(WASHINGTON) — The man who allegedly assaulted Rep. Angie Craig last week has a lengthy criminal record, including 25 bench warrants since 2014 and was experiencing homelessness, according to court documents filed on Monday.
Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, was assaulted while in her Washington, D.C., apartment building last Thursday and said she was able to fend off her alleged attacker, 27-year-old Kendrid Hamlin, by pouring hot coffee on him.
The Justice Department is asking a D.C. judge to hold Hamlin, who was arrested the next day, without bail.
Court documents offer more detail about what occurred that morning.
Hamlin, allegedly defecated and slept in the apartment building’s vestibule and gained entry into the apartment building when someone let him in.
The documents said that Hamlin encountered Craig in the elevator.
“Before the doors closed, the defendant stuck his arm between the door, preventing the door from closing, and stepped inside the elevator with the Representative,” the court documents said.
“The defendant told the Representative that he needed to go to the bathroom, and that he was coming to her apartment. The Representative advised the defendant that he could not do so. In response, the defendant became agitated,” the documents said. “The defendant stood in front of the elevator door, blocking the Representative from exiting the elevator, and hit buttons on the keypad. When the Representative tried to move past the defendant, he punched her on the left side of her face, striking the chin/mouth area with his closed fist.”
Officers found Hamlin less than a mile away from the attack later that day — and when he was approached by police he bit and kicked officers, according to the documents.
The Justice Department said that Hamlin had a lengthy rap sheet and essentially did not voluntarily show up to court for matters from August to December 2022.
He had at least 25 bench warrants for alleged crimes committed inside the District and neighboring communities, the Justice Department said.
Hamlin had 12 prior convictions as well.
“His bench warrants for failing to appear cover every year from 2015 to the present,” DOJ said. “Notwithstanding the very serious nature of the charged assault and his actions during the arrest, the defendant’s criminal history shows he is a danger to the community,” the documents said.
If Carrie Underwood thinks you’re cute enough, she just might bring you home with her.
That likely only works if you’re a puppy, but that’s exactly what happened at Carrie’s February 8 Denim & Rhinestones Tour stop.
“Meet Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Nilla Fisher…newest member of the family!” Carrie announced on Instagram. “I met her in Charlotte when the lovely people at @pincdogrescue brought some puppies to the venue to make us all smile. We had been looking for the right pup for our family for a while and she seemed just too good to be true!”
So far, Charlie seems to be fitting right in with Carrie’s older dogs, Penny and Zero, and her sons, 7-year-old Isaiah and 4-year-old Jacob.
“She is happy at home playing with her boys,” Carrie adds. “Thank you, Pawsitive Impact NC Dog Rescue for all the incredible work you do and thanks for bringing this sweet girl into our lives!”
On Valentine’s Day, Carrie’s tour with Jimmie Allen continues in Charleston, West Virginia.
50 Cent is leaning further into his Hollywood ventures. Announced Tuesday, his latest partnership is with Fox Entertainment, with whom he’s entered a nonexclusive multiproject broadcast direct deal.
Per the terms, G-Unit Film & Television production company will develop scripted dramas, live-action comedies and animated series for the Fox network. Fox Entertainment will own all shows, and Fox Entertainment Studios will work alongside 50’s team for production.
“I am excited to formalize a partnership with Michael Thorn and FOX that will allow G-Unit Film & Television to focus on putting multiple series on FOX, a perfect broadcast destination for G-Unit Film & Television content while our premium, streaming, scripted and non-scripted slates continue to grow in all directions,” 50 Cent said in a statement.
50 and his G-Unit Film & Television are behind a slew of shows on Starz, including Power and its spinoffs — Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, Power Book IV: Force — Black Mafia Family, the Black Mafia Family docuseries and others that are in still in development.
They also produced For Life, which aired on ABC, and expanded to WETV with Hip Hop Homicides.
