Car found as search continues for alleged shooter of Minnesota lawmakers
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Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Justice Department wants to interview Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Justice wants to interview Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend, who was convicted of helping the financier sexually abuse underage girls and is now serving a lengthy prison sentence, a senior official said Tuesday. 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,' Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a post on X, adding that President Donald Trump 'has told us to release all credible evidence." A lawyer for Maxwell confirmed there were discussions with the government. The overture to attorneys for Maxwell, who in 2022 was sentenced to 20 years in prison, is part of an ongoing Justice Department effort to cast itself as transparent following fierce backlash from parts of Trump's base over an earlier refusal to release additional records in the Epstein investigation. As part of that effort, the Justice Department, acting at the direction of the Republican president, last week asked a judge to unseal grand jury transcripts from the case. That decision is ultimately up to the judge. Epstein, who killed himself in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial, sexually abused children hundreds of times over more than a decade, exploiting vulnerable girls as young as 14, authorities say. He couldn't have done so without the help of Maxwell, his longtime companion, prosecutors say. The Justice Department had said in a two-page memo this month that it had not uncovered evidence to charge anyone else in connection with Epstein's abuse. But Blanche said in his social media post that the Justice Department 'does not shy away from uncomfortable truths, nor from the responsibility to pursue justice wherever the facts may lead.' He said in his post that, at the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi, he has 'communicated with counsel for Ms. Maxwell to determine whether she would be willing to speak with prosecutors from the Department." He said he anticipated meeting with Maxwell in the coming days. A lawyer for Maxwell, David Oscar Markus, said Tuesday in a statement: 'I can confirm that we are in discussions with the government and that Ghislaine will always testify truthfully. We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case.' ___ Follow the AP's coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein case at Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
24 minutes ago
- CBS News
BGE whistleblowers allege gas safety failures in new filing, company denies wrongdoing
In a new filing, former Baltimore Gas and Electric employees are accusing the company of widespread safety failures after a former inspector falsified reports on gas pipeline work. The whistleblowers claim that an unredacted investigative report by the PSC confirms that BGE misled the commission about the job responsibilities of a discredited inspector. The original report was issued on April 11 by the PSC's Engineering Division as part of its investigation into the falsified gas pipeline work. It was heavily redacted after an order to remove all but personal identifying information, according to David Baña, the attorney for the whistleblowers. The whistleblowers claim that the unredacted report provides evidence that BGE downplayed the responsibilities of the discredited employee in its response to the PSC's report, in an effort to avoid taking responsibility for gas pipeline safety oversights. "The revised public version, filed as an exhibit to a filing last week Thursday, contradicts BGE's claims that the inspector's job duties had nothing to do with safety and that he was only responsible for conducting 'spot checks' of contractor work," Baña wrote in a statement. "According to the job description and data supplied by BGE itself, the inspector was responsible for ensuring that gas pipeline construction adhered to all applicable BGE and jurisdictional safety standards—including those set forth in the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline Safety Regulations," But BGE says the employee was not responsible for safety inspections and that his role was simply to ensure that contractors' specific work aligned with contractual milestones. "There is absolutely zero indication that the former employee's actions or inactions have compromised the safety and integrity of BGE's gas distribution system. Rather, this individual former employee's actions involved a personnel matter—one falsified report, which BGE discovered through its own investigation," BGE wrote in a response to the filing. In December 2024, the group of former BGE employees petitioned the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to intervene in BGE's rate proposal process. The whistleblowers alleged that a BGE construction inspector falsified gas pipeline inspection records over a span of four years, regularly skipped required field inspections, and submitted false reports, with BGE management failing to hold the inspector accountable. Although the PSC denied the initial petition, it launched an investigation. In a report issued in April 2025, the PSC concluded that BGE did not adequately investigate or repair infrastructure potentially compromised by inspection fraud, which the commission warned could risk public safety and improperly charge ratepayers for incomplete work. BGE disputed the whistleblowers' claims of safety oversights after the initial report was released. The company said that only one falsified report existed, and that disciplinary action taken against the employee was based on poor performance, not fraud. The utility company insisted there was no widespread pattern of falsification and denied reports of issues in 2023, contrary to the PSC's findings. The company then filed a motion for contempt against the whistleblowers and Baña, claiming they violated court orders by publicly discussing details that could affect ongoing litigation, including sharing information with the press and on social media. On July 8, a Baltimore court denied the contempt motion, siding with the whistleblowers and their legal team. Attorneys for the whistleblowers argued that BGE's legal actions were an attempt to silence critics and discourage them from reporting internal problems.
CBS News
24 minutes ago
- CBS News
Meeker County man admits to murdering wife with children home, says lack of sleep and medication muddied memory
A central Minnesota man pleaded guilty to killing his wife while their children were in the house, but says he doesn't remember the crime due to a lack of medication and sleep. Bryan Demarais entered a Norgaard plea to second-degree murder and two counts of child endangerment Monday. He said he was "not medication compliant and was extremely sleep deprived" when he killed his wife inside their Dassel, Minnesota, home on Dec. 28, 2023. In his plea filing, Demarais said he and his wife "verbally argued about marital issues" before he fatally shot her. Their two children were together in a bedroom and heard multiple gunshots before seeing their mother fall to the ground. Demarais closed the bedroom door and the children heard more gunshots, the filing states. Demarais himself called 911 to report the killing, according to a criminal complaint, and willingly surrendered when they arrived. The children, ages 11 and 8 at the time, were not physically harmed. Police helped them exit the home through a bedroom window. In an interview after the killing, Demarais told police he saw his wife "as a shadow and not as a person," according to his plea. Monday's filing indicates attorneys for Demarais will ask for a sentence of 25-and-a-half years. A Norgaard plea is entered when someone charged with a crime does not remember the circumstances of the offense, but admits that the prosecution's evidence is sufficient to convict them.
