Dunster House on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, on Thursday, May 29, 2025. (Mel Musto/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(CAMBRIDGE, Mass.) — Police at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are investigating reports of a man who entered campus buildings without authorization on Tuesday. In one case, a student at Harvard reported being assaulted, according to police records.
Harvard police responded to a report of an assault and battery at around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday to find Cambridge Police at Lowell House, the residence hall where the incident occurred, according to Harvard police records.
The victim told police a suspect entered the building by following another individual without authorization, according to Harvard police records.
“As the victim was entering their residence, the suspect approached from behind, covered the victim’s mouth, and attempted to force them into the room,” according to a Harvard police log.
The suspect fled the building after several nearby individuals saw the altercation, the victim told police.
Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect.
MIT Police issued a similar campus warning, describing a similar incident at an MIT residence hall.
A suspect followed another individual into the building at around 5:45 p.m. and followed the individual to the fifth floor before fleeing the area, according to an MIT police log.
MIT police did not find the suspect, according to the police log.
Surveillance footage showed the man leaving the building at about 6 p.m., according to MIT police.
The MIT alert said the individual “matched the description of a person who was the subject of a Harvard University Police Department alert earlier this evening,” according to WCVB.
Both universities urged students and staff to report any suspicious activity.
MIT police described the suspect as a 5-foot-9-inch white man with a thin build. He was wearing a white T-shirt and dark-colored shorts, according to WCVB.
Harvard police said the incident is being “actively investigated” in a statement Thursday.
Embers swirl as the wind-driven Bain fire burns up to the exterior fences at the Western Riverside Animal Shelter, May 19, 2026, in Jurupa Valley, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A wind-whipped wildfire in the Texas Panhandle, one of multiple major blazes to hit the region this month, has destroyed more than 50 homes, authorities said.
The Stinky Fire, burning in Potter County, just north of Amarillo, is among multiple wildfires ravaging the West, including five major blazes that have also destroyed homes in Southern California.
During a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Max Dunlap, director of the Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management, said that at least 52 homes have been destroyed by the fire and another 25 were damaged.
The Stinky Fire ignited in a landfill on Sunday, and wind gusts over 30 mph rapidly spread flames past containment lines and into populated neighborhoods, officials said.
“It is extremely heart-sinking … this damage. But there were numerous that were saved,” said Dunlap, crediting the quick work of the local firefighters battling the blaze.
There were no reports of deaths or injuries.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire had burned 2,335 acres and was 85% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The blaze is among five major wildfires that have hit the Texas panhandle since May 14. The largest fire was the Hunggate Fire in Randall County that burned 34,124 acres and destroyed several homes before it was fully contained on Tuesday night, officials said.
The other wildfires in the area have also been 100% contained, officials said.
As Texas firefighters continued to battle the Stinky Fire, firefighters in Southern California were also fighting a series of wildfires.
Fueled by gusting winds and warm temperatures, multiple large wildfires continued to menace Southern California, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate, authorities said.
As of Thursday morning, the five largest wildfires had burned nearly 22,000 acres from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
The Sandy Fire
The most evacuations were being prompted by the Sandy Fire, which ignited on Monday in the foothills above Semi Valley. At one point on Tuesday evening, more than 43,700 people were under mandatory evacuation orders or evacuation warnings, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
The wildfire had grown to 2,115 acres by Thursday morning and was 30% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Firefighters quickly attacked the blaze from the ground and the air as flames raced downhill in the direction of populated neighborhoods, officials said. As of Wednesday morning, only one structure had been destroyed by the fire, but many evacuation orders remained in place, according to officials.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Bain Fire
In Southern California’s Riverside County, the Bain Fire was threatening homes in the Santa Ana River bottom in Jurupa Valley, according to Cal Fire.
The Bain Fire was reported around 12:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday and, driven by gusting wind, rapidly spread in the direction of homes, prompting evacuations, Cal Fire said.
Overnight, the Bain Fire grew to 1,456 acres and was 39% contained, Cal Fire said in an update on Thursday morning.
While no structures were reported lost, Los Angeles ABC station KABC reported that three people suffered smoke inhalation and a fourth was taken to a hospital with traumatic injuries.
