Man accused of killing Israeli Embassy staffers indicted on federal hate crimes charges
The indictment, filed in federal court in Washington, charges Elias Rodriguez with nine counts, including a hate crime resulting in death. The indictment also includes notice of special findings, which would allow the Justice Department to potentially pursue the death penalty.
Elias Rodriguez is accused of gunning down Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim as they left an event at the museum in May. He was heard shouting 'Free Palestine' as he was led away after his arrest. He told police, 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,' federal authorities have said.
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Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lawyer condemns $1.3 million compensation for Australian woman wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian state government's decision to pay 2 million Australian dollars ($1.3 million) compensation to a woman who spent 20 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of killing her four children was condemned by her lawyer Thursday as 'profoundly unjust.' New South Wales Attorney-General Michael Daley said Thursday that Kathleen Folbigg's lawyers had been told the sum the 58-year-old would be paid more than two years after she was released from prison. Daley did not make the figure public, but Folbigg's supporters confirmed the sum. 'The decision follows thorough and extensive consideration of the materials and issues raised in Ms. Folbigg's application (for compensation) and provided by her legal representatives,' Daley said in a statement. The government declined further comment. Folbigg's lawyer, Rhanee Rego, described the sum as a 'profoundly unjust figure' and 'hugely insulting.' 'Her (Folbigg's) reaction is really that it feels, well — we all feel that it's profoundly unjust,' Rego told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. 'When you look at the other comparison cases and take into account what she has endured: she lost her four children; she has spent two decades in jail; vilified as Australia's worst female serial killer,' Rego added. While Folbigg has no legal avenue to appeal Daley's decision, Rego said she supported a lawmaker's call for an inquiry into how Daley reached the figure. Rego didn't put a figure on appropriate compensation, but said it should be 'substantially higher.' 'I was very much hopeful that it would be substantially more because this is one of our worst wrongful conviction cases in Australia,' Rego said. In December 2023, the New South Wales Court of Appeal overturned all convictions against Folbigg, 20 years after a jury found her guilty of killing her four children. Folbigg had already been pardoned at the state government's direction months earlier and released from prison based on new scientific evidence that her four children may have died from natural causes as she had always insisted. The pardon was seen as the quickest way of getting Folbigg out of prison after an inquiry into the new evidence recommended the appeals court consider quashing her convictions. The inquiry that recommended Folbigg's pardon and acquittal was prompted by a petition signed in 2021 by 90 scientists, medical practitioners and related professionals who argued that significant new evidence showed the children likely died of natural causes. Her first child, Caleb, was born in 1989 and died 19 days later in what a jury determined to be the lesser crime of manslaughter. Her second child, Patrick, was 8 months old when he died in 1991. Two years later, Sarah died at 10 months. In 1999, Folbigg's fourth child, Laura, died at 19 months. Prosecutors argued Folbigg smothered them. She was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to 30 years in prison on three counts of murder and one of manslaughter. Folbigg's friend since childhood, Tracy Chapman, described the compensation sum as 'disgraceful.' She said Folbigg was unemployed and living alone with her dog Snowy in rental accommodation in the city of Newcastle. Chapman said Folbigg was 'pretty much rocking in a corner' in reaction to the news and unable to speak to the media. 'Kath's on ongoing mental health support that she needs for the rest of her days,' Chapman said. 'She's got to deal with the trauma of the loss of the four kids that was never done properly during 20 years wrongfully convicted in prison, the legal process and all the trauma that was attached to it as well as then living day to day in a world that has changed so much,' Chapman added. Chapman said Folbigg had told her she was 'deeply sad and there is no empathy here.' 'When I spoke to her she just said: 'Trace, the sad thing here is I'm not surprised,'' Chapman said, using an abbreviated form of Tracy. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
28 minutes ago
- CNN
Vance embraces his growing role as Trump's chief problem solver — and the implications for a 2028 run
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The vice president has tended to get involved in key priorities right as they reach their thorniest points, relying on his close ties to Trump and relationships across the GOP to manage relations on Capitol Hill, play peacemaker within the administration and serve as an envoy to the president's broader MAGA base. 'JD has played the role of a good fireman,' said one close Trump ally. 'And he's carrying the hose as well as anyone could.' The expansive role has thrust Vance into the center of a series of issues that could determine the trajectory of Trump's presidency and the fate of his own future presidential ambitions. Vance has so far won widespread praise as a driving force behind Trump's agenda and vocal defender of his decision-making, even when that unwavering loyalty has put him at odds with some of his own past beliefs. And it has tethered Vance's political fortunes tightly to Trump's presidency, putting him in pole position with the MAGA base early on — even at the risk of dooming his chances down the road with a broader electorate already showing signs of souring on the current administration. Vance in recent weeks has emerged as a leading advocate for Trump's new massive domestic policy law, ahead of a midterm election cycle that officials believe could turn on how the unpopular legislation is sold to voters. He's sought to defend Trump's handling of the Epstein files to the president's base, insisting in a speech late last month that Trump 'has nothing to hide.' On Thursday, just hours after the planned Epstein-focused meeting, Vance will travel to Indiana to meet with top state officials as Trump pushes to redistrict the state to secure more GOP House seats. The vice president's increasingly visible role has further fueled chatter in GOP circles that the 41-year-old who once declared himself a 'Never Trump guy' may have already established himself as the president's natural successor. Asked Tuesday whether Vance was MAGA's 'heir apparent,' Trump offered his strongest support yet, saying his vice president was 'most likely' the one best positioned to take up the mantle in 2028. 'It's too early, obviously, to talk about it, but certainly he's doing a great job, and he would be, probably, favorite at this point,' Trump said. The president stopped well short of a full endorsement — and quickly namechecked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, another potential 2028 contender, proposing the two men run on the same theoretical ticket. But within Trump's orbit, allies and advisers impressed by Vance's unwavering public allegiance and behind-the-scenes efforts to speed the president's priorities say he's already emerged as a clear early frontrunner. 'As long as Trump continues to be successful, it's his no matter what,' said one Trump adviser. 'He's going to be very tough to dislodge.' A spokesperson for Vance did not respond to requests for comment. Within the administration, Vance has been closely involved in decision-making around Trump's top priorities, allies and advisers said. At times, he has served as the connective tissue between the White House and the broader GOP landscape — working the phones with lawmakers early to negotiate final votes for key Cabinet nominees like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. More recently, he tried to smooth over rifts between top officials at the DOJ and FBI over the initial decision not to release the Epstein files, even before Wednesday's planned meeting. 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'It may seem like a done deal now. But there's a lot of time left in this game.' Lauren Fox contributed to this report.
Fox News
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