Heidi Allen, a 17-year-old survivor of the Oxford High School shooting, testified in a Michigan court hearing on Friday. She recalled how she helped save a severely wounded girl during the shooting, and expressed her feelings of being in the right place at the right time. The hearing will decide the sentence of the accused shooter, Ethan Crumbley, with the judge considering Allen's testimony and other witness accounts before making a decision.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has suggested that he would consider pardoning former President Donald Trump if he is elected to the White House next year. DeSantis cited the example of former President Gerald Ford pardoning former President Richard Nixon in 1974, saying that it was a decision made in order to move the country forward. The suggestion has been met with criticism, but DeSantis has maintained that the decision would be made in the best interests of the country.
Trader Joe's has issued its third food recall in a week, this time for its Fully Cooked Falafel product, which may contain rocks. The product was sold in 34 states and Washington D.C., and customers are urged to discard the product or return it for a full refund. Trader Joe's has apologized for the inconvenience and is working with its suppliers to ensure that all products meet its high standards. Customers with questions or concerns can contact Trader Joe's Customer Relations.
President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to implement reforms passed by Congress that will significantly strengthen how the military handles sexual assault cases. The order transfers the decision to prosecute certain major crimes, including sexual assault, out of the chain of command and assigns them to independent military attorneys. It also requires the military to provide training to all personnel on the new system and to review and update policies and procedures to ensure that victims are treated with dignity and respect. This order is a major step forward in the effort to ensure justice for victims of sexual assault in the military and to hold perpetrators accountable.
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) is reportedly considering a long-shot primary challenge to President Joe Biden in 2024, meeting with donors in New York next week to discuss the possibility. Phillips, a moderate Democratic member of House leadership, has called for a contested primary featuring younger candidates rather than handing the 2024 nomination to the 80-year-old Biden. He is highly unlikely to mount a primary challenge unless Biden's health worsens or his political standing drops precipitously.
A third person has been charged in the federal case involving classified material taken from the White House to former President Donald Trump's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. Carlos De Oliveira, a Mar-a-Lago maintenance worker, is accused of helping Trump's aide Walt Nauta move boxes of classified documents stashed at Mar-a-Lago, and then lying to federal investigators about it. The charges against De Oliveira, Trump, and Nauta could have serious implications, and former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance believes that De Oliveira's charges could be the “final nail in the coffin” for Donald Trump if he flips.
Carlee Nichole Russell, a 25-year-old nursing student in Hoover, Alabama, has been charged with two misdemeanors for falsely reporting a kidnapping. Police determined that Russell had fabricated the story and she confessed to the hoax. She was released on $1,000 bond for each charge and is scheduled to appear in court on May 18.
On Friday, Singapore executed its first woman in 19 years for drug trafficking, despite calls from human rights groups and the United Nations to abolish the death penalty for drug-related crimes. Saridewi Djamani, 45, was sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking 31 grams of pure heroin, and her appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in October. This week, a Malaysian man was also executed for trafficking more than 200 grams of diamorphine.