News

An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot is in big trouble after allegedly trying to take down a plane from a sister airline -- and you can tell by the dozens of charges he's now facing.

44-year-old Joseph D. Emerson -- who's employed by Alaska -- was arrested and booked Monday on 83 counts of attempted murder in Multnomah County, OR ... this after law enforcement claims he attempted to shut off the aircraft's engines mid-flight the night prior.

It's a strange story ... apparently, Emerson was hitching a ride on a Horizon Airlines flight -- which is owned by the same company that manages Alaska -- that was going from Seattle to San Francisco ... but which had to divert to Portland because of this alleged incident.

According to cops -- who cite crew members onboard -- Emerson pulled this incredibly dangerous stunt while sitting in the cockpit's jump seat ... but thankfully, the captain and first officer were able to subdue him and prevent the plane from going down.

ATC audio reportedly captured crew members discussing what happened over the airwaves -- with someone saying, "We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue in the back right now, I think he’s subdued. We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked."

Well, Emerson was indeed met by officials ... and they're accusing him of a lot. In addition to the 83 attempted murder charges, he's also been hit with 83 counts of reckless endangerment -- plus, endangering an aircraft. No word on what possibly led him to do this.

Georgetown women's basketball head coach Tasha Butts has tragically died following a battle with breast cancer, the school announced Monday.

She was just 41 years old.

In revealing the heartbreaking news, school president John J. DeGioia called her death "a devastating loss."

"She was extraordinary," DeGioia said. "Tasha was a person of character, determination, vision, and kindness. She will be deeply missed by our community and by so many people around the country who have been inspired by her life."

Butts starred on the court at Tennessee from 2000 to 2004 -- playing forward for Pat Summit ... before she was picked by the Minnesota Lynx in the second round of the 2004 WNBA Draft.

She eventually got into coaching following her one season in the league, beginning as an assistant with Duquesne in 2007. She later coached for LSU and UCLA, before landing a promotion to the associate head coach role at Georgia Tech in 2021.

She found a ton of success as the leader of the Yellow Jackets, this despite being diagnosed with breast cancer during the 2021 season ... and in April, she was named Georgetown's head coach.

She stepped away from the team last month, however, to continue her fight with cancer.

"When I met Tasha, I knew she was a winner on the court, and an incredible person whose drive, passion and determination was second to none," Georgetown AD Lee Reed said. "She exhibited these qualities both as a leader and in her fight against breast cancer. This is a difficult time for the entire Georgetown community, and we will come together to honor her memory."

The school announced Darnell Haney will be the interim head coach for this upcoming season. It also said Monday it and the Big East will continue to raise funds and breast cancer awareness through her "Tasha Tough" initiative.

It's a tale as old as time -- that moment when you come home from vacation and realize your house is, inexplicably, in pieces ... boy, we've all been there haven't we?

This wacky story is coming out of Atlanta, where Susan Hodgson says she came to learn her longtime family home of over 40 years -- which was thankfully vacant at the time -- had been completely demolished without her permission or her knowledge ... this per AP.

According to Hodgson, she was out of town when she got a call from a neighbor ... who asked if she'd hired a company to bulldoze her home -- one that she owned, but did not live in FWIW -- something that caught her by surprise, because she absolutely hadn't.

Hodgson says, upon her request, the neighbor confronted the crew working on the demolition -- but claims they were totally rude and told the neighbor to piss off. Hodgson says she then sent a family member who had all the proper paperwork to show she owned the place ... and when the workers saw that, she claims they said -- whoops, wrong address!

Once the workers realized they had the wrong place, they apparently just packed up and left ... without so much as a sorry. Now, Hodgson is trying to figure out what to do -- and is weighing her legal options against the company that was behind this

In statement to FOX5 -- which has a great news package about this -- that company (You Call It, We Haul It) says they're investigating the matter ... but that's where things stand.

Hodgson says the home was boarded up -- but notes she and her relatives kept it in good shape, cutting the grass and making sure the taxes were paid and up to date.

The sounds of Hamas hostage-taking came to life in horrifying focus, when the father of two of the victims played audio of the moment his children were taken.

CNN's Erin Burnett spoke with Ilan Regev, who had recorded a call he had with his 21-year-old daughter, Maya, just as Hamas terrorists zeroed in on them during the October 7th attack.

Maya and her 18-year-old brother, were at the music festival when gunfire erupted. You hear her scream, "Dad, they shot me. They shot me. He is killing us. Dad, he is killing us."

Ilan tells his daughter to hide, assuring her that he's coming to get her. He jumped in his car, but when he arrived on scene, he was prohibited from entering.

Los sonidos de la toma de rehenes por Hamás cobraron vida en un espeluznante momento, cuando el padre de dos de las víctimas reprodujo el audio del momento en que sus hijos fueron secuestrados.

Erin Burnett, de CNN, habló con Ilan Regev, que había grabado una llamada que mantuvo con su hija de 21 años, Maya, justo en el momento en que los terroristas de Hamás les apuntaban durante el ataque del 7 de octubre.

Maya y su hermano de 18 años, estaban en el festival de música cuando estalló el tiroteo. Se le oye gritar: "Papá, me han disparado. Me han disparado. Nos están matando. Papá, nos están matando".

Ilan le dice a su hija que se esconda, asegurándole que viene a buscarla. Saltó en su coche, pero cuando llegó a la escena, se le prohibió la entrada.

A Jewish woman in Detroit -- the president of a synagogue, no less -- was killed outside of her home this weekend ... but it's unclear if the tragedy is related to the Israel conflict.

Samantha Woll was found early Saturday morning lying on the ground with multiple stab wounds -- a crime scene officers say they discovered after following a trail of blood from her residence ... near Lafayette Park. She was declared dead at the scene by first responders.

