Samoa Prime Minister has apologised after a video of him resurfaced, showing him leading a Nazi salute and saying ‘Heil Hitler’ at a family gathering.
Published On 5 Oct 20265 Oct 2026
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Rapper Lucki was allegedly involved in a fight at ComplexCon in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, leaving him with a gash on his neck, according to videos on social media.
Police confirmed to The Times on Sunday evening that four people were wounded in what appeared to be a knife attack but did not name the victims. Officers responded to reports of a fight involving multiple people near Chick Hearn Court and Georgia Street around 4:45 p.m. Saturday, police said. When officers arrived, people were still fighting, according to police.
Footage shared on X appears to show a brawl involving Lucki, 30, outside the L.A. Convention Center.
In one part of the video, as onlookers shout for a paramedic, one unidentified bloodied man shuffles to a car while holding a towel to his neck.
Although police did not confirm whether the rapper or his associates were involved in the fight, police told TMZ that Lucki was surrounded by fans for photos when a suspect “hit him on the side of his face, causing a laceration.”
Additional footage posted to TikTok appears to show a visibly shaken Lucki climbing into the back seat of a black car with a wound near his jaw.
Two people were transported to a local hospital after sustaining injuries “that appeared to be the result of a knife attack,” police told The Times. A third person self-transported to a local hospital for treatment of a severe laceration.
A fourth person approached an officer at the scene and showed a laceration to his elbow, police confirmed. The victim declined medical treatment and left the scene on his own. Authorities did not know if the victim sought medical help afterward.
Before the violence, ComplexCon shared a story to Instagram on Saturday in which the rapper said he was “happy to be here.” In a statement to People Magazine, the venue said officials were aware of the situation, adding that they “take incidents of this nature extremely seriously and remain focused on maintaining a safe and secure environment for everyone.”
Authorities did not provide any further information Sunday.
The anonymous arts group known as Secret Handshake has gone international with its piquant form of satirical anti-Trump artwork, this time placing a playable video game console called “Nuuk ‘Em All” in, yes, Nuuk, Greenland. The group sent a picture of the console to The Times. It sits alone on a barren cliff above the sea, with a smallish iceberg visible in the water below. The peaked roofs of a nearby town can be seen in the distance.
Secret Handshake has created more than a dozen pieces of guerrilla art mocking Trump since last year — all of which appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., until July when a golden, 10-foot tall “Iran War Participation Trophy,” cropped up in New York City. That piece arrived at the Minnesota State Capitol in early August.
Greenland is ambitious though, even for a collective that revels in creating outsize splashes with its work (see the Trump-Epstein “Best Friends Forever” sculpture). Asked via email how the group transported the full-size video game console to the country — which has weathered a series of unwelcome overtures from Trump to become part of the U.S. since he retook office early last year — a representative wrote, “You have no idea — it was honestly very difficult. A true ‘planes, trains, and automo … ships’ situation. Did you know that the arctic is actually quite far? And they’re not used to whipping over arcade games.”
“Nuuk ‘Em All” is the second satirical video game Secret Handshake has released since July when it first introduced the world to “Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell,” which finds Trump waging a futile war with Iran while making all kinds of bumbling choices including whether to order a Diet Coke or bomb the country.
The game arrives in Greenland shortly after the Trump administration signed an agreement with the country and Denmark to expand the U.S. military presence in the Arctic while seemingly dropping threats to annex the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Three additional cabinets of the game were simultaneously placed at the D.C. War Memorial on the National Mall, and can be played online on any old computer. The game begins with an animation of the White House, its lawn covered with cranes and backhoes. “The year is 2026,” the scrolling text reads. “The White House is under constant construction, reconstruction and construction of the reconstruction.”
The action moves to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago headquarters where Trump is approached by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who apologizes for waking Trump from his “tactical nap” to tell him about some “issues with Iran.” Trump asks if the Strait of Hormuz is 100% open and Hegseth replies, “Yes, sir. It’s so open that we’ve used up all our missiles, and gas now costs more than bourbon.”
I haven’t had the chance to play the game for long, but Secret Handshake’s email details what to expect, “In this game, Iran is going great (spoiler — it’s not), so Trump heads north to check on his new frozen frontier. Along the way, he battles unthinkable evils like Fully Vaccinated Children, Woke Yetis, and the happiest people on Earth, the Danish. All the while, the player’s greatest challenge is trying to keep President Trump from falling back asleep.”
Secret Handshake didn’t have any information about how Greenland has responded to the game, with the rep noting, “I think there is a lot of hope and relief over there right now that this agreement is the end of the barrage of bullying and threats from the US. But our feeling—and I truly hope we’re wrong— is that it’s just the beginning. Especially with Trump refusing to answer if an invasion is completely off the table now.”
Regardless of what happens in Greenland, the rep continued, “the thing I really like the most about this new game is that between all the satire, and jokes, and silliness, it actually ends up back in reality — the character is still stuck in an endless loop of war in Iran. And that, sadly, is still just as true as when we released the Iran game almost half a year ago.”
I’m Arts editor Jessica Gelt screaming into the void. This is your arts and culture news for the week.
Our critics and reporters guide you through events and happenings in the SoCal arts scene. In your inbox every Friday.
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FRIDAY
Boston Marriage
David Mamet’s 1999 epigram-filled comedy about two women sorting out their affairs while maintaining their standard of living at the turn of the 20th century. Directed by Bernardo Cubría. With Nicole Pacent, Heather Wake and Dulce Valencia.
8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays (and one Thursday, Oct. 22): 2 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 24. European House LA, 12355 Rye Street, Studio City. ticketsource.com
Yvette Janine Jackson With Radio Opera Workshop
The ensemble integrates electronics, acoustic instruments, voice and images to produce new music by the award-winning composer and sound artist. Presented by CAP UCLA in collaboration with the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and the UCLA Center for Musical Humanities.
8 p.m. The Nimoy, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu
The Little Women Ballet in action.
(Edie Tyebkhan-Melissa O’Gara)
Little Women Ballet
The dance troupe’s Autumn Immersive Experience brings audiences into the world of Louisa May Alcott through movement amid Victorian Era architecture.
