’

‘Sorry I’ve started something,’ she laughed as Albie continued to jump as she walked off.

Thea said afterwards: ‘I’m so surprised he warmed to her and held hands as he can be shy with strangers. She was amazing.’

The princess also said hello to Beatrix, three, and stroked the ears of cocker spaniel Jack, also three, as she chatted.

Catherine, who has two cocker spaniels herself, asked her: ‘Is he cheeky? Does he steal your food. Whenever there is cereal on the floor our doggies always eat the cereal!’

According to royal officials, the princess is keen to highlight the role that community transport plays in bringing people together, reducing isolation and enabling the everyday acts of kindness that make volunteers the unsung heroes of many communities.

Christa Pike’s Execution Halted Indefinitely an Hour Before Death

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Christa Pike’s Execution Halted Indefinitely an Hour Before Death

Tennessee has halted the planned lethal injection of Christa Pike, the first woman the state was preparing to execute in 200 years, just one hour before it was scheduled to take place. The delay followed what her lawyers described as serious concerns about her case.

Pike, who was convicted of murder, received a stay of execution from the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit at about 9 a.m. CT on Wednesday. The court agreed to review whether the childhood sexual abuse she endured had been properly considered when she was sentenced.

Judge Jane Branstetter Stranch characterized the ruling as a “short stay of execution” while the legal arguments are examined.

“To adequately address and resolve the issues now presented to this court and in carefully balancing the equities, we find that a stay of Pike’s execution is necessary,” Stranch wrote.

Stephen Ferrell of the Federal Defenders Services of Eastern Tennessee welcomed the decision, saying: “The court has stayed this recognizing the serious concerns about Christa’s scheduled execution.”

Pike was 18 when she was convicted in March 1996 of the brutal stabbing and beating death of Colleen Slemmer, a student at the Knoxville Job Corps.

She had initially asked to be spared lethal injection because of her Buddhist beliefs. Earlier this month, she requested that an all-female firing squad carry out her execution, while her attorneys pointed to the abuse she suffered during childhood.

Pike’s boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, and an accomplice, Shadolla Peterson, helped lure Slemmer to a wooded area, where the couple subjected her to a fatal attack.

Christa Pike's execution has been halted indefinitely just one hour before she was due to be put to death

Christa Pike’s execution was halted indefinitely just one hour before she was scheduled to be put to death

She was convicted at the age of 18 in March 1996 for brutally stabbing and beating Knoxville Job Corps student Colleen Slemmer (pictured) to death

Pike was convicted at 18 in March 1996 of brutally stabbing and beating Knoxville Job Corps student Colleen Slemmer (pictured) to death

Police evidence showed that the pair carved a pentagram into the teenager’s chest. Peterson also testified that she saw Pike carve markings into Slemmer’s head.

Investigators said Pike removed a piece of Slemmer’s skull and kept it as a souvenir.

Slemmer tried to escape, but the couple caught her and resumed the attack. Pike later estimated that the torture lasted between 30 minutes and an hour.

Pike and Shipp were both convicted of first-degree murder. Pike received a death sentence, while Shipp was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Her lethal injection had been scheduled for 10 a.m. CT, or 11 a.m. ET, before the appeals court intervened.

Peterson, who was also 18 at the time, acted as a lookout during the killing. She was later granted probation in exchange for cooperating with authorities.

The Tennessee Department of Correction said Pike declined her last meal just hours before the planned execution.

According to The Tennessean, inmates are generally given $20 to spend on a final meal. Despite Pike’s refusal, the state had planned to offer her food.

The stay came after Governor Bill Lee rejected Pike’s clemency petition and the US Supreme Court declined to block the execution.