Detroit PD says they've assigned the case to the Homicide Unit due the nature of Woll's death, but have no suspect or motive -- and they're asking the public for any information.

Naturally, Woll's death has sparked tremendous concern in the community ... especially amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which has spurred a number of pro-Palestine demonstrations across the country -- and which has put a lot of Jewish people on edge of late.

Woll had been leading the Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue since 2022 -- and she was a prominent figure in the community ... including to several local politicians.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel actually worked with Woll ... writing about her death, "I am shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder. Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known. She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone."

DPD's Chief issued the following statement ... "Understandably, this crime leaves many unanswered questions. This matter is under investigation, and I am asking that everyone remain patient while investigators carefully examine every aspect of the available evidence. It is important that no conclusions be drawn until all of the available facts are reviewed."

Some U.S. Congress members who knew Woll and worked with her over the years have publicly decried her death ... and many are calling for answers, and quickly at that.

Woll was only 40.

An American mother and daughter who were taken hostage by Hamas terrorists have now been released.

Hamas aggressors say they've released the U.S. citizens "for humanitarian reasons," according to a statement given to The Times of Israel ... in an alleged effort to "prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless."

The American mother and daughter believed to have been taken hostage in Israel are Judith Raanan and her 18-year-old daughter, Natalie -- who went missing after Hamas attacked Kibbutz Nahal Oz over 2 weeks ago.

The 2 traveled to Israel from a Chicago suburb to celebrate a relative's birthday and the Jewish holiday season when they went radio silent ... and as you know, what followed was days of death, destruction, and terror happening in the Middle East.

Judith and Natalie's family have reportedly been informed about the release, and according to CNN, they were handed over to the Red Cross and are allegedly "on their way out," citing sources familiar with the negotiations.

Una madre e hija estadounidenses que habían sido tomadas como rehenes por terroristas de Hamás han sido liberadas, según funcionarios del grupo armado.

Los agresores de Hamás dicen que han liberado a las ciudadanas estadounidenses "por razones humanitarias", según una declaración dada a The Times of Israel, en un supuesto esfuerzo por "demostrar al pueblo estadounidense y al mundo que las afirmaciones hechas por Biden y su administración fascista son falsas y sin fundamento".

Se cree que la madre e hija que fueron tomadas como rehenes en Israel son Judith Raanan y su hija de 18 años, Natalie, quienes desaparecieron después de que Hamás atacara el kibutz Nahal Oz hace más de dos semanas.

Las dos viajaron a Israel desde un suburbio en Chicago para celebrar el cumpleaños de un pariente y las fiestas religiosas cuando no se supo más de ellas, y como bien saben, lo que vino a continuación fueron días de muerte, destrucción y terror en el Medio Oriente

Un hombre que pasó 16 años en prisión por una condena injusta fue asesinado a tiros a manos de la policía de Georgia durante una detención, y todo quedó grabado en video.

Leonard Cure fue detenido por un oficial de la policía el lunes por la mañana, después de que el cronómetro registrara que iba conduciendo a más de 100 millas por hora en una zona de 70 MPH, en la Interestatal 95, en el condado de Camden, Georgia.

El tablero de instrumentos de la policía y las imágenes de la cámara policial publicadas el miércoles capturan cada instante de la violencia que llevó a la muerte de Cure.

Véanlo con sus propios ojos, policía primero ordena a Cure que salga de su camioneta y le pide que ponga sus manos en la parte trasera del vehículo.

Cure insiste en que no ha hecho nada malo y aparta el brazo cuando el ayudante intenta agarrarlo. El diputado entonces saca su TASER y de nuevo le exige a Cure que ponga sus manos sobre el camión.

Esta vez Cure cumple, pero el policía le pide que ponga sus manos detrás de la espalda.

Cure se agita y empieza a cuestionarle el motivo por el que fue detenido en primer lugar.

El diputado le informa a Cure que está bajo arresto por exceso de velocidad y por conducir de forma temeraria.

Los dos entran en una discusión, que rápidamente se intensifica hasta el punto en que el policía le aplica electricidad con su arma a Cure.

Este se queda paralizado por el electroshock antes de abalanzarse sobre el agente mientras agita sus brazos. El policía acaba disparando mortalmente a Cure tras una feroz pelea.

La Oficina de Investigación de Georgia emitió un comunicado, explicando que Cure agredió al ayudante del sheriff y no cumplió sus órdenes.

Pero el abogado Ben Crump, que representa a la familia Cure, dijo que el agente actuó con demasiada agresividad y debería haber hecho un mejor trabajo para calmar la confrontación

En cuanto a la injusta condena de Cure, un jurado lo declaró culpable de robo a mano armada con un arma de fuego y asalto con un arma de fuego en 2004, a pesar de que tenía una coartada y no había evidencia física que lo atara a los crímenes.

A man who spent 16 years in prison for a wrongful conviction was shot to death by Georgia police during a traffic stop ... and it was all caught on video.

Leonard Cure was pulled over in his pickup truck by a sheriff's deputy Monday morning after he was clocked going over 100 miles per hour in a 70 MPH zone on Interstate 95 in Camden County, GA.

Police dashboard and body cam footage released Wednesday caught every bit of the violence that led to Cure's death.

Check it out ... the deputy orders Cure out of his truck and tells him to place his hands on the rear of the vehicle.

Cure insists he's done nothing wrong and yanks his arm away as the deputy tries to grab it. The deputy then pulls his TASER and again demands Cure put his hands on the truck.

This time Cure complies, but the deputy then asks him to move his hands behind his back.

Cure becomes agitated and starts