Emmett Till Mississippi Grand Jury ... Declines to Indict White Accuser
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Emmett Till's accuser will likely NOT face criminal charges over his lynching -- because a grand jury in Mississippi just determined there wasn't enough evidence to indict her.
88-year-old Carolyn Bryant Donham skirted what many say would've been justice Tuesday when a Leflore County grand jury declined to hand down an indictment, charging her in connection with the 1955 killing of the 14-year-old Till ... which rocked the nation.
Local prosecutors presented newly discovered evidence in the case -- including an old arrest warrant with Donham's name on it from back then -- but after 7 hours of listening ... the jurors felt it wasn't sufficient to bring forth any charges.
Kidnapping and manslaughter were on the table for Donham. The unearthed arrest warrant from 1955 -- which also included the names of the men who were ultimately tried and acquitted -- was never executed, so Donham was never taken into custody at the time or charged with any crime.
Remember, her accusation that Emmett whistled at her in a convenience store is what triggered the atrocity.
There are conflicting accounts as to how Donham sees her role in the Till tragedy ... some claim she has recanted and said she never intended for things to escalate as much as they did, but she's denied that on several occasions. Emmett's family has been calling for her to pay for what she started, but now ... it seems she'll escape prosecution.
The Mississippi Attorney General has already gone on record to say she will not be reopening the case, kicking the matter down to the county.
In the wake of all this ... a new film about Emmett Till is finally making its way to theaters.
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Little League Baseball Batter Drilled In Head By Fastball ... Comforts Pitcher Afterward
Touching moment in a Little League World Series regional tournament on Tuesday -- a batter comforted an opposing pitcher after the kid accidentally drilled him in the head with a fastball.
The scene all went down in the first inning of the Texas East vs. Oklahoma matchup in Waco, Texas ... when Isaiah Jarvis was at the plate squaring off with Kaiden Shelton.
On the third pitch of the at-bat, a fastball got away from Shelton, and plunked Jarvis right in the side of his forehead.
"Hey, you're doing just great"
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) August 9, 2022 @Jomboy_
Oklahoma little leaguer gets hit in the head and then comforts the pitcher who is shaken up afterward pic.twitter.com/hYYLiy511K
Jarvis immediately crumpled to the ground in pain -- but he was able to shake it off after his helmet absorbed most of the blow.
Shelton, though, was so rattled by the wild pitch, he broke down on the mound. Video from the stadium shows he was in tears, and needed a few moments to collect himself.
That's when Jarvis walked over from first base to tell him he was fine. Field microphones also picked up the Little Leaguer adding, "Hey, you're doing just great."
Shelton ended up leaving the pitcher's mound to go play in the infield -- but Jarvis' gesture was clearly appreciated by everyone watching, including the game's announcers.
As for how the contest ended up -- it's currently still pushing forward, with Shelton's Texas East team leading 9-4 in the fourth inning.
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Morgan Wallen Brings Out Jeezy ... Chugging Beers & Kickin' It Onstage!!!
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Morgan Wallen has been touring for a long time, but his latest show might go down as one of his favorites for more reason than one ... because not only did he welcome one of his heroes, they chugged beers together too!!!
Morgan's 'The Dangerous Tour' made a stop in Atlanta over the weekend, and he brought a surprise guest, Jeezy. The rapper's "Put On" blasted through the speakers while Morgan and fellow country artist Hardy shotgunned beers on stage, Jeezy poured a shot.
While the moment was clearly a good time for fans, it was kinda full circle for Morgan, who actually tweeted back in 2012 that Jeezy was one of his favorite artists.
After the show, the two hung out backstage and talked music. Jeezy's obviously been listening to some of Mogan's work, raving about his song, "Whiskey Glasses," and saying, "that was my sh**." So he's clearly a fan.
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FBI Raid Feds Waited for Trump to Leave Town ... Before Conducting Raid
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The FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago and Donald Trump's visit to New York City were not coincidental ... the feds timed the raid so there would not be a confrontation between agents and the former President ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.
Sources involved in numerous FBI searches tell TMZ ... even if there were not a confrontation, protocol in raids like the one Monday would go like this ... the FBI would swoop in and, if the target of the search warrant was in the house, agents would typically handcuff the target until the property was secured. The target would not be arrested, but rather detained.
