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Deadly Nor’easter Turns Streets Into Rivers, Knocks Out Power for 100,000

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A deadly nor’easter continued to pound the East Coast on Sunday, leaving at least one person dead, another missing and several others injured.

More than 100,000 customers across the Northeast were without electricity, while officials warned that the outage total could grow as powerful winds and heavy rain swept through the region.

The storm began lashing much of New England late Friday, bringing coastal flooding, uprooted trees, downed power lines, winds reaching 65 mph and dangerous rip currents.

Torrential rain inundated parts of New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Connecticut and Virginia, turning streets and roads into flooded waterways.

The weather disruption also triggered ground stops and flight cancellations at airports across New York and New Jersey on Sunday. More than 400 flights had been halted the previous day.

Leighton Brown, a 56-year-old New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) employee, died Saturday night after an uprooted tree fell on him as he walked through a Brooklyn park.

Meanwhile, New York State Police said a man disappeared while swimming near Robert Moses State Park on Fire Island, Long Island. His identity has not been released, and the search continued Sunday morning.

Authorities said the swimmer was struck by waves estimated at 18 feet near Fire Island at about 2.30pm Saturday. He has not been seen since.

A nor'easter continued to hit the East Coast on Sunday morning, leaving many stranded in high waters, intense wind and high surf. (Pictured: Waves take over homes in Scituate, Massachusetts)

A nor’easter continued to batter the East Coast on Sunday morning, leaving people stranded amid floodwaters, powerful winds and dangerous surf. (Pictured: Waves surge over homes in Scituate, Massachusetts)

Leighton Brown, a 56-year-old New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) employee, was killed by an uprooted tree that toppled over (pictured) while he walked through a park in Brooklyn on Saturday, the agency said

Leighton Brown, a 56-year-old New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) employee, was killed when an uprooted tree fell on him as he walked through a Brooklyn park on Saturday, the agency said

A family trekked through high water in Wildwood, New Jersey during the storm on Saturday

A family makes its way through floodwaters in Wildwood, New Jersey, during the storm on Saturday

The search was called off later that night because of darkness but was expected to resume Sunday, News 12 reported.

Four people—a one-year-old child, a seven-year-old child and two women aged 40 and 41—were injured when a tree fell at a Brooklyn playground, officials said.

The powerful storm system was expected to continue affecting much of the region on Monday. Several coastal communities in New Jersey and New York had already begun evacuations because of the hazardous conditions.

After learning of Brown’s death, NYCHA tenant association president James Alcivar said he realized something was wrong when he heard a loud boom followed by sirens.

Alcivar told NY1 that Brown had been an outstanding employee.

‘He was one of the best employees that we had here at Cyprus Hills Development.

‘If you had work that needed to be done in your house, he was the guy to call. He comes here dedicated. As you can see, this tragic accident, he was doing what he loved,’ he said.

NYCHA also issued a statement after Brown’s death.

‘We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and the NYCHA community,’ the agency said.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also acknowledged Leighton’s death in a post to social media on Saturday. 

A harrowing image also showed a man pulling a paddle board as a young child stood on top of it and another lay across, holding onto its straps for support in Beach Haven, New Jersey

A harrowing image also showed a man pulling a paddle board as a young child stood on top of it and another lay across, holding onto its straps for support in Beach Haven, New Jersey

Atlantic City firefighters also made their way through the water that went up to their knees in an effort to help people stuck in the storm

Atlantic City firefighters also made their way through the water that went up to their knees in an effort to help people stuck in the storm

‘My thoughts are with his entire family as they deal with this unimaginable loss. May he rest in peace, and may his service to our city never be forgotten,’ Mamdani wrote. 

Incredible images captured stranded families walking through tall waters in Wildwood, New Jersey, as the storm intensified on Saturday. 

At least one man put his dog on a kayak to get around, while a man carried a child in his arm as they carried heavy backpacks through the storm. 

Another family was seen lifting suitcases out of the water as they trudged through.  

Atlantic City firefighters also made their way through the water that went up to their knees in an effort to help people stuck in the storm. 

A harrowing image also showed a man pulling a paddle board as a young child stood on top of it and another lay across, holding onto its straps for support in Beach Haven, New Jersey. 

A family-owned business at the Jersey Shore flooded for the first time since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

People hopped on a boat in Edgewater, New Jersey, on Saturday after floodwaters along the Hudson River submerged a parking lot

People hopped on a boat in Edgewater, New Jersey, on Saturday after floodwaters along the Hudson River submerged a parking lot

A man carried a young girl through surging floodwater in Surf City, New Jersey on Saturday during the storm

A man carried a young girl through surging floodwater in Surf City, New Jersey on Saturday during the storm

Kenny Formica, who runs Surf City Marina, told CNN the nor’easter ‘has just been something else.’ 

