It’s lit.
This is the very definition of goals.
Morolake Akinosun competes in the women's 100-meter dash on April 2, 2016, in Austin, Texas.
Stephen Spillman / AP
"Watching it may have inspired me to tweet that," Akinosun said to BuzzFeed News.
Akinosun, who attended Waubonsie Valley High School in Illinois, said it was the summer before her senior year and she was about a month into the recruiting process for college track and field at the time she sent the tweet. She hadn't yet chosen to attend the University of Texas, from which she will graduate in December.
"At the time I tweeted that out, it was more of a dream and an aspiration," Akinosun said. "A goal has to be somewhat realistic," she added, explaining that in 2011, "I wasn't on the level yet and I didn't know for sure that I would ever get there, but I for sure wanted to get there."
Now, she's only a week away from flying to Rio de Janeiro to compete in the 4×100-meter relay for the 2016 Olympics.
"When I crossed the finish line in Eugene a few weeks ago," Akinosun said referring to Oregon-based Olympic trials that qualified her for Rio, "it was sort of like disbelief... and then I realized I was really going to the Olympics and I started crying."
Morolake Akinosun races against Ariana Washington during the 2016 US Olympic Track & Field Team Trials on July 2 in Eugene, Oregon.
Cliff Hawkins / Getty Images
Some Republicans described Trump’s comments to the family of Army Capt. Humayun Khan as unacceptable and appalling; others said they supported the Khans, but declined to disavow Trump’s statements specifically.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Khizr Khan, the father of US Army Capt. Humayun Khan, delivered a powerful speech Thursday at the Democratic National Convention and questioned Donald Trump's ability to defend the Constitution.
In a statement, Trump said Khan had no right to speak against him. In an interview, he also questioned whether his wife, Ghazala Khan, was prevented from speaking because of her religion.
In response, she wrote a piece published in the Washington Post Sunday about the pain she still feels at the loss of her son.
"If your candidate wins and he governs the way he has campaigned, my country, this country, will have constitutional crises [like] never before," Khan told MSNBC.
"There is so much at stake, and I appeal to both of these leaders: This is the time. There comes a time in the history of a nation where an ethical, moral stand has to be taken regardless of the political costs," he said. "The only reason they're not repudiating his behavior, his threat to our democracy, our decency, our foundation, is just because of political consequences."
America's greatness is built on the principles of liberty and preserved by the men and women who wear the uniform to defend it. As I have said on numerous occasions, a religious test for entering our country is not reflective of these fundamental values. I reject it. Many Muslim Americans have served valiantly in our military, and made the ultimate sacrifice. Captain Khan was one such brave example. His sacrifice—and that of Khizr and Ghazala Khan—should always be honored. Period.
“We have never seen such devastation.”
At 2:20 a.m. Sunday, first responders found the body of an adult woman in the water near the river bank. Her brother was there and told police that she and members of his family were in the main area of the city when the storm hit. They were inside the victim's vehicle, attempting to leave, when the vehicle was swept away by the water. The occupants got out of the vehicle, and all but the victim were rescued by water rescue teams and transported to Howard County General. The victim was swept away and eventually found about 200 yards from the Ilchester Bridge. The victim is Jessica Watsula, 35, of the 2600 block E. Cumberland St., Lebanon, PA 17042.
Baltimore County Police responded at 8:48 a.m. Sunday to the intersection of Ilchester Road and the Howard County line. A citizen reported he was walking on a trail at 8:30 a.m. when he saw a body washed up on shore. The victim, an adult male, was pronounced deceased by a Baltimore County paramedic at 9:05 a.m. He is identified as Joseph Anthony Blevins, 38, of the 7800 block of Paddock Way, Windsor Mill, 21244.
Police learned Blevins was in Ellicott City with his girlfriend Saturday evening. Their vehicle was swept away in the flash flood with them inside. The girlfriend was able to get our and was rescued. Blevins was swept away.
Evan Brown / Via facebook.com
In this video, a person is seen walking with his car during the flood when he is swept away. The poster said the person was ok.
In all, 170 vehicles were impacted by the flood and are now not driveable. They are being towed from walkways, the river and other places.
“This is a new low, even for him,” said Robert Salaam, a Muslim-American who served in the United States Marine Corps for six years.
The veterans, who spoke to BuzzFeed News, called Trump's comments "disrespectful" and called them a "new low" for the reality television personality.
Trump, on Saturday, said the mother of Army Captain Humayun Khan had “nothing to say” about her son at the Democratic National Convention. Trump was referring to the moving speech by Ghazala Khan’s husband, Khizr Khan, last week, where he questioned if Trump has ever read the Constitution.