6:30 p.m. Friday, 3 and 6:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Heritage Square Museum, 800 Homer St., Montecito Heights. littlewomenballet.org
Outside Mullingar
An Irish romance written by Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award winner John Patrick Shanley that premiered on Broadway in 2014 finds a middle-age man and woman, longtime neighbors, circling an uneasy relationship in uncertain times. Michael Kirby, Liza Seneca, Armin Shimerman and Kitty Swink star. Directed by Matthew Leavitt.
8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 25. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. sierramadreplayhouse.org
Gretchen Parlato
The jazz singer-songwriter performs music from her new album, “The Wise Ones,” joined by her band Alan Hampton on bass and guitar, Mark Guiliana on drums and percussion and Gerald Clayton on piano and keyboards.
8 p.m. Carpenter Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach. carpenterarts.org
Isaiah Collier performs Saturday at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
(Johanna Brinckman)
Isaiah Collier Plays Coltrane
The rising jazz musician and composer pays tribute to the saxophone legend by applying his own sound and reaffirming the music’s ability to evolve.
7:30 p.m. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Samueli Theater, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scfta.org
Democracy Sessions 2026
Music collective Wild Up expands upon its successful election-themed 2024 event examining how art can function as a democratic practice in this time of censorship, polarization and shifting public trust. The new month-long festival was developed in partnership with MOCA, REDCAT and CalArts, with related programming independently conceived and presented by Clockshop, 2220 Arts + Archives, Human Resources, Performance Art Museum and Living Earth, for the run-up to the Nov. 3 midterms.
Saturday through Nov. 3, various locations. wildup.org
A calavera mask designed by artist Leo Limon and a paper marigold for Self Help Graphics & Art’s Dia de los Muertos Community Art Workshop Series in October 2026.
(Self Help Graphics & Art)
Día de los Muertos Community Art Workshop Series
Self-Help Graphics & Art launches the holiday season with five free Saturday community art workshops. Participants of all ages will learn crafts to honor ancestors and loved ones. Each week features papel picado (tissue paper with cutout shapes) and a paper marigold craft activity, plus a special project: Stamp collages with SHG Lead Printer Dewey Tafoya (Oct. 3); Calavera (skull) masks featuring a design by artist Leo Limon (Oct. 10); Recuerdo (memory) posters with Victoria Delgadillo (Oct. 17); “Living candle” mini paintings with Ivan Zuno (Oct. 24); and Candle decorating with Nupur Behera (Oct. 31).
Noon-3 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 31. East Los Angeles County Library, Community Room, 4837 E. 3rd St. selfhelpgraphics.com
Woof
A revised version of “Go Play,” written and directed by Barra Grant, featuring the same loquacious dogs with new insights into their clueless owners.
Previews, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday and Oct. 10; opens 7 p.m. Oct. 10; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through Nov. 8. Odyssey Theater, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. odysseytheatre.com
Come From Away
The award-winning Broadway hit musical, written by the husband-and-wife team of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, tells the true story of a Canadian town that sheltered thousands of airline passengers whose flights had been diverted on Sept. 11, 2001. Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, with music direction by Rod Bagheri.
Previews, 2 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Oct. 9; opens Oct. 10 through Nov. 8. A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd. Pasadena. anoisewithin.org
The Best Medicine
Caroline Aaron stars in the West Coast premiere of this solo comedy by playwright Robin Gerber and directed by Jane E. Unger.
Previews, 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; Opening, 8 p.m. Saturday; 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through Nov. 15. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. odysseytheatre.com
B+ Mom (An Enthusiastic Guide to Imperfect Parenting)
Melissa Greenspan wrote and performs this solo comedy directed by Guy Picot.
7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, through Oct. 28. Rogue Machine at the Matrix Theatre, upstairs on the Henry Murray Stage, 7657 Melrose Ave. roguemachinetheatre.org
Charlemagne Palestine
The Brick and Piano Spheres presents the visual artist and musician performing “Strumming Music,” which he describes as “an evolutionary liquid sound continuum process” and performed hundreds of versions over the last 50+ years.
8 p.m. The Brick, 518 N. Western Ave. the-brick.org
Ronald K. Brown / Evidence
The landmark African diasporic dance company led by choreographer Brown recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. West Coast fans will have the chance to experience the New York-based company’s unique blend of contemporary, African and African American dance traditions with this program of four pieces that includes tributes to some of Brown’s most enduring collaborators. (Eloise Rollins-Fife)
7:30 p.m. Thursday-Oct. 10. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
Wives
East West Players presents the Southern California premiere of Jaclyn Backhaus’ feminist comedy examining a selection of “great men” in 16th century France, 1920s India and 1960s Idaho. A primarily South Asian and South Asian American cast, under the direction of Hypokrit Live Arts NYC co-founder and artistic director Arpita Mukherjee, brings this redress of women’s erasure in history to astringent comic life. (Charles McNulty)
Through Nov. 1, check website for specific dates. East West Players, Union Center for the Arts, David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St. eastwestplayers.org/wives
Yamel Cucuy
Austin’s Glass Half Full Theatre returns with this production, last seen in L.A. at the Latino Theater Company’s 2024 Encuentro theater festival. The tale of a girl on the verge of adulthood facing the threat of immigration agents and haunted by specters from Mexican folklore is told through live actors, sophisticated puppetry and an original score of Indigenous percussion. Written by Gricelda Silva, Indigo Rael and Caroline Reck, with additional writing by Jesus I. Valles and Connor Hopkins. Directed by Reck.
8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through Nov. 1. Los Angeles Theatre Center 514 S Spring St. latinotheaterco.org
Wendy Raigosa, 27, Long Beach, uses repurposed materials in her art project at Kate Ingold’s bi-monthly Samizdat Sundays workshop at the Wende Museum.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)
Times contributor Miranda Huang wrote about bi-monthly classes at the Wende Museum called “Samizdat Sundays” in which teacher Kate Ingold teaches participants samizdat, “a practice in which Soviet dissidents hand-typed literature, criticism and poetry to bypass state censorship. Each week, Ingold opens the workshop with a new prompt related to speech suppression — an issue with renewed currency today.”