Once the property was secured, agents would remove the handcuffs but the target could not reenter the premises until the raid was completed.
This would present an extremely awkward situation for the feds, and it would become a political hot potato.
Trump was in New York July 20 for Ivana's funeral and, as far as we know, he has not been back to Mar-a-Lago. He was in New York City during Monday's raid.
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San Diego Padres Fan Kicks Man Down Stairs At Game ... Wild Brawl At Petco!!!
The Padres didn't show much fight on the field on Monday night, but their fans in the stands certainly did ... as several men got involved in a wild fracas out in right field.
The melee happened at some point during San Diego's lifeless 1-0 loss to the Giants at Petco Park -- when four people got into a tiff.
It's unclear what started the altercation, but video shows it got violent in a hurry ... when one fan in a Padres jersey attempted to Sparta-kick a man down a row of stairs.
The guy, though, somehow ended up staying on his feet -- and then he dragged the Padres supporter down the stairs himself.
Eventually, two other guys jumped into the fray and began throwing punches.
The men traded blows for a few seconds -- before a bevy of security guards raced into the action to break it up.
A spokesperson for the San Diego Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... "security handled and two subjects were ejected. We were not made aware of fight until it was concluded."
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Jared Kushner & Ivanka Trump Dinner Date Night After Dad Gets Raided
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Not long after former President Donald Trump was raided in Florida -- his daughter was seemingly having a ball in Minnesota -- grabbing dinner and flashing a smile with her hubby.
Ivanka Trump, DT's former senior White House advisor, was out in downtown Rochester Monday night with Jared Kushner ... about 2.5 hours after her pops got an unwelcome visit from the FBI at Mar-a-Lago, where they executed a search warrant.
In photos obtained by TMZ, you can see IT and JK departing Bleu Duck Kitchen, we're told -- where witnesses say they had a table to themselves and apparently a bit of vino. Both looked to be in great moods, despite what was happening with 45.
The couple mostly kept to themselves as patrons looked on, but no one bothered them. We're told they were being watched over by one security guard before leaving and taking a stroll down the street.
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Jockey Taiki Yanagida Dead At 28 ... Horrific Horse Racing Accident
Awful news in horse racing ... jockey Taiki Yanagida -- known as "Tiger" -- has passed away days after he fell and was trampled during a race in New Zealand.
Taiki was only 28.
The accident occurred last Wednesday during the last race at Cambridge Jockey Club ... when the Japanese jockey fell off his horse, Te Atatu Pash, about 250 meters from the post, where the race begins, according to the NZ Herald.
Yanagida -- who lost his helmet in the fall -- was rolled on by his own horse and then trampled by another following closely behind.
The jockey suffered serious brain and spinal injuries and was transferred to the Waikato Hospital where he was placed into an induced coma.
Very sad to hear the news Taiki Yanagida passed away at Waikato Hospital from a race fall at Cambridge last Wed.
— Mark Nowell Racing (@MarkANowell) August 9, 2022 @MarkANowell
Here are photos I took of Taiki winning earlier on the day.
So sad 💔 RIP Taiki. pic.twitter.com/3OODjJJyqn
Unfortunately, Yanagida never recovered ... he died on Tuesday. Taiki is the first jockey to die in a race fall in New Zealand since 2016.
"He was such a wonderful young man," Yanagida's racing manager, Ted McLachlan, told the Herald.
"It really is a tragedy and so hard to watch what his mother and sister here have had to go through.
Rip Taiki {Tiger} Yanagida . i didnt know him personally but a few of my friends did .He was apparently a lovely person, friendly and outgoing .This was his brilliant 2nd Group winning ride on Bellatrix Black .My sincerest condolences to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/vXcvgGn6TD
— Chris Moore (@Lion_Tamer_Nz) August 9, 2022 @Lion_Tamer_Nz
"This will really hurt the other people in the industry because Taiki was so popular."
Yanagida raced in New Zealand for several years and rode over 160 winners since 2017.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing CEO Bruce Sharrock also expressed great sadness at the loss.
"Our deepest sympathies are with Taiki’s family – his mother Kayano, sisters Chiaki and Ayano, and his grandmother," Sharrock said.
"We share their grief at the loss of such a talented, friendly, and well-liked young man."