‘Hurricane Sandy taught us that if the flooding is gonna happen, it’s gonna happen. You can’t stop it,’ Formica added. 

More than 450 flights were canceled on Saturday because of the storm. Another 3,000 were delayed. 

As of Sunday, there are widespread delays at several major airports, including LaGuardia Airport, JFK and Boston Logan International Airport. 

British Soldier Who Lost a Limb in Ukraine Says He Loves Fighting

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The 27-year-old former British soldier knew something was wrong only when he tried to get back on his feet.

Just moments earlier, the platoon commander—identified only by his call sign, Snow—had been walking out of a frontline position in eastern Ukraine. The foreign volunteer was serving with Ukrainian forces and leading a rotation away from the battlefield.

On September 28 last year, Snow entered a forest with two newly recruited Ukrainian soldiers under his command. A drone passed overhead, and he assumed it belonged to their side.

It did not. The aircraft was Russian and had been tracking the soldiers’ movements.

When the three men emerged from the trees, Snow realised they had been led into an ambush.

“We didn’t even make it five metres when a fibre optic drone came up off the ground,” he says. He is referring to kamikaze drones connected to their operators by cable, making them far less vulnerable to the radio jamming that can disrupt conventional systems.

Snow shouted for the two Ukrainians to turn back towards the forest, hoping the trees would provide protection. There was no time.

“I pushed them in,” he says. “I went to the right and the drone hit me.”

Snow, 27 from Northamptonshire, a platoon commander with the Rifleman Battalion, 3rd Assault Brigadier, Eastern Ukraine. He undergoes physio and adjustments with his prosthetic limb at a clinic in Kyiv

Snow, 27, from Northamptonshire, is a platoon commander with the Rifleman Battalion of the 3rd Assault Brigade in eastern Ukraine. At a Kyiv clinic, he undergoes physiotherapy and has adjustments made to his prosthetic limb.

Snow, from Northamptonshire, training recruits at a military training camp in the Kharkiv region

Snow, who comes from Northamptonshire, trains Ukrainian recruits at a military camp in the Kharkiv region.

The explosion severed his left leg below the knee.

“At first I stood up and I stood up on bone,” he recalls from Kyiv’s Bez Obmezhen rehabilitation centre, where he is being fitted with a new prosthetic leg. “Then I looked down and thought, ‘Oh, it’s missing.’”

Even in shock, Snow relied on his military training. He picked up his radio and transmitted the code “300”, signalling that he was wounded, before calmly adding: “There has been an amputation.” He then sat down and assessed his injuries. “I lost a pint-and-a-half of blood straight away. My other leg had shrapnel as well, and my back.”

“The two Ukrainians put a tourniquet on, but didn’t do it correctly. At this point I think I died because I felt like I came out of my body. I looked at myself lying there and I shook my head. I then went back inside my body. I woke up, put the tourniquet on below my knee.”

Snow continued directing the two men, telling them to move him into the forest and hand over the radio so he could call for a casualty evacuation, or CasEvac.

He survived the journey to Kharkiv in an armoured vehicle. During more than three months of treatment, including over 20 operations while he waited for a prosthetic limb, Snow says he considered taking his own life.

Once his new leg was fitted in Kyiv, however, he taught himself to walk within a week. After completing rehabilitation, he made the extraordinary decision to return to his unit and serve close to the frontline again.

Snow says returning was his intention from the moment he was wounded.

“Instantly, I was like, OK, I have a leg problem. I’ll get a prosthetic and I’ll go back,” he says.

I first met Snow a year ago at a covert training base in the Kharkiv region. Even then, I was struck by his direct, unsentimental account of the brutal realities of life as a soldier.

‘I expect to die out here,’ he calmly told me at the time, adding as long as his recruits accept that too, ‘we’ll be OK’.

We stayed in touch, and when I inquired about a story last winter he delivered the news of his injury with characteristic bluntness.

‘I lost half a leg mate so I couldn’t give a f*** about anything else currently.’ A second message followed swiftly: ‘How are you?’

It was that message that brought me back to see him.

The softly spoken former member of the Royal Anglian Regiment, from Northamptonshire, has already given so much to his Ukrainian cause since 2022.

Snow served in the Royal Anglians for six years where he saw action on a peacekeeping tour of Mali in 2017. On leaving the military he became a livestock haulier for a few years but quickly grew bored and missed army life.