“If you look at his wife, she was standing there, she had nothing to say,” Trump said in an ABC News interview . “Maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say, you tell me.”
Trump added Sunday on Twitter, "I was viciously attacked by Mr. Khan at the Democratic Convention. Am I not allowed to respond? Hillary voted for the Iraq war, not me!"
Ghazala responded Sunday in a scathing Op-Ed in the Washington Post by calling Trump “ignorant,” and saying she was too emotional to speak.
The Pentagon has said there are over 5,000 Muslim serving in various branches of the military.
John Moore / Getty Images
“Those could have been my parents,” said Shaker, a Republican who does not support Trump, said of Khan family's appearance and speech at the DNC.
“I appreciate that [Khizr Khan] came up there with his wife and showed Americans that Muslims serve in the Armed Forces. I’m glad we got the exposure,” Shaker said, adding that he believes ordinary Americans don’t know that Muslims are elisted.
“I left and joined the Army against my parents wishes, so I can only imagine if it was me who died,” said Shaker, who was deployed in Iraq for a year.
Shaker, who believes the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, would be no better for Muslims at home and abroad, said the only way for Americans to combat those who believe Trump and his rhetoric about Muslims is to get to know one.
“Muslims-Americans are just like every other American in society; we’re doctors and engineers; we run businesses, some of us are veterans; we go to schools, we are Libertarians and Democrats. We‘re just as diverse as any other American,” said Shaker, who is the chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Tampa Bay, Florida.
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“Never in a million years did I think he [Trump] would go this low. This is a new low, even for him,” said Salaam.
“For too long we've been painted as other or un-American. Those of us who are also serving as police, firefighters, or in my case, who has served in the military...I was proud to hear our voice heard at that level,” said Robert Salaam, a former Marine, said of Khizir Khan’s speech.
Attacking military families is something you don’t do, Salaam said of Trump’s comments about Mrs. Khan.
“It is a new low for him because it's such a blatant assault. And what's' even worse is to watch his surrogates or other members of the party try to defend what's not defendable” said Salaam.
Supplied
Jefferson County District Court / Via youtube.com
A district court judge in Louisville, Kentucky, was furious to learn that the local corrections department sent an inmate to court on Friday apparently without proper pants and didn't supply her with requested feminine hygiene products. The woman was in jail for three days.
The Louisville Metro Department of Corrections denied that was the situation, and said the woman was wearing athletic shorts underneath a long t-shirt in court.
Footage of Jefferson County District Court Judge Amber Wolf's exchange with the defendant — who was booked for a first-time shoplifting charge — and her attorney on July 29 has been shared widely on social media.
The 12-minute video begins with Judge Wolf about to sentence the woman when her attorney spoke up: “The jail also refused to give her pants and any of the hygiene products that she needed.”
Jefferson County District Court
“No pants? What? Excuse me?” Wolf asked. “This is outrageous.”
She took out her cell phone and called the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections while still in court with the woman.
“Am I in the Twilight Zone? What is happening?” she said.
After speaking with a representative at the jail, Judge Wolf instructed court staffers to give the woman some clothing to wear before she dismissed her. She also apologized to the woman, calling her treatment “inhumane and unacceptable.”
The woman told the judge that she was wearing the clothes she was arrested in, and that while she was in lockup some women got jail-issued jumpsuits and some didn't.
Judge Wolf reduced the woman’s sentence to a $100 fine, and gave her credit for time served. She initially faced 75 days in jail on the first-offense shoplifting charge.
The Louisville Metro Department of Corrections has pushed back, saying she was wearing a pair of short athletic shorts the whole time she was detained, and that the shorts were hidden beneath her shirt.
“The judge drew a conclusion she didn’t have pants on and didn’t do anything to confirm that,” Durham told local newspaper the Courier-Journal. "If we had taken somebody over with no pants on we should be held responsible. We didn't."
The jail also posted a lengthy statement to its Facebook page breaking down the woman’s bookings, and said that she wore the same clothes that she had been arrested in the whole time she was in custody.
“Perceptions do matter but facts matter more. What is portrayed is not who we are, nor does it reflect on the 98% of us who care about our workplace and our mission,” the statement read.
BuzzFeed News has reached out to Durham for more information.
After Trump suggested that Ghazala Khan’s husband didn’t allow her to talk at the Democratic National Convention, she wrote an Op-Ed for the Washington Post.