R.I.P.
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JOHNNY DEPP I'm Back With Dior New 7-Figure Deal As Fragrance Face
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If there were any doubts big names would get behind Johnny Depp again following his legal win over Amber Heard, lay them to rest ... Dior is betting big on JD with a new contract.
Sources directly connected to the deal tell TMZ … Johnny just signed back with Dior to be the face of their Sauvage men's scent. We're told in all, it's a multi-year deal worth 7-figures.
We're told the deal recently came together, and was cemented after Dior honchos and famous fashion photog Greg Williams attended one of Johnny and Jeff Beck's rock concerts in Paris as a show of support for JD.
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Our sources say Johnny did a photo shoot with Greg before and after the Paris show, and the content will be used in a new Dior advertising campaign.
Remember ... Johnny first signed with Dior back in 2015 as the face of the cologne and the deal has just been re-upped. It's interesting ... after Amber first made her allegations against Johnny, the Sauvage commercial stopped airing on TV.
As we first told you ... Johnny's OG ad started getting some prime time placement on FOX after he scored a courtroom victory against Amber ... and now he's got a new deal that will last for years.
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Lance Armstrong Ties The Knot With Longtime GF ... 'Best. Day. Ever.'
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Lance Armstrong is a married man -- he just tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend ... and the ceremony went down in a very familiar place for the former cycling star -- France!
Armstrong posted a bunch of photos Tuesday morning of the amazing event ... calling his special day with Anna Hansen the best "ever."
"It was an evening full of laughter and plenty of joyful tears," Armstrong said of the wedding ... before adding, "Hope you are all having an excellent summer - I sure as hell am."
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The 50-year-old, who won 7 straight Tour de France crowns from 1999 to 2005 (but was later infamously stripped of the honors), initially began dating Anna back in 2008 -- and he said in his post Tuesday she's been his "absolute rock the past 14 years."
"Let me be clear," Lance wrote on his Instagram page, "I would not have survived [the 14 years] without you. I am so proud of the couple we have become."
The two have two children together -- and Lance said he was so happy both could attend their ceremony, calling it "so special."
"I love you immensely," Armstrong said to Anna in his post, "and will always be here for you and our family."
This is Armstrong's second marriage -- he previously wed Kristin Richard in 1998.
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FBI Raid Trump Supporters Protest at Mar-a-Lago After FBI Raid's Ex-Prez's Home
The FBI raid on Donald Trump's home immediately turned political ... with pro-Trump protesters gathering in front of Mar-a-Lago ... claiming it was a witch hunt.
As we reported, the FBI descended on Trump's home Monday ... on the hunt for classified and unclassified materials that Trump allegedly took from The White House when he left ... materials that should have ended up at the National Archives.
Trump improperly and allegedly illegally took a slew of materials that should have stayed in D.C., and months ago surrendered 15 boxes of stuff, but the feds believe he didn't turn over all of it.
A judge signed a warrant after determining there was probable cause the former President committed a crime by withholding the materials, which allowed the FBI to conduct the search. It's the first time in American history the feds raided the home of a former president.
This all didn't sit well with Trump supporters, who were weirdly celebratory as they encircled Mar-a-Lago. They played dance music ... not exactly the sign of angry protesters.
As for Trump ... he reportedly told his fans, "Another day in paradise."
Trump actually broke the news about the raid, complaining the feds broke into his safe.
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Serena Williams Retiring From Tennis ... After U.S. Open
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Serena Williams is moving on from the sport she's dominated for decades -- the superstar just announced she's "evolving away" from tennis after the U.S. Open.
The 40-year-old shared the news in an essay with Vogue on Tuesday ... saying it's time to move on and focus on other challenges -- raising a family and business ventures off the court.
"I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst," Williams said. "But please know that I am more grateful for you than I can ever express in words. You have carried me to so many wins and so many trophies."
"I’m going to miss that version of me, that girl who played tennis. And I’m going to miss you."
Serena currently has 23 individual Grand Slams and 14 in doubles alongside her sister, Venus. She won her most recent singles title while two months pregnant in 2017.
Serena is by far one of the greatest to ever do it ... and has changed the sport of tennis forever since making her debut in 1995.
