Today in History: Gianni Versace shot dead outside Miami Beach home
Also on this date:
In 1834, the Spanish Inquisition was abolished more than 350 years after its creation.
In 1870, Georgia became the last Confederate state to be readmitted to the Union.
In 1913, Democrat Augustus Bacon of Georgia became the first person elected to the U.S. Senate under the terms of the recently ratified 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for popular election of senators.
In 1916, The Boeing Company, originally known as Pacific Aero Products Co., was founded in Seattle.
In 1975, three American astronauts blasted off aboard an Apollo spaceship hours after two Soviet cosmonauts were launched aboard a Soyuz spacecraft for a mission that included a linkup of the two ships in orbit.
In 1976, a 36-hour kidnap ordeal began for 26 schoolchildren and their bus driver as they were abducted near Chowchilla, California, by three gunmen and imprisoned in an underground cell. (The captives escaped unharmed; the kidnappers were caught.)
In 1996, MSNBC, a 24-hour all-news network, made its debut on cable and the internet.
In 1997, fashion designer Gianni Versace, 50, was shot dead outside his Miami Beach home; suspected gunman Andrew Phillip Cunanan (koo-NAN'-an), 27, was found dead eight days later, a suicide. (Investigators believed Cunanan killed four other people before Versace in a cross-country rampage that began the previous March.)
In 2002, John Walker Lindh, an American who'd fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan, pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, to two felonies in a deal sparing him life in prison.
In 2006, Twitter (now known as X) was launched to the public.
In 2019, avowed white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr. was sentenced by a state court to life in prison plus 419 years for killing one and injuring dozens when he deliberately drove his car into a crowd of anti-racism protesters during a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. (The previous month, Fields received a life sentence on 29 federal hate crime charges.)
In 2020, George Floyd's family filed a lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and the four police officers charged in his death, alleging the officers violated Floyd's rights when they restrained him and that the city allowed a culture of excessive force, racism and impunity to flourish in its police force. (The city would agree to pay $27 million to settle the lawsuit in March 2021.)
Today's Birthdays: Actor Patrick Wayne is 86. R&B singer Millie Jackson is 81. Singer Linda Ronstadt is 79. Author Richard Russo is 76. Musician Trevon Horn is 76. Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post, is 75. Former professional wrestler and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura is 74. Actor Terry O'Quinn (TV: 'Lost') is 73. Rock drummer Marky Ramone is 73. Rock musician Joe Satriani is 69. Model Kim Alexis is 65. Actor Willie Aames is 65. Actor-director Forest Whitaker is 64. Actor Brigitte Nielsen is 62. Rock drummer Jason Bonham is 59. TV personality Adam Savage (TV' 'MythBusters') is 58. Actor-comedian Eddie Griffin is 57. Actor-screenwriter Jim Rash (TV: 'Community') is 53. Actor Scott Foley is 53. Actor Brian Austin Green is 52. Singer Buju Banton is 52. Actor Diane Kruger is 49. Actor Lana Parrilla (LAH'-nuh pa-REE'-uh) is 48. Actor Travis Fimmel is 46. Actor-singer Tristan 'Mack' Wilds is 36. Actor Iain Armitage (TV: 'Young Sheldon') is 17.