During last week's DNC, Ghazala Khan's husband, Khizr, gave a moving speech about his son, a Muslim, and blasted Trump for his incendiary comments about Muslims. During the speech, Ghazala stood by his side, and Trump later suggested that Khizr was preventing his wife from speaking.
Alex Wong / Getty Images
Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images
Ghazala spoke of the sacrifice she made letting her son go to war for the US, and her and her husband's fear for his safety.
"I had already been through one war, in Pakistan in 1965, when I was just a high school student. So I was very scared," she wrote.
"You can sacrifice yourself, but you cannot take it that your kids will do this."
In 2004, Ghazala and Khizr's son, Humayun, told his fellow soldiers and nearby civilians to stand back while he went to investigate a suspicious car. The car was equipped with a bomb and exploded, killing Humayun but sparing those around him.
Khan explained that her husband had asked her to speak at the convention, but that she was far too upset and emotional to keep it together in front of a crowd.
"Walking onto the convention stage, with a huge picture of my son behind me, I could hardly control myself. What mother could?" Khan asked.
"Donald Trump has children whom he loves. Does he really need to wonder why I did not speak?"
Khan also responded directly to Trump's insinuation that she was being oppressed by her religion, and that the reason she did not talk was because she was a Muslim woman.
My religion teaches me that all human beings are equal in God’s eyes. Husband and wife are part of each other; you should love and respect each other so you can take care of the family.
When Donald Trump is talking about Islam, he is ignorant. If he studied the real Islam and Koran, all the ideas he gets from terrorists would change, because terrorism is a different religion.
Donald Trump said he has made a lot of sacrifices. He doesn’t know what the word sacrifice means
Khizr Khan holds up a booklet of the US Constitution at the DNC.
Win Mcnamee / Getty Images
Like, it has approached dumpster fire level.
The derailment injured one passenger and suspended WMATA service through Saturday.
Dr. Scott M. Lieberman / AP Photo
A hot air balloon that caught fire and crashed in Lockhart Texas, Saturday morning appears to have killed all 16 aboard, authorities said.
The incident occurred around 7:40 a.m. local time after the hot air balloon caught fire and landed in a pasture near Lockhart about 30 miles south of Austin, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson Lynn Lunsford told BuzzFeed News in a statement.
FAA and National Transportation Safety Board officials were on their way to the site to investigate, Lunsford added.
"The balloon was occupied and it does not appear at this time that there were any survivors of the crash," Caldwell County Sheriff Daniel Law said in a statement, according to NBC News.
Investigators, however, are currently determining the exact number and identities of victims, he added.
The deadliest hot air balloon crash took place in Luxor, Egypt, on Feb. 26, 2013. That balloon also caught fire, killing 19 of 21 tourists.
BuzzFeed News has reached out to the Caldwell County sheriff and the National Transportation Safety Board for more information.
There's a battle raging over a remote corner of Utah, and though you may never have heard of it, it's a fight that could fundamentally reshape the way the US preserves wild spaces.
The 2 million-acre region known as Bears Ears — named after twin buttes that tower over the landscape — is sacred to many Native American tribes in the Southwest, including the Navajo living in nearby Monument Valley. The tribes, along with some conservationists, want President Obama to designate the land a national monument.
But the coalition is facing opposition from another group of lawmakers, ranchers, and a smaller group of Native Americans that say the rules accompanying a monument would strangle the local economy. It's a loosely affiliated group, but one forged from the same frustration that lead to the Bundy family standoffs in rural Oregon and Nevada, a protest ATV ride in Utah, and dozens of other clashes that stretch back decades. Simply put, many in the West are angry that the federal government controls so much of its land and Bears Ears is ground zero for the fight.
Recent months have seen a flurry of activity from both sides, with demonstrations in Salt Lake City, as well as a string of elected officials visiting the remote region near Four Corners. But now as the conflict enters the 11th hour — President Obama has until the end of his term to actually create the national monument — lawmakers are aiming at something even bolder: an effort to break the back of the system that creates national monuments in the first place.
These officials want to go after the Antiquities Act — a 1906 law giving presidents broad discretion to create national monuments, which have more protections and regulations than other public land. The latest salvo in the offensive happened this month when the US House of Representatives passed a funding bill for the Interior Department that would significantly declaw the act by cutting off funding for new national monuments. The funding prohibition would apply to monuments in numerous counties across eight Western states.
Utah Rep. Chris Stewart, who backed the funding prohibition, said the bill would prevent a national monument at Bears Ears.