The Verona Fire
As firefighters were responding to the Bain Fire, another wildfire ignited nearby in Riverside County, prompting more evacuation orders and warnings, according to Cal Fire.
The Verona Fire in the unincorporated communities of Green Acres and Homeland had grown to 600 acres as of Thursday morning and was 38% contained, Cal Fire reported.
Residents in the area told KABC that three to four homes had been destroyed by the blaze.
Cal Fire posted a video on social media on Wednesday of a towering “smokenado,” or a smoke tornado, that formed as firefighters battled the Verona Fire.
The Santa Rosa Island Fire
The largest fire burning in Southern California is the Santa Rosa Island Fire in the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara County.
While the fire remains under investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard said it was likely ignited by emergency flares fired by a 67-year-old shipwrecked mariner on the island.
The Coast Guard posted a photo on social media showing the stranded sailor standing near a patch of blackened brush in which he had scratched “SOS” in the dirt.
The wildfire at last word was 44% contained after growing to nearly 17,554 acres, according to Cal Fire.
The Tusil Fire
The Tusil Fire, burning in San Diego County, had spread to over 800 acres and had also forced evacuations on the Campo Reservation, according to Cal Fire.
“Fire activity moderated overnight, allowing firefighters to strengthen containment lines and continue making progress toward full containment,” Cal Fire said in an update on Wednesday.
At least one structure was damaged by the fire, which also shut down the Interstate 8 freeway in both directions in the fire zone on Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. The California Highway Patrol said on Wednesday morning that one lane in each direction of the freeway had been reopened.
One structure was damaged by the fire and some evacuation orders remain in effect, according to Cal Fire.
ABC News’ Amanda Morris, Jenna Harrison and Vanessa Navarete contributed to this report.
Embers swirl as the wind-driven Bain fire burns up to the exterior fences at the Western Riverside Animal Shelter, May 19, 2026, in Jurupa Valley, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A wind-whipped wildfire in the Texas Panhandle, one of multiple major blazes to hit the region this month, has destroyed more than 50 homes, authorities said.
The Stinky Fire, burning in Potter County, just north of Amarillo, is among multiple wildfires ravaging the West, including five major blazes that have also destroyed homes in Southern California.
During a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Max Dunlap, director of the Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management, said that at least 52 homes have been destroyed by the fire and another 25 were damaged.
The Stinky Fire ignited in a landfill on Sunday, and wind gusts over 30 mph rapidly spread flames past containment lines and into populated neighborhoods, officials said.
“It is extremely heart-sinking … this damage. But there were numerous that were saved,” said Dunlap, crediting the quick work of the local firefighters battling the blaze.
There were no reports of deaths or injuries.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire had burned 2,335 acres and was 85% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The blaze is among five major wildfires that have hit the Texas panhandle since May 14. The largest fire was the Hunggate Fire in Randall County that burned 34,124 acres and destroyed several homes before it was fully contained on Tuesday night, officials said.
The other wildfires in the area have also been 100% contained, officials said.
As Texas firefighters continued to battle the Stinky Fire, firefighters in Southern California were also fighting a series of wildfires.
Fueled by gusting winds and warm temperatures, multiple large wildfires continued to menace Southern California, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate, authorities said.
As of Thursday morning, the five largest wildfires had burned nearly 22,000 acres from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
The Sandy Fire
The most evacuations were being prompted by the Sandy Fire, which ignited on Monday in the foothills above Semi Valley. At one point on Tuesday evening, more than 43,700 people were under mandatory evacuation orders or evacuation warnings, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
The wildfire had grown to 2,115 acres by Thursday morning and was 30% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Firefighters quickly attacked the blaze from the ground and the air as flames raced downhill in the direction of populated neighborhoods, officials said. As of Wednesday morning, only one structure had been destroyed by the fire, but many evacuation orders remained in place, according to officials.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Bain Fire
In Southern California’s Riverside County, the Bain Fire was threatening homes in the Santa Ana River bottom in Jurupa Valley, according to Cal Fire.
The Bain Fire was reported around 12:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday and, driven by gusting wind, rapidly spread in the direction of homes, prompting evacuations, Cal Fire said.
Overnight, the Bain Fire grew to 1,456 acres and was 39% contained, Cal Fire said in an update on Thursday morning.