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Chicago Tribune
22 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Mike Waltz pledges to make UN ‘great again' at Senate confirmation hearing
WASHINGTON — Mike Waltz painted an image for lawmakers Tuesday of what the United Nations would look like as the U.S. — its largest donor — reviews its support, opting to go 'back to basics' under a Trump administration push to 'make the U.N. great again.' During his Senate confirmation hearing to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Waltz echoed the priorities of his bosses — President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — of pursuing major reforms to the 80-year-old world body. It was the first time senators could grill Waltz since he was ousted as Trump's national security adviser in May after he mistakenly added a journalist to a private Signal chat used to discuss sensitive military plans. He denied Tuesday that he was removed from the post, while laying out his plans to bring 'America First' to the U.N. 'We should have one place in the world where everyone can talk — where China, Russia, Europe and the developing world can come together and resolve conflicts,' Waltz told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the U.N. 'But after 80 years, it's drifted from its core mission of peacemaking.' The U.N. is pursuing its own reforms while the Republican administration has spent the last six months reshaping American diplomacy and working aggressively to shrink the size of the federal government, including recent mass dismissals at the State Department. On the agenda for Waltz would be combating China's influence, reviewing U.S. funding to U.N. agencies with 'often duplicative and wasteful mandates,' as well as rooting out what Waltz called deep antisemitism within the U.N. system. The U.N. post is the last one to be filled in Trump's Cabinet following months of delay, including the withdrawal of the previous nominee. The Signal episode — in which Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other high-level officials faced intense criticism — didn't come up at the hearing for more than an hour. It was revealed in March that Waltz added The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a private text chain on an unclassified messaging app that was used to discuss planning for strikes on Houthi militants in Yemen. 'We both know Signal is not an appropriate and secure means of communicating highly sensitive information,' said Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, who was first to raise the issue. He added that Waltz shared 'demonstrably sensitive information' in an improper manner. Fellow Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia called it 'an amateurish move.' Waltz, a former Florida congressman, said the chat met the administration's cybersecurity standards, 'no classified information was shared' and the military was still conducting an ongoing investigation. Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey blasted what he called a 'lack of accountability' from Waltz and other administration officials. 'I've watched this hearing, and I've been really disappointed,' Booker said. 'What's been troubling to me about your nomination from the beginning is your failure to just stand up and take accountability for mistakes that you made.' If confirmed, Waltz would arrive at the U.N. at a moment of great change. The world body is reeling from Trump's decision to slash foreign assistance — affecting its humanitarian aid agencies — and it anticipates U.S. funding cuts to the U.N. annual budget. Facing financial instability, the U.N. has spent months shedding jobs and consolidating projects while beginning to tackle long-delayed reforms. The U.N. is also facing growing frustration over what critics describe as a lack of efficiency and power in delivering on its mandate to end conflict. 'With Waltz at the helm, the U.N. will have what I regard as what should be its last chance to demonstrate its actual value to the United States,' said Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah. 'Instead of progressive political virtue signaling, the Security Council has the chance to prove its value, and settling disputes and brokering deals.' Waltz said U.N. revenue 'has quadrupled in the last 20 years' but that it hasn't been commensurate with increased peace. 'The U.S. must ensure that every foreign aid dollar and every contribution to an international organization, particularly the U.N., draws a straight and direct line to a compelling U.S. national interest,' Waltz said. He said the administration's diplomatic strategy would be focused on cutting costs to what he called 'waste, fraud, and abuse that are endemic to the U.N. system.' Waltz also accused the U.N. of 'pervasive antisemitism.' He testified that the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has been promoting 'antisemitic hate' in its schools in Gaza. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed a British human rights activist on Tuesday to carry out a strategic review of UNRWA. Israel has alleged that 19 out of UNRWA's roughly 13,000 staffers in Gaza participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that launched the war. UNRWA said it fired nine workers after an internal U.N. investigation. Israel later alleged that about 100 other Palestinians in Gaza were Hamas members but didn't provide evidence to the United Nations. Waltz has spent the last few months on the White House payroll despite departing as national security adviser. The latest list of White House salaries, current as of July 1, includes Waltz as an adviser earning an annual salary of $195,200. A White House official, granted anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said Waltz stayed on to 'ensure a smooth and successful transition given the extreme importance of the role of NSA.' Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada, questioned why Waltz was still being paid by the administration. 'Throughout this year, you've made (assertions) that, if confirmed, you would root out waste and unnecessary overhead at the U.N. So can you confirm for us whether you've been receiving a salary from the White House since being let go as the NSA?' Waltz denied the fact that he had been fired, saying he was being paid as an adviser 'transitioning a number of important activities.'
