(NEW YORK) — A 32-year-old woman has been arrested after police found a dead woman in the backseat of her car that authorities say was not a result of the single-vehicle accident she had been involved in.
The Olmstead County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota responded to a single-vehicle accident at approximately 7 a.m. on Saturday morning on Interstate 90 going eastbound near the Highway 42 Exit in Olmstead county when police encountered Margot Lewis, a 32-year-old woman being tended to by a somebody passing by, according to a statement from the Olmstead County Sheriff’s Office released on Monday.
“The driver of the vehicle, identified as Margot Lewis, a 32-year-old female of an unknown residence, was out of the vehicle and being tended to by a passerby. In checking to see if anyone else was in the vehicle, a deceased individual, a 35-year-old female, was located in the back seat,” police said. “The condition of the deceased was suspicious, and it was immediately apparent that the death was not a result of the motor vehicle accident.”
Police were able to eventually identify the victim but said that the name of the deceased is currently being withheld until her next of kin has been notified.
“Ms. Lewis was transported by Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service (MCAS) to the hospital, where she was medically cleared. Ms. Lewis was then transported to the Adult Detention Center (ADC) and placed under arrest for Interference with a Dead Body,” authorities said.
Lewis is now expected to make an appearance in court on this case on sometime on Tuesday, according to the Olmstead County Sheriff’s Office.
Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Eyota Fire Department, and Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service assisted with the initial call and authorities from the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office said that they extend “sincere condolences to the friends and family of the deceased.”
The investigation into the incident is currently ongoing and no further information will be released at this time.
(NEW YORK) — A 26-year-old woman has drowned after being swept over a waterfall and getting trapped under the gushing water for several minutes, officials said.
The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when authorities began receiving received multiple 911 calls routed through Glacier County dispatch at approximately 5:20 p.m. saying that an unnamed 26-year-old woman from Pennsylvania was swept over St. Mary’s Falls on the east side of Glacier National Park in Montana and fell approximately 35 feet into the water below, according to a statement from the National Park Service (NPS) released on Monday.
“According to witnesses, the woman was washed over the falls and trapped under water for several minutes,” NPS said. “Bystanders pulled her from the water below the falls and administered CPR until emergency responders arrived. Park rangers and Babb ambulance personnel took over CPR upon arrival.”
Park rangers were on the scene at 5:45 p.m., approximately 25 minutes after the incident was first reported, NPS said.
An ALERT helicopter landed nearby shortly after for further support at about 6:20 pm and assisted with resuscitation efforts but the victim never regained consciousness.
“Resuscitation efforts were terminated at about 7 pm and ALERT personnel pronounced the woman deceased,” NPS said. “ALERT flew the body to the 1913 Ranger Station near St. Mary, MT where they were met by the Glacier County coroner at about 7:30 pm. The coroner is transporting the body to the medical examiner in Missoula, MT for an autopsy.”
The death is currently under investigation while additional details are still being gathered and the victim’s next of kin is currently being notified in advance of releasing the woman’s name.
“Park staff would like to thank Glacier County, ALERT, Babb Ambulance and US Border Patrol for their support, along with numerous bystanders for their immediate assistance,” NPS said. “The park extends their deepest condolences to family and friends of the woman and asks that the public respect their privacy.”
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during an event in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Daniel Steinle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — In two court rulings Monday night, federal judges in Kansas and Missouri halted key aspects of President Joe Biden’s sweeping student loan repayment program.
The SAVE plan, a student loan repayment plan that ties how much someone pays each month to what their income is, has been in place for almost a year and is the jewel of Biden’s surviving student loan efforts — one that he has touted heavily in his re-election campaign.
The rulings Monday will stop the Biden administration from any further implementation of the program — in which eight million are enrolled — but allow people who are enrolled to keep using SAVE as is until the cases are fully litigated.
That means phase two of SAVE, which would’ve reduced monthly payments from 10% of a borrower’s discretionary income down to 5%, is on pause, as is any further cancellation of debt for people who took out smaller initial loan payments and have been paying for 10-plus years.
SAVE is similar to other income-driven repayment plans, which have been used for decades but are more generous because of lower monthly payments — people who make a minimum wage can pay as little as $0 a month — as well as a shorter path to debt relief.
Through SAVE so far, Biden has canceled $5.5 billion in debt for almost 414,000 borrowers.
The lawsuits were brought by Republican states who argued that the Biden administration lacked authority from Congress to enact the SAVE plan — the same states that fought to overturn Biden’s initial debt relief plan last year.
The Department of Education and the White House vowed to fight the rulings.
“We strongly disagree with the Kansas and Missouri District Court rulings, which block components of the SAVE Plan that help student loan borrowers have affordable monthly payments and stay out of default. The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend the SAVE Plan,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement late Monday night.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called out Republicans for depriving their constituents of lower student debt payments.
“It’s unfortunate that Republican elected officials and their allies have fought tooth and nail to prevent their constituents from accessing lower payments and a faster path to debt forgiveness — and that courts are now rejecting authority that the Department has applied repeatedly for decades to improve income-driven repayment plans,” she said.