While no structures were reported lost, Los Angeles ABC station KABC reported that three people suffered smoke inhalation and a fourth was taken to a hospital with traumatic injuries.
The Verona Fire
As firefighters were responding to the Bain Fire, another wildfire ignited nearby in Riverside County, prompting more evacuation orders and warnings, according to Cal Fire.
The Verona Fire in the unincorporated communities of Green Acres and Homeland had grown to 600 acres as of Thursday morning and was 38% contained, Cal Fire reported.
Residents in the area told KABC that three to four homes had been destroyed by the blaze.
Cal Fire posted a video on social media on Wednesday of a towering “smokenado,” or a smoke tornado, that formed as firefighters battled the Verona Fire.
The Santa Rosa Island Fire
The largest fire burning in Southern California is the Santa Rosa Island Fire in the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara County.
While the fire remains under investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard said it was likely ignited by emergency flares fired by a 67-year-old shipwrecked mariner on the island.
The Coast Guard posted a photo on social media showing the stranded sailor standing near a patch of blackened brush in which he had scratched “SOS” in the dirt.
The wildfire at last word was 44% contained after growing to nearly 17,554 acres, according to Cal Fire.
The Tusil Fire
The Tusil Fire, burning in San Diego County, had spread to over 800 acres and had also forced evacuations on the Campo Reservation, according to Cal Fire.
“Fire activity moderated overnight, allowing firefighters to strengthen containment lines and continue making progress toward full containment,” Cal Fire said in an update on Wednesday.
At least one structure was damaged by the fire, which also shut down the Interstate 8 freeway in both directions in the fire zone on Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. The California Highway Patrol said on Wednesday morning that one lane in each direction of the freeway had been reopened.
One structure was damaged by the fire and some evacuation orders remain in effect, according to Cal Fire.
ABC News’ Amanda Morris, Jenna Harrison and Vanessa Navarete contributed to this report.
Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, seen as Israeli Knesset approves dissolution bill in preliminary reading on May 20, 2026 in Jerusalem. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — Israel’s government is facing a global outcry over video showing its far-right security minister appearing to flaunt the rough treatment of foreign pro-Palestine activists detained from a protest flotilla.
Security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday posted the video on X in which he appears to revel as dozens of the detained activists are displayed, with their hands bound and kneeling face down in stress positions. In the video, Ben-Gvir waves a flag of Israel over the activists, at another point smiling as a bound woman is roughly shoved down by masked Israeli security officers.
Walking among the detainees, Ben-Gvir tells the guards around him “don’t be bothered by their screams.”
Most of Israel’s key western allies have expressed outrage over the video, condemning it in unusually strong terms. The U.K., France, Italy, Spain Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium have summoned Israel’s ambassador over the controversy.
Britain’s foreign secretary Yvette Cooper wrote she was “truly appalled” at the video, saying “this violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity.”
The U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also condemned Ben-Gvir, describing the flotilla as a “stupid stunt,” but saying the minister had “betrayed dignity of his nation.”
The activists were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which has sought to highlight Israel’s humanitarian blockade on Gaza by attempting to sail towards the territory to deliver aid there. Israel’s military, which has declared a naval blockade around Gaza, intercepted the flotilla’s civilian boats, that were crewed by volunteers from many different countries. Around 430 activists were detained, according to the flotilla’s organizers.
Israel’s foreign ministry on Thursday said all of the activists have since been deported.
In a statement, the flotilla’s organizers confirmed all of the detained activists are now being released and many are on a flight to Istanbul. The group hailed it as a victory, saying it is “a reminder of what global mobilisation and sustained political pressure can achieve.”
Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni called the treatment of the protesters shown in the video “intolerable,” saying it “violates human dignity.”
Ben-Gvir’s video also triggered a furious reaction from Israeli politicians inside the country, who have condemned it as damaging to Israel’s international reputation. Other members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition slammed Ben-Gvir, with Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar posting it was a “disgraceful display” and writing “no, you are not the face of Israel.”
The security minister on Thursday was defiant, firing back at Sa’ar on X that Israel should understand the country “has stopped being a pushover.” He added, “Anyone who comes to our territory to support terrorism and identify with Hamas will get slapped.”