Earlier this month, Pike (pictured after her sentencing in 1996) asked for an all-female firing squad to carry out her killing, with her lawyers citing the abuse she experienced as a child

Earlier this month, Pike (pictured after her 1996 sentencing) requested an all-female firing squad, with her lawyers citing the childhood abuse she experienced

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Pike's boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp (left),  and an accomplice, Shadolla Peterson (right), also helped lure Slemmer to a wooded area before the couple tortured her to death

Pike’s boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp (left),  and an accomplice, Shadolla Peterson (right), also helped lure Slemmer to a wooded area before the couple tortured her to death

Pike’s lawyers said they were ‘deeply saddened and heartbroken’ by the governor’s decision.

‘Moving ahead with her execution puts the State of Tennessee on singular footing,’ they said in a statement to Fox 17.

‘Christa will be the first person Tennessee executes in the modern death penalty era who was a teenager at the time of the offense, and the first woman executed by the state in more than 200 years.’ 

Just a week before her execution, Pike asked for an all-female firing squad to kill her instead of lethal injection, the New York Post reported. 

Her lawyers cited her post-traumatic stress disorder from years of abuse she suffered at the hands of men as a young girl, including when she was two years old. 

Because of that, they requested that an all-female team handle her execution because she has trauma from men.

‘[Lethal injection administered by men] will increase the likelihood that an 8th Amendment violation will occur,’ Pike’s lawyer Stephen Ferrell said.

‘There is an increased risk of pain and suffering.’

Just hours before her planned execution, Pike refused her last meal, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction. (Pictured: A lethal injection bed inside Riverbend Maximum Security Institution)

Just hours before her planned execution, Pike refused her last meal, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction. (Pictured: A lethal injection bed inside Riverbend Maximum Security Institution) 

Slemmer's heartbroken mother, May Martinez, watched her daughter's murderer die after previously telling the Daily Mail that she wanted a front-row seat to the execution

Slemmer’s heartbroken mother, May Martinez, watched her daughter’s murderer die after previously telling the Daily Mail that she wanted a front-row seat to the execution

According to the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide, Pike was a victim of child sexual abuse, multiple rapes and attempted suicide at age 12.

When she was 17, she was allegedly grabbed by a stranger by the side of the road and raped. Police never arrested a suspect.

She allegedly killed Colleen Slemmer almost one year to the day after the rape.

In August, she asked the court to consider allowing her to be hanged instead, WATE reported. 

Slemmer’s heartbroken mother, May Martinez, watched her daughter’s murderer die after previously telling the Daily Mail that she wanted a front-row seat to the execution. 

She and other execution witnesses had gathered at the jail when the order to halt Pike’s death was issued. 

Martinez almost didn’t make it to Pike’s near-execution because of travel expenses, but a GoFundMe page helped her afford to do so. 

‘They truly cannot believe how many people have stepped up, donated, shared, prayed, and simply shown that they care. They are beyond grateful for every single one of you,’ the fundraiser wrote on Sunday.

‘You helped make sure they could be there for Colleen. And that means more than words can say.’

Ms Rachel’s Political Activism Draws Pushback From Parents

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Ms Rachel’s Political Activism Draws Pushback From Parents

With her denim overalls, pink shirt and coordinating headband, Rachel Accurso—better known to millions of young viewers as Ms. Rachel—may initially appear to be a familiar figure from children’s entertainment.

But Accurso has also become a polarizing figure in political debates, particularly after she began speaking publicly about Gaza as the Israel-Hamas war continued.

Critics have accused the children’s educator of repeating information associated with Hamas and promoting claims they say have not been independently verified.

Accurso recently expressed support for rapper Macklemore, who was removed from Ed Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” after repeatedly advocating for a “Free Palestine” and performing his anti-Israel track “Hind’s Hall” during a show at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

Macklemore said he planned to donate the $1 million he made from the tour to groups supporting Palestinians. Accurso subsequently said she would match that amount, directing her $1 million contribution to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, where she serves as an ambassador.

Another widely discussed episode involved a 2025 video in which Accurso referred to Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza as her “friend.”

The video was posted only days before Azaiza acknowledged concealing footage that showed Israeli hostages being assaulted by a crowd in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023.