Vincent Price Art Museum is currently staging a unique exhibit featuring the work of Anida Yoeu Ali, a Cambodian-born artist who lives in Tacoma, Wash. It’s called “The Buddhist Bug” and features a 328-foot-long orange insect, which Ali will occupy on opening day, and again on closing day. “Ali’s numerous performance-based exhibits explore her Cambodian American identity and Buddhist and Muslim religions. The bug is her ‘totally humorous take on hybridity’,” writes contributor Siran Babayan.
(Ed Ruscha)
Times staff writer Laura Zornosa headed to LACMA over the weekend to attend a private lunch featuring filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, Tom Cruise and Ed Ruscha, for the unveiling of a poster Ruscha made for Iñárritu’s new film, “Digger,” starring Cruise.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts turned 40 last month and Times contributor Jenelle Riley made the drive to interview the organization’s leaders, including President and Chief Executive Casey Reitz, about how the campus grew out of windswept lima bean fields to become the epicenter of art and culture in Orange County.
Contributor Leah Ollman had such a hard time narrowing down her list of must-see shows for our Fall Arts preview, that we asked her to create another list of 14 off the beaten path shows that art lovers should be sure to see.
RM, leader of the K-pop group BTS, speaks at SFMOMA in advance of an art show he curated featuring many pieces from his personal collection.
(Mags Ng)
RM, the leader of K-pop supergroup, BTS, is also a serious art lover with a collection of more than 400 pieces. This month he is co-curating a show at SFMOMA featuring more than 100 pieces from his private stash paired with art from the museum meant to compliment its themes.
Architecture critic Sam Lubell went to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art last weekend and was sorry to see that the museum has erected gates around its main courtyard. Lubell, like many, had been under the impression that the courtyard was meant to function as a grand civic plaza, so he penned a piece of commentary questioning the founders’ motives for cordoning off the area. “It’s hard not to wonder whether these barriers represent something more than security: the extension into public space of the gated, closely guarded world inhabited by co-founders George Lucas, Mellody Hobson and those in their orbit,” Lubell writes.
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A rendering of the Las Vegas Museum of Art, designed by architect Francis Kéré.
(Kéré Architecture / Las Vegas Museum of Art)
Earlier this week the long-gestating Las Vegas Museum of Art hosted a preview of its Grand Central Galleries — a multipurpose media lab and exhibition space located in Symphony Park down the street from the museum’s future main building. Scheduled to open in April 2027, the 15,000-square-foot space will act as an entry point to the museum and is slated to host a variety of exhibitions and programs while the museum’s Francis Kéré-designed building remains under construction through 2029.
The Grand Central Galleries exhibition program was organized by the LVMA in collaboration with LACMA, and will open with “A Shared Light: Monet, Impressionism, and the American Landscape,” organized by Shannon Vittoria, LACMA’s associate curator of American art, along with David Bardeen, LACMA’s assistant curator of European painting and sculpture. It features nearly 60 works by artists including Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, John Singer Sargent, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and James McNeill Whistler.
— Jessica Gelt
Yes, they did that. The Food staff compiled a list of 20 of its favorite sundaes and banana splits in L.A. Since summer is never going away, this seems like the perfect time.
If there’s one positive to come out of the controversial play and video from Saturday’s USC vs. Oregon football game during which Oregon quarterback Dante Moore suffered a concussion after a late hit by USC’s Desman Stephens, it’s that high school football coaches are using it as a teachable moment on how not to react after a player is injured.
Stephens received a one-game suspension from USC after he was seen celebrating when hitting Moore in the head as he gave himself up on a slide to end a running play.
Whittier coach Lorenzo Hernandez said he reminded his players, “You’re always in someone’s lens.”
“You have to be compassionate about someone being injured,” he said.
St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro said there were plenty of lessons to point out to his players.
Negro said in a text, “As mentors, educators, and coaches we are constantly using moments like this to educate our players on how not to be. Football is a small fraternity and regardless of rivalries or spirited competitions we have to respect the health and safety of our opponents. Celebrating in a moment like that is disheartening and would never be tolerated here at Bosco.
“It wasn’t just the Dante Moore situation. It was also the situation from the Texas vs Tennessee game, too, with the unnecessary antics that draw penalties.
“We have to do better in making our kids realize there is a proper way to conduct yourself in an athletic contest. Personal character is revealed in these moments so choose wisely when you plan your actions after you make a good play.”
Bangladesh’s health authorities report that at least 233 people have died from the mosquito-borne illness disease dengue fever. Thousands of cases have been recorded across the country since the start of 2026.
Published On 30 Sep 202630 Sep 2026
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RITA Ora pulls up her socks and shows off her ’80s moves.
The singer and actress, 35, was seen dressed in long woollen socks and orange shoes as she shot the video to new single All Natural — directed by hubby Taika Waititi.
Like Jennifer Lopez’s 2003 video to I’m Glad, it is inspired by the 1983 movie Flashdance.
She posted pics and footage online, with the caption: “Talk to me.”
Her fourth album is expected out next year.
Speaking to Bizarre’s Jack at a London screening to mark the 10th anniversary of his hit film, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Taika said Rita’s long-awaited album was “amazing”.
He added: “This new record is incredible. I’ve heard a lot of it.
“It was such a departure from stuff that she’s probably known mostly for. It’s a different sound.”
Taika directed the sultry video for Rita’s latest single, All Natural, and also directed and starred in the video for 2023’s Don’t Think Twice.
Getting Oscar-winner Taika to work on your project can’t come cheap, but Taika assured us with a wink that he and Rita had come to an arrangement.
He chuckled: “There is a very mates’ rates deal going on. I think it’s been free each time. It’s just fun to get to work together.
“It’s great because we’re kind of in similar industries, but they’re very different disciplines – and when you’re with someone, you want to be able to do some work together.
“I’m really amazed and surprised at what she does, but also super- confused all the time.”
Wedding bells are ringing for Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio and his longtime girlfriend Nikki Hall.
