An ammunition depot explosion in Syria kills at least 7 people and injures scores
There was no official statement as to what has caused the blast in Idlib province. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the explosion took place at an ammunition depot.
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New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
FBI investigates ‘suspicious' death on board Carnival cruise ship in Texas
Multiple federal agencies are investigating a death on board a Texas-based Carnival Dream cruise ship, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. An unidentified person died on the Galveston-based Dream on Wednesday, the FBI Houston office confirmed to the Post. The incident is being investigated by an FBI Maritime Liaison Agent based out of the Texas City Resident Agency, the US Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection, authorities said. An unidentified person has died on board the Carnival Dream cruise ship based in Galveston, Texas. KHOU 11 Officials haven't said if the death appeared to be criminal in nature. 'Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, I am not able to provide additional details at this time,' a spokesperson for the FBI's Houston office said in a statement. Passengers aboard the ship, which travels to Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel, woke up to sirens around 3 a.m. on the day of the incident, News 4 San Antonio reported. One man reportedly heard an announcement requesting medical attention on the Serenity Deck, the outlet said. According to the FBI, multiple federal agencies are investigating the death. KHOU 11 Carnival Cruise Line has since dismissed that there is any investigation regarding a 'suspicious death,' the outlet reported. 'There is no investigation about a suspicious death on Carnival Dream, and it's disappointing to learn that any guests might be spreading rumors about something they know nothing about,' the company said in a statement to the outlet. Carnival Cruise Line did not immediately respond to a request from The Post for comment.
New York Times
16 hours ago
- New York Times
5 Podcasts That Illustrate the Ungraspable Nature of Justice
True crime has remained a cornerstone of the industry ever since the first season of 'Serial' in 2014 ushered podcasts into the media mainstream, and the expansion of audio reporting has allowed for numerous cold cases and wrongful convictions to be re-examined. These five investigative podcasts all document failures within justice systems on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, caused by a combination of factors including racism, classism, law enforcement misconduct and bureaucratic incompetence. 'The Great Post Office Trial' The British postal service may not sound like an obvious setting for a real-life horror story, but that's exactly what unfolds in this gripping BBC investigative series. Beginning in the early 2000s, a number of post offices across Britain began recording major, unexplained shortfalls in cash that often snowballed into thousands of pounds. Sub-postmasters in charge of the affected offices, most of them relatively small, were held personally responsible for the losses, forced to take on devastating personal debts to pay them back, and were prosecuted for financial fraud. It took a long time for the truth to emerge — the shortfalls were nonexistent, invented by a faulty new I.T. system — and by then, hundreds of lives had been destroyed. Over the course of 21 episodes, Nick Wallis chronicles what the country's Criminal Case Review Commission called the 'biggest single series of wrongful convictions in British legal history.' The Kafkaesque stories, told largely by the victims who lived through the ordeal, describe being swept up in an inexplicable, seemingly bottomless, spiral of debt toward false accusations on the part of a system too clunky to recognize its own flaws. On the way, each time they sought help or explanations, they were met with gaslighting. Although a public inquiry has now led to overturned convictions and millions of pounds in compensation, the nightmarish toll of this 20-year scandal (13 lives were lost to suicide) feels too vast to fully repair. Starter episode: 'The Imaginary Heist' '13 Alibis' This absorbing series, which debuted in 2019, was the first podcast launched by 'Dateline,' the long-running television newsmagazine on NBC. Hosted and produced by Dan Slepian, an NBC News journalist, '13 Alibis' explores the 1996 killing of a teenager in the Bronx, and the conviction of a local man, Richard Rosario, despite Rosario's having 13 witnesses placing him in another state at the time of the murder. The series is an ideal binge listen — episodes are typically just 15 to 20 minutes long. But it doesn't feel lightweight, packed as it is with interviews of Rosario, legal experts and detectives that help explain how so much exculpatory evidence was dismissed. There are also insights into systemic failures — the prosecution case leaned heavily on a witness who identified Rosario in a police lineup, a method which has come under intense scrutiny in recent years thanks to the potential for false positives. Starter episode: 'Behind Bars' 'Bone Valley' The phrase 'it's always the husband' has become a mantra among true crime fans (to the point where it's the title of both a book and a podcast), referring to the fact that women are statistically most likely to be killed by a current or former partner. But this kind of confirmation bias can have devastating consequences if it's given too much sway in an actual criminal investigation, as this immersive and moving podcast demonstrates. In 1987, Leo Schofield was charged