Today in History: June 17, O.J. Simpson charged with murder following highway chase
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In 1825, a crowd of 100,000, including some Revolutionary War veterans, gathered to commemorate the placing of the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument. It would take years of fund-raising, however, before it was completed, in 1843.
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In 1885, the Statue of Liberty, disassembled and packed into 214 separate crates, arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French frigate Isère.
In 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which boosted US tariffs to historically high levels, prompting foreign retaliation.
In 1963, the US Supreme Court, in Abington School District v. Schempp, struck down, 8-1, rules requiring the recitation of the Lord's Prayer or reading of biblical verses in public schools.
In 1972, President Richard Nixon's eventual downfall began with the arrest of five burglars inside the Democratic headquarters in Washington, D.C.'s, Watergate complex.
Also that year, after extinguishing the flames of an extensive fire at the Hotel Vendome in Back Bay, nine firefighters were crushed to death when part of the building collapsed. It was the deadliest tragedy for the Boston Fire Department.
In 1994, after leading police on a slow-speed chase on Southern California freeways, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with murder in the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. (Simpson was acquitted of the murders in a criminal trial in 1995, but held liable in a civil trial in 1997.)
In 2008, hundreds of same-sex couples got married across California on the first full day that same-sex marriage became legal by order of the state's highest court; an estimated 11,000 same-sex couples would be married under the California law in its first three months.
In 2015, nine Black worshippers were killed when a gunman opened fire during a Bible study gathering at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. (Dylann Roof, a white supremacist, was captured the following day; he would be convicted on state and federal murder and hate crime charges and sentenced to death.)
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In 2021, the Supreme Court, in a 7-2 ruling, left intact the entire Affordable Care Act, rejecting a major Republican-led effort to kill the national health care law known informally as 'Obamacare.'
In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, creating the first new national holiday since the establishment of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Last year, the Boston Celtics won the NBA title, securing its record 18th banner, with a lopsided win over the Dallas Mavericks at the TD Garden. The win ended a dominating run through playoffs.
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Hamilton Spectator
27 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
In Canada's pledge to recognize Palestine, much depends on what comes after the words
It was nearly 80 years ago that a Canadian diplomat and future prime minister first laid out the boundaries of an independent and equal Palestinian state. Lester B. Pearson was chairman of the United Nations committee that drafted the former British territory's 1947 partition plan . Had it not been hindered by a war the following year that led to the creation of the state of Israel and kicked off a decades-long cycle of violence, the plan would have carved up the land into side-by-side Arab and Jewish territories. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney took a significant step to revive the idea of a two-state solution to the conflict, one he said has been ' steadily and gravely eroded ' by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel . In announcing that he would recognize a Palestinian state before the United Nations General Assembly in September, Carney said Canada was 'standing with all people who choose peace over violence or terrorism.' It is a step that Middle East observers see as a potentially powerful signal, one that comes in concert with an identical pledge from France and a warning that Britain will follow suit if Israel does not agree to a ceasefire in Gaza and commit to a peace deal . On top of snubbing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the recognition of Palestine risks isolating the United States, which could end up as the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council resisting the movement. This is important because a potential United Nations member state must first have the backing of the UNSC before submitting to a vote of the General Assembly, where 147 out of 193 countries already support Palestinian statehood. The move by Canada, France and the United Kingdom could also split the wealthy and influential G7 member states and push their numbers into the majority at the G20. But this political recognition is far from a magic wand that will end the war and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Much depends on what comes after the words. If recognition is not followed by action, the declaration will remain largely symbolic, said Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow with Chatham House in London. Canada can intervene in the case against Israel in support of the principles of international law. Canada can intervene in the case against Israel in support of the principles of international law. But it could also prove to be hugely significant if it leads to a larger plan to end the war in Gaza , free the remaining Israeli hostages, deliver humanitarian aid and rebuild the devastated territory, reduce tensions in the West Bank and forge a long-term peace between Israelis and Palestinians. 'It actually should have been done long before as a way to overcome the asymmetry in negotiation between a state (Israel) and a non-state actor (the Palestinian Authority),' Mekelberg said in an interview. Carney, who spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas following his declaration, said he expects the governing body, which administers the West Bank, to commit to governance reforms, to holding elections in 2026 and to demilitarizing the Palestinian state. 'It puts the onus on the Palestinians to behave as a state and not as a liberation movement,' Mekelberg said. The Israeli government has strongly objected to the move, saying that recognition is a reward for terrorism and supports a movement that wants to destroy Israel, not live beside it in peace. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media that Canada's decision ' will make it very hard for us to make a trade deal with them .' Trump posted on Truth Social the move 'will make it very hard for us to make a trade deal' with Canada. Trump's deadline for a trade deal is Friday. Trump posted on Truth Social the move 'will make it very hard for us to make a trade deal' with Canada. Trump's deadline for a trade deal is Friday. The U.S. State Department also announced Thursday that it had decided to prevent Palestinian political leaders from obtaining travel visas on grounds they had, among other things, attempted to 'internationalize' the conflict with Israel through legal proceedings at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.' But the decision by Canada, France and Britain — three countries with historically close ties to Israel — to back the Palestinian cause will also make it hard for average Israelis to ignore the existence of a shifting tide in global public opinion. This, even if a Pew Research survey published last month found that only about one in five Israelis believed it was possible for separate Israeli and Palestinian states to peacefully coexist, while half said it was not possible. The prospects for a peaceful future have little to do with the determination about whether a territory constitutes a state. The generally accepted