The “Jersey Shore” alum proposed to the Jamaican-born influencer over the weekend while DJing at the Omnia Dayclub at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The popular party destination posted the proposal on Instagram on Sunday with the caption, “Things just got serious,” alongside a video of DelVecchio bringing Hall onto a stage and getting down on one knee.
Although a techno remix of Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” was blasting in the video, the DJ’s lips are seen mouthing, “Will you marry me?” Hall nods enthusiastically in response, and bikini-clad models appear in the background carrying signs overhead that read “Congratulations on the engagement! Yeah Buddy!”
Through a series of clips and photos shared on DelVecchio’s Instagram stories, it appears the two celebrated the engagement with Italian food and a hotel room decked out with red rose petals and balloons.
“We’ve spent these years choosing each other, growing together, building a life we love, and never rushing a chapter just because the world was ready to read it,” Hall posted on Instagram, adding that saying yes to DelVecchio was “the easiest YES” she’s ever said.
DelVecchio celebrated in the replies of the post, writing, “She said yesssssss!!!!!”
The pair met back in 2019 on MTV’s “Double Shot at Love,” a reality dating show hosted by DelVecchio and fellow “Jersey Shore” alum Vinny Guadagnino, in which 20 women competed to capture the hearts of both Pauly and Vinny, respectively.
The early days of their relationship played out on the series, with both Hall and DelVecchio smitten from the start. Their season ended with a twist when DelVecchio chose to say goodbye to Hall and “roll solo for now.” But clearly, his decision didn’t stick, and in 2020, the pair quarantined together during the pandemic, a revelation that arose when eagle-eyed fans noticed their social media content had identical backgrounds.
The NFL confirmed Monday that it has asked the Department of Homeland Security to remove a video featuring hard-hitting highlights of Hall of Fame safety Brian Dawkins from a social media post in reference to a report about a caravan of immigrants approaching the U.S. border.
On Sunday afternoon, the verified X account of the DHS reposted another account’s report of the purported caravan, along with the comment, “Our time has come,” and a 39-second clip of the former Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos star delivering one bruising hit after another.
“The league requested DHS take down the video,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told The Times in an email.
Dawkins told ESPN in a text that he had “very respectfully not given permission” for the DHS to use his video.
About two hours after the initial post went up, the DHS responded in the comment section with a still photo of Dawkins and the caption, “The Border Is Closed.” As of early Monday afternoon, both posts remained intact.
The Times reached out to the DHS by email and asked if it had initially sought the NFL’s permission to use the content, if it planned on taking down the content as the league requested and why it chose to use Dawkins’ imagery with the posts.
The department sent a statement in response that appears to refer to the nine-time Pro Bowl selection’s nickname “Weapon X.”
“DHS is playing lockdown defense at the border. We will use every Weapon at our disposal, from A to X, to keep Americans safe,” the department wrote.
“The United States Border Patrol is actively tracking a migrant caravan which departed San Pedro Sula, Honduras on September 20, 2026. USBP is closely engaged with its international partners to monitor their movement and any additional developments. USBP reminds migrants that under the leadership of President Trump and Homeland Secretary [Markwayne] Mullin, the border has remained closed and secured for the last 16 months.
“Migrants considering making the dangerous journey to our country should also be aware that the days of ‘catch and release’ are over, and [former President] Biden’s disastrous open border policy has been SEALED SHUT. Anyone attempting to illegally enter the United States will be apprehended, prosecuted, and removed from the country.”
BLUE singer Lee Ryan has revealed his wife Verity is pregnant with his seventh child in a super-sweet video.
The happy baby news comes after the All Rise hitmaker welcomed his sixth child, a little girl, in 2025.
Lee’s new social media video showed him donning a black hat as he danced around with his family.
Verity, sporting her own nude headgear and a brightly-patterned dress, was seen proudly holding a sonogram scan of their unborn tot.
The happy couple shared a kiss before the rest of their family joined them to celebrate.
In his caption, penned alongside a family day out, he wrote: “I am blessed by God for the family I have”.
One fan wrote: “I remember you saying you always wanted kids in a programme years ago and now look what you have”.
Another added: “So happy for you and the fam”.
A third then put: “You are a Great Daddy enjoy life you’re completely right”.
Lee, 43, is best known for his role in the chart-topping boyband, famed for hits All Rise and Fly By.
Last September, he welcomed a little girl with wife Verity but did not reveal her name at the time.
She is Lee’s fourth child with his spouse, and he shares two other children with previous partners.
He is also dad to Bluebell, 16, with his ex-girlfriend Jessica Keevil and a son Rayn with former fiancé Samantha Miller, who was born in 2008.
Lee and Verity, an Ariana Grande lookalike, tied the knot in secret in May 2022 in Gibraltar.
He said at the time: “I met someone finally who loves and supports me in everything I do.
“Verity is a beautiful, strong and loving woman who I treasure.
“And I’m a lucky man to have such a wonderful mother for my child, and now wife, in her.
“I’ve never been more calm and grounded and I have Verity to thank for that.
“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life because of the
wonderful family life I now have.”
Stunning Verity is a talented singer who appeared on X Factor in 2009 – and even turned her talent into a career when she worked as an Ariana lookalike and impersonator.
Israel’s security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has released a video in which he is seen threatening to kill senior Hamas figure Hassan Salameh. Salameh is serving multiple life sentences for his role in a series of Hamas-orchestrated attacks in 1996, including bus bombings.
Published On 28 Sep 202628 Sep 2026
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TAYLOR Swift debuted Patient Zero music video at the MTV Video Music Awards after accepting a massive honor.
The Fate of Ophelia singer accepted the first-ever Artist Director Honor at the annual awards ceremony on Sunday.
Taylor’s good friend, Dakota Johnson, who also stars in the music video for her new single Patient Zero, presented her with the award.
The global pop star kept her acceptance speech short and sweet before introducing the world premiere of the highly anticipated music video.
She shared a teaser of the video, which also stars Colin Farrell, on Friday, before announcing that all will be revealed during Sunday’s ceremony.
Fans were taken aback by the video’s grim twist, as she portrayed Colin’s character’s deceased former partner, but it overall received rave reviews online.