Snow has rejoined the Ukrainian war effort against Russia after losing his leg in the conflict

Snow has rejoined the Ukrainian war effort against Russia after losing his leg in the conflict 

Having followed the Ukraine conflict closely since 2014, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, he came out to help the cause later that year.

‘I have the skills and experience and I wanted to help. They were invaded. Ukraine is beautiful too, I always wanted to come. But to be honest, I also always wanted to be in war since I was a child.’

On coming out to fight, Snow, who has a six-year-old son back in Britain, lost touch with friends and family. ‘I ended up cutting everybody out,’ he says. ‘People back home, they don’t really understand what it’s like to be here. Plus I’m in the war. I’m doing my job. I don’t have time.’

Before joining Third Assault Brigade, where he commands a platoon of English-speaking fighters from a range of countries in the Rifleman Battalion, he served with the special forces of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, known as the GUR. During that period he learnt to speak Ukrainian fluently.

He has fought in Russian territory in Belgorod and Bryansk and has seen heavy fighting in the Ukrainian cities of Kup’yans’k and Chasiv Yar, as well as the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, earning him both the Presidential Medal and the Special Operations Medal.

Under his left eye are three teardrop tattoos – two blue, one red – each for ten Russians killed.

Before his injuries, Snow was constantly on assaults – on the front line for weeks at a time before rotating out for days in Kyiv then back in.

It was on one of these breaks that he met his Ukrainian wife, who cannot be named, in a bar in the capital in 2023.

‘I had just finished my special forces course and had two weeks’ free time. We got talking in a bar and hit it off.

‘We got married in July 2023, it was just a little ceremony with my team and some other local friends.’ Another tattoo on his eye has the wedding date.

So what motivates him to carry on, even now? For Snow, continuing to serve is a matter of principle. ‘I’ve just come here to do what I feel is right,’ he says simply.

Today he is one of the most decorated foreign fighters in Ukraine. Receiving the Presidential Medal from Volodymyr Zelensky helped secure his citizenship, which is notoriously difficult to obtain.

‘That medal is very, very, very difficult to get,’ he says. Snow, who has not returned to the UK since 2022, is proud of his Ukrainian citizenship and now feels more affinity with the country than his native Britain. ‘I’ve done more for this country than I did for mine,’ he says. ‘When I’m here I feel very free. Everyone is more relaxed here. You don’t get the bulls*** you get back in England.

‘Like with my tattoos, I’m very heavily tattooed. In Britain people would assume I am a criminal. But here, they understand it’s military.’

Snow served in the Royal Anglians for six years where he saw action on a peacekeeping tour of Mali in 2017

Snow served in the Royal Anglians for six years where he saw action on a peacekeeping tour of Mali in 2017

Since we last met, he has had a spider web tattoo added to his face to mark his time with the 2nd Mechanised Battalion in Third Assault Brigade whose motif is a black widow.

He was serving with them when he lost his leg. Since returning to service, he has formed his own platoon of foreign fighters who communicate in English and Ukrainian.

‘I’ve got Polish, German, American, Belgian, French – a whole mixture,’ he says. ‘But no Brits – they don’t seem to stay long,’ he jokes.

His return comes as Ukraine prepares for another brutal winter. Following the parliamentary election ‘victory’ for Vladimir Putin’s party in Russia last week, Moscow barraged civilians with rockets and drones, firing 30 ballistic missiles at Kyiv alone in 30 minutes on Wednesday night. Soon Putin is expected to mobilise a further 500,000 men.

‘They have to mobilise, they are losing too many men,’ Snow says matter-of-factly.

While he can no longer lead assaults on the ground, he commands his platoon from an underground command centre six miles behind the front line.

‘I’m there with them,’ he says of his men, who go on assaults as a team of ten to 12, split into two, with the first group seizing and holding ground before the second joins.

‘We control them from the sky via drones,’ he says. ‘We watch them. I talk to them by radio. Tell them how to move when it’s safe to move. They don’t move unless we say. But if they’re in a firefight that’s when the freedom goes to them.’

He has only just returned from the front for two weeks’ leave when we meet. While waiting for adjustments to his new prosthetic, he pulls out his phone and shows me a map with the positions of his men in an undisclosed location in eastern Ukraine. ‘We snuck up behind them,’ he says proudly of an assault just days earlier. Pointing to a treeline, he adds: ‘They took this whole area. Now they are holding it.’

Gesturing further across, he continues as if discussing a mathematical equation that needs solving. ‘Here’s the enemy,’ he says. ‘That’s what I want to do next.’

Yet directing his men by radio is not the same as being beside them. ‘I used to like to lead on the ground. Lead from the front. Now it’s different, I can’t do that. So this is the second best.’