Christopher Cross is the latest artist to sell his catalog. The singer has made a deal with the music rights, publishing and record company Seeker Music, which will now control Cross’ full masters and publishing catalog.
“I’ve been a Christopher Cross fan going back to when I was a kid – I grew up around, and listening to, so many of his contemporaries. He’s an absolute legend!!” Seeker CEO Evan Bogart says. “I’m so proud to have the opportunity to carry his legacy forward and of what we’ve already been able to do with his catalog, and will continue to do this year to keep introducing music fans to Chris’ incredible songs, and timeless songwriting.”
To commemorate the deal, Seeker is planning a yearlong celebration of Cross’ music, which started last week with the release of a 40th anniversary edition of Cross’ sophomore album, Another Page, in spatial audio. They are also planning national events celebrating Chris for this spring and summer, as well as remastered releases and a yearlong remix campaign.
(EAST PALESTINE, Ohio) — Ben Ratner has spent a lot of time thinking about what it would be like to survive a freight train chemical disaster. After all, he appeared in a movie about it.
In 2020, Ratner and some family members traveled from his home in East Palestine, Ohio, to a nearby town, to be extras in “White Noise,” a film about a train crash that unleashes environmental havoc on a small Ohio community, forcing locals to evacuate their homes.
Now, the plot is too real.
“I tried watching [the movie] shortly after all of this,” he told “Start Here”. “I got about 10 or 15 minutes in and… it’s no longer entertaining.”
Ratner lives with his wife and four children in East Palestine, less than a mile from the site where the Norfolk Southern rail cars barreled off the tracks on Feb. 3. While they spent the first night gazing at flames, they began choking on fumes the next day.
“You could taste it in the air. It was like a mix of gasoline, paint thinner and nail polish remover,” he said, describing his rush to escape as officials ordered evacuations.
In recent days, as the EPA has declared the air safe, many residents jumped at the chance to return. Ratner says his family took a few extra days, but eventually made the decision to come home. There weren’t many other options.
“You know, our kids go to school here,” he said, adding it would be nearly impossible to sell his home or the cafe he runs nearby. “[I’m] definitely feeling very trapped by the situation, [it’s] hard to balance the safety and well-being of everybody with the kids wanting to kind of get back to their normal lives.”
As for East Palestine, this town of 5,000 people has always revolved, in one way or another, around these train tracks. They cut right through the center of town, with trains running “every 13 minutes.” But in recent years, Norfolk Southern has cut thousands of jobs — leading to many locals wondering if this rail car’s broken axel could have been avoided.
“They call them bomb trains,” said Ratner, describing trains barreling through town at high rates of speed with flammable materials.
Now, the trains are back — even more often than days past, as freighters try to make up for delayed deliveries.
“Not to sound overly like emotional about things, but I mean, there is a level of PTSD whenever — it’s like, ‘oh, God, why do we have to hear these trains again already?'” Ratner said. “Like, there’s no understanding of the level of chaos that people went through. And… immediately they’re back. [Most] people aren’t even back into their homes.”
From his home, though, Ratner can hear the trains — every few minutes.
(BUFFALO, N.Y.) — Garnell Whitfield Jr., whose 86-year-old mother died in the Tops supermarket massacre last May, said he’s not interested in hearing what the gunman has to say when he plans to apologize to victims’ families on Wednesday.
“Nothing he’s going to say to me is going to bring my mother back. It’s not going to take away the pain of losing her,” Whitfield, the retired Buffalo fire commissioner, told ABC News. “I’m assuming that whatever he’s doing, he’s doing it for himself.”
Payton Gendron, the 19-year-old gunman who killed 10 people on May 14, is set to be sentenced in Erie County Court in Buffalo to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He pleaded guilty in November to 15 charges, including murder and attempted murder. He is the first person in state history to be charged with domestic terrorism motivated by hate. He has pleaded guilty.
In addition to the state case, he is facing hate and domestic terrorism charges in federal court. His attorneys said he might consider pleading guilty if prosecutors agree not to pursue the death penalty.