Read More on Taylor Swift
“Taylor really wanted to team up with MTV to do something to celebrate the release of Patient Zero,” a source told Page Six about Taylor’s VMAs appearance.
“They created this award just for her. It’s their first time handing out this award.
The insider also said that the “timing made sense,” given the release of Taylor’s latest single, alongside three other new tracks.
The four new songs are a part of The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, an extended deluxe edition of her 2025 album, The Life of a Showgirl.
“She really wanted to be there, and the network wanted to figure out a moment in the show that was special to her where she wasn’t just in the background, so MTV made this moment happen,” the source added about the collaboration.
Taylor, 36, was one of the last to arrive on the red carpet at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles in a stunning black and silver gown.
Her husband, NFL tight end Travis Kelce, 36, skipped the event to play with the Kansas City Chiefs in their game against the Miami Dolphins in Florida earlier in the day.
While Taylor has supported her man on the sidelines since the football season began, she couldn’t miss this night as she was the first recipient of the Artist Director Honor.
This marked the singer’s 31st Moon Man trophy, breaking her tie with Beyoncé for the most VMA wins.
The vocalist was also nominated for nine other awards – the second-most of the night behind Madonna, who had 11 nominations – and won the Video of the Year award.
Taylor has kept a lower profile since her and Travis’s extravagant July 4th wedding.
Since the iconic MTV Video Music Awards first premiered to shake up pop culture in 1984, artists across all genres have tried their best to score the coveted Moonman trophy. Here are the top 10 musician’s who have taken home the most hardware:
She showed her love for her husband last week while celebrating his touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts.
The Out of Style singer was caught on video screaming and clapping as Travis darted across the field to score.
She could also be heard yelling, “That’s my husband!” while pointing at her $1 million wedding ring.
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Thursday that removes President Trump’s ban on three news outlets from White House grounds, a rebuke of the administraton’s most severe attack yet on the Washington press corps.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said in his ruling that the administration’s ban is likely unconstitutional and that the outlets affected — CNN, MS NOW and Politico — were not given due process before the action was taken. Kelly also rejected the White House’s court argument that the ban was motivated by national security concerns. The restraining order will be in effect for 14-days as the litigation proceeds.
Kelly, appointed by Trump during his first term, made a similar ruling in 2018 after the White House tried to ban journalist Jim Acosta, then working for CNN. Acosta’s credentials were restored.
The three outlets jointly filed a lawsuit Monday alleging that the ban violates the 1st Amendment by retaliating against protected newsgathering as punishment for unfavorable coverage, amounting to viewpoint discrimination.
Trump announced the ban Friday in a Truth Social post, describing CNN, MS NOW and Politico as “fake news.” He claimed the outlets have long been unfair to him and that their negative coverage was a danger to the country.
Journalists from the three organizations were barred from White House grounds on Saturday, the day after Trump announced the ban in a Truth Social post.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico all reported Thursday that their access has not been restored despite the judge’s ruling. Politico reported that one of its journalists had a credential confiscated by Secret Service.
Whether the confiscation was a security snafu or a defiance of the court order remains to be seen.
In a emergency court hearing Wednesday, the White House shifted away from Trump’s initial stated reasons for the ban and argued that the three outlets engaged in reporting that threatened national security.
The administration went on to detail letters sent to each outlet that provided examples of such reporting. One was a background briefing set up by the White House, where an official briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House itself.
In response to the ban, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News, suspended pool coverage of President Trump this week as he traveled to New York for the General Assembly at the United Nations.
The four networks along with CNN rotate the coverage which is shared with other news organizations. While the networks that aren’t banned have sent reporters to cover President Trump’s activities, they are not shooting video.
Some right wing outlets sympathetic to Trump such as One America News have been providing video coverage, but they lacked the technical capabilities of the larger networks. Another outlet, Real America’s Voice, posted video that showed President Trump’s detail traveling through New York City.
Keven Tripp, the Los Angeles correspondent for NBC News Radio posted on X that the “Press is NEVER supposed to reveal operational aspects of security detail,” calling the move by Real America’s Voice “stupid and unprofessional.”
A U.K. Royal Air Force Hawk T2 training jet crashed in the Pencarnisiog area of Anglesey, North Wales, on Wednesday after both pilots ejected from the aircraft.
Videos captured of the incident show the aircraft porpoising at a slow speed and high angle of attack, before the pair ejected. The Hawk appears to narrowly miss homes before impacting the countryside and bursting into flames, with thick black smoke visible afterward.
Local police said the two pilots were being treated for minor injuries and that there were no reports of wider damage or additional casualties. Emergency services, including Coastguard and Wales Air Ambulance helicopters, responded to the scene.
The crash occurred near RAF Valley, where the RAF operates its Hawk T2 advanced jet trainers as part of fast-jet pilot training. The station is home to No. 4 Flying Training School. The Telegraph reports the incident happening “shortly after takeoff.”
The Royal Air Force confirmed that the incident involved one of its Hawk T2s flying out of RAF Valley.
“An investigation is under way and we will not comment further at this time,” the RAF said.
Wreckage from the aircraft has been located at the crash site. Police have asked the public to avoid the area while emergency services remain at the scene.
The circumstances surrounding the crash, including what caused the aircraft to go down and the nature of the flight, have not yet been established.
The Hawk fleet has experienced previous technical issues.
In 2022, engines were removed from service amid concerns over potential in-flight failures, while the 28-aircraft RAF Hawk T2 fleet was temporarily grounded in January 2023 following an engine-related incident at RAF Valley.
In 2024, then-Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said he wanted to replace the Hawk T2, citing problems with its engines and support and concerns about the reliability of the training capacity it provided. The Hawk T2 is due to be retired by 2040.
Those previous issues are not known to be connected to Wednesday’s crash.
This is a developing story.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
Dolly Parton’s estate has reportedly accused the late singer’s nephew of extortion and threats against staff.
On Tuesday, Parton’s estate, She’s Alive, LLC, requested a restraining order against Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver, court records show. The request came after he was fired from his job as head of security, as TMZ reported.
She’s Alive is run by Parton’s former manager Danny Nozell.
