Latest news with #NavySeal
Edmonton Journal
5 days ago
- Edmonton Journal
Former Blue Jays prospect charged with murder after locksmith shot to death
Article content A former Toronto Blue Jays prospect has been charged with murder after a locksmith was shot to death at a home he owned in North Carolina. Article content Police said Brian Reed Grant, 40, was arrested Wednesday and charged with the second-degree murder of Randy Stewart, 61, of Southport, N.C., the owner of Stewart Enterprises Locksmith Service who was found dead after making a service call at a home in nearby Oak Island – between Myrtle Beach and Wilmington, N.C. Article content Oak Island Police Department said they arrived at the property reportedly owned by Grant at 6:18 p.m. and found Stewart, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Article content Article content Police said the incident was isolated despite false reports of multiple gunshot victims on various social media outlets. Article content Grant, who was selected by the Blue Jays in the seventh round of the 2002 MLB draft, was arrested shortly afterward, booked at Brunswick County Detention Center and denied bond until his next court appearance on Aug. 11, the Wilmington Star-News reported. Article content A district attorney's office spokesperson told the Star-News that the property was Grant's second residence and he allegedly had been staying there for a couple of days. Grant's defence attorney disputed that account in a response to the outlet, saying he had just arrived at the property. Article content Police said Stewart showed up at the residence in a work van with his wife and two dogs and had planned to go on a fishing trip after the job was done, the Star-News reported. Article content Article content The district attorney spokesperson told the Star-News that Grant had allegedly told law enforcement Stewart threatened him with knife and there was a Navy Seal inside the residence. Article content Grant's defence attorney told the Star-News that the account was false and he had 'co-operated with law enforcement throughout the incident and was never questioned prior to being detained. Article content 'Grant's defending attorney described the incident as a clear case of self-defence,' the Star-News reported, and that Grant has no criminal record, two young children and family in the Wilmington area. Article content Grant, who was born in Goldsboro, N.C., and drafted out of Charles B. Aycock High School in nearby Pikeville, spent four seasons in the Blue Jays' minor-league system, starting with the rookie-level Medicine Hat Blue Jays and Pulaski Blue Jays before peaking at single-A with the Auburn Doubledays. Article content
Bloomberg
17-07-2025
- Health
- Bloomberg
House Bill Seeks to Help Veterans Access Alternatives to Opioids
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduced legislation to help veterans access alternatives to opioids, part of a broader push to promote safer painkillers and reduce overdose deaths. The Nopain for Veterans Act would require the US Department of Veterans Affairs to include non-opioid pain drugs on its formulary, making it easier for patients to access them. The bill has several sponsors, including Reps. Greg Landsman, a Democrat from Ohio, and Derrick Van Orden, a Republican from Wisconsin and former Navy Seal.
Saudi Gazette
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Saudi Gazette
81 dead and dozens missing in Texas floods as more rain looms
KERR COUNTRY, Texas — At least 81 people have been confirmed dead in central Texas and another 41 are missing following flash floods on Friday. Sixty-eight of the fatalities, including 28 children, were in Kerr County, where a riverside Christian girls' camp was deluged. Ten girls and a counsellor from Camp Mystic are still missing. There are five confirmed casualties in Travis County, three in Burnet County, two in Williamson County, two in Kendall County and one in Tom Green County. Figures are changing quickly as rescuers continue to search for the missing, and officials say the death toll is certain to rise. Of those recovered in Kerr County, 18 adults and 10 children have yet to be formally identified. More storms are expected in the next 24-48 hours in the region, which could hamper rescue teams who are already facing venomous snakes as they sift through mud and debris. Three days after the inundation, one of the largest search-and-rescue efforts in recent Texas history was shifting towards a recovery operation. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday that authorities would "stop at nothing" to ensure every missing person is found. "It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through," said Abbott, a day after he toured the area. A major focus of the search has been Camp Mystic, a popular summer camp for girls perched on the banks of the Guadalupe River, which suffered significant damage. The catastrophe unfolded before daybreak on Friday as the river rose 26ft (8m) in the span of just 45 minutes while most campers were asleep. Several young campers and the camp's longtime director, Richard "Dick" Eastland, are among the dead. Greg Froelick, a former Navy Seal and volunteer with the rescue group 300 Justice, is helping the effort to find survivors. Speaking to the BBC, he said he had heard of victims being found up to eight miles downriver from where Camp Mystic once stood. He said he has seen "clothing and items from the camp dressers scattered everywhere, up and down the river". There is also uncertainty about how many other people were camping in the area for the Fourth of July weekend - and how many may have been swept away in the floods. A two-lane highway that skirts the Guadalupe River and connects the city of Kerrville to Camp Mystic is a scene of devastation. Ravaged homes are surrounded by fallen trees and furniture scattered across lawns. Fences are toppled and utility lines down in some areas. President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration on Sunday for Kerr County, activating the Federal Emergency Management Agency to Texas. He also said he would probably visit the state on Friday. "We're working very closely with representatives from Texas, and it's a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible," Trump said on Sunday in New Jersey. On the ground, local residents are stepping up to support relief efforts - collecting supplies, offering shelter, and doing what they can to help neighbours displaced by the storm. Alma Garcia drove in from the city of San Antonio to deliver home-cooked meals to residents and volunteers helping with the clean-up effort. The BBC saw her pull over on the side of the road and take off a top layer T-shirt to give to a resident. "She was all wet, I told her she's going to need it," Ms Garcia told the BBC. Local resident Perla started collecting clothes and shoes on Friday after she finished her shift at Walmart. She dropped them off at a shelter the next morning. "I've never seen something like this before," she told the BBC. Meanwhile, well wishes poured in from around the world. In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers on Sunday for the bereaved in Texas. "I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States," the pontiff said. "We pray for them." — BBC