"I am committed to continuing to use the power of the purse and my position on the Appropriations Committee to rein in regulatory overreach at the Interior Department," he said in a statement.
The bill is not yet law as it still needs approval from the Senate and the president, who has threatened to veto it. But it nevertheless offers the latest, clearest example of the way Western lawmakers are working to cut down the Antiquities Act, a law they say gives presidents far more power than they should have.
Jim Dalrymple II / BuzzFeed News
And Stewart isn't fighting this battle alone.
In May, for instance, Utah Rep. Rob Bishop told the Salt Lake Tribune, "I would really be happy if they tried to make it a monument because it would be ammunition to go after the Antiquities Act in the best way possible."
Bishop, the chairman of the House Natural Resources committee and a longtime warrior in the fight for state control of public land, is on the record opposing the national monument. But his "ammunition" comment suggests something larger: that he's itching for a fight that could undermine the Antiquities Act.
Utah state lawmakers have also approved a resolution condemning the "unilateral use of the Antiquities Act." In addition to slamming a potential national monument at Bears Ears, the resolution works as a kind of ideological blueprint for the plan to curtail the use of the act. For example, it calls for the state to receive an exemption to the law; it encourages Congress "to amend the Antiquities Act to prevent presidents from unilaterally designating enormous amounts of land within a sovereign state"; and it argues that the use of the act is fundamentally unfair because it "disparately impacts Western states."
Utah Rep. Keven Stratton, who sponsored the resolution, told BuzzFeed News that people are frustrated with a federal system that is "broken" and that "puts public lands at risk." Echoing his resolution, Stratton said he believes that it's time for the Antiquities Act to be reevaluated, "so that the president isn’t using it for political advantage."
A letter that was posted at a gas station in Bluff, Utah.
Utah Diné Bikéyah / Via utahdinebikeyah.org
Other lawmakers are also joining the fight against a potential designation, including Sen. Orrin Hatch, who in June visited the area and said "it would be a tragedy if they would go ahead and just ignore all of the people's rights here." A spokesperson for Gov. Gary Herbert told BuzzFeed News he would be "supportive" of changes to the Antiquities Act, and Rep. Jason Chaffetz posted a photo to Instagram on July 4 with the caption "NO to national monument."
Ken Ivory — a member of the Utah House and president of the pro-state organization the American Lands Council — went a step further, arguing that the president does not have the authority to "lock up millions of acres" by decree.
"All this belonged to the Navajo at one time."
"Our system was designed with an intricate network of checks and balances so you weren’t reliant on one man or one group of people," he said. "This sounds a lot more like the kings going back to England."
Ivory's argument echoes the initial language in Utah's anti-monument resolution that described the president's ability to make land designations as "alleged authority." ("Alleged" was taken out of the final version of the resolution.)
"If we don’t provide politically productive solutions for people, then you’re going to see frustrations continue," Ivory added.
How exactly a challenge to presidential authority and the Antiquities Act will play out remains to be seen.
Opponents of a national monument are also working other angles; this month Bishop and Chaffetz released their Public Lands Initiative, a proposal they've billed as a consensus solution to fights over public land. The initiative would set aside space throughout Utah for conservation, including a 1.4 million-acre Bears Ears National Conservation Area — a move meant to prevent a presidential monument designation.
However, the Bears Ears Coalition criticized the proposal, saying it is "alarmingly unbalanced and falls woefully short." The coalition also criticized Utah lawmakers for excluding it from the initiative drafting process.
"We continue to believe that our monument proposal will establish one of the greatest of all national monuments and parks," the coalition added in a statement.
Whatever happens, it could be a shadow of things to come in Western states, where conservative lawmakers and ranchers are similarly butting heads with Native American groups and conservationists. And according to Stratton, things may not cool off in the immediate future.
"We’re not trying to start a fight here," Stratton added, "but we may end up that way."
It won't, however, be a fight that is easily won.
During a drive to the top of the Bears Ears buttes this spring, Albert Holiday — a member of the coalition — told BuzzFeed News that he's hoping for a presidential decree because the area is filled with ancient Native American dwellings, and because it is still used by his people.
Amanda Nichols, assistant director of Friends of Cedar Mesa, discusses the Cold Springs ruin in San Juan County, Utah.
Jim Dalrymple II/BuzzFeed News
The idea favored by Holiday and other coalition members is to protect the sensitive aspects of the landscape — the ancient sites, the herbs and firewood that people still use — and have native groups co-managing the site that includes scores of ancient ruins, cliff dwellings, and petroglyphs. The ruins date back to the 1100 or 1200s.