The New York Times reviewed court records containing allegations that Seaver began making demands shortly before Parton died. The demands grew into more serious threats, according to the records the news outlet cited, which the plaintiffs saw as an attempt to obtain money from the Parton estate.
Here’s what to know.
Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, shared the news of his aunt’s death in a video posted to her Instagram account on Aug. 25.
In the video, Seaver, standing in front of a black background, introduces himself as the the son of Dolly’s sister Cassie Parton and says he is representing the Parton and Owens family in announcing his aunt’s death. The Owens are the maternal side of the country star’s family.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” he says in the video.
Seaver adds that he followed in his father Larry’s footsteps in becoming Parton’s head of security, a post he held for more than 20 years.
Seaver and his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, LLC, are the defendants in the lawsuit. They were reportedly terminated about three weeks after the country icon’s death.
Seaver did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.
According to the New York Times’ reporting on the court records, the restraining order request, filed in Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville, sought to keep Seaver away from Parton’s properties and staff.
Nozell was Parton’s longtime manager. He has claimed credit for helping revive Parton’s international touring career.
He told The Times last month that Parton “worked up until the day she died” on multiple projects.
“She loved seeing her dreams come to life, and loved knowing her work brought people joy,” Nozell said in the statement. “Ever the planner, Dolly worked with the team that she handpicked, for the past several years to build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come.”
Nozell’s website described his work with Parton as “arguably his most notable achievements.”
The court records, according to the New York Times, include allegations that Seaver sent a profane threat to a Dollywood business partner, and that, separately, he referred to himself as a “killer” and “not an entertainment person” while corresponding with one of Parton’s longtime lawyers.
According to TMZ, Seaver and his team said in a statement that they were “dismayed by the … unexplained actions” following Parton’s death and “[w]e remain unshakably resolved to fulfill her final directive to protect her family, and we refuse to be intimidated by those whose actions we believe are being taken in bad faith and with the intent to profit from the life of someone who willingly gave so much.”
In Super Macklemore 64, players are chased by a giant Ed Sheeran, dodge tiny billionaire Robert Krafts and summon musicians to chant “Free Palestine”. Creator Jonathan Mann says it highlights the “absurdity” of Macklemore being dropped from Sheeran’s concerts and Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Published On 18 Sep 202618 Sep 2026
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We’re hunkered down in a dark stairwell on the side of a hotel facing a busy street in Hollywood. To passersby, we could easily be mistaken for two teenagers hiding in the shadows. In reality, I’m sitting with Kelela, the electronic R&B architect whose uncompromising vision has quietly reshaped the contours of alternative music.
Dressed in oversize sunglasses, an acid-washed tee, light blue jeans, checkered Vans and a vibrant auburn-colored French bob with micro bangs, she effortlessly rolls a joint with long ombre nails that mimic smoke and fire. She slips it between her lips and flicks a lighter stamped with a single word: Gotham.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Her lighter choice is pure coincidence, she says, but it fits the apocalyptic visual universe she’s built for “New Avatar,” her dark, guitar-heavy third album that merges her early D.C. indie roots with shoegaze, grunge, futuristic club music and R&B. Produced almost exclusively by Oscar Scheller — who has crafted tracks for PinkPantheress and Lily Allen — the 12-track project finds Kelela chasing intimacy, desire and emotional refuge in the midst of an increasingly chaotic world. From the color-inverted cover art to her icy white hair and bleached brows in the video for “idea 1” — a song that draws inspiration from Octavia Butler’s 1993 sci-fi classic “Parable of the Sower” — the world-building is unmistakable.
“I used it to describe the context … of these stories on the record,” Kelela explains about the Gotham visual concept. “It’s a basic reference, but it feels like it applies. It’s the context for people needing to be saved and everything being f— on some level, but there still being hope.”
Just a few miles from the Hollywood stairwell where we’re sitting, Kelela will translate her genre-flexing record for the stage at the Wiltern during two back-to-back shows on Sept. 21 and 22.
Although she’s a New Yorker now, Los Angeles plays a crucial role in her musical journey. In 2010, the Ethiopian American singer-songwriter moved to Venice to work as a nanny before taking a gig as a solar panel telemarketer — a job she picked to avoid moving back home but unexpectedly excelled at.
“I’ve sold solar power to hundreds of people in the L.A. area,” she quips. “I would level with people. I didn’t sound like a salesperson because I can’t sell something that doesn’t make sense.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The job funded her first solo apartment in MacArthur Park, but an insurance payout from a totaled car ultimately gave her the financial runway to leave sales behind and focus solely on music. That freedom manifested into her debut mixtape “Cut 4 Me,” featuring fan favorites like “Send Me Out” and “Bank Head.”
“It’s a very L.A. story,” she says with a laugh.
More than 10 years after the breakthrough record, Kelela returned to L.A. to record “New Avatar” with Scheller at his home studio in Silver Lake.
During their first session, she played him “Outta Time,” a track featuring British singer-producer A.K. Paul (Jai Paul’s brother) that she’d been holding onto for a decade until she was ready to make her first guitar-centered album. She also showed Scheller her “white bag” playlist — a collection of indie, rock and alternative tracks she loved as a teenager, from Incubus to Deftones to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He understood the assignment and by the end of their session, they walked away with two songs: the lead single “Idea 1” and the sensual, U.K. garage-infused “Don’t Piss Me Off.”
“I had a sketch and I think that felt very magical,” Kelela says.
Their natural flow was part of the reason why Kelela was able to release “New Avatar” sooner than previous albums. It arrives just three years after its predecessor, “Raven.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
But leaning into her “white bag” wasn’t just about nostalgia. It’s a return for the artist who was once the frontwoman of indie rockers Dizzy Spells and was rocking out with her then-boyfriend, guitarist Tosin Abasi (of Animals as Leaders). It’s also a direct confrontation with the industry’s racialized genre boxes — a phenomenon Kelela identifies as “sonic racism.”
“It’s designed to keep us apart, to keep us out,” she says, “and I think clocking that is really important.”
She points to the unspoken kinship that forms when Black fans who love heavier guitar music find each other in white-dominated crowds.