He talks fondly of the men he commands, but it is tempered by frustration at no longer being able to join them on assault. ‘If I could, I would be there with them,’ he says. ‘But at the same time, I’ve done a lot for this country. I’ve done a lot for my part, so maybe it’s time for them to be able to do it.

‘But I have the same ambitions for them that I have for myself. I want them to be successful. I want them to climb higher, to become sergeants, to take the medals.

‘So now I need to give them my knowledge and experience.’

Reese Witherspoon Poses With Her Lookalike Daughter in New Photo

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Reese Witherspoon turned her son Deacon Phillippe’s Saturday night movie premiere into a family celebration, stepping out to support him as he debuted Brother Save Us.

The 50-year-old actress was joined on the red carpet by her daughter Ava, 27, who bears a striking resemblance to her mother, and her own mother, Betty, 78. The three generations attended the 57th Nashville Film Festival together.

Witherspoon opted for a polished black-and-white look, pairing a strapless white top with tailored black trousers.

Deacon, 22, embraced a bold style for his big night. The rising actor wore a textured brown suit over a sheer brown shirt as he arrived for the premiere.

Ava made a statement in a fitted beige mini dress featuring a plunging neckline and fine diagonal stripes. She completed the look with white platform heels that revealed her toes.

Betty brought her own elegant touch to the occasion in a charcoal jacket, black skirt and a colorful Gucci neckerchief, smiling proudly as she posed with her family.

It was a family affair for Reese Witherspoon on Saturday night as she supported her son Deacon Phillippe at his Brother Save Us movie premiere

Reese Witherspoon made the premiere of her son Deacon Phillippe’s Brother Save Us a family night out as she showed her support on Saturday

Witherspoon looked younger than her years as she stepped out in a strapless white top and black trousers

Deacon, 22, looked every inch the rising star as he arrived in a textured brown suit, which he teamed with a see-through brown shirt

Witherspoon paired a strapless white top with black trousers, while 22-year-old Deacon arrived in a textured brown suit and sheer matching shirt for his movie premiere

Witherspoon shares Ava and Deacon with her former husband, actor Ryan Phillippe, 52.

The couple ended their marriage in 2008 after nine years together.

The actress later married Jim Toth, 56, in 2011. They welcomed their son, Tennessee, on September 27, 2012, before announcing their separation in 2023, shortly ahead of their 12th wedding anniversary.

In May, Deacon graduated from New York University. Ryan Phillippe, Ava, Tennessee and Toth were among those who attended the ceremony to celebrate the achievement.

Witherspoon marked the milestone on Instagram, sharing a proud message for her son.

“After four years of hard work, long days, endless papers and classes, working with the greatest teachers and making new friends…” she wrote.

“My wonderful son graduated from @nyutisch! I’m so proud of you @deaconphillippe!”

As he begins his feature-film career, Deacon has also spoken openly about the attention surrounding his status as a so-called nepo baby. In an interview with Variety this week, he addressed the advantages that come with having famous parents.

Betty was a beaming matriarch in a dark grey jacket, colorful Gucci neckerchief, and black skirt

Betty proudly joined her daughter and grandchildren in a dark grey jacket, colorful Gucci neckerchief and black skirt

Witherspoon shares her kids with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe

Witherspoon shares her children with former husband Ryan Phillippe

“I acknowledge that I’m extremely lucky, but at the same time, I hold myself to a standard,” Deacon said.

“I’m not really looking to prove anything to anyone but myself. I’m trying to be the best version I can be, the best person I can be, and work as hard as I can,” he told the outlet.

Brother Save Us is set ‘on a farm in the dystopian Midwest, where crops are dying as the world crumbles, but an inseparable bond makes life worth living for brothers Cole and Nat,’ per Nashville Downtown.

The synopsis notes, ‘Cole works hard to fill Nat’s days with light and hope – to shield his brother from the harsh truths of their world. But after Pa buys an AI farm bot from the controversial tech company Agentico to ensure they make harvest, everything starts to change.’

Deacon is listed as a producer on the movie, which was directed and written by Jesse Behrenwald.

The project also stars Thomas Murphy Molony, Chandler Riggs, Forrest Weber, Amy Sloan, Kroydell Galima and Victor Holstein.

Jalen Brunson Hosts SNL Season 52 Premiere With Help From New York Knicks Teammates

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There’s no “I” in team — especially when the team is the New York Knicks.

Jalen Brunson brought several of his Knicks teammates along for the ride when he hosted the Season 52 premiere of “Saturday Night Live.”

“Tonight, I’m going to approach hosting the same way as I approached the Knicks’ Finals games,” the NBA champion told the live audience Saturday.