(WASHINGTON) — During a two-hour hearing Monday morning, the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case pressed government attorneys to provide more information about the funding of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation, at one point remarking that the funding presents a “separation of powers concern.”
The hearing, conducted by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, was a continuation of Friday’s hearing in which defense attorneys sought to have the documents case dismissed on the grounds that Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel.
Trump pleaded not guilty last year to 40 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials after leaving the White House, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information and took steps to thwart the government’s efforts to get the documents back. Trump has denied all charges and denounced the probe as a political witch hunt.
Defense lawyer Emil Bove argued Monday that the funding of the special counsel’s office was unconstitutional because it relies on a “permanent indefinite appropriation” that is outside of the normal budget process.
“Is there any cap to the funding?” Judge Cannon asked.
“No, and I think that is part of the reason … to be very wary of who can access it and why,” Bove said. “There is no check on the scope of what’s going on here.”
As Bove hammered at the constitutionality of the special counsel’s office, Smith himself sat just feet away in the courtroom, occasionally jotting down notes during the argument. Smith did not attend Friday’s hearing.
While Cannon appeared skeptical of Bove’s argument at times — including accusing him of doing a “flip flop” on his position about the independence of the special counsel’s office — she pressed assistant special counsel James Pearce about the office’s budget.
“It is the full commitment of the DOJ that the special counsel has the funding to continue this prosecution,” Pearce said.
Pearce claimed that the change in funding source would result in “no effect or change whatsoever” to the case.
However, Bove argued that the Department of Justice funding the special counsel would result in a “very strong” response,” including congressional action and additional motions from defense counsel.
“It is difficult for me to imagine how that resolves the motion here,” Bove said. “I think there would be a very strong political response.”
Cannon appeared to backtrack on some of her comments during the hearing, remarking, “I am not indicating anything. I am just trying to cover the scope of what has been briefed here.”
Cannon heard arguments Monday afternoon about imposing a gag order on Trump to prohibit statements that endanger law enforcement. Previewing his argument at the end of the morning hearing, Bove described the proposed gag order as “truly extraordinary effort to gag [Trump’s] ability to speak at a debate and the campaign trail.”
(NEW YORK) — A historically expensive and fiercely contentious Democratic primary in New York’s 16th District has incumbent Rep. Jamaal Bowman fighting for his political future and has garnered national attention as a bellwether for the schism fissuring the Democratic Party over the Israel-Hamas war.
Bowman, a staunch progressive with ties to the Democratic Socialists of America, is being challenged by a local official who is seen, by some, as more moderate: Westchester County Executive George Latimer. Latimer has represented parts of Westchester County in some form since 2005.
High-profile Democrats have flooded the zone with endorsements, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsing Latimer on X two weeks before polls close. Meanwhile, progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are circling their wagons around Bowman, hosting rallies and spearheading get-out-the-vote efforts on his behalf.
Bowman’s progressive politics have been a frequent basis of attack for Latimer, whose core argument is that Bowman is “putting his extreme ideology ahead of progress.” Latimer has also criticized Bowman for voting against President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Bowman has reciprocated these attacks, tying Latimer to Republicans and stressing his support from donors to former President Donald Trump, such as Alex Dubitsky, despite Latimer identifying as a progressive.
But it is the candidates’ stances on the Israel-Hamas war and their relationships with local groups that raise this race’s national profile.
Bowman has been one of Congress’ most ardent critics of Israel, referring to the Israel Defense Forces’ incursions in Gaza as a “genocide” and frequently calling for a cease-fire.
Resultingly, Latimer, a pro-Israel candidate, was recruited to run by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), according to The New York Times. Since reportedly encouraging Latimer to run, AIPAC has been his most powerful supporter — the organization’s United Democracy Project PAC alone makes up for 60% of ad spending in the race, according to AdImpact — which, as of Monday, clocks in at an eye-popping $23 million total, according to filings compiled by OpenSecrets.
AdImpact tracks that the race for N.Y.-16 is the most expensive House primary to date. Even still, whoever wins this primary is likely to win in the general election — a Republican hasn’t been elected in the district since 1949.
In an interview with ABC News, Sanders called the primary “one of the most important elections in the modern history of this country” and hoped that the influx of opposition advertising would not deter true progressives.
“What I would say to the people of the district, even if you disagree with Bowman on this or that issue, stand up to the billionaire class and tell them they cannot buy this election and buy the United States government,” Sanders said.
Bowman railed against AIPAC’s funding during a rally on Saturday in the Bronx flanked by progressives Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders.
“AIPAC is scared to death,” Bowman said. “That is why they are spending record amounts of money in this race because they are afraid they have already lost because the district, the American people, and the world are with us.”
“But they are the money — we are the mighty, they are the money, we are the many,” Bowman said.
Amanda Berman, founder of the progressive, pro-Israel group Zioness, told ABC News that Bowman’s “many versus money” framing encourages gross stereotypes about the Jewish community.