“When they meet it’s a different type of bond through the music — like ‘I’ve always felt on the outside,’ but also ‘We are so inside,’” she says. “That catharsis is another feeling and I knew so much of my audience had an experience with this music, but maybe had to compartmentalize and be on the outside in order to enjoy it.” With “New Avatar,” she wanted to “dismantle and disrupt” that dissonance without abandoning her R&B roots, she says.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
That philosophy echoes through the record’s lyricism. Where 2023’s “Raven,” a rave-inspired, post-pandemic offering that ruminated on the times and being firm in your boundaries, “New Avatar” is its older sister who is a bit more wise and speaks with even sharper conviction.
“We need space to feel over it,” she says, “and to not be considered Debbie Downers. That’s basically the role that Black women have been sort of relegated to — to be truth tellers. Then everyone’s like ‘Ugh, come on…’ But it’s like we’re laughing all the time. I’m so happy. I’m not unhappy.”
She adds, “The key is not rooted in escapism. The key is rooted in being honest about what you saw, and that’s kind of the tradition that I’d want my work to live in.”
On “Point Blank,” Kelela explores the emotional labor for a woman in a one-sided relationship: “By now, I hope you see/That bullet set me free/And the more I pour, the more you reap/And I’m too spent too weep.” As the title implies, “Don’t Piss Me Off” sees a woman losing her patience with a lover: “Know you want me/Tell me I’m wrong/Takin’ all night/Don’t piss me off.” But by the album’s closer “If We Meet Again,” she cuts ties entirely: “If we ever amend/Nevermind, over and out.”
“A lot of the songs are like “Y’all ain’t s—,’” she says laughing, “But I try to say it in an artful way.”
Two bright spots on the album arrive in the final act: the dream pop-infused “New Life Forms” featuring Fousheé and “The Bridge,” a song about yearning with PinkPantheress, who returned the favor after Kelela appeared on her track “Bury Me.” Directed by Yasser Abubeker, “The Bridge” music video features a memorable, sultry dance number between the two singers — a sequence Kelela encouraged fans to learn before her shows.
“I cried the first time that Yasser sent me the edit,” she says. “It’s like a love letter to Black queer culture, our intimacy. It’s so sexy without me and her having an overt love interest. It just feels so implied in this smart way.”
The day before we met in Hollywood, Kelela gave an intimate live performance for Spotify. Backed by an all-Black femme band featuring a string quartet, guitar, bass and backup vocals, she performed “Idea 1” and a cover of Incubus’ “Mexico” — a rendition that earned her praise on social media from Incubus’ frontman, Brandon Boyd, himself.
“It’s a really important image,” says Kelela about the video. “In addition to it sounding exquisite, I’m not gonna lie, it also tore visually and symbolically.”
She’ll also be backed by a full band during her “New Avatar Live” tour, which she envisions as a high-energy rave that could break into a mosh pit at any moment.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“It’s another medium for me to be able to articulate or dismantle those constructs around what makes sense together,” Kelela says. “It’s going to be first and foremost — like any record or anything that I do — cathartic for me.”
She continues, “So I’m going to be living my best f— life and through that I know I will give a good show because it just excites me. It’s a dream come true to be able to pull these things together.”
‘Aid influencers’ are being accused of exploiting Nepal flood victims to boost social media followers, as organisations explore new ways to raise awareness and funds for relief efforts. Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque reports.
Published On 18 Sep 202618 Sep 2026
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Texas quarterback Arch Manning has apologized for his public reaction to a video that was altered by AI to show Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe and knocking her to the ground.
Talking to reporters on Monday, Manning brought up the video, then laughed about it and called it “a good one” and “hilarious.”
The next day, the grandson of Archie Manning and nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning posted an apology on his Instagram Story.
“In my press conference yesterday, I made an insensitive comment about an AI video,” Manning wrote. “There is nothing funny about it. It’s easy to say I didn’t mean it, but I know my words and actions were hurtful to a lot of people. I do not take that lightly and am deeply sorry for that.
“I specifically want to apologize to Holly Rowe for what she has personally had to deal with because of my comments. I have a ton of respect for her and appreciate her showing me grace in this moment. I need to do better and will be more thoughtful going forward.”
Rowe posted Manning’s apology on X and indicated she’s not holding a grudge.
“Thank you Arch. I appreciate our conversation about this — which will remain private,” Rowe wrote. “Apology accepted. We move forward with respect and kindness for one another.”
On Saturday, Manning rallied the then-No. 4 Longhorns from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat top-ranked Ohio State 24-23. In the real video of Rowe attempting to interview Sarkisian, the coach yelled a few Texas cheers before rushing away from the veteran sideline reporter to join his team’s celebration.
Houthi-run TV has aired drone video of Yemen’s Mocha International Airport, empty and abandoned after the Iran-backed group took control of the city. The Houthi capture of the Red Sea coast puts a key global trade route at risk.
Published On 15 Sep 202615 Sep 2026
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Israeli troops opened fire Saturday at a group of Palestinians who did not appear to be posing a threat in the occupied West Bank, wounding one man, according to video obtained by The Associated Press.
The video, shot by an eyewitness, showed the man falling to the ground near the Palestinian village of Faqqua, north of the West Bank.
At least 14 shots in total were fired during the duration of the video. They continued as several men rushed to move the injured man to safety before setting him down and tying a tourniquet around his leg in an apparent attempt to stop the bleeding.
Mahmoud Shahin, a resident of the village, said the Palestinians had rushed to the area after receiving reports that Israeli settlers had arrived there with a flock of sheep. He said Israeli soldiers then came and began firing in the air and toward the Palestinians.
He added that the wounded man was undergoing surgery at a hospital in Jenin.
Israel’s military said the video was authentic and confirmed its forces had fired toward the Palestinians, wounding one man, and said commanders would review the incident.
Under the ultranationalist government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, settler violence in the West Bank has surged. The international community largely considers Israeli settlements to be illegal and obstacles to peace.
Over 700,000 Israelis now live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war and claimed by the Palestinians as parts of a future state.
Judy Judge is hanging up her robe.