“The first three-quarters of the show are going to be god-awful; the last sketch is going to be amazing,” added the 30-year-old Brunson.

During a question-and-answer segment, Brunson invited audience members to participate. His teammates Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart all raised their hands to be called on.

Towns, also 30, kicked things off by asking Brunson whether he could “foul out of ‘SNL.’”

Brunson assured the center — who came close to fouling out during the NBA Finals in June — that he would be safe. Towns then joked, “So I could be here like the whole show? Nice.”

Anunoby, 29, followed with a reference to a memorable moment: “Remember in Game 4, when you took that shot at the end and missed it?”

“Yeah, you tipped it in,” Brunson replied. Anunoby responded with a laugh: “Oh yeah, that was awesome.”

After delivering several comedic sketches and introducing musical guests Katseye, Brunson closed the episode by declaring that he was “going to get back to my real job pretty soon.”

The appearance marked a milestone for Brunson, who became the first Big Apple basketball star from the Knicks franchise to host the sketch-comedy program.

Brunson and his teammates defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals in June.

Since then, Brunson has enjoyed a headline-making summer, appearing at the 2026 Emmys and joining his new best friend, Mariska Hargitay, on an episode of “Law & Order: SVU.”

Kurt Cobain’s Final Days: Inside the Darkness Before His Death

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He began smoking marijuana at 13, tried heroin six years later and had developed a severe addiction by the transition from the 1980s to the 1990s.

Around that period, he met Love, who had openly acknowledged struggles of her own. After reports about his death surfaced, she seemingly responded by sharing a Feb. 9 Instagram photo of herself reading Flamingo Estate’s The Guide to Becoming Alive.

Often viewed as a grunge-era equivalent of Sid and Nancy—though their story ended differently—Cobain and Love married in 1992. Six months later, they welcomed their daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.

“I always knew their relationship was toxic,” Frances Bean told Rolling Stone in 2015, describing the couple’s early connection through drugs. “And I don’t promote having a fix-it baby, which is what I was—to fix their problems…In the sense that their own families were so chaotic, that they wanted to create their own family as soon as possible: ‘If we create our own family, it will be nothing like our families were.'”

Instead, said Frances Bean, now 34 and the mother of son Ronin Walker Cobain Hawk, whom she welcomed with husband Riley Hawk in 2024, “It ended up being a million more times chaotic.”

Florida Sex Offender Accused of Using Babysitting Ad to Target Children as Police Investigate Possible Interstate Predator

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Georgia investigators are working to identify possible additional victims of convicted Florida sex offender Julius Hunter after his DNA was linked to three sexual assault cases involving women who allegedly responded to Craigslist job postings.

Hunter, 42, is facing rape, aggravated sodomy and kidnapping charges in Georgia over the alleged 2016 assault of a 19-year-old woman at a Clarkston apartment complex. A DeKalb County grand jury indicted him on Aug. 11.

Before his arrest in Georgia, Hunter pleaded no contest in Florida to an unrelated 2021 sexual battery case involving a former girlfriend. Investigators are now looking into what they believe could be a larger pattern of sexual violence.

Julius Hunter

Julius Hunter, center, was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, right, in connection with a sexual assault in Clarkston, Georgia, left. (DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office; Joe Raedle/Getty Images; REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

FIANCÉE STANDS BY ACCUSED SERIAL RAPIST AS SPECIAL AGENTS DEFEND FOLLOWING HIM FOR RESTAURANT DNA STAKEOUT

“Hunter grew up in New Jersey, so it is possible there may be victims there,” DeKalb County District Attorney Investigator Brandi Rogers told News Media.

Authorities said Hunter’s DNA also matched evidence from two other sexual assault investigations in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties dating to 2016 and 2017.

He has not been charged in either case. Rogers said investigators have not been able to locate or reconnect with the two women involved.

$300 babysitting job

According to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, the 19-year-old believed she was accepting a $300 overnight babysitting job when Hunter arranged a ride-share to an apartment near 700 Jolly Avenue on July 27, 2016.

Instead of finding children at the apartment, she encountered Hunter and another man, authorities said.

Julius Hunter was charged in a sexual assault case in Clarkston, Georgia.

Julius Hunter was charged in a sexual assault case in Clarkston, Georgia. (Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)

She tried to leave, but Hunter allegedly prevented her from doing so and sexually assaulted her for several hours before letting her go the next day.

The woman escaped in a cab and asked the driver to call 911. She later met officers at a gas station and was taken to a hospital for a sexual assault examination.

Rogers told News Media that the second man reportedly inside the apartment has not been identified. Investigators continue to seek information about him, and he has not been charged.