Despite efforts to weaken the Antiquities Act and alternative conservation proposals, the coalition continues to lobby for a monument. Those efforts will continue and proponents like Holiday remain optimistic that they will prevail.
"All this belonged to the Navajo at one time," Holiday said. "Our people will take care of it. This is the first in the United States where Native Americans are going to do that, where we’ll take care of it ourselves."
Andrew Harnik / AP
Hillary Clinton's campaign was hacked as part of what appears to be a broad cyber attack on Democratic political organizations running up to the presidential election, Reuters reported Friday.
Leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee were released by WikiLeaks just days before the party's convention, and on Friday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee confirmed to BuzzFeed News they too were hacked.
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the hack into the computer network used by the Clinton campaign, Reuters reported, suggesting a wide effort to infiltrate networks used by the Democratic Party.
A spokesperson for the FBI's national office told BuzzFeed News the agency had no comment on the cyber infiltration of Clinton's campaign.
The Clinton campaign also did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News inquiries about the hack.
Reuters reported that the involvement of the Justice Department's national security division suggests there is suspicion that the cyber intrusions were state sponsored, versus a an attack by an independent hacker or group.
A spokeswoman for the DCCC told BuzzFeed the group was informed that the hack into their computer systems was similar to the attack on the Democratic National Committee.
"We've been advised by investigators that this is similar to other recent incidents," Meredith Kelly of the DCCC said. "We are cooperating with the federal law enforcement with respect to their ongoing investigation."
It was not clear what information, if any, might have been gleamed from the Clinton campaign.
The DCCC is a political fundraising organization for Democrats in the House of Representatives.
LINK: Sanders “Outraged” By Leaked Emails Showing DNC Staffers Criticizing Him
LINK: DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz Stepping Down Amid Email Scandal
LINK: Another Democratic Committee Has Been Hacked
The Newtown, Connecticut, school where 20 students and six educators were killed in December 2012 was demolished and rebuilt.
Mark Lennihan / AP
Mark Lennihan / AP
The lobby of the new school.
Mark Lennihan / AP
Colored toy ducks are placed in a classroom.
Mark Lennihan / AP
Diamond Reynolds
Jim Mone / AP
A special prosecutor was appointed Friday to assist in investigating the case of Philando Castile, a 32-year-old man who was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop in Minnesota on July 6. The bloody aftermath was live-streamed on Facebook by his girlfriend, Diamond "Lavish" Reynolds.
Diamond Reynolds
Jim Mone / AP
Castile's death — which almost immediately followed followed the fatal police shooting of another black man, Alton Sterling, in Louisiana — prompted President Obama say the "deeply troubling" episodes were "not isolated incidents" and were symptomatic of the racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
Castile was shot several times after two Saint Anthony police officers, identified as Jeronimo Yanez and Joseph Kauser, pulled over his car. Reynolds, who was also in the car with her 4-year-old daughter when he was shot, live-streamed her boyfriend bleeding out as she interacted with Yanez. The video sparked national outrage.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). In a press conference Friday, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said that he chose to appoint Don Lewis, a former federal prosecutor and a veteran attorney, as special prosecutor to "provide an independent perspective" and "to ensure public trust and confidence in the legal process."
Castile
Choi said Lewis would play a "critical" role in the case, similar to that of assistant county attorney. Choi acknowledged that his decision would not appease many members of the community who demanded that the case be handed over entirely to a special prosecutor.
“I understand that there is distrust of the system and some may question the ability of a prosecutor to hold police accountable when we rely on them to present cases to our office,” Choi said. “However, if I handed this case off to any other person outside of the duties and authority of my office I would not only be abdicating my responsibility but potentially creating mistrust."
The BCA has not yet presented Castile's case to Choi's office for prosecution review. Only once the case is handed over to his office, Lewis well help Choi determine whether to file charges themselves against the officer or to present the case to a grand jury.
Don Lewis (left) and John Choi
LINK: Attorney For Officer Who Fatally Shot Philando Castile Says He Reacted To Display Of Gun
LINK: “Kids Loved Him”: Here’s What We Know About Philando Castile
Carolyn Kaster / AP Photo
The Michigan attorney general on Friday announced that six state employees have been charged in connection to the Flint water crisis.
The employees "failed to act, minimized harm, and altered data" related to the lead levels in Flint, Michigan, Attorney General Bill Schuette said.
The defendants are Nancy Peeler, Corinne Miller and Robert Scott from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Liane Shekter-Smith, Adam Rosenthal, and Patrick Cook from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
"Their offenses vary, but there’s an overall theme and repeated pattern," Schuette said.