Gendron, a self-professed white supremacist who livestreamed part of the attack, plans to make a statement at Wednesday’s hearing, in which he is expected to apologize to the loved ones of those he gunned down, sources told The Buffalo News.
Wayne Jones, whose 65-year-old mother was killed in the rampage, said he plans to speak at the sentencing hearing.
“My message for him will be [about] mistakes, that there are mistakes you can’t take back and now you have to live with the consequences,” Jones told ABC News. “He can apologize. I’ll respect that, but he needs to sit and think about the situation as much as I do everyday. For me, it never goes away.”
Jones and Whitfield are among the family members of those killed who have submitted victim impact statements to the court.
Attorney John Elmore, who represents three families that lost loved ones in the attack, said more than a dozen people are expected to deliver victim impact statements before Judge Susan Eagan imposes the sentence.
Whitfield told ABC News on Tuesday he’s yet to decide whether to read the statement in court, saying, “If I do, it will be on behalf of my father.”
Whitfield’s father, 88-year-old Garnell W. Whitfield Sr., suffers from dementia and lives in a nursing home.
Gendron planned the massacre for months — including previously traveling twice to the Tops store he targeted, a more than three-hour drive from his home in Conklin, New York — to scout the layout and count the number of Black people present, according to prosecutors. Wearing tactical gear, body armor, and wielding an AR-15 style rifle he legally purchased and illegally modified, Gendron committed the rampage on a Saturday afternoon when prosecutors said he knew the store would be full of Black shoppers.
The attack was caught on a Tops supermarket surveillance camera and a helmet camera worn by Gendron that he used to livestream on Twitch. Prior to the attack, he also posted a racist screed online containing the names of past mass shooters he admired.
“Whatever he does in court is a procedural thing. His fate is sealed, there’s no discretion in the sentencing. It’s life without parole, period,” Whitfield said.
Whitfield said any statement he makes will be focused on “the people and places and things that empowered him, that radicalized him, that helped him do what he did.”
In October, New York State Attorney General Letitia James released the report, alleging several online platforms played roles in the May 14 mass shooting by radicalizing Gendron, as he consumed voluminous amounts of racist and violent content, and then by allowing him to broadcast the deadly attack. The report found anonymous, largely unmoderated websites and platforms, like 4chan, allegedly influenced Gendron. It also said livestreaming platforms like Twitch were “weaponized” to publicize and encourage copycat attacks.
Ordinarily, social media platforms cannot be sued over content, but Elmore told ABC News there are grounds for viable suits against several social media platforms over the way they’re designed to promote constant engagement. “The litigation we are preparing will deter the social media platforms from continuing their policies of directing their algorithms to radicalize people to become dangerous to our society,” Elmore said.
Elmore added that Gendron “was trained and inspired to commit this tremendous murder by social media.”
“All those things are still in place and still in a position to continue the perpetuation of all the injustices and evils that are part of our society,” Whitfield said. “[Gendron] did this for attention. Let’s not give it to him.”
(HOUSTON, Texas) — The FBI has opened an investigation into allegations of federal rights violations following the deaths of two inmates at the Harris County Jail in Texas after a request by the sheriff’s office.
“These investigations will be fair, thorough, and impartial, and will proceed independently of any state investigations involving incidents at the jail. To preserve the integrity and capabilities of the investigations, no details of the ongoing process will be publicly shared,” FBI Houston said in a statement Monday.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez had reached out to the FBI to investigate the deaths of Jaquaree Simmons who died in February 2021 and Jacoby Pillow who died in January 2023, while they were in the custody of the Harris County Jail.
“Last week, I reached out to James Smith, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Houston Field Office, to have his agents review the circumstances surrounding two men’s deaths in our jail because I want our community to fully trust our commitment to transparency and full accountability,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “I look forward to learning the FBI’s findings, because we must all know the full truth if we are to improve our operation and make the jail as safe as possible for everyone entrusted into our care.”