Netanyahu on Wednesday published a statement that “Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza.” But he rebuked Ben-Gvir’s actions as “not in line with Israel’s values.”
The flotilla’s organizers said on X, “Netanyahu’s performative outrage over Ben Gvir’s treatment of flotilla activists exposes the regime’s desperate attempt to control its own narrative while maintaining the same brutal system.” They added, “This isn’t about one minister — it’s about the entire colonial machine.”
Israel has faced scrutiny over its treatment of Palestinian detainees during the war in Gaza. Former detainees and right groups have alleged prisoners were subjected to widespread torture, including beatings, electrocution and sexual abuse. A panel of UN experts in 2024 wrote they had received accounts of detainees “stripped naked, deprived of adequate healthcare, food, water and sleep, electrocutions including on their genitals.”
“In addition, victims spoke of loud music played until their ears bled, attacks by dogs, waterboarding, suspension from ceilings and severe sexual and gender-based violence,” the UN experts wrote.
Israel’s government has vehemently rejected any allegations of torture. A recent New York Times article recounting allegations of widespread sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees has triggered intense controversy, with Israel’s government threatening to sue the newspaper.
Ben-Gvir, who leads the Jewish Power Party and has called for Israel to annex the West Bank, is known for his inflammatory public appearances and extreme rhetoric towards Palestinians. Last year, he filmed himself inside a prison with heavily armed security officers as he stood over a group of Palestinian detainees bound on the floor, telling the camera they should be executed.
The current uproar comes as Israel is moving towards elections expected to be a referendum on Netanyahu and his right-wing government.
Israeli opposition leaders blasted Ben-Gvir’s actions in the video. Benny Gantz, a former minister of defense, who left the coalition government in 2024, said it was “an embarrassing horror show.”
“In these elections we will do everything so that afterwards a broad, responsible Zionist unity government will arise here. One that will return the extremists to the margins and sanity to the lives of Israeli citizens,” Gantz said.
Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, on Wednesday passed a bill to dissolve itself, paving the way for elections to be held later in the year.
Jeffrey Epstein in Cambridge, MA on 9/8/04. (Photo by Rick Friedman/Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Sarah Kellen, a longtime personal assistant to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, told the House Oversight Committee on Thursday that she was “sexually and psychologically abused” by the late financier for over a decade, according to a copy of her prepared opening statement obtained by ABC News.
“He groomed me, sexually and psychologically abused me, controlled me, manipulated me, dominated me, and gaslit me, until I could no longer tell which thoughts were mine, and which were his,” the statement said.
The closed-door session was part of the panel’s ongoing inquiry into the federal government’s handling of investigations into the late sex offender.
Kellen, 47, was previously a subject of criminal investigations but has never been charged — due, in part, to her own allegations of persistent sexual abuse at the hands of the disgraced financier, according to court documents and records released earlier this year by the Justice Department.
Kellen, in her statement, said she was recruited for the job as Epstein’s assistant by a co-worker at a hotel in Hawaii, where she had gone to live after getting married at 17 years old. She claimed that after a divorce and ex-communication from her church, she was completely alone and “a perfect target” for Epstein.
“I was 21 years old, far from where I grew up, stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere, with no college degree, no family, no friends, no money, and nowhere to live,” she said.
Her job with Epstein, she said, began as a period of training where she traveled with him on his private jet to his homes in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Florida and New York, where she says she was “surrounded by unimaginable luxury.”
“After months of unpaid labor, he instructed me to draw him a bath on his island, then ordered me to undress and get in with him, and he said, ‘The job is yours. Now you just have to keep it,'” she said in the statement. “He then pulled me onto his bed and made clear what ‘keeping the job’ required. Only after I submitted to his sexual abuse did the paychecks begin.”
Kellen told the committee that Epstein’s abuse happened on a “weekly basis” and was at times violent, including an incident in Palm Beach where she says he violently choked and raped her.
“I was being paid in part to be raped. I was on call to him every hour of every day,” her statement said.
Kellen said she continues to suffer from depression, anxiety and PTSD as a result of Epstein’s abuse.
Kellen was one of four women named as potential co-conspirators in the non-prosecution agreement reached in 2007 between Epstein and federal prosecutors in Miami.. She told the committee that she was completely in the dark about the agreement and had no idea her name was in it until it became public a few years later.