with murder in the stabbing death of his wife, Michelle, 18, whose body was found in a drainage canal in Central Florida. Despite a lack of physical evidence, he was convicted and spent 36 years in prison. Even after Jeremy Scott repeatedly confessed to the crime, and his fingerprints were matched to a set found in Michelle's abandoned car, Schofield remained behind bars and now, although he's out on parole, his conviction remains intact. The two seasons of 'Bone Valley,' however, are more about forgiveness and redemption than anger, exploring not just Schofield's tireless fight to prove his innocence, but his startlingly nuanced relationship with Scott. Starter episode: 'God Help Us' 'Wrongly Accused: The Annette Hewins Story' Many podcasts about wrongful convictions offer some comfort: The wrongly accused person actually gets a voice in the narrative (literally) and in the best-case scenario receives justice (if belatedly). That's not the case in this emotionally charged series from BBC Sounds, in which the accused in the title lost her life to a wrongful conviction. In 1995, Annette Hewins, then 31, was convicted of setting a fire that killed a mother and her two daughters in Wales. By the time her conviction was thrown out four years later, the damage had been done. 'Wrongly Accused' is movingly narrated by Hewins's now adult daughter Nicole, who recounts the extensive trauma inflicted on their family, Annette's descent into substance use and mental illness after her trial, and the ways in which class dynamics and systemic failures contributed to a tragically mishandled investigation. Starter episode: 'Her Story Must Be Heard' 'In The Dark: Season 2' The first season of this American Public Media podcast, which delved into the haunting story of the 1989 disappearance of 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling, was a tough act to follow — not least because its release coincided with the case finally being solved. Madeleine Baran, an investigative journalist, and her team, wisely veered away from another cold case in the second season, instead delving into the equally disturbing story of Curtis Flowers, a Black man who was put on trial six times by a Mississippi prosecutor for the same quadruple homicide. Throughout 14 meticulously reported episodes, Baran unpacks how such a wildly flawed case was repeatedly retried, even after multiple mistrials and overturned convictions. Starter episode: 'July 16, 1996'
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Bondi pledged 'transparency' on Epstein files, but grapples with how much
The U.S. attorney general and former top law enforcement official from Florida finds herself at the heart of the debate over whether more information will be disclosed on the alleged sex trafficker. WASHINGTON – Attorney General Pam Bondi is at the center of the Jeffrey Epstein storm. She was among the loudest voices calling for transparency in the Epstein case both before and after becoming the country's top law enforcement officer. But a firestorm of criticism erupted after Bondi's Justice Department issued a statement nearly three weeks ago confirming Epstein died by suicide and saying no further records would be released. Now, Bondi, 59, finds herself at the heart of the debate over whether more information will be disclosed on the alleged sex trafficker. More: 'Terrific guy': The Trump-Epstein party boy friendship lasted a decade, ended badly Despite his death six years ago, Epstein's case continues to haunt the headlines because of rampant speculation about which rich and powerful people might have joined him in sexually abusing minors. Bondi has said there was no client list in Epstein's criminal file. But President Donald Trump's name reportedly appears in the documents, and he was a repeat passenger on Epstein's private jet when the two were friends in the 1990s. Trump has denied wrongdoing or visiting Epstein's private island, where much of the abuse allegedly occurred. 'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep," said White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, referring to Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in South Florida. Meanwhile, Bondi served as Florida's state attorney general years after Palm Beach County authorities convicted Epstein on prostitution charges and released him in 2009 after 13 months in detention, which was mostly work release. Federal authorities chose not to prosecute Epstein at all, in what critics called the legal 'deal of the century.' After a Miami Herald investigation of his case, New York-based federal prosecutors charged Epstein in July of 2019 with sex trafficking minors. He died in jail a month after his arrest and long before any criminal trial could happen, in what the New York medical examiner ruled and the Justice Department confirmed was a suicide. Now Bondi has asked federal judges to release grand jury transcripts in the case. One has already turned her down and another asked for more documentation. And federal prosecutors and Bondi's No. 2, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, met July 24 and again on 25 with Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein associate serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for conspiracy to sexually abuse minors. Here are the highlights of Bondi's involvement in the case. Did Bondi investigate Epstein as Florida attorney general? After years of state-level investigation, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from someone under age 18. During the inquiry, then-Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter disagreed with how Palm Beach state attorney Barry Krischer was handling the case and invited then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, an appointee from the George W. Bush administration, to investigate. But in what critics called the legal "deal of century," Epstein served 13 months on the two state charges under an agreement not to charge him federally. Bondi, a Republican, was elected statewide more than a year after Epstein was released and served as Florida's attorney general for two terms from 2011 to 2019. State attorneys such as Krischer are elected independently and don't report directly to the attorney general. Dave Aronberg, a Democrat who stepped down this year after a dozen years as Palm Beach state attorney, said the Epstein matter never went before Bondi. 