Florida arrest leads to DNA match

The Clarkston investigation remained open for years after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation obtained a male DNA profile from the 19-year-old’s sexual assault kit. The profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, but initially did not match anyone in the national database.

The case shifted after Hunter’s 2021 Florida conviction. His DNA was collected and added to CODIS, producing a match with evidence from the Clarkston sexual assault kits and kits gathered in the DeKalb and Gwinnett County investigations.

Hunter was arrested in Fort Lauderdale on Aug. 13, two days after the DeKalb County grand jury issued the indictment. He was extradited to Georgia and booked into the DeKalb County Jail on Aug. 20.

An aerial view of the Fort Lauderdale coast

Julius Hunter was arrested in Fort Lauderdale. (Hoberman Collection/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

At the time Georgia authorities obtained the indictment, Hunter was serving an 11-year probation sentence stemming from his Florida conviction.

Don Plummer, a spokesperson for the Georgia Public Defender Council, which represents Hunter, declined to comment.

Similar Craigslist ads

The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office said in a Sept. 14 media alert that the Georgia cases shared similarities beyond DNA. Authorities said Hunter used Craigslist ads to solicit women for jobs involving “babysitting, modeling, dancing and massages.”

Rogers said the number of incidents within a relatively short period suggests there could be additional victims.

The Georgia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Task Force, a collaboration of prosecutors, investigators and victim advocates who investigate cold-case sexual assaults, is currently investigating the cases.

Tip line

Rogers is urging anyone who believes Hunter victimized them to contact law enforcement, stressing that coming forward does not require a victim to pursue prosecution.

“We ask anyone who believes they may have been victimized to call our tip line at 404-371-2444,” Rogers said.

“It is important that we hear their stories so we can offer them support whether or not they decide to move forward with prosecution.”

Labour turmoil as Keir Starmer refuses to back Heathrow expansion plans

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Andy Burnham has renewed questions over the future of Heathrow’s expansion plans, only weeks after his Chancellor publicly backed the project.

As the Labour conference opened, the Prime Minister repeatedly declined to give an outright endorsement to the proposed third runway during an interview.

He said the decision was primarily a matter for London, adding that ministers were still awaiting the results of a public consultation.

However, Defence Secretary John Healey told MPs earlier this month that the Government supports the Heathrow project.

The Prime Minister has criticised the proposal for years. In January last year, while serving as mayor of Greater Manchester, Mr Burnham described the expansion as a “model for an ever-overheating UK economy”. He also warned that it must not come at the “expense of essential investment in northern infrastructure”.

Andy Burnham fuelled fresh doubts about the Heathrow expansion today, just weeks after his Chancellor backed it

Andy Burnham has renewed doubts over Heathrow’s expansion, just weeks after his Chancellor backed the scheme

Bosses at the airport are seeking to obtain permission to build a full-length, 3,500-metre runway

Heathrow’s owners are seeking permission to construct a full-length runway measuring 3,500 metres

In 2018, he said: “I’m against a third runway at Heathrow because of the need to limit national levels of aviation. We should use spare capacity at Manchester and Birmingham instead.”

A year later, he cautioned that the scheme could “trap infrastructure spending inside the M25 for ten years”.

Heathrow Airport Limited is seeking approval for a 3,500-metre runway that would involve diverting or relocating part of the M25 motorway.

Former Chancellor Rachel Reeves said in June that she was determined to see “spades in the ground” on the third runway during the current Parliament, with a target completion date of 2035.

That timetable now appears increasingly difficult to meet, with 2039 reportedly considered the earliest realistic completion date.

Asked by the BBC if he supported the expansion, Mr Burnham replied: “Principally, it’s a matter for London and Londoners.”

When pressed on his position, he added: “It’s not right for me to just jump straight in on the back of the consultation.

“I think it’s right that we hear what people have said through the consultation, and then then consider the way forward from there.”

Heathrow’s proposed expansion has faced longstanding opposition from climate experts and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

John Healey told the Commons earlier this month that the government has given the go-ahead for the project because it will help to 'bring growth'

John Healey told MPs that ministers had approved the project because it would help “bring growth”

Heathrow, however, argues that a third runway would create jobs, boost economic growth and help make air travel more affordable.

Mr Healey told the Commons earlier this month: “After years of delay, years of indecision, years of often vexatious challenge, we have given the go-ahead to this project quite simply because the economic case stacks up and will help bring growth.”

The public consultation on the Government’s Heathrow expansion national policy statement closed on September 1.

A Heathrow spokesman said: ‘We agree with the Prime Minister that local voices must be heard. 

‘We know from consistent polling over the last decade that communities support our plans for expansion, and support is only growing over time. 

