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US news

After two mistrials, federal prosecutors have moved to dismiss sexual abuse charges against former FCI Dublin prison guard Darrell Wayne Smith, the last of 10 former employees to face charges in connection with abuse at the shuttered East Bay women's prison. But Smith's attorneys maintained throughout both trials that he'd been framed in the fallout of a federal investigation into systemic abuse at the prison, dubbed the "rape club" by incarcerated women and staff members.

Portland is close to selecting a city administrator to replace Michael Jordan, who's served in the role since January and will retire at the end of the year. The city administrator is largely responsible for overseeing the city's budget and daily operations, with the help of a team of deputy city administrators who run the city's bureaus. The top three finalists include former Mayor Ted Wheeler's first chief of staff, and two other candidates from Colorado and Texas.

The university police department is working to identify the person responsible for the graffiti and hold them "accountable for their actions," Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Vincent Del Casino wrote in a message to the community. In the meantime, the university is ramping up foot patrols by campus police and staff members, Del Casino said. Additional security measures include expanded security cameras in public and exterior areas of residence halls, and improved lighting.

The mysterious case of a teen who died aboard a Carnival cruise ship was given a new twist by her stepmother's court filing. Anna Kepner, 18, a high school student from Titusville, Fla., was found dead Nov. 8 aboard the Carnival Horizon as it returned to Miami from a Caribbean itinerary. She had been traveling with her father, his wife and the stepmother's two children. The FBI had said it was investigating the death; it released no further details.

Despite being locked away in Kern Valley State Prison, federal prosecutors say 37-year-old Thomas was able to control methamphetamine distribution not just in California but Hawaii, Oklahoma, Alabama and New Jersey. When the DEA launched a federal investigation in 2022, agents were able to identify the first of seven contraband cellphones Thomas allegedly possessed over the next several months, and secure wiretaps for six of them, court records show.

The public court schedule only says that Mangione is scheduled to be in court on Monday, December 1. The request for five pairs of socks signals that Mangione's defense team could be bracing for a possible Monday-through-Friday hearing lasting the entirety of the first week of December - including December 4, the one-year anniversary of Thompson's shooting on a Manhattan sidewalk.

Prada-loving Pei Chung, 34, was cut loose on supervised release at her arraignment Sunday by Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Jevet Johnson - despite prosecutors seeking to lock up the accused stingy diner for scamming two more hot spots over the weekend. Brooklyn prosecutors sought $1,500 cash bail or $3,500 bond to keep Chung, a wannabe influencer, behind bars after she allegedly noshed on pricey plates at a pair of posh Williamsburg restaurants Friday into Saturday, then couldn't, or wouldn't, pay.

Gun-toting ICE agents allegedly forced their way into a Queens home last week without announcing themselves or presenting a warrant for a person who no longer lived there, the New York Immigration Coalition said Wednesday. The nonprofit advocacy group stated that agents broke down the door of a family's residence at a basement apartment in Elmhurst on Nov. 13. According to the organization, the agents pointed firearms at a mother and her four children and pulled the woman from her bed before threatening to return.

"I'm not stopping until I find her, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here," Nunez said.

Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said Wednesday his office has started a wide-ranging probe into claims that plaintiffs made up stories of abuse in order to sue the county, which agreed to the historic $4-billion sex abuse settlement this spring. The announcement follows Times investigations that found nine people who said they were paid small amounts of cash by recruiters to sue the county for sex abuse in juvenile halls.

Federal prosecutors said they would seek a sentence of up to 18 years for Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 22-year-old from the Republic of Georgia who goes by the nickname "Commander Butcher." He pleaded guilty Monday before a federal judge in Brooklyn to soliciting hate crimes and distributing information about making bombs and ricin. Prosecutors described Chkhikvishvili as the leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, an international extremist group that adheres to an ideology that promotes violence intended to trigger a racial and religious war.

For the first time ever, the New York City area will play host to the best world rugby sevens has to offer. AmNewYork has learned that World Rugby and TEG Rugby Live are bringing the HSBC SVNS Series to Sports Illustrated Stadium, home of Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls, from March 14-15. The top-flight rugby sevens league will serve as the final stop of the regular season before the world championships in Hong Kong, Spain, and France.