'Zero overlap,' said Aronberg, who also served as Florida's state drug czar under Bondi. 'It was long over by the time she got there.' Robert Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said after state and federal prosecutors concluded their case there appeared to be nothing more for Bondi to pursue. 'There was no reason to start a new investigation,' Jarvis said, unless new evidence was brought to Bondi's office. Bondi said Epstein never should have been released Still, with accusations of more than 1,000 victims in the case, Republicans and conspiracy theorists have long argued for the release of additional information because of skepticism Epstein died by suicide and demands for a presumed client list that could lead to more prosecutions. Two days after Epstein died, Bondi told Sean Hannity on Fox News on Aug. 12, 2019, that he should have never been let out of custody. More: Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, awaiting sex trafficking charges, dead of apparent suicide 'Well, he should have never been released when he was in jail serving his jail time. Someone who is accused of sex crimes convicted should never be on work release,' Bondi said. 'So what do we have now? We have a dead, most likely pedophile, coward, and we have very brave victims who wants to face the person that did this to them.' Bondi pledged to release information after becoming attorney general Shortly after her early February confirmation as Trump's second-term U.S. attorney general, Bondi again highlighted the case and began pledging to release files. Fox News host John Roberts asked Bondi on Feb. 21 whether she would release the list of Epstein's clients. 'Will that really happen?' he asked. "It's sitting on my desk right now to review,' Bondi replied. 'That's been a directive by President Trump. I'm reviewing that." Then Bondi told Fox News host Jesse Watters on Feb. 26 more information would be released. "I think tomorrow, Jesse, breaking news right now, you're going to see some Epstein information being released by my office." She then added, "What you're going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information." The Justice Department released documents on Feb. 27 that had previously been leaked, but were never formally released. "The Department remains committed to transparency and intends to release the remaining documents upon review and redaction to protect the identities of Epstein's victims," a department statement said. The lack of revelations in the release disappointed lawmakers and others who expected bombshells from the release. "THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida, wrote on social media Feb. 27. "GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!" Bondi made a point of noting in a Feb. 27 letter to FBI Director Kash Patel that she had requested "the full and complete files related to Jeffrey Epstein" but learned she received only a fraction of them. She initially received about 200 pages, "which consisted primarily of flight logs, Epstein's list of contacts, and a list of victims' names and phone numbers," she wrote. But the FBI field office in New York notified her that day there were thousands more pages of records, audio and video recordings, and other materials related to Epstein and his clients. "There will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access," Bondi wrote Patel. "The Department of Justice will ensure that any public disclosure of these files will be done in a manner to protect the privacy of victims and in accordance with law, as I have done my entire career as a prosecutor." Appearing on Hannity's FOX News program, Bondi on March 3 said that an order she issued in February resulted in a "truckload" of Epstein files being delivered by the FBI. "Thousands of pages of documents. I have the FBI going through them," Bondi said. "We believe in transparency, and America has the right to know." Justice Department release on Epstein sparks criticism Against that backdrop, the Justice Department released a memo July 7 that said a 'systematic review revealed no incriminating 'client list'' and confirmed Epstein died by suicide in August 2019. "Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither" to combat child exploitation nor bring justice to victims, according to the memo. "No further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.' More: Family feud: Trump at odds with MAGA movement on multiple fronts The memo set off a firestorm of criticism from inside Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement and calls for the release of more information: The next day at a White House Cabinet meeting, Trump discouraged reporters from asking questions about Epstein. 'Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable,' Trump said as he preferred to talk about legislative victories and recovery efforts for Texas flood damage. 