Carolyn Kaster / AP Photo
He said Peeler, the early childhood health section manager at the DHHS, buried a report about lead levels in Flint children's blood and "produced a bogus report that she and Robert Scott prepared."
Peeler sent that report to Miller, a state epidemiologist, who, Schuette said, "told others not to take action when it was required."
Peeler, Scott, and Miller have been charged misconduct in office, conspiracy, and willful neglect of duty. If found guilty, the misconduct and conspiracy charges are felonies carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison; willful neglect is a one-year misdemeanor.
Within the Department of Environmental Quality, Schuette said that Cook and Rosenthal ignored reports that Flint's 100-year-old drinking plant was not in compliance with lead and copper rules.
Rosenthal "tampered with results of water testing, instructing that he needed more tests to go in the right direction," Schuette said. "In other words, tests that did not show high levels of lead."
Both have both been charged with misconduct in office, conspiracy, and willful neglect. Rosenthal was also charged for tampering with evidence.
They reported to state Chief of Drinking Water, Shekter-Smith, who "deliberately mislead her superiors" about the severity of the contamination, Schuette said. She has been charged with misconduct in office and willful neglect.
Friday's announcement comes three months after a city worker and two state workers were charged for their part in the water contamination.
The city’s decision in April 2014 to switch water sources from Detroit to Flint severely infected the city’s pipes and forced residents of the small Michigan city to rely on government-supplied water since January 2016.
A San Diego police officer has died and another was left fighting for his life after being shot during a traffic stop shortly after 11 p.m. PT Thursday.
Following a manhunt across the Southcrest area of the city, the San Diego Police Department detained one individual shortly after 12 a.m. PT. They are still searching the area for other potential suspects, and have urged residents to remain indoors.
The slain officer was shot multiple times in the chest, while the second officer was injured and is in surgery.
The officers, who have not been named, are part of the SDPD's gang suppression department, but were conducting a traffic stop when the incident occurred. Shortly after stopping the car, they called for emergency cover, Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said in a news conference.
Chief Zimmerman called the officers "heroic", and said they were "out there day and night, putting their lives on the line to protect good people of San Diego".
Zimmerman said telling the slain officer's wife was "extremely difficult," ABC News reported. The officer had two children.
Fellow officers gathered outside the Scripps Mercy Hospital, where the slain officer was treated. The injured officer's wife is with him in another hospital.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.
Mark Makela / Reuters
Bill Cosby on Thursday voluntarily dropped his lawsuit against sexual assault accuser Andrea Constand to instead focus on the criminal case he faces for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting her at his home.
Cosby was arrested and charged in December on suspicion of three counts of aggravated indecent assault based on an investigation by Pennsylvania authorities into allegations that he drugged and sexually assaulted Constand, a Temple University basketball coach, at his Cheltenham home in 2004.
Constand's mother, her attorneys, as well as American Media Inc., the parent company for The National Enquirer and Radar Online were also dropped from the lawsuit. Cosby had claimed the group of breaking a confidentiality settlement they had reached in 2006 a year after Constand sued for assault after the then-district attorney declined to press charges over the alleged assault.
Dominick Reuter / AFP / Getty Images
According to Cosby, the confidential agreement was violated last year when Constand and her mother sat down for interviews with the new district attorney, which led to the criminal charges he now faces.
Cosby claimed AMI also violated the agreement by publishing stories such as "World Exclusive: Bill Cosby Will Die In Jail," and "99 Victims In 43 Years for Bill Cosby."
But Cosby's attorney stated that the decision to dismiss the lawsuit was made to allow his legal team to focus on the more pressing criminal matters. Cosby is due back in court on Sept. 6 regarding the aggravated indecent assault criminal case.
Cosby's Attorney Angela Agrusa released the following statement regarding the dismissal to BuzzFeed News:
"Last week, Judge Robreno denied in substantial part the motions to dismiss filed by American Media, Inc. (publisher of National Enquirer), Andrea Constand, and her lawyers.With a court validation of his ability to proceed forward in that action to protect his own rights, Mr. Cosby has today stepped away from that suit and will instead focus his efforts on defending himself against the claims that have been lodged against him."
Cosby's request for dismissal filed in Pennsylvania federal court was made "with prejudice," meaning he gives up the right to ever re-file the case.
"We were always confident that AMI had not breached any agreement with Mr. Cosby, and we are pleased that he has decided not to pursue the litigation further," an AMI spokesperson said in a statement.