Nearly 30 years after Judy Sheindlin launched a career that made her TV’s most widely recognized judge — first on the syndicated small claims series “Judge Judy,” which premiered in 1996 and ran for 25 seasons; then on Amazon Prime’s streaming show “Judy Justice” starting in 2021 — she’s passing her gavel to a fitting successor: her son, Judge Adam Levy.
The 83-year-old Sheindlin told People magazine that when “Judy Justice” wraps in October, she’s moving away from on-camera work to focus on other endeavors, including afternoon naps and developing the animated series “Judyverse” based on the “Baby Judge Judy” videos circulating social media.
Created with AI, the videos feature a toddler version of Judge Judy overseeing cases with her signature New York accent and no-nonsense barbs.
“I don’t want to do hair and makeup anymore, but I still want my message to get out there,” she told the outlet.
Sheindlin will also produce her son’s syndicated court TV show, “Adam’s Law,” which debuts Monday.
“There aren’t a lot of people who can carry a half-hour on their own, unscripted,” Sheindlin continued, adding that Levy has what it takes.
The 58-year-old earned his law degree from Hofstra Law School in 1992. This isn’t his first foray into TV, as he joined a panel of judges on Prime’s “Tribunal Justice” in 2023. After three seasons, Sheindlin said he’s ready for his close-up.
On Sept. 22, CBS will air a 30th anniversary special looking back on Sheindlin’s career, “Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable.”
“I don’t think that I’ve ever been this content before,” she told People of entering the next era of her life. “I don’t have to prove anything else. I did it.”
The sprawling snack-food factory in upstate New York appeared to be closed when a small army of immigration officers arrived after 9 a.m. Following a brief discussion of whether to force their way inside, a manager opened the front door.
Over the next several hours, body cameras were running as federal authorities from several agencies made 57 arrests, debated which files to seize and when to release employees who were U.S. citizens. They also searched for anyone in hiding.
The footage from September 2025 shows the raid at the Nutrition Bar Confectioners plant in Cato, N.Y., town of 2,500 people east of Syracuse, and offers a rare glimpse inside a workplace immigration sweep. The Associated Press analyzed the video, which was part of a lawsuit filed Thursday that accuses authorities of overstepping their search warrants.
The officers ordered a manager to announce their presence over loudspeakers while they entered the building and caught employees on the production line, in the warehouse and a few in the bathroom. Officers covered all exits while others swept the interior, including homing in on locked doors.
Male officers encountered a locked bathroom and began shouting instructions in broken Spanish at female employees through the door, demanding that they come out. After about 10 seconds, officers broke through the door.
One woman was outside of a stall and another in the stall. A male officer peered through a locked stall door, and his body cam video revealed a woman sitting on the toilet.
“Miss, pull up your pants. Come out of the bathroom,” he told her.
“You have to wait. I can’t come out like this, naked!” she replied.
Investigators interviewed the general manager and said they were looking into hiring practices and potential fraudulent documents. Inside and outside the building, officers checked every office, storage room and hallway for anyone who was hiding.
Employees were lined up and separated into groups of U.S. citizens and potential noncitizens. Officers asked for their immigration status, requested documents and posed questions about their entry into the U.S. Some employees were pregnant.
Some were parents and expressed concern for their children at home. Others said they would not answer questions without first speaking to their attorneys, and officers told them they would be arrested.
One employee refused to answer questions. “Will you let me talk to my attorney?” she asked the officer. He raised his voice and continued asking about her immigration status.
U.S. citizens were asked for personal information, including their phone numbers and addresses before they were allowed to leave.
A Border Patrol agent who spoke to another official wearing a camera used disparaging language about children from other countries when recounting his experience working at a South Texas immigrant detention center. He said President Biden’s administration allowed millions of people to enter the United States from countries where children are treated “differently” than they are by American parents.
“In other countries, kids are more of a commodity or it’s more of like, I’m going to put it in those terms. It’s more like an animal, right? It’s not prized the way that we do it,” he said.
“There’s countries like Brazil and other places where they’re literal street rats at a very young age who commit crimes, and then they come here. I don’t know if you have kids, but they’ll eat our kids for breakfast.”
The Homeland Security Department said Friday that it executed a criminal search warrant at the plant as part of an investigation that is still open. Its statement did not address the contents of the video or the merits of the lawsuit.
Not all officers wore body cameras, but those who did often indicated to other officers that they were recording before they initiated a conversation.
ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit is responsible for workplace raids, which have been relatively few and low-key compared with ICE’s removal unit, which arrests people in the street, at homes and in public and also manages detention centers. The Trump administration’s largest workplace raid was last year at a Hyundai electric vehicle plant in Georgia. It resulted in nearly 500 arrests and fueled diplomatic tension with South Korea.
The lawsuit against Homeland Security claims federal officers exceeded the authority of their warrants and violated workers’ constitutional rights against unlawful search and seizure.
“There were no arrest warrants,” said Perry Grossman, a supervising attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union, which filed the lawsuit with the Worker Justice Center of New York.
“There was no suspicion that individual workers had committed crimes. And they seized easily 100 people for nonconsensual questioning. They arrested 57. Out of those 57 people, criminal charges were brought against only five. And the most serious charge was unlawful reentry.”
Grossman said one employee got her charges dismissed after contending in a lawsuit that her 4th Amendment rights were violated. He said he was not aware of any charges or indictments against the employers.
Officers detained about 60 people and deported some employees, including two plaintiffs who are part of Thursday’s lawsuit. One plaintiff has since been allowed to reenter the country. Attorneys for the second deported plaintiff are seeking his return.
Law enforcement agencies have come under criticism for not using body cameras and for refusing to release footage when they do. ICE, in particular, has been scrutinized after a $75-billion infusion from Congress and an expanding street presence that has led to three fatal shootings this year.
ICE’s own rules on releasing video are unclear. Its policy calls for expedited release of footage after a serious injury or death in custody when doing so is determined to be in the “ best interests of the agency.”
The Trump administration has repeatedly promised to equip ICE field agents with body cameras, as required by Congress. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last week that the agency was “on track” to do so by the end of September.
Gonzalez and Vancleave write for the Associated Press.
