President Trump publicly rebuked his own U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro, after she moved to dismiss a felony vandalism charge against former Olympian David Hearn, a case the government now admits never should have been brought. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday that Pirro "choked" under pressure from a judge […] The post Trump rips Pirro for dropping Reflecting Pool vandalism case against Olympian David Hearn appeared first on American Almanac .
President Trump publicly rebuked his own U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro, after she moved to dismiss a felony vandalism charge against former Olympian David Hearn, a case the government now admits never should have been brought. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday that Pirro "choked" under pressure from a judge and abandoned a prosecution he still believes was justified. Pirro's office, meanwhile, pointed the finger at the Department of Interior for withholding documents that showed the real culprit behind damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool: a contractor that botched a rushed renovation job ahead of Independence Day. The result is a collision between a president who wanted accountability for…Open
Ashley Garibay, a 23-year-old In-N-Out Burger employee from Stockton, California, has been identified as one of three people killed when a gunman opened fire at the chain's Twin Falls, Idaho location, a restaurant that had been open barely ten days. Garibay was working her shift Saturday afternoon when 24-year-old Chad Williams walked up to the […] The post California woman, 23, identified as In-N-Out employee killed in Twin Falls, Idaho mass shooting appeared first on American Almanac .
Ashley Garibay, a 23-year-old In-N-Out Burger employee from Stockton, California, has been identified as one of three people killed when a gunman opened fire at the chain's Twin Falls, Idaho location, a restaurant that had been open barely ten days. Garibay was working her shift Saturday afternoon when 24-year-old Chad Williams walked up to the drive-thru area carrying what a witness described as an AR-style rifle and began shooting. The gunfire started inside the restaurant and spilled into the parking lot, where an off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen fired back at Williams, Fox News reported . Williams retreated and was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Three people died. Seven others were wounded. The dead…Open
A civil lawsuit contesting a 66-vote Democratic primary in rural South Texas has uncovered a striking pattern, nearly 90 voters were assisted by just three county employees, raising hard questions about how the state's disability-voting safeguards are being used. Martha Morales, a Zapata County school board member, lost the March 3 primary for county judge […] The post Zapata County election lawsuit exposes troubling pattern of 'assisted voters' in tight Texas primary appeared first on American Almanac .
A civil lawsuit contesting a 66-vote Democratic primary in rural South Texas has uncovered a striking pattern, nearly 90 voters were assisted by just three county employees, raising hard questions about how the state's disability-voting safeguards are being used. Martha Morales, a Zapata County school board member, lost the March 3 primary for county judge to incumbent Joe Rathmell by 66 votes out of 4,517 cast. She filed a civil election contest alleging fraud involving assisted voters, duplicate ballots, a broken chain of custody, voter registration irregularities, and paid vote harvesting. The case is ongoing, and no court has yet ruled on the merits of her claims. But the numbers she is pointing to deserve scrutiny. Of those 4,517…Open
Two steel columns buckled inside a 37-story Midtown Manhattan tower on July 7, caving in five floors and forcing a mass evacuation, and the incident is drawing fresh scrutiny to a pair of far taller buildings with documented structural problems of their own. Construction workers were inside 235 East 42nd Street, the former Pfizer global […] The post Buckled columns in Midtown Manhattan high-rise raise hard questions about two other structurally troubled NYC skyscrapers appeared first on American Almanac .
Two steel columns buckled inside a 37-story Midtown Manhattan tower on July 7, caving in five floors and forcing a mass evacuation, and the incident is drawing fresh scrutiny to a pair of far taller buildings with documented structural problems of their own. Construction workers were inside 235 East 42nd Street, the former Pfizer global headquarters near Grand Central Terminal, when the columns on the 21st floor gave way. Floors 21 through 26 sagged and caved under the stress. The New York City Fire Department arrived and confirmed the buckled columns. The Department of Buildings ordered everyone out, and the Washington Examiner reported that nine nearby buildings were also evacuated, including a school with roughly 400 children,…Open
Carson Daly, the only host The Voice has ever known across 30 seasons and nearly 15 years, will not return to the chair for Season 31, a decision driven by the grind of commuting coast to coast while raising a family. An insider familiar with the situation told The U.S. Sun in plain terms: "Carson […] The post Carson Daly steps away from hosting The Voice after 30 seasons, citing family and scheduling demands appeared first on American Almanac .