Constand and her lawyers did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' request for comment.
Cosby has been accused of sexual assault by more than 40 women over the years, but has denied all allegations against him.
LINK: Bill Cosby’s Wife Refused To Answer At Least 98 Questions Under Oath
LINK: Here Are All The Women Who Have Accused Bill Cosby Of Sexual Assault
LINK: The Long Road To Criminal Charges Against Bill Cosby
“After all, when there are no ceilings, the sky’s the limit,” Hillary Clinton said Thursday at the Democratic National Convention.
Alex Wong / Getty Images
Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic party's nomination for president on Thursday, securing her place in history as the first woman to lead the presidential ticket of a major U.S. party.
During her hour-long speech at the Democratic National Convention, Clinton talked about her own life and what had driven her to public service, emphasizing the lessons her mother had taught her.
She also talked about her plans to fight for affordable health care, women's rights, immigration reform, and the environment, pointing to her past work as an example of what she would do as president.
"Look at my record," she said. "I've worked across the aisle to pass laws and treaties."
Clinton aligned herself with President Obama, talking about the importance of their friendship and even referenced his speech from the night before.
"Remember what the president said last night: Don't boo, vote," she told the crowd.
Clinton also criticized her rival, Donald Trump, saying if he couldn't handle a presidential campaign then he certainly wouldn't be able to lead the country.
"A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons," she said.
AMERICA.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Win Mcnamee / Getty Images
Alex Wong / Getty Images
Delegates cheer during the final day of the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images
The FBI is investigating a hack at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, a second cyber intrusion on the party following an embarrassing attack on the Democratic National Committee, the Associated Press and Reuters reported.
The apparent cyber attack on the party's Congressional campaign arm comes after Wikileaks published more than 19,000 emails from the DNC, some of which showed staffers criticizing the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign.
The emails were released days before the Democratic National Convention, sparking an FBI investigation of its own about a possible hack into the party's system and leading chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign.
According to the Reuters report, the intrusion at the DCCC started sometime in June. A Democratic aide confirmed party leadership had been informed of the investigation, the Associated Press reported.
Officials at the FBI and DCCC did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News inquiries.
Reuters reported a fake website with a domain name similar to that of the DCCC was created, and apparently collected donation information that was meant for the DCCC. The site used an internet protocol address similar to one set up by hackers linked to the Russian government.
Cyber security experts and U.S. officials have suggested Russia might be behind the DNC cyber attack, but on Thursday, the Director of the National Intelligence said he was not ready to say for certain who was behind the hack.
LINK: Sanders “Outraged” By Leaked Emails Showing DNC Staffers Criticizing Him
LINK: DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz Stepping Down Amid Email Scandal
They can probably miss their bedtimes for just one night.
Alex Wong / Getty Images
“At the end the day this is history, I want my daughter to see it first hand, that is far more important than any superficial political conversation anyone could have,” Shapiro told BuzzFeed News.
Sophia used to joke with her dad that she aspired to be the first woman president.
And if she isn't — “it’s OK,” Shapiro said.
A Virginia police department invited people with outstanding warrants to catch the very rare Pokémon, Ditto, in their processing room.
In a Facebook post, the Smithfield Police Department invited a few "random citizens" to catch an extremely rare Pokémon in the station's processing room.
"The rarest Pokemon of all has been spotted in the Smithfield Police Department processing room: Ditto!" the police notice reads, referring to the legendary egg-making Poke that is believed to be uncatchable at this time.
"Since it so rare we can only allow a limited number of people in the building to capture it," the statement continued. "We put the mainframe computer in the basement to work and came up with a list of random citizens eligible for this rare opportunity. If your name is on the list below, you are one of the lucky folks invited to come to the Police Department for the capture!"
There were only 8 names on the list. People in the comments were quick to point out that to get on the list one would have to "commit a felony."
The post was shared by Sgt. Bryan Miller, a patrol sergeant and administrator of the Smithfield police Facebook page.
“I had no idea it was going to be this big,” Miller said to the Pilot Online.
He added that he doubted it would lead any criminals to the station, but he would be waiting with handcuffs if they did show up.
“If I never hear Fight Song again, it will be too soon.”
Mark Lasser alongside other Colorado delegates.
Emma Loop / BuzzFeed News
PHILADELPHIA — Visually impaired delegates told BuzzFeed News the Democratic National Convention has done a dismal job of accommodating them, despite the party boasting about the event's accessibility.
"All of it was a lie," says Mark Lasser, a visually impaired delegate from Colorado.