The announcement also came after a Houston press conference with attorneys Ben Crump and Paul Grinke Monday afternoon requesting the Department of Justice open an investigation.
“It’s appalling that you would have 32 detainees (die) in the Harris County Jail in a 14-month period,” Crump said during the press conference. “I mean, nobody would really believe it unless you have these bodies that showed you it was really happening.”
According to the county records, 21 inmates died in custody in 2021, and according to attorneys, last year, at least 28 inmates lost their lives in Harris County Jail.
The press release continues that the total number of deaths in 2023 is “at least four.”
Pillow, 31, was arrested for trespassing, a misdemeanor, on New Year’s Day. He was in the process of being released from Harris County Jail on a $100 bond early the next day but had an altercation with officers, resulting in additional charges. The release also said that officials used force to restrain Pillow and that he was evaluated and returned to his cell.
Pillow was found unresponsive in his cell on Jan. 3 and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
“We have credible reason to believe that Jacoby Pillow died from compression asphyxia from being restrained, similar to George Floyd,” Grinke said during Monday’s press conference. “We have also credible reasons to believe that there will be evidence that he was beaten multiple times by correctional officers.”
While the family has asked for autopsy results and more information on his death, the jail said his death is currently under a “pending investigation.”
Pillow’s younger sister, Ariana Pillow, is a former employee of Harris County and accounted for her experience relating to the situation during the press conference.
“Being a former employee in Harris County working for pretrial (services), I’ve literally witnessed correctional staff mistreat detainees because they were in need of insulin for diabetes or other medical issues, and I’ve literally witnessed them being the reason for altercations taking place between them and detainees, and it’s not fair, and it’s not right,” Ariana Pillow said between tears.
Crump is representing the families of Pillow and other families of those who have died in the jail: Gary and Kevin Smith Jr., an uncle and nephew who died in jail last month, and Kristan Nicole Smith, who died last May.
Crump is not publicly representing the family of Simmons, the other subject of the FBI’s investigation.
Simmons, 23, was arrested and put in jail on Feb. 10, 2021, and died of blunt-force head trauma seven days later on Feb. 17, 2021, according to his custodial death report.
The sheriff’s office completed 73 interviews, but none of the 1,490 cameras inside the jail captured video evidence of the confrontation leading to Simmons’ death, KMBC reported.
Court documents showed the Morales caused Simmons’ death by dropping him on his head, kneeing him in the head, striking his head against the door and striking his head against the wall. Morales is the first detention officer to be charged with the death of an incarcerated man in Harris County.
His death led to the Harris County Jail conducting an internal investigation resulting in the termination of 11 detention officers and a suspension of six last May. One of the involved officers, Eric Morales, was charged with manslaughter earlier this month.
Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office issued a response to the charges on Feb. 6.
“The Houston Police Department conducted a separate criminal investigation into the events surrounding Simmons’ death. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office recently presented the results of the HPD investigation to a grand jury, which issued an indictment against Eric Morales, a former detention officer, alleging he committed the crime of manslaughter. Morales was among the 11 employees fired as a result of the Sheriff’s Office internal investigation,” the statement said.
ABC News reached out to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and has not yet received a response.
Crump is working with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee regarding the case, and Crump told the press she will be meeting with the families.
John Fogerty is in a romantic mood this Valentine’s Day. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just dropped a live version of the love song “Joy Of My Life,” which originally appeared on his 1997 Grammy Award-winning album, Blue Moon Swamp.
“’Joy of My Life’ is the first love song that I wrote and is a love letter to my wife Julie,” the Creedence ClearwaterRevival rocker shares. “It’s about that emotion when you meet someone and fall in love, and how joyful and special that is.”
He adds, “It’s one of my favorite songs that I’ve written, and I am so thrilled to know what my song has meant to so many.”
