US news summaries — Page 8
Essential facts and source links for recent us stories.
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Tennessee prosecutor invokes divine justice after inmate dies in cell
Tennessee inmate Reginald Steed, charged with Pedigo’s first-degree murder, was found lifeless in his cell and pronounced dead at 12:40 a.m. Prosecutor Russell Johnson said the death showed God was the ultimate arbiter of justice; an investigation is ongoing. -
Morning Joe hosts fault Trump administration after Austin ICE shooting
MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” hosts criticized the Trump administration after ICE shot Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, 28, in Austin on Sunday. DHS said he was in the U.S. illegally, a claim his lawyer disputes; host Willie Geist said the known facts offered no justifiable explanation. -
Three lawsuits accuse Six Flags’ X2 ride of causing riders’ brain injuries
Three lawsuits allege Six Flags Magic Mountain’s X2 caused serious brain injuries to riders Pamela Guillen, Naomi Greer-Wilkinson and Michael Wilk. The ride has been closed since the evening of July 12; the park says it does not comment on pending litigation. -
Thomas Gigler went overboard from Carnival Panorama off Puerto Vallarta
Thomas Gigler, 56, went overboard from the Carnival Panorama on Sept. 18 off Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, while sailing to Long Beach. His wife and three sons were aboard; U.S. and Mexican Coast Guards joined the search after the ship confirmed the incident. -
Envoy says South African rules keep billions in US capital sidelined
US Ambassador L. Brent Bozell III said South Africa’s Black empowerment rules leave billions in US capital sidelined, citing mandatory local equity transfers in mining and telecoms. He said Washington questions Pretoria’s viability as a partner. -
Weinstein gets 15-year sentence after retrial conviction in Haley’s 2006 assault case
Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 15 years Wednesday after a jury again convicted him of sexually assaulting Mimi Haley, a former “Project Runway” production assistant, in 2006. Haley said the attack devastated her life; Weinstein denied her allegations. -
Mark Jensen challenges computer evidence in bid for a third trial
Twice convicted of murdering his wife Julie with antifreeze, Mark Jensen is serving life without parole and seeking a third trial. His new lawyer says the 2023 defense mishandled computer evidence that may support the claim Julie made poison searches. -
Authorities probe two Ole Miss student deaths after kratom packages found
Authorities are investigating the deaths of two Ole Miss students after kratom packages from a retail store were found at both scenes. Neither student has been identified, and narcotics investigators have not confirmed whether the deaths are connected. -
Texas agents rescue four migrants from tank; driver arrested in smuggling case
Texas Border Patrol agents rescued four migrants trapped in a pickup’s portable water tank on Sept. 14 and arrested the 19-year-old U.S. citizen driver, who faces an alien-smuggling charge, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. -
Alice Walton's $750 million Arkansas health campus breaks ground
Alice Walton’s AWSOM Whole Health Campus broke ground in Bentonville, Arkansas, after seven years of planning. The $750 million project includes a 250-bed hospital and cancer center, with the goal of expanding specialty care in Arkansas. -
Texas Rangers sought Camp Mystic owners’ communications in probe of 27 flood deaths
Texas Rangers are probing possible manslaughter, negligent homicide or child abandonment charges after 27 Camp Mystic campers and counselors died in the July 4, 2025, flood. They sought the owners’ electronic communications; no charges have been filed. -
Opinion: Corsino-Blair calls for monthly phone-free gatherings to ease loneliness
Annette Corsino-Blair says weakened social spaces contribute to loneliness and urges local organizations to host monthly, free or low-cost, phone-free gatherings for a year. The 2025 WHO report she cites says roughly one in six people worldwide experience loneliness. -
DNA from Jefferson’s hair adds evidence he fathered a child with Sally Hemings
DNA from Thomas Jefferson’s hair, compared with samples from living descendants of Sally Hemings’ sons, showed a 99.9% chance he fathered a child with the woman he enslaved, researcher Richard Kurin told TODAY. The result adds to earlier evidence. -
Louisa Moats’ LETRS course reached 700,000 enrollees in 2025; student impact remains uncertain
Louisa Moats’ LETRS course grew from fewer than 25,000 enrollees in 2020 to 700,000 in 2025, Lexia says. As science-of-reading laws spread to 42 states and D.C., its effect on student reading remains uncertain; study results are not expected until 2029. -
DoorDash driver shooting: ICE agent who fired was hired last year and wasn't wearing bodycam, reports say
Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan DoorDash driver, was shot once in Austin on Sunday while making deliveries. Reports citing DHS officials say the ICE agent who fired was hired last year and was not wearing his issued body camera. -
Miliband says US aid cuts have ended America’s role as global aid ‘anchor’
IRC chief David Miliband said US aid cuts have ended America’s role as the global aid system’s “anchor,” but improving the lives of the most vulnerable remains solvable. He said the Trump administration’s $60bn USAID cut last year directly cost 700,000 lives. -
University of Kentucky tests voluntary face scans at residence halls
The University of Kentucky has installed Alcatraz AI facial-recognition scanners at several Lexington residence halls for a test. Participation is voluntary for now; the company says the system is meant to help security detect tailgating. -
Three George Floyd siblings seek records on fundraiser said to raise about $19 million
Zsazsa, LaTonya and Rodney Floyd are seeking financial records for the GoFundMe organized by their brother Philonise after George Floyd’s death. Their attorney’s letter says it collected about $19 million and argues the siblings, as heirs, are entitled to part of the funds. -
Star Meat Delivery recalls about 167,639 pounds of meat over false USDA marks
Star Meat Delivery is recalling about 167,639 pounds of uninspected raw pork, beef and goat products nationwide, all bearing a false USDA mark. The USDA classified it as a Class I recall; no related illnesses or injuries have been reported so far. -
Mediaite opinion piece challenges AP’s lynching framing of Tasia Fortune’s death
A Mediaite opinion article accused an Associated Press video about Tasia Fortune, found hanging in a Mississippi tree on Aug. 3, of framing her death around lynching history. The writer says Fortune’s mother saw no racial motive and claims both people charged in the killing are. -
Sully Sullenberger describes early memory changes after Alzheimer’s diagnosis
Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger says he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in August 2025. In his first interview since disclosing it in July, he described trouble recalling names, forgetting things and repeating himself. Monthly infusions are intended to slow, not stop, the disease. -
Phil and Penny Knight give $1 billion to launch University of Oregon engineering college
Phil and Penny Knight are giving the University of Oregon $1 billion to create the Knight College of Engineering, the largest gift in the school’s history. The university has not offered a traditional engineering degree; the college will broaden its work beyond bioengineering. -
Federal judge dismisses Michigan antitrust suit accusing oil firms of curbing EVs and renewables
Judge Jane Beckering dismissed Michigan’s antitrust suit accusing BP, Chevron, Exxon, Shell and the American Petroleum Institute of conspiring to hinder electric vehicles and renewable energy. She said the alleged conspiracy was too remote to link to energy overcharges.
