Patrick Crusius, 24, pleaded guilty to 90 federal charges in connection with the 2019 mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, which resulted in the deaths of 22 people. As part of his plea agreement, Crusius agreed to a prison term of 90 consecutive life sentences. The attack has left a lasting impact on the El Paso community, and the guilty plea brings some closure to the victims and their families.
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Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa, will be honored on a quarter in 2024 as part of the American Women Quarters Program. This program, launched in 2020, recognizes people of diverse backgrounds for their accomplishments, and Cruz will be the first Latina singer featured. The Mint has been issuing commemorative coins since 1792, and the American Women Quarters Program is the latest effort to honor the contributions of women throughout history.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to the UK to urge allies to send his country jets, presenting the speaker of the House of Commons with a Ukrainian air force helmet inscribed with the message, “We have freedom.” His plea for more heavy weaponry, including fighter jets, was a reminder of the importance of freedom and was well-received by the British lawmakers. His visit is sure to have a lasting impact on the relationship between the two countries.
Monterrious Harris, a 22-year-old Memphis man, has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the city and five former officers charged in the fatal arrest of Tyre Nichols. The lawsuit alleges that Harris was punched, kicked, and slammed onto a concrete walkway three days before the fatal arrest, and that one of the officers involved in the fatal beating of Nichols took photos of Harris after he was pepper-sprayed, kicked, and hit by police. The lawsuit seeks damages for Harris' physical and emotional injuries, and for the violation of his civil rights.
The Pentagon has confirmed that the U.S. military failed to detect at least three Chinese spy balloon flights over the United States in recent years, but that this does not represent an intelligence failure. Sources have reported that the balloons are part of a global surveillance program run by Beijing, and the U.S. military will continue to monitor and collect information on them in order to detect and act on them in the future.
Crusius pleaded guilty to 90 federal charges in the El Paso federal courtroom, including hate crimes and firearms violations, but the U.S. government has said it will not seek the death penalty. The state case is still pending, with the district attorney who had been leading the case resigning in November due to accusations of incompetence.
A Florida judge has ruled that Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, must be deposed in a defamation case brought against the Duchess by her half-sister, Samantha Markle. Markle is seeking damages in excess of $75,000 for “defamation and injurious falsehood”, claiming that Meghan made “demonstrably false and malicious statements” during a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. The judge rejected a request from the couple to avoid testifying in the case, sparking a great deal of controversy. It remains to be seen how the case will play out and what the consequences will be for the Duchess of Sussex.
Madonna has taken to social media to express her frustration at the ageism and misogyny she has experienced after a close-up photo of her face went viral online. She lamented being "caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in," adding that the world "refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45 and feels the need to punish her if she continues to be strong-willed, hard-working, and successful." Madonna has been a vocal advocate for women's rights and gender equality for many years and has used her platform to speak out against ageism and misogyny.