In fact, she is the highest-earning female athlete of all time ... and was ranked 31st on Forbes' list of top earnings among all pros in 2022 with $45.3 million.
Her off-court ventures have proven to be just as successful -- in 2009, Serena and Venus became minority owners of the Miami Dolphins, making them the first black women to hold any ownership of an NFL team.
Serena is also one of the owners of the Angel City FC soccer team ... and earlier this year, committed millions in hopes of helping a big do buy Chelsea FC in London.
Recently, Williams started Serena Ventures, which raised $111 million in outside funding this year.
A movie about the Williams sisters' upbringing, "King Richard," was released in 2021 to positive reviews ... and earned Will Smith an Oscar for his portrayal of their father, Richard. Both sisters were executive producers for the flick.
Serena -- who gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in 2017 -- is married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian ... and says she would like to have more children.
Serena wishes she had more time to say goodbye to the sport ... but given her goals of expanding her family, she's left with no choice.
"Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family," she added. "I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family. Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity."
The U.S. Open kicks off at the end of the month ... and it will truly be the end of an era.
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China New, Potentially Fatal Langya Virus Detected ... Cause For Alarm Overseas
No, this isn't deja-vu ... China has discovered a new, potentially fatal virus within its borders, which experts say could trigger yet another pandemic.
The Langya Henipavirus, referred to as "Langya," has already infected 35 people, according to Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control ... it's in the same family as the Hendra virus and Nipah virus.
While none of the patients have died or suffered serious illness, it's a virus that hasn't infected human beings prior to this outbreak ... so there are a lot of unknowns.
Being under the Henipavirus umbrella, it has the potential to do some serious damage ... WHO data classifies Henipavirus with a 40-75% fatality rate.
The symptoms might look all too familiar -- fever, headache, cough, fatigue, etc.
A report by the New England Journal of Medicine says the infected patients had a history of being in contact with animals ... however, it's now possible the virus has already been transmitted from human to human.
Covid, Monkeypox, and Langya -- oh my!!!
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Donald Trump FBI Agents Raiding Mar-A-Lago ... They Broke Into My Safe!!!
Donald Trump's Florida home was crawling with FBI agents Monday ... with the feds raiding his Mar-a-Lago resort as part of a search warrant.
The raid reportedly involves Trump's failure to turn over classified and unclassified government documents and other materials that he improperly took from The White House to his Florida home. Trump belatedly turned over 15 boxes of government property a few months ago, but obviously the feds think he still has stuff he shouldn't have.
It's an absolutely stunning turn of events ... in order for the FBI to search Trump's home, they had to first get the approval of the Attorney General himself, and then go to a federal judge and submit hard proof there is PROBABLE CAUSE to believe A CRIME WAS COMMITTED. That deserves all caps, because it's never been done before in the history of our country -- a former president in the active crosshairs of a federal criminal investigation and one that was serious enough to trigger a search warrant.
The former President is currently in New York City. He acknowledged the raid, grousing the FBI broke into his personal safe. Trump is blaming the raid on the Democrats and those who do not want him to run for the White House in 2024 ... and he's trying to compare the raid to Watergate.
It's unclear what FBI agents seized from Trump's home or safe.
As you know, the Justice Department is also investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 national election.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder, who worked in the Obama administration, recently predicted Trump will eventually be indicted on criminal charges as a result of the DOJ investigation.
The DOJ is also investigating Trump's role in the Jan. 6 insurrection, with a number of former Trump administration officials recently testifying before a grand jury as part of the probe.
Story developing ...
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Issa Rae Donates to Family of Pregnant Woman Killed in Fiery L.A. Crash
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Issa Rae is showing her support, after a pregnant woman and 5 others died in a tragic car crash near her hometown ... donating money to help the woman's family in the wake of the devastating loss.
The family of 23-year-old Asherey Ryan set up a GoFundMe to raise $100K to help cover funeral expenses for the young mother. Not only was Asherey killed in the crash last week in Windsor Hills -- her 11-month-old son, Alonzo, and her unborn child also died -- the money raised will go toward their funeral expenses as well.
The family has received lots of support ... exceeding their goal by $50K. Issa Rae, who was raised in Inglewood, about 10 minutes from the crash site, is among those who have donated, chipping in $2,500.