“No one from law enforcement ever spoke with me, ever heard my side, ever asked me a single question. I did not even know my name was in that agreement until after it had been signed and released to the public. The federal government of the United States branded me a criminal in a secret deal with my own abuser, without ever once speaking to me,” the statement said.
Anticipating questioning from committee members about why she stayed with Epstein — even after he went to jail for a crime involving an underage girl — she explained that she felt she had “nowhere else to go.”
“I had no money, no family, no education, and no sense that I deserved any better,” her statement said.
She also noted that Epstein’s connections to the “highest echelons” of society made her fearful of defying him.
“He knew everyone in the fashion industry, academics, finance, government, powerful world leaders, dictators, and everyone in between,” her statement said. “From the beginning, he showed me that he was more powerful than basically anyone in the world.”
“Jeffrey was able to fool and manipulate the brightest minds in the world; us victims didn’t stand a chance,” the statement said. “I was a high school dropout from North Carolina. I was a silent body in a chair beside men who started and ended wars. I understood, completely, that if Jeffrey could walk into those rooms, he could walk into any room in the entire world. He could find me anywhere on earth.”
Kellen’s appearance at the Capitol comes as the committee ramps up for a busy stretch of its investigation, which was officially launched in February of last year. Other notable witnesses scheduled in the coming months include Epstein’s longtime executive assistant Leslie Groff, former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, former Goldman Sachs chief counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, and billionaires Bill Gates and Leon Black.
The committee’s chairman, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), has indicated that a report on its findings will be produced before the end of the year.
Following Epstein’s death in custody in July 2019, federal prosecutors in New York investigating possible collaborators engaged in discussions with Kellen and her attorneys that spanned more than a year. Documents released by the DOJ earlier this year included prosecutors’ internal assessments of a potential case against Kellen and emails from her attorneys trying to dissuade the government from filing charges.
“We feel that given [Kellen’s] abuse, and given the fact that we see her basically as a cog in Epstein’s wheel, acting entirely at his direction and doing what she did at a time that she herself was a very vulnerable victim, a [non-prosecution] would be the appropriate disposition,” an attorney for Kellen wrote in the spring of 2020.
According to DOJ records, the government did not dispute that Kellen “was herself a victim of abuse by Epstein,” noting that her account was consistent with others who worked for Epstein and allegedly experienced sexual exploitation.
Prosecutors detailed in a proposed “statement of facts” sent to Kellen’s attorneys in late 2020 that several “minor victims reported to federal agents that Epstein paid them for sexualized massages while they were underage girls, including during massages that [Kellen] scheduled.”
Kellen conceded that Epstein directed her to schedule his daily massages in the early 2000s when he was staying in his Palm Beach, Florida, residence, according to the DOJ records. She claimed she was provided a directory of names and instructed on who to call, and denied having knowledge that some who came to the house were underage.
She told prosecutors she viewed the “masseuses as her peers — i.e. young adults in their early 20s — and it never [crossed] her mind that any of them were minors,” government lawyers wrote in a December 2019 memo summarizing their investigation for Geoffrey Berman, then the top federal prosecutor in New York.
Kellen said she “only learned that Epstein was sexually abusing minors when news articles started coming out about it” in the mid-2000s, according to the records. “She recalled being shocked, angry, and disappointed. She was particularly angry with Epstein for manipulating her to help orchestrate the abuse of other women,” the records said.
Federal prosecutors ultimately decided against charging Kellen, though the internal deliberations that led to that outcome are unclear. Much of the legal analysis in the prosecution memos remains redacted in the publicly available versions of the DOJ records.
Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell remains the only other person charged in connection with Epstein’s crimes. She is serving a 20-year sentence in a federal prison camp in Texas. Maxwell is presently seeking to have her conviction vacated or her sentence reduced.
Kellen — who has largely avoided public comment surrounding the Epstein investigation — told a reporter from a British paper who approached her on the street in New York in 2020 that she was “raped and abused weekly.”
“I have been made out to be such a monster — but it’s not true. I’m a victim of Jeffrey Epstein,” Kellen said, according to the U.K. Sun report.
An attorney who represented Kellen during discussions with federal prosecutors did not immediately respond to a request for comment ahead of Kellen’s appearance in Washington, D.C.