Last week, event organizers said they were implementing "an unparalleled accessibility plan to make" the Philadelphia event "the most inclusive and accessible in history."
That plan, according to a press release, would help "build upon the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by removing barriers for all American’s [sic] with disabilities who wish to be involved in the Convention."
But Lasser says visually impaired delegates' accommodation requests were all but rebuffed. Lasser said he almost didn't attend the convention because it took four months to get credentials for his sighted assistant.
"Everybody I have lined up to do this job winds up making other plans eventually," he says.
Neither a walking cane nor a service dog work in the arena, he said, because it's too loud and crowded. "Imagine being in this place with a blindfold, by yourself, for a week," he says. "You might still do it, but you'd be pretty max-stressed out."
Lasser says he finally got a call from the DNC's ADA coordinator last Wednesday, who he said gave him less than 48 hours to find an assistant.
"I had to call over 80 people and I couldn't find anyone," he says.
Lasser says the DNC also refused to provide Braille copies of materials, such as the event program guide, and tactile maps of the location. In addition, there's no audio description service for the event.
"Unfortunately, we haven't got anything at all," says Jestin Samson, a visually impaired delegate from California.
Jestin Samson in the stands with the California delegation.
Emma Loop / BuzzFeed News
The DNC has not responded to interview requests from BuzzFeed News.
Wednesday night's lineup at the Wells Fargo Center included an in memoriam video. Music played as the names and faces of Democrats who died recently appeared on the arena's jumbo screens. But the lack of descriptive services meant Samson had little idea what was happening.
"I wasn't able to see who was on the screen, I wasn't able to determine what was going on," Samson said, disappointed. "It was nice music but I couldn't get the gist of what it was about."
Lasser said that when he requested accommodations such as descriptive services, organizers told him it didn't actually have to adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act because it only applies to public events, and the DNC requires credentials.
In the end, Lasser's mother-in-law agreed to travel from Las Vegas to Philadelphia to accompany him for the week. He says a Braille welcome guide also became available on Tuesday, but nothing else.
"I know there are failures all around," Samson said. "There are other people with other disabilities who have also felt like the party isn't accommodating to their needs as well."
"It's not just blind people, but we definitely took the brunt of it," Lasser said.
Sierah Joughin.
Police in Ohio investigating the abduction and killing of a 20-year-old woman discovered a secret room hidden at the back of a suspect's barn, with blood on the walls and restraints for holding people against their will, authorities said.
The grim discovery was made by officers investigating the death of Sierah Joughin, who disappeared while riding her bicycle in Fulton County, near Toledo, on July 19.
Her bike was discovered abandoned in a corn field in Amboy Township where deputies found evidence of a struggle, including crops knocked over, a screwdriver, and a motorcycle helmet covered with blood, according to a search warrant executed by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office.
The warrants, provided to BuzzFeed News by a Fulton County clerk, were made public after legal action by the Toledo Blade newspaper.
Worley's body was found July 22 in a shallow grave roughly a mile away from the corn field where her bike was discovered.
According to authorities, as deputies interviewed neighbors, James Worley, 57, told them that at the time of Joughin's disappearance his motorcycle broke down and he pushed it into the corn field, where he found two bicycles. He said he lost his helmet and screwdriver at the scene.
"Worley made the comments that he didn't steal anything or kill anyone. Interviewers observed what appeared to be fresh marks on the arms of Mr. Worley and what appeared to be bruising on his lower legs," Sgt. Matt Smithmyer wrote in a search warrant.
Cell phone records were also said to show that Worley had spent almost two hours at the scene of the abduction, and had been in the area where the body was discovered.
Deputies reportedly found Joughin's blood on Worley's motorcycle at his home, as well as zip tie restraints, a ski mask, and mace in his truck.
At the back of Worley's barn, authorities allegedly found a hidden room, which contained a hidden carpet-lined freezer. They also found blood on the room's walls and in the freezer, according to the warrant.
Worley allegedly told police he had hidden cameras around his property.
Authorities also reported finding several pairs of "female panties and undergarments found in the property, one of which had blood on them," according to the warrants.
Worley had previously been convicted of abduction and ordered to see a therapist, who he allegedly told he "learned from each abduction he had done and the next one he was going to bury," Smithmeyer wrote.
"Worley fits the profile of a serial offender and could potentially have additional unknown victims who could have been kept at the above described location," Smithmeyer warned in a warrant. "[T]hese types of offenders will often keep trophies."
Worley is being held in the Correctional Center of Northwest Ohio on charges of abduction and aggravated murder.