Asherey was among 6 people who died in Thursday's fiery crash. Cops say 37-year-old Nicole Lorraine Linton was allegedly driving up to 100 mph, when she sped through a red light, slamming into several vehicles which ignited a massive blaze.
Surveillance video from a nearby business shows the horror of the accident.
Linton was arrested Friday, and has been charged with 6 counts of murder and 5 counts of gross vehicular manslaughter. If convicted, she faces 90 years to life behind bars.
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Ashton Kutcher I Had A Super Rare Autoimmune Disease ... Threatened Hearing and Sight
Ashton Kutcher hit up Dodger Stadium for a good cause ... and he arrived as his episode with Bear Grylls dropped, revealing he went through a serious health battle a couple of years back ... a battle that threatened his hearing and sight.
Before Ashton and Mila Kunis took to the stadium Monday night, the actor's episode of "Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge" showed the guy fought an autoimmune disease 3 years ago.
He tells Bear he battled vasculitis, which is a rare disease that inflames blood vessels, making it difficult for blood to flow.
Before there are a bunch of rumors/ chatter/ whatever out there. Yes, I had a rare vasculitis episode 3yrs ago. (Autoimmune flair up) I had some impairments hear, vision, balance issues right after. I fully recovered. All good. Moving on. See you at the 2022 NY Marathon w/Thorn
— ashton kutcher (@aplusk) August 9, 2022 @aplusk
While he says it was hard for him to see and hear, he decided to find the positive in it -- saying he's lucky to be alive and believes life is fun when you see obstacles as things designed to get you where you need to be.
Not long after the airing, Ashton and Mila were in Dodgers territory for Ping Pong 4 Purpose ... which is aimed to help turn at-risk kids and neighborhoods around, working with pitcher Clayton Kershaw and his wife Ellen's org, Kershaw's Challenge.
Ashton and Mila were just a few famous faces in attendance -- Will Ferrell, Mario Lopez, Lisa Leslie, Rob Lowe, Gabriel Iglesias, Brad Paisley, and Pete Wentz were there, just to name a few.
The guy also took to the beach over the weekend with Mila, enjoying his time in the sun.
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Rae Sremmurd's Slim Jxmmi Busted at LAX Georgia Wants Him Extradited on Drug Charges
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7:17 AM PT -- 8/11 -- Slim Jximmi is officially in the clear, Sadow tells us, "The probation violation warrant from Cobb County, GA has now been dismissed, the matter in LA is over and closed, and Slim Jxmmi is no longer in custody."
Slim Jxmmi, one half of the rap duo Rae Sremmurd -- had a not-so-nice welcome home when he touched down in L.A. ... after authorities discovered there was an outstanding warrant out for his arrest.
LAX law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... when Slim flew in from Canada Sunday, Customs and Border Patrol agents took him into custody. We're told Slim had a warrant out of Georgia stemming from a prior arrest involving possession of marijuana with intent to sell.
We're told Georgia authorities have already gotten a judge to authorize extradition from L.A. to Georgia. He's currently in custody in L.A. being held without bail. The stakes are high ... the maximum sentence in the Georgia case is 30 years in prison.
This isn't the only legal issue he faces ... TMZ broke the story, Slim Jxmmi was arrested back in January for battery after an alleged fight with his girlfriend.
We spoke with him in March after a training session at Dogpound Gym in West Hollywood, and he told us he was looking forward to making some positive changes in his life and, "Be done with the stupid s***."
Jxmmi's attorney, Steve Sadow, says the whole thing happened because of a miscommunication, telling us, "Nearly two years ago, Aaquil entered a plea to a marijuana offense in Cobb County, Georgia. He was placed on probation. In early June 2022, the mother of his child filed a untruthful complaint with the Cobb County Police Department, which led to an arrest warrant being issued."
He continues, "Aaquil was not arrested on that warrant. Instead, a Cobb County Magistrate Judge held a hearing on July 20, 2022 and dismissed the warrant. Unfortunately, the Cobb County Probation Office was not made aware that the arrest warrant was dismissed and thus failed to withdraw its probation violation warrant. When Aaquil came back from Canada into LA airport, he was arrested on the probation violation warrant. We expect that warrant to be withdrawn in the next day or so, and then Aaquil will be released.”
The whole saga is clearly not over yet.