‘But critically, expanding Heathrow is a national project which will create jobs and boost growth in every part of the country. 

‘That’s why it is supported by trade unions, business groups, airports and communities across the UK and why we need to crack on with delivering it as quickly as possible.’ 

READ MORE:

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John Healey admits he must stem exodus of billionaires as ANOTHER business mogul quits Britain… but Chancellor still hints wealth taxes coming in Budget 

Burnham faces Labour conference civil war: Rayner stands by ‘drive-by shooting’ on immigration plans, Left accuses PM of ‘ghosting’ – and Chancellor admits he might need to find billions for fuel bailout 

Kaia Gerber’s Family Worried About Her After Brother Presley’s Death

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Democratic Duo Fuel Speculation About 2028 Presidential Ticket

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Seasoned political observers know that a fall book tour can offer an early glimpse into a potential presidential campaign.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Maryland Governor Wes Moore provided the latest example last week, appearing together in Washington, DC, at an event promoting Beshear’s new book.

The discussion soon shifted toward whether either governor might seek the White House in 2028.

Beshear has repeatedly said he has not made a decision, although his comments have become noticeably less dismissive of a potential presidential bid.

Looking back on his 2023 reelection as Kentucky governor, Beshear told Politico that he once expected never to run for office again.

Now, he said, “I’m not sure that’s true.”

Beshear emphasized that the comment was not an announcement of a presidential campaign.

Still, combined with his growing national profile, the remark was enough to spark fresh speculation among Democrats.

Maryland Governor told Wes Moore Beshear, 'Our country needs you,' when question of a future presidential run arose

Maryland Governor Wes Moore told Beshear, “Our country needs you,” when the possibility of a future presidential run came up.

Appearing on NBC¿s Meet the Press in July 2025, Beshear said he would consider the possibility of a presidential run, declaring that he would not 'leave a broken country to my kids or to anyone else¿s'

Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press in July 2025, Beshear said he would consider a presidential run, declaring that he would not “leave a broken country to my kids or to anyone else’s.”

An Echelon Insights survey conducted on September 23 puts the former vice president at 24 percent, ahead of California Governor Gavin Newsom at 14 percent and Pete Buttigieg at 10 percent, with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jon Ossoff both at 8 percent

An Echelon Insights survey conducted on September 23 placed the former vice president at 24 percent, ahead of California Governor Gavin Newsom at 14 percent and Pete Buttigieg at 10 percent; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jon Ossoff each received 8 percent.

Moore, who is also viewed as a possible 2028 White House contender, then made an even more striking comment.

“Our country needs you,” the Maryland governor told Beshear.

“We make a pretty good team,” Beshear replied, immediately fueling speculation about a possible Moore-Beshear or Beshear-Moore ticket.

Beshear later acknowledged the strength of the potential field, telling Moore, “We may have a lot of great candidates.”

This was not the first time Beshear has publicly entertained the idea of running for president.

During a July 2025 appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, Beshear said he would consider a White House bid, adding that he would not “leave a broken country to my kids or to anyone else’s.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom remains a prominent figure as Democrats look ahead to the next presidential cycle, while his political activity has also intensified questions about whether Kamala Harris might make another run for the White House.

Newsom told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he would not run if Harris’s name appeared on the ballot.

Harris has not offered a firm yes-or-no answer, reiterating that her immediate priority is helping Democrats win the midterm elections.

She campaigned on Tuesday for the first time this election season alongside Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed on a Black maternal healthcare panel. 

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was unusually honest about the trajectory of her political career in a New York Times interview this week, acknowledging that she is seriously weighing a potential presidential bid.

But other life plans could change that decision, as she has been open about freezing her eggs and her plans for motherhood down the line as she approaches 40.

And Pete Buttigieg, who mounted his own presidential campaign in 2020, offered perhaps the clearest signal of all.

Speaking on a podcast last month, the former transportation secretary said he was ‘more inclined than not’ to run.

Behind them is an unusually deep bench of governors, senators and former officials who have either acknowledged that they are considering a campaign or have deliberately declined to close the door.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro are among the governors whose national ambitions have drawn attention.

Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, New Jersey’s Cory Booker, Maryland’s Chris Van Hollen and Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin have all found themselves in the conversation as Democrats contemplate who might lead the party after 2028.

Representative Ro Khanna has also spoken openly about the possibility, while former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and former New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu remain among the other Democratic figures whose names continue to surface.

That does not mean all or any of them will ultimately decide to run.

And Beshear has an especially pertinent reason to wait. 

As chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, he has a national platform but is unlikely to want his political future to overshadow that role.

He has suggested that his plans could become clearer after his tenure ends in December.

