| | The U.S. military community is reportedly trying to determine whether a recent U.S. airstrike in Syria killed a top ISIS leader known as Omar “the Chechen” Al-Shishani, officials told CNN on Tuesday. The strike in question took place Friday in al-Shaddadi—a strategic city previously held by ISIS forces before the Syrian army launched an offensive. Al-Shishani, the leader who may have been killed, has had a $5 million reward on his head from the U.S. State Department, and is considered one of the militant group’s strongest commanders. | |
|
| | |
| | Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday that they will not bring criminal charges against Richard Haste, the NYPD officer who shot and killed unarmed black teen Ramarley Graham back in 2012. Haste shot Graham, who was 18, in front of his grandmother and 6-year-old brother after chasing the teen into his own home during a drug investigation. Haste was stripped of his badge after the shooting, and has been receiving a salary as dictated by police union rules. He was initially charged with manslaughter, but was eventually dismissed, and the city ended up doling out a cash settlement to the Graham family. | |
|
| | |
| | The killer whale from award-winning documentary Blackfish is on the brink of death, SeaWorld revealed Tuesday. "We are saddened to report that over the past few weeks, Tilikum's behavior has become increasingly lethargic, and the SeaWorld veterinary and animal care teams are concerned that his health is beginning to deteriorate," the animal theme park said. "Our teams are treating him with care and medication for what we believe is a bacterial infection in his lungs. However, the suspected bacteria is very resistant to treatment and a cure for his illness has not been found." The company added that its veterinarians have turned their focus to "managing his illness in a way that makes him comfortable and creates an enriching life." The elderly orca has been at SeaWorld for 23 years and—as Blackfish made famous—he has killed three people, including two trainers, possibly as a result of the strain of captivity. | |
|
| | |
| | The younger brother of former President George W. Bush and failed presidential candidate Jeb Bush has joined Ted Cruz's national finance team. Neil Bush and his wife Maria were announced as the newest members of Cruz's backing team in a Tuesday press release from the Texan senator's campaign. Jeb Bush, meanwhile, has remained quiet about endorsing any candidates for the March 15 primary in Florida. "We are seeing incredible momentum around our campaign," Cruz said in the statement, which boasted of former Jeb, Rand Paul, and Rick Perry supporters joining his team. | |
|
| | |
| | One American tourist was killed and 13 people were injured Tuesday throughout Israel in multiple attacks by Palestinians, officials said. The incidents occurred over a span of roughly 90 minutes in East Jerusalem, Petah Tikva, and Jaffa (the southern part of ancient city Tel Aviv). The unidentified American victim was stabbed in Jaffa, and the 22-year-old assailant in that attack was shot dead by police. The attackers reportedly used both guns and knives to injure Israeli police and passersby. Vice President Joe Biden was reportedly visiting a mile away from where the Jaffa stabbings took place. | |
|
| | |
| | Slovenia will begin to demand European Union visas at its borders in order to enter the country, starting at midnight, effectively closing the Eastern European nation from migration. The move will affect thousands of migrants stranded in nearby Greece who will not be allowed to proceed north through Serbia, Slovenia, or Croatia. Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar announced in November that the country would impose temporary hurdles to stem the tide of refugees flowing into the country. Slovenia is the home country of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump’s wife Melania. | |
|
| | |
| | One of the Baltimore policemen charged in the death of Freddie Gray will have to testify against other officers involved in the case while he awaits his own retrial, a Maryland court ruled Tuesday. Officer William Porter’s own manslaughter trial ended in December with a hung jury, and Tuesday’s ruling that he must testify means his fellow officers’ cases will now be allowed to proceed. The 25-year-old Gray died in April 2015 after his neck was broken while he was unsecured in the back of a police vehicle. | |
|
| | |
| | A rapidly growing number of Latinos are trying to gain U.S. citizenship so that they can vote against Donald Trump, The New York Times reported Tuesday. “I want to vote so Donald Trump won’t win,” one woman told reporters of the former reality-TV star turned GOP frontrunner. “He doesn’t like us.” She’s allegedly just one of several hundred legal residents—mostly Mexicans—who crowded into a Denver union hall where volunteers helped immigrants fill out citizenship applications. The process takes an average of five months for approval; and according to federal figures, naturalization applications jumped 14 percent during the six months ending in January. Advocates say the pace is still picking up by the week. Applications could approach one million in 2016, a total that’s about 200,000 more than the average in recent years. | |
|
| | |
| | Detroit Lions wide-receiver Calvin Johnson announced his retirement from the National Football League on Tuesday. “After much prayer, thought, and discussion with loved ones, I have made the difficult decision to retire,” the six-time Pro Bowler said via statement. “I have played my last game of football.” Nicknamed Megatron, Johnson has a series of impressive milestones to his name, including the NFL single-season record for most receiving yards and No. 2 in all-time receiving yards in a single game. He is also the Detroit Lions’ franchise career leader in all-time yards and touchdowns. | |
|
| | |
| | A 22-year-old man has been charged with murder in the Chicago execution-style shooting of 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee last November during a South Side gang conflict. Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, said Dwright Boone-Doty was charged with first-degree murder Monday in the Nov. 2 shooting death of the grade schooler. He was also charged in the fatal shooting of another woman, identified as Brianna Jenkins, just weeks earlier. Police say Tyshawn Lee was shot to death after being lured into an alley and was allegedly targeted because of his father’s gang ties. Investigators are looking into whether Lee was murdered in retaliation for his father’s possible involvement in the deaths of at least two members of a rival gang. Another arrest was made in Lee’s case in November, police said. | |
|
| | |
|
| | THE DAILY BEAST | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | © Copyright 2016 The Daily Beast Company LLC 555 W. 18th Street, New York NY 10011 | If you are on a mobile device or cannot view the images in this message, click here to view this email in your Web browser. To ensure delivery of these emails, please add thedailybeast@e2.thedailybeast.com to your address book. If you have changed your mind and no longer wish to receive these emails, or think you have received this message in error, you can safely unsubscribe here. |
|
|
|
|