“That comment makes Jews’ skin crawl, that is petrifying that we are being called ‘the money’ in the way that singles us out as not part of ‘the many,’ and it activates a dangerous and age-old antisemitic stereotype about Jews and money. It suggests that there is something nefarious about wanting people who represent us in Washington to care about protecting our safety, especially at a moment of such exploding antisemitism,” Berman said.
Berman said she sees the influx of support around an alternative candidate as indicative that “progressive Jews and real progressives across the country who are seeing a perversion of progressive values want to reclaim what it means to be a progressive.”
Former Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., who broke ranks from other congressional progressives by endorsing Latimer, attributed his decision to Bowman’s positions following Hamas’ attack on Israel and the effect it has had on the lower Hudson Valley Jewish community. Jones referenced Bowman’s denial that Hamas committed sexual violence on Oct. 7, which he has since apologized for, and Bowman’s support of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
Speaking to ABC News, Jones said he has “long disagreed with Mr. Bowman’s views and positions on Israel.”
“But since Oct. 7, they have taken on a different character, even for him. It has had dramatic effects on my Jewish neighbors in the Hudson Valley, and I will always stand up for my Jewish neighbors, especially when they are pointing to the words and actions of a former colleague which have directly contributed to anxiety, anger and fear that they experience,” he said.
Usamah Andrabi, the spokesperson for Justice Democrats, told ABC News that the United Democracy Project is “a Republican-funded super PAC that disproportionately targets progressive Democrats of color with Republican billionaire funding and endorsed alongside the same Republicans — hundreds of Republicans — who have voted to overturn President Biden’s election and support banning abortion.”
When reached for comment, AIPAC told ABC News in a statement: “It is a scurrilous lie to suggest that we target progressive Democrats of color — the truth is that we support many pro-Israel candidates of color. Our only criterion for supporting or opposing candidates is their position on the U.S.-Israel relationship. In fact, we support nearly half of the Congressional Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus and Progressive Caucus.”
The way both men have responded to the conflict has led to a feeling of desertion by some members of the Jewish and Muslim communities within the district.
Rabbi Evan Hoffman, who leads the Orthodox congregation Anshe Sholom in New Rochelle and has known Latimer for years, told ABC News that he called the representative to request a statement condemning violence against Jews in advance of a feared “Day of Rage” shortly after the attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.
“And his reaction was to say, ‘That’s interesting,’ and then he hung up,” said Hoffman, who was then chair of the Westchester Board of Rabbis.
ABC News has reached out to Bowman’s campaign for a response.
Hoffman also noted that prior board members had tried to make inroads with Bowman in 2020 and 2021, but “felt that he was snubbing them, and it was impossible to develop positive relations.”
Another Westchester rabbi, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, told ABC News that Bowman had reached out to a number of rabbis around Hanukkah, but “none of the rabbis on the Westchester Board of Rabbis wanted to attend.”
Hoffman said he believes that the negative feelings toward Bowman extend to the larger Jewish community, arguing that “the average Jew on the street in Westchester has a very thin view of Jamaal Bowman and would express it even more heartily than I would.”
Both rabbis told ABC News that a supermajority of their congregation preferred Latimer over Bowman.
JVP Action — the political wing of Jewish Voice for Peace, which describes itself as a “progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization” — said it disagrees with that characterization.
“The Jewish community is not a monolith. And that’s true nationally, and it’s true in the district, as well,” the organization’s spokeswoman, Beth Miller, told ABC News, “and no one can really claim to speak for the entire Jewish community.”
Prominent members of Westchester’s Muslim community have expressed a similar frustration with Latimer.
Donny Khan, a leader of Westchester Progressives — an organization that actively helped elect Latimer to county executive but now strongly supports Bowman — said that Latimer’s responsiveness to affluent, predominantly white communities has come at the expense of other constituents.
“When he needed our votes, he was here. He came to the community center and took pictures with women in hijabs, and with me and everything,” he said. “But then ever since he was recruited to run against Jamaal Bowman, he has cut all contact.”
Supporters of Bowman argue that part of their fear that Latimer will not be reliable comes from a history of the latter not holding firm positions while serving Westchester.
“George Latimer is willing to be anything for anyone,” said Andrabi, Justice Democrats spokesperson.
Khan offered a similar sentiment, saying, “I think his whole reputation — the way he survived 35 years in Westchester politics — is basically never taking a hard stance on anything.”
Tyler, The Creator may have canceled some of his headlining sets, but his Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival will proceed as planned. The LA-based music festival, a collaboration with Goldenvoice, will make a return in November for its 10th installment.
It’s slated to go down on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17 at Dodger Stadium, with advance passes becoming available to American Express card members on Thursday at 9 a.m. PT. The general sale begins Thursday at 12 p.m. PT. For access to general admission, VIP and Super VIP passes, register at campfloggnaw.com.
Additional ticket sales will be announced soon, as will the artists tapped for this year’s lineup. Previous performers include SZA, Solange, Snoop Dogg, Ms. Lauryn Hill and A$AP Rocky.
The news of this year’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival comes after Tyler announced he’s no longer performing at the Lollapalooza and Outside Lands festivals. He’s been replaced by Megan Thee Stallion and Sabrina Carpenter.