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sam Rockwell had his head shaved by strippers before quitting 'G.I. Jane'
Sam Rockwell may have quit his gig playing a Navy Seal in Demi Moore's infamous 1997 drama G.I. Jane, but he was treated to one heck of a night out before he left. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday, the White Lotus star recalled how Moore put together a wild party for the actors playing Navy Seals in the film, as well as the Navy Seals who were training them for the film. But the outing wasn't just for fun — it was also preparation. "Demi Moore had just done Striptease, the movie, and she got a strip joint, and she got all the strippers and the Navy Seals and the actors and got us drunk on tequila," said Rockwell. "And they shaved our heads — the strippers and Demi shaved our heads, and we got drunk with the Navy Seals and got lap dances." An astonished Kimmel replied, "And you quit that movie?" Indeed, Rockwell did leave the job before filming began — and he blames himself for not fully understanding the demands of the role. "I realized that when you play a Navy Seal, in BUD/S [Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL] training, you have to be in the water a lot. So, I probably should have read the script more thoroughly," the actor admitted. Rockwell went on to explain that he was "really skinny at the time," and as a result ended up experiencing "early hypothermia" after prolonged training sessions in the water. "I missed my girlfriend and I wanted to get out of there, so I did the boot camp, and then I split."Though he left early, Rockwell says G.I. Jane director Ridley Scott didn't hold it against him, and the two worked together again six years later in Matchstick Men. Rockwell is currently a favorite to receive an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama for his talked-about turn as Frank, friend of Walton Goggins' Rick, on The White Lotus. Though Woody Harrelson was originally supposed to play the role, he had to drop out due to scheduling. Rockwell credited his partner, actress Leslie Bibb, for encouraging him to join her in season 3, and for helping him prepare for Frank's epic monologue. "Usually for a two-and-a-half page monologue, ideally you want two or three months," Rockwell explained. "But I only had like four weeks or something." Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. warns Americans not to travel to Venezuela citing risks of torture, kidnapping
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The U.S. State Department is launching a new campaign to warn Americans not to go to Venezuela. Officials say anyone who does risks kidnapping, imprisonment, and even torture. Christian Castaneda understands those risks painfully well, because he says his brother Wilbert Joseph Castaneda is currently being wrongfully detained in Venezuela. It was just before Labor Day weekend of 2024 when Christian says he got a strange late-night call from an international number. When he picked up, it was his brother Wilbert. 'He said Christian I'm in Venezuela. It's a really really bad situation,' Castaneda said. He was immediately concerned, but it would take some time to discover just how bad the situation was. It turns out his brother Wilbert had been vacationing in Colombia and then traveled to Venezuela, where the Venezuelan government imprisoned him. The Venezuelan government accuses Castaneda and other foreign visitors of a plot to assassinate President Nicholas Maduro. Christian says that's completely untrue. 'They have not provided a single shred of evidence,' Castaneda said. Wilbert is a U.S. Navy Seal and a father of four. It's been months since his family has been able to see or talk to him. Christian shared that they're very worried for his safety, especially after hearing from former American detainees about how dangerous Venezuela can be. 'Very rough conditions, including torture. And so absolutely very concerned that that could be the case. Not just for my brother, but for other Americans that are there as well,' Castaneda said. That's why the U.S. State Department just launched a new campaign to warn Americans not to go to Venezuela for any reason. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mignon Houston says it's critically important for them to spread the word. 'No travel is safe right now in Venezuela, absolutely no travel,' Houston said. 'We are asking Americans, don't risk it, don't take the chance. Not even to travel to the border.' Right now, the State Department says more U.S. nationals are wrongfully detained in Venezuela than anywhere else in the world. Strained relations between the U.S. and Venezuela mean that the U.S. government has no access to American detainees. 'The stories that we have heard from detained Americans, they're horrific. The beatings, the torture. This is not a place you want to spend your summer travel. This is not a place you want to go,' Houston said. The Castaneda family is actively working with hostage advocacy groups, lawmakers, and the Trump administration to get Wilbert back home. 'I hope that he knows that we're fighting for him. And I know that he does, that his family misses him very much. His kids are looking forward to seeing him again soon,' Castaneda said. He says he's hopeful. 'There's no doubt in my mind that he'll be reunited with us and with his family soon,' Castaneda said. 'Not a day goes by that we are not thinking about the Americans who are wrongfully detained around the world, and Venezuela is included,' Houston said. While the State Department works to free all Americans, including Castaneda, they want to make sure others don't end up imprisoned in Venezuela. 'This is a campaign to ensure that we don't have another name to add to that list,' Houston said. 'There is no trip that is worth the price of your freedom.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