‘Saturday Night Live’ musical guest Paul McCartney performs “Days We Left Behind” on May 16, 2026 — (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBC)
Saturday Night Live has just released two bonus Paul McCartney performances that didn’t make it on air when he was the musical guest on the show’s May 16 season finale.
During the show, McCartney performed three tracks: The Boys of Dungeon Lane single “Days We Left Behind,” the classic Wings track “Band on the Run” and the solo single “Coming Up.”
But the SNL audience was apparently treated to more, and now fans at home are getting a look at McCartney’s performances of The Beatles classics “Help!” and “Drive My Car.” “Help!” featured a cameo by the night’s host, Will Ferrell, who added cowbell to the song.
Both performances featured Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith behind the drum kit and singer Ingrid Michaelson on backing vocals. You can also see the cast of the show dancing along on the side of the stage.
McCartney’s SNL appearance came ahead of the release of his new solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, which is out May 29.
Abigail Zwerner shares a moment with her mother Julie Zwerner after a verdict was reached in her lawsuit against the assistant principal, Ebony Parker, of Richneck Elementary School during proceedings at Newport News Circuit Court on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Newport News, Virginia. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) — A Virginia judge has granted a defense motion to dismiss the criminal charges against a former assistant principal stemming from the 2023 shooting of a teacher by a 6-year-old student.
Ebony Parker was charged with eight counts of felony child abuse with disregard for life in connection with the January 2023 shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News — one count for each bullet that was unspent in the gun, according to the Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
“The court is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime,” Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Robinson said Thursday, following two days of testimony in the criminal trial.
“What happened that day was awful, that’s agreed upon by all,” the judge later said.
Parker had her head bent over and appeared to be sobbing after the judge dismissed the case.
Prosecutors in the criminal trial alleged that Parker failed to respond and follow school protocol after several staffers raised concerns that the student, identified in the trial as JT, had a gun. The Commonwealth rested on Wednesday after two days of calling witnesses.
Defense attorney Curtis Rogers argued before the judge Thursday morning that Parker may have had a “lapse of judgment” that day, but she didn’t act criminally and there was “no willful admission on her part to put these children in harm.”
“Nobody acted as if there was an actual firearm. Not following school policy doesn’t result in a criminal allegation,” Rogers said. “There are acts that should have been done, definitely in hindsight.”
Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Josh Jenkins argued that Parker knew of the danger in the school that day.
“There were multiple warnings she received from multiple people that there was an armed student,” he said.
“Just the mere fact that a possible weapon is on campus should have triggered the response defined in the crisis management plan, yet it did not,” he said.
Parker pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The dismissal of the criminal trial comes after a jury in a civil trial found that Parker acted with gross negligence in the shooting and awarded the injured teacher, Abby Zwerner, $10 million in damages.
Zwerner’s attorneys said Thursday’s decision by the judge means Newport News can no longer use the criminal charges against Parker to “deny insurance coverage” in her civil case.
“One of the many obstacles the City of Newport News placed in Abby Zwerner’s path to justice was their argument they could deny insurance coverage in our civil case because of possible criminal conduct,” Zwerner’s attorneys said in a joint statement Thursday. “Today that is no longer an excuse that the City can hide behind.”
“This was always the Commonwealth’s criminal case — not Abby’s civil case. Abby complied with the subpoena requiring her testimony once again, despite the emotional toll of repeatedly reliving this tragedy,” the statement continued. “From the beginning, our focus has remained on obtaining justice in civil court for the preventable failures that led to Abby being shot. A Newport News jury has already spoken, returning a $10 million verdict in Abby’s favor.”
Zwerner, the first witness in the trial, testified that she had told Parker prior to the shooting in her classroom that JT “seemed to be off” that day and “in a violent mood.” She said another staffer, reading specialist Amy Kovac, alerted her that JT told other students he had brought a gun to school, and that Kovac reported that to the administration.
Zwerner said that in hindsight, she could have separated JT from the other students and confirmed that she was responsible for the safety of her students. Though she said her understanding that a crisis or emergency needed to be brought to the attention of the administration, and that she trusted her colleagues.
The bullet went through Zwerner’s left hand, which she had lifted, and then into her chest. She was initially hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, police said.