The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
House Judiciary Democrats demand Epstein hearing, float subpoenas
House Judiciary Democrats are calling for a public hearing on the Jeffrey Epstein files, saying top officials in both the Justice Department and the FBI should account for their handling of information surrounding the deceased financier. The Justice Department last week released a new memo concluding that Epstein did not commit suicide and said the high-powered figure did not keep a list of clients for others involved in his sex trafficking scheme. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said the administration's top brass – Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche, as well as FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy Dan Bongino – should all testify on the matter, adding the panel should also subpoena them 'if necessary.' 'President Trump and his top appointees at the DOJ and FBI have spent years advancing theories that 'the Deep State' has been suppressing the true magnitude of the child sex trafficking and abuse ring created by Jeffrey Epstein and his associates,' Raskin wrote in a letter to Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), saying conspiracy theories about the matter were used to 'energize President Trump's supporters.' 'The Trump DOJ and FBI's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein matter, and President Trump's suddenly shifting positions, have not restored anyone's trust in the government but have rather raised profound new questions about their own conduct while increasing public paranoia related to the investigation. Only a bipartisan public hearing at which administration officials answer direct questions from elected representatives before the eyes of the American people can restore public trust on the matter,' Raskin wrote in a letter joined by other Democratic members of the committee. Jordan's office did not respond to request for comment, but the lawmaker told The Hill Tuesday that he had 'confidence' in the four leaders. DOJ and the FBI did not immediately respond to request for comment. The matter has caused internal division within the Trump administration, with Bongino, who previously told his followers to stay focused on Epstein, believing the FBI and Justice Department fumbled its response. Trump, however, has defended Bondi's supervision of the matter saying she 'has handled it very well.' Democrats have been increasingly making calls for more information about the episode, saying the Justice Department could be shielding information that could be damaging to Trump. Raskin wrote the fallout from the memo raises 'new questions as to whether President Trump himself has something to hide, whether he is keeping damaging information secret to protect other individuals or to maintain future blackmail leverage over public and private actors or, perhaps the simplest explanation, whether President Trump and his Administration magnified and disseminated groundless Epstein conspiracy theories for purposes of political gain which they are now desperately trying to disavow and dispel.' Democratic intrigue in the Epstein files has only grown since Elon Musk, during a fallout with Trump, said the president was among those included in Epstein's files. The president has denied ever being close with Epstein and has expressed exasperation at public fixation about the case. The two were captured in numerous photos together over the years, as Epstein ran in high-powered circles with figures that included Trump, former President Clinton, Britain's Prince Andrew and a number of other celebrities and ultra-wealthy individuals. His associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, has been convicted of sex trafficking.
Washington Post
27 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Arkansas farmer launches bid to challenge US Sen. Tom Cotton's reelection bid
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A sixth-generation farmer from northeast Arkansas announced Tuesday that she is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. Tom Cotton , the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee who is seeking a third term. Hallie Shoffner of Newport announced her bid for the nomination to unseat Cotton, who was first elected to the Senate and is widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential hopeful. 'I'll cut taxes for blue-collar workers, fight to restore Medicaid, save Social Security, cut the deficit, and be radically focused on bringing costs down for regular people,' Shoffner said in a release. 'I'll fight this rigged system every day — Tom Cotton's the guy who did the rigging.' Cotton was first elected to the Senate in 2014, defeating two-term Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor in a nationally watched race that drew millions of dollars in outside spending. Cotton easily won reelection in 2020 after his Democratic challenger dropped out of the race days after filing to run. Cotton, who announced in February that he was seeking reelection, has more than $8 million in the bank for his bid and the endorsement of President Donald Trump. The rest of the state's congressional delegation and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders have also endorsed Cotton. In a fundraising email to supporters Tuesday afternoon, Cotton defended his record. 'I'm proud to support President Trump and proud to have his endorsement,' Cotton wrote. 'And I'm proud to fight for secure borders, lower taxes, and a strong America because it's what's best for Arkansas.' Arkansas' 2026 primary will be held in March. The filing period for candidates in the state is Nov. 3-11.