Speaking on an Arabic-language podcast, Azaiza said he withheld the footage because he feared the Palestinians involved in the attacks could face danger.

Accurso later removed the video, although excerpts from it have continued to circulate online.

In an interview with the Guardian, Accurso defended her decision to take public positions on political issues, saying she has “a really good moral compass.”

Bethany Mandel, a Washington Examiner contributor, author and homeschooling mother of six, offered a different interpretation in comments to Fox News Digital. “This is the case for a lot of liberals,” Mandel said. “They don’t see it as a political perspective at all. They just see the world in black and white and what they are doing is so clearly correct.”

Mandel said the outlook can develop when public figures remain inside an ideological “bubble” and have limited engagement with people who disagree with them.

She argued that the pattern is especially troubling in discussions of the Gaza war, where some people may rely on a single account of events and repeat casualty figures published by Hamas-run organizations.

“It’s important to understand that she only cares about one narrative,” Mandel said of Accurso. She accused the entertainer of describing the situation in Gaza as genocide and of repeating casualty figures that, in her view, lack credibility. Mandel also said Accurso has embraced what she characterized as a Hamas-backed account of the conflict.

The controversy surrounding Accurso has also extended to the comments beneath her social media posts. In January 2026, she faced criticism after appearing to “like” a comment stating, “free America from the Jews.”

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According to the Jerusalem Post, Accurso said she had intended to remove the comment but mistakenly selected both “like” and “hide.”

The outlet reported that, beneath Accurso’s apology, an account called “thepalestinenewsnetwork” commented, “Spoiler alert: They left the comment themselves.” Accurso responded with “ooooooooooohhhhh,” though that exchange was later deleted.

“She is serving as their mouthpiece for a lot of Americans, not just children and not just the adults that follow her,” Mandel told Fox News Digital.

Although Accurso’s political views drew heightened attention after she began discussing Gaza, Mandel argued that the entertainer had voiced left-leaning positions before. Mandel said she concluded Accurso “cares more about activism than education” after Accurso featured a nonbinary musician. Mandel did not identify the guest, but the description appeared to refer to Jules Hoffman, who has been featured in videos with Accurso.

“She’s had fellow musicians and performers on camera with her who have no gender, and she takes away gender from these individuals especially, and they are amorphous; they go by they/them,” Mandel said. “And it’s a woman, but you can’t really tell that, especially as a child.”

“And this is something that’s really very damaging to children who are in the early stages of development, because one of the first ways that children learn to organize the world around them is by categorization, and the easiest way for a toddler to categorize the world around them is by female and male.”

Mandel said that the erasure of gender for young children is something that could potentially have “detrimental consequences.”

“This is what Donald Rumsfeld talked about, the unknown unknowns,” Mandel explained, noting that altering foundational development markers are uncharted territory when it comes to early childhood education and socialization. “When we take that ability to categorize away from children, we’ve never done that in human history before. And it absolutely will have detrimental consequences to how they order the world around them, and we’re just going to have to find out what those consequences are.”

While not all parents may be concerned with gender representation or disagree with Accurso’s commentary on Gaza, Mandel argues that for most families, it’s only a matter of time before the children’s entertainer crosses a line.

“Parents need to choose these entertainers wisely because perhaps parents don’t care about the gender stuff, perhaps parents don’t care about what she’s saying about Gaza, but if they are not ultra-ultra-liberal, Ms. Rachel will eventually land on something that they do feel discomfort with,” she told Fox News Digital.

Mandel urges parents to carefully screen everything before they show it to their kids, something that she does for her own children. As for Mandel’s household, Ms. Rachel did not pass the test. Mandel told Fox News Digital that years ago she removed Accurso’s channel from her family’s YouTube playlist, a decision that has given her peace of mind.

“I feel relieved as a Jewish parent that I took Ms. Rachel off of our playlist on YouTube years ago, and I’m sure I will continue to feel great about that decision in the years to come,” Mandel said.

Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Accurso to request comment.
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