Zwerner and Parker both resigned following the shooting.
The student brought the gun from home, police said. His mother, Deja Taylor, was sentenced to two years in state prison after pleading guilty to child neglect in connection with the shooting. She also pleaded guilty to using marijuana while in possession of a firearm and making a false statement about her drug use during the purchase of the firearm used in the shooting and was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.
She was released from state custody on May 13 and transitioned to community supervision, according to online Virginia Department of Corrections records.
Lily Collins on set of the sixth and final season of ‘Emily in Paris.’ (Giulia Parmigiani/Netflix)
Au revoir, Emily in Paris.
Netflix has announced that the popular romance series will end after its upcoming season 6. The sixth and final season has just started production in Greece.
Lily Collins once again stars as the titular American marketing executive who moved overseas for work. She shared a video message with fans of Emily in Paris after the news broke that the show was coming to an end.
“After six unforgettable years of playing Emily Cooper, I’m here to share that this upcoming sixth season will be our final. Season 6 will bring you everything you love about the show and serve as the final chapter in Emily’s adventure of a lifetime,” Collins said in the video. “Our entire cast and crew are pouring our hearts into making this a fantastic farewell season, which we’re now filming. I can’t wait for all of the magic ahead, and to celebrate our final season with you in the most chic way yet. We’re so incredibly grateful and we love you all. A bientot!”
The video video shows off many of the series’ stars, including Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Lucien Laviscount, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, William Abadie and Eugenio Franceschini.
Darren Star created the show, which he also executive produces and writes for.
“Making Emily in Paris with this extraordinary cast and crew has been the trip of a lifetime. As we embark on the final season, I am so grateful to Netflix, Paramount, and, most importantly, the fans who have taken this incredible journey with us,” Star said. “We can’t wait to share this last chapter with you. Thank you for letting us be a part of your lives, inspiring your dreams of travel and your love of Paris. We will always have Emily in Paris!”
Queen Latifah speaks during CinemaCon 2026 – Walt Disney Studios Invites you to its 2026 presentation highlighting its upcoming release schedule at The Dolby Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of Cinema United, on April 16, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for CinemaCon)
Queen Latifah is excited about two major events: her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and hosting the American Music Awards.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she said the Hall of Fame honor feels more meaningful with every call she gets.
“I’m excited about it, and I’m getting more excited because there’s so many different family members and friends who’ve heard about it that are calling from all over the place,” she said. “I always know when it’s something different when I get calls from every direction.”
Queen added that the recognition is more than a personal achievement.
“It’s not just a small thing that means something to me. It really means something to a lot of different people,” she said. “I’m just fortunate that I’m in there.”
Queen is also looking forward to returning as host of the AMAs, 21 years after co-hosting the 1995 ceremony. She said she’s eager to watch the performances, noting, “Out of the millions of artists in the world, we are the ones that are going to have this stage and be able to perform in front of the world. I know they’re all going to try to knock it out of the park. I want to see what tricks they’ve got up their sleeves and who’s just in the zone.”
Queen also enjoys watching younger artists learn from veteran performers.
“I like to see the younger artists watch the artists who’ve been around the block a few times do it,” she said. “There’s a certain comfort level when you’ve been rocking shows like this for a while. … You get to take a little tidbit here and there that you can keep and use for yourself and make sure you’re one of these longevity artists 30 years from now doing the same thing.”
The American Music Awards air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+ May 25 at 7 p.m. CT.
Jelly Roll’s “Rise Up” (Amazon Music/National Hockey League)
Jelly Roll is supplying the soundtrack for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
His Amazon Music Original “Rise Up” is the official theme song of the National Hockey League’s annual fight to the finish, which started in April and will go through June.
“This song was written for the guys grinding every night for the Cup,” Jelly says. “This isn’t just the theme song of the NHL Playoffs. This is their song. It crawls over your skin, that dirty, swampy, nasty, distorted rock and roll.”
The “Rise Up” music video debuted during the first game of the Western Conference Final, featuring Jelly Roll, NHL highlights and the coveted Stanley Cup itself.
Watch for a documentary short coming in June that features the “Save Me” hitmaker alongside Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights and Seth Jarvis of the Carolina Hurricanes.