definition was agreed to nearly a century ago at a gathering of mostly central and South American countries in Uruguay. They signed a treaty, the 1933 Montevideo Convention , resolving that a state existed as a legal entity wherever four basic criteria were met: a permanent population; a defined territory; a government; and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. Canada's own difficult history with the Quebec independence movement and the geopolitical chaos prompted by the fall of communism in the 1990s is a reminder that what is written on paper rarely translates neatly into what occurs in real life. It took nearly a decade after the guns had fallen silent for Canada to recognize Kosovo as a state separate from neighbouring Serbia, although the Balkan nation still does not have a seat at the UN. In the case of Palestine and Israel, Canada and dozens of other frustrated countries have determined that recognition can serve as a potential precursor to peace, not simply as a reward for having achieved an end to the fighting. Mekelberg said that rather than viewing international recognition of Palestine as an attack on Israel, it should be seen as a 'pro-Israeli move' to end the wars, to ensure Israel's security and to fulfil the potential of both the Arab and Jewish populations. 'It's not a punishment,' he said. 'It's a step toward once and for all, finishing a conflict that is not only 77 years old, it's more than 100 years old.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Appeals court rejects Boston Marathon bomber's bid to remove judge from his case
The two-page judgment said the appeals court 'carefully reviewed' Tsarnaev's petition, which points to two panel discussions and a podcast in which O'Toole 'discussed various aspects of organizing complex jury trials and the problems associated with social media in that context.' The appeals court concluded that O'Toole should continue to preside over the case.. Tsarnaev, 32,cq gone before the US Supreme Court. In March 2024, the appeals court ordered O'Toole to investigate defense claims that two jurors were biased and should have been stricken from the panel. If he finds they were, then Tsarnaev is entitled to a new trial over whether he should be sentenced to life in prison or death, according to the appeals court. Advertisement The appeals court found O'Toole erred by denying a defense request Advertisement During jury selection, one juror said she had not commented about the case, but the defense found she had tweeted or retweeted 22 times about the bombings, including a retweet calling Tsarnaev a 'piece of garbage,' according to court filings. Another juror said none of his Facebook friends had commented on the trial, yet one friend had urged him to 'play the part' so he could get on the jury and send Tsarnaev 'to jail where he will be taken care of.' O'Toole was ordered to investigate potential juror bias and hold a new sentencing trial for Tsarnaev if he concludes that either of the jurors should have been stricken from the panel. Earlier this year, O'Toole denied a defense request to recuse himself from the case, prompting the latest appeal. The inquiry related to the two jurors has been shrouded in secrecy. Last year, O'Toole ordered all filings submitted under seal, citing concerns about the jurors' privacy and protecting the integrity of the high-stakes proceedings, though he later released some of them. Tsarnaev admitted during his trial in federal court in Boston that he placed a bomb in a backpack in front of the Forum restaurant on Boylston Street that killed Martin Evidence showed his older brother, a few blocks away that killed Advertisement The jury that heard Tsarnaev's trial recommended death, rejecting claims that the then 19-year-old was not responsible because of the influence of his brother. In 2020, the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit Shelley Murphy can be reached at
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
James Clapper, John Brennan hit back at Trump allegations about Russia probe as 'patently false'
Former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper responded sharply Wednesday to Trump administration allegations that they cooked intel in the sprawling Russia investigation that dominated the president's first term. "That is patently false. In making those allegations, they seek to rewrite history. We want to set the record straight and, in doing so, sound a warning," the pair wrote in a guest essay for The New York Times. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has alleged former President Barack Obama and members of his administration, including Clapper and Brennan, promoted a "contrived narrative" that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to benefit Trump, which led to the sprawling collusion investigation that consumed Trump's presidency. Trump has described the alleged actions by Obama, Clapper, Brennan and Comey as "serious treason." "While some external critiques have noted that parts of the Russia investigation could have been handled better, multiple, thorough, years-long reviews of the assessment have validated its findings and the rigor of its analysis," Brennan and Clapper wrote, arguing the most "noteworthy" example was the bipartisan Senate Intelligence report on the investigation. "Every serious review has substantiated the intelligence community's fundamental conclusion that the Russians conducted an influence campaign intended to help Mr. Trump win the 2016 election," the pair continued. "Although the misrepresentations and disinformation of the administration are too numerous to address here, let us set the record straight on three. To be clear, we are writing here in our personal capacities, and our views don't imply the endorsement of any federal agency." Brennan and Clapper argued that the Steele Dossier, which was authored by ex-British intelligence officer Christopher Steele and funded by Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and the DNC, was not used as a source or taken into account for any of the analysis. However, they added it was included as a "separate annex only to the most highly classified version of the document that contained the assessment," at the direction of the FBI. The intelligence officials also said that their assessment made "no judgment" about the impact of the Russian operation on the outcome of the 2016 election. "Russian influence operations might have shaped the views of Americans before they entered the voting booth, but we found no evidence that the Russians changed any actual votes," Clapper and Brennan wrote. Clapper appeared on CNN to dispute the allegations, telling host Kaitlan Collins that the claims were false. Brennan joined MSNBC earlier this month and said he was "clueless" as to why he would be investigated. "Finally, and contrary to the Trump administration's wild and baseless claims, there was no mention of 'collusion' between the Trump campaign and the Russians in the assessment, nor any reference to the publicly acknowledged contacts that had taken place," Clapper and Brennan added. The pair insisted the "real politicization" was coming from members of Trump's administration, specifically Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. "The real politicization is the calculated distortion of intelligence by administration officials, notably Mr. Trump's directors of national intelligence and the C.I.A., positions that should be apolitical. We find it deeply regrettable that the administration continues to perpetuate the fictitious narrative that Russia did not interfere in the 2016 election. It should instead acknowledge that a foreign nation-state — a mortal enemy of the United States — routinely meddles in our national elections and will continue to do so unless we take appropriate bipartisan action to stop it," Clapper and Brennan concluded. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