Carson Daly, the only host The Voice has ever known across 30 seasons and nearly 15 years, will not return to the chair for Season 31, a decision driven by the grind of commuting coast to coast while raising a family. An insider familiar with the situation told The U.S. Sun in plain terms: "Carson Daly is out. He's not hosting Season 31." The 53-year-old NBC mainstay, who has anchored the network's Today Show from New York City while flying to Los Angeles for days at a time to tape The Voice, reached a point where the math stopped working. The insider said Daly "wasn't able to make the upcoming season's schedule work with his Today Show schedule," adding that "his Today workload mixed with not wanting to be away from family this next…Open
Two-time Oscar winner Christopher Nolan says amateur film critics have developed a habit of dismissing storytelling techniques simply because they can identify them, a tendency he calls "a real problem in criticism today." Nolan laid out the argument in a recent podcast interview with Beijing-based host Zhong Shu, a clip of which surfaced on X […] The post Christopher Nolan takes aim at amateur critics who think spotting a trick means it failed appeared first on American Almanac .
Two-time Oscar winner Christopher Nolan says amateur film critics have developed a habit of dismissing storytelling techniques simply because they can identify them, a tendency he calls "a real problem in criticism today." Nolan laid out the argument in a recent podcast interview with Beijing-based host Zhong Shu, a clip of which surfaced on X on July 31. The filmmaker, riding a wave of commercial and critical success with his latest epic The Odyssey, did not mince words about what he sees as a fundamental misunderstanding of how stories work. The core complaint is straightforward: a growing class of online reviewers believes that naming the device a filmmaker used, making a character sympathetic, building toward a heroic moment, leaning…Open
After decades of avoiding the commitment of a recurring television role, British actor Rufus Sewell earned his first Emmy nomination for best actor in Netflix's political thriller The Diplomat, and says he'd gladly keep going. Sewell, a London native who spent most of his career gravitating toward film and limited engagements, told The Hollywood Reporter […] The post Rufus Sewell lands first lead Emmy nomination for 'The Diplomat' — and says the role finally broke his fear of long-running TV appeared first on American Almanac .
After decades of avoiding the commitment of a recurring television role, British actor Rufus Sewell earned his first Emmy nomination for best actor in Netflix's political thriller The Diplomat, and says he'd gladly keep going. Sewell, a London native who spent most of his career gravitating toward film and limited engagements, told The Hollywood Reporter that his long-standing resistance to series television dissolved once he found a show that refused to repeat itself. The nomination, for his work in season three as the ambitious and morally complicated diplomat Hal Wyler, marks the first time the show broke into the best actor category, and the first time it earned recognition in writing and several other Emmy fields. That breakthrough…Open
A newly unearthed 1995 letter shows Courtney Love's attorney asked Seattle police to hand over every record from the Kurt Cobain death investigation, and leave nothing behind at the department. The letter, dated October 20, 1995, roughly a year and a half after the Nirvana frontman was found dead with a gunshot wound to the […] The post Courtney Love's lawyer demanded Seattle police surrender entire Kurt Cobain case file with no copies kept appeared first on American Almanac .
A newly unearthed 1995 letter shows Courtney Love's attorney asked Seattle police to hand over every record from the Kurt Cobain death investigation, and leave nothing behind at the department. The letter, dated October 20, 1995, roughly a year and a half after the Nirvana frontman was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in the greenhouse of their Seattle mansion, was written by attorney Bryan Coluccio and addressed to then-Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper. It asked for the complete investigation file, including undeveloped rolls of 35mm film, Polaroid photos, copies of personal letters written by Cobain, and financial and other private information. The demand was specific: no records or copies were to remain with the department.…Open