Up next, Fogerty’s set to play the BeachLife Festival, taking place May 5 to 7 in Redondo Beach, California. He’s featured on the bill as playing “music of Creedence Clearwater Revival.”
Silversun Pickups have premiered the video for “Empty Nest,” a track off the band’s latest album, Physical Thrills.
The clip features a compilation of soundcheck and backstage footage from the “Lazy Eye” outfit’s time on the road. You can watch it streaming now on YouTube.
Physical Thrills, the sixth SSPU album, was released last August. It also includes the single “Scared Together.”
Silversun Pickups will launch a U.S. tour in continued support of Physical Thrills February 17 in Birmingham, Alabama. The outing also includes a show with Bush in Chicago.
(WASHINGTON) — Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., announced Tuesday that she will not run for reelection after her term is up in early 2025 but will continue serving until then.
Feinstein, 89, has served in the Senate since 1992, winning several senior posts along the way. However, she recently faced pushback from progressives in Washington and California over some of her more centrist leanings, and concerns over her cognitive faculties became an open secret on Capitol Hill.
In a statement announcing her retirement, Feinstein insisted that she will remain focused on passing legislation important to Democrats through the end of her term, including curbing gun violence in the face of a string of mass shootings and ameliorating homelessness and wildfires.
“I am announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024 but intend to accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends,” she said.
“Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives. Each of us was sent here to solve problems. That’s what I’ve done for the last 30 years, and that’s what I plan to do for the next two years. My thanks to the people of California for allowing me to serve them,” she concluded.
After announcing her retirement to her colleagues during a closed-door lunch Tuesday afternoon, Feinstein spoke briefly to reporters, saying, “the time has come.”
“There are times for all things under the sun, and I think that will be the right time,” Feinstein said of her retirement.
She made clear she’ll serve out the rest of her term. “It’s not till the end of next year. So, don’t hold your breath,” she joked.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., praised Feinstein as a “legend” and “an amazing woman,” adding that she gave a “very heartwarming and tearful address” to the Democratic caucus lunch.
“She got a standing ovation that lasted minuets and minutes and minutes. One of the longest I’ve ever seen, which shows the love that our caucus and our country have for this wonderful, wonderful leader and legend,” he said.
Feinstein’s retirement had been almost a foregone conclusion for a number of Democrats eyeing her seat.
Reps. Katie Porter, D-Calif., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., have already announced runs for her seat, and Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., plans to announce a bid of her own by the end of February.
In a sign of Democrats’ confidence that Feinstein would sit out California’s 2024 Senate race, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., herself a power player in the state’s politics, said she would support Feinstein if she ran — but would throw her support behind Schiff if she didn’t.
“Dianne Feinstein is one of the finest legislators we’ve ever known,” Schiff tweeted. “From the torture report, a dogged pursuit of gun safety, and championship of LGBTQ+ rights, her body of work defines her legacy. We are so grateful for her ongoing leadership.”
“Senator Dianne Feinstein has had a remarkable career serving the people of California,” Porter said. “She created a path for women in politics that I am proud to follow. I thank the Senator for her leadership and appreciate all that she has accomplished for our state.”
Feinstein, the oldest sitting senator, had been facing pressure from fellow Democrats to make way for a younger generation and this year declined to fill the role of president pro tempore, a spot typically reserved for the majority party’s senior member.
Still, until recently, she had been batting away speculation over her future and rebuffed reports on concerns over her mental fitness.
Throughout her career in the Senate, Feinstein was a vocal advocate for stricter gun reforms and advancing LGBTQ+ rights, casting one of only 14 votes in the Senate against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. She also helped spearhead legislation preventing the use of some methods of torture.
However, she has faced rebukes from progressives over the years, including for her cooperation with Republicans on Supreme Court nominees from former President Donald Trump and voting for the resolution authorizing the Iraq war, a stance she said she later came to regret.
Prior to her election to the Senate in 1992, Feinstein was San Francisco’s first female mayor.