Instead, it will release some of the October jobs data - most importantly the number of jobs that employers created last month - along with the full November jobs report, now due a couple of weeks late on Dec. 16. The department's "employment situation" report usually comes out the first Friday of the month. But the government shutdown disrupted data collection and delayed the release of the reports. For example, the September jobs report, now coming out Thursday, was originally due Oct. 3.

For Michael Carrozzo, leadership isn't about titles or recognition, It's about showing up every day with purpose. "You don't wait for opportunity," he says. "You create it through consistency." From growing up in Southern California to serving as a Major in the U.S. Army, Carrozzo's story is about discipline, adaptability, and staying true to what matters. His approach to life blends focus and humility, forged through years of service and strengthened by hobbies that keep him grounded.

"Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone," Kern de Gonzales wrote, adding that the incident came after "two years of threats" over their sexuality. "We were standing side by side. When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life."

The Department of Transportation enacted new laws in October 2024 that require any airline flying to, from, or within the US to give automatic refunds if passengers' flights are canceled or significantly changed for any reason. Importantly, the new federal rules specifically define what constitutes a "significant change" to a flight schedule, so both passengers and airlines know what types of delays qualify for refunds.

The decomposed body of Rivas, 15, was found in September in the front trunk of a black Tesla registered to D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke. The car had been ticketed in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood and then impounded in a tow yard in Los Angeles. Rivas likely died in the spring, police told NBC4 Investigates, adding that D4vd had likely helped in dismembering and disposing of the body.

A year before Virginia Tech came as close as it ever has to winning a national championship, it installed an empty trophy case in its football facility. The idea, the program's leadership believed, was that the case would eventually be filled. Frank Beamer had built the Hokies into a power, Michael Vick turned the program into a national brand, and championships were sure to follow.

The average commute to work in the city is about 10 minutes shorter than the national average, according to recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey. A Wichita worker drives an average 17.3 minutes to work every day, for a total daily commute of 35.6 minutes. Meanwhile, the average American drives 27.2 minutes each way, making for a daily commute of 54.4 minutes. For Kansas, the statewide average is 20 minutes, according to the same data set.

The Florida Panthers will be without one of their top defensive forwards, Eetu Luostarinen, on a week-to-week basis after he suffered a unique off-the-ice injury. According to team reporter Jameson Olive, head coach Paul Maurice announced that Luostarinen recently suffered burns during "a barbecue accident." Luostarinen's burns weren't severe enough to require an overnight hospital stay, but the Finnish forward's return date is unknown until he feels comfortable enough to put his gear back on.

It's going to be a tough, gritty match-up and I think it might snow over there, which would be really interesting, Mendoza said. I just can't wait to get a bite at the rivalry, just to be able to experience it, to play in it against such a great team. It's just such an honor to play Purdue and to see the Purdue rivalry in basketball and really just see how the alumni harp on it.

The arrangement resolves litigation filed by NPR accusing the corporation of illegally yielding to Trump's demands that the network be financially punished for its news coverage. The argument, part of a broader lawsuit by NPR and several stations against the Trump administration, focused on CPB funding for NPR's operation of a satellite distribution system for local public radio stations. The judge in the case had explicitly told CPB's legal team he did not find its defense credible.

The plaintiffs also said another provision spells out a need for a request from a local government to use the Guard in some scenarios, including a "breakdown of law and order," they said. The state has said Tennessee law gives the governor "the authority to dispatch the Guard when needed and to determine when that need exists." In a statement posted on X, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, a plaintiff in the case, said he is pleased with the decision.

Quinnen Williams' first game with the Dallas Cowboys was special, and he made many fans happy that the team gave up multiple draft picks to get the defensive tackle in a trade with the New York Jets at the NFL deadline. Williams instantly looked like someone who could help solve Dallas' problems on that side of the ball. Williams was noticeable during his first game with Dallas, earning 1.5 sacks, including a 9-yard loss on Geno Smith.