Moore, meanwhile, remains focused on his Maryland reelection campaign.

An Echelon Insights survey conducted on September 23 puts the former vice president at 24 percent, ahead of California Governor Gavin Newsom at 14 percent and Pete Buttigieg at 10 percent, with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jon Ossoff both at 8 percent.

RealClearPolling’s current average likewise places Harris first at 24.9 percent, followed by Newsom at 14.0 percent and Buttigieg at 12.8 percent.

Democrat Eric Jones backed by activist who said ‘evil Jews run the world’

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Adina Flores, an activist and self-described “civil rights” advocate known for her highly unconventional social media content, is backing Eric Jones, the Democratic congressional candidate in California’s 4th Congressional District.

Flores’ endorsement centers on Jones’ pledge to fight the sexual exploitation of women—an issue that, by itself, would not typically draw unusual attention.

However, Flores’ Facebook, Instagram and Substack accounts contain a stream of provocative posts portraying political conflicts through the lenses of race, sexual orientation and alleged covert networks of influence.

Because social media videos indicate that Jones has met with Flores several times, her endorsement has raised questions about whether he shares any of her views.

In one Facebook video, Flores claimed that part of California—including Sonoma County—was controlled by Jews.

“But we’re literally run by the gay Jewish mafia — the Zionists in Sonoma County. The Jews still run the world. That’s where we’re at,” Flores said. “All our money gets sent to Israel, but nobody wants to talk about that.”

In an August Instagram post, Flores wrote, “Evil Jews run the world through Masonic Lodges.”

In another post earlier this year, she attacked Santa Rosa City Schools, accusing the district of recruiting “little gay communists” and describing public schools as “liberal prison indoctrination centers.”

Asked about Flores’ online statements, Jones’ campaign said he condemns prejudice against Jewish people.

“I firmly condemn any and all hate toward our Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities. It has no place in our district. My wife is Jewish, we are raising our kids in a Jewish household, I’m a fierce advocate for our public schools and educators, and I have zero tolerance for hateful commentary toward my neighbors or my family,” a campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Alongside her comments about Jews, Flores frequently denounces what she characterizes as attempts to indoctrinate children with LGBTQ+ ideology through institutions such as schools and local governments.

In one video, Flores said she had opposed “wokeness” and defended conservative parents. While displaying a design created by a local school, she criticized its rainbow colors as “pride indoctrination” and made a sexually explicit comparison about the image.

The design shows a tree atop a hill, rendered in rainbow colors.

Flores then used profanity and an ableist slur while claiming that children in public schools would be influenced to become gay. She urged parents to remove their children from Santa Rosa schools.

Her attacks, often expressed in similarly inflammatory terms, are directed at both major political parties.

In one post, Flores said her Instagram feed was filled with Democrats and Republicans arguing over which side was more “gay” and used another slur to describe both parties, which she said were “two sides of the same bird [sic].”

She then identified the Freemasons as “the real puppet master,” insisting they were not part of a conspiracy and were responsible for shaping the narratives promoted by both Democrats and Republicans.

Flores has also said that she previously worked for the government but was forced out and prohibited from holding public-sector positions again.

“I got started in my activism because I am a former government employee. I’m a whistleblower who was forced out of the government,” she said.

Flores said her removal was connected to COVID-19 mask mandates and information shared with parents.

For his own part, Jones has centered his campaign around issues like affordability, government transparency and protecting government-run programs.

On his website, Jones has listed three main priorities: ending corruption, lowering the cost of living and resource sustainability in government. His stances have attracted endorsements from progressive groups like Indivisible and Our Revolution, organizations with ties to progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Throughout his campaign, Jones has highlighted his family’s struggle with financial stability. He grew up in a military family and had a disabled father. According to Jones, the family also struggled to overcome medical debt, relying on Medicaid and food stamps.

In her endorsement of Jones, which she made shortly after the resignation of Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Flores praised Jones’ promise to be a voice for survivors of sexual misconduct. Swalwell, a prominent California Democrat, surrendered his office after several women accused him of unwanted sexual advances, allegations that he denied.

“Thank you for being one of the only candidates — and this is insane because you’re not even in office yet, but you’re talking about this very critical issue, so God bless you, brother,” Flores said.

After Fox News Digital reached out to Flores, who has over 144,000 followers on Instagram, for comment, she posted a video response on Instagram dismissing the inquiry and saying she was a “private citizen” and that her social media accounts are “not monetized.”

“My views are mine & mine alone. I am an unpaid advocate & have never been paid to support a political candidate,” her post said. “I am highly against the two-party system. If I feel someone is a good fit for office, I support them. F— your gangs! It’s really that simple!”