'It just seems like a desecration. But you go ahead.' Two seats to Trump's right at the July 8 Cabinet meeting, Bondi then tried to clarify her remarks from the February interview with John Roberts that she was referring to the entire Epstein file, rather than a specific client list. "I was asked a question about the client list and my response was, 'It's sitting on my desk to be reviewed,' meaning the file, not the client list,' she told reporters. Bondi also said jailhouse video from New York was missing a minute because of a nightly reset for the aged recording system. And she said any of Epstein's videos from the investigation would never 'see the light of day" because they contain child pornography. 'Also, to the tens of thousands of video, they turned out to be child porn downloaded by that disgusting Jeffrey Epstein,' Bondi said. 'Child porn is what they were. Never going to be released. Never going to see the light of day.' Lawmakers seek release of Epstein file The Trump administration denials raised suspicions there was something to hide. Democrats piled on with Republicans to demand more information. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, joined Massie on the proposed legislation that aims to force the Justice Department to release all its records related to Epstein. More: Is Trump in the Epstein files? Before Bondi's reported alert, here is where he appeared By mid-July, with the tempest rising, Trump directed Bondi to seek the release of grand jury testimony in the case. Bondi filed three requests July 18. It wasn't enough to help out House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, who suspended House floor action days before the scheduled August recess rather than face a vote on Massie's legislation. Johnson, a close Trump ally, said his decision for lawmakers' early dismissal was to 'give the president space' to resolve questions about the investigation. He added that members of Congress were threading a fine needle trying to secure the release of information about Epstein while protecting his victims. Trump 'wants maximum transparency but he's also very insistent that we do not subject people who have already been victims of unspeakable crimes to further public scrutiny,' Johnson told reporters July 22. 'It would be a very dangerous thing to put those people's names out or do a release of information in a way that is haphazard, where they could be easily unmasked.' More: Republicans still have an Epstein dilemma. Now they have to face voters. "As things are revealed and, I hope will take place quickly, you will see that it is yet another Democrat CON JOB," Trump wrote on social media July 24. "Hopefully, the Grand Jury Files will put an end to this HOAX. Everyone should see what is there, but people who are innocent should not be hurt." Judges review requests to unseal Epstein file One big challenge for Bondi and the Trump administration as they push for more disclosures: Grand jury evidence traditionally remains confidential. U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in West Palm Beach quickly refused to unseal the documents. The judge, an appointee of President Barack Obama, said the Bondi-led department's request to release grand jury documents from 2005 and 2007 did not meet any of the extraordinary exceptions under federal law that could make them public. Rosenberg said her "hands are tied." U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer in New York, another Obama appointee who presided over Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell's case, said there are exceptions to the secrecy rules but that Bondi hadn't invoked them. Engelmayer set a July 29 deadline for the government to explain why the disclosure is being sought, what specific information should be disclosed and whether grand jury witnesses are still alive. He also asked for a complete set of transcripts, a redacted version for potential release and a list of other evidence such as exhibits. Maxwell, an associate of Epstein who is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for conspiring to sexually abuse minors, has until Aug. 5 to say whether she agrees to disclosure or opposes it. Victims face an Aug. 5 deadline to state their positions. 'The Court intends to resolve this motion expeditiously,' Engelmayer wrote. 'However, the Court cannot rule on the motion without additional submissions.' Federal prosecutors meet with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche - who previously served as Trump's private lawyer defending him in a series of criminal cases - met July 24 and 25 with Maxwell to find out what more she can say about her dealings with Epstein. 'If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,' Blanche in a statement on social media on July 22 while planning the meeting. But Rep. Dan Goldman, D-New York, argued Blanche's effort was to protect Trump 'by tacitly floating a pardon for Maxwell in return for information that politically benefits President Trump.' "Maxwell's information is only as credible as any corroboration found in the Epstein files, including recordings, witness interviews, electronic communications, and photographs and videos,' said Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who served as lead counsel in Trump's first House impeachment and battled against a presidential defense team that included Bondi. "Do not be fooled: this latest delay tactic is yet another effort to conceal the Epstein files.' The same day as the Justice Department's announcement, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee agreed to subpoena Maxwell for questions from lawmakers. Three days later, as he readied to leave on a trip to Scotland, Trump responded to reporters that he hasn't considered pardoning Maxwell. Contributing: Nick Penzenstadler and Holly Baltz of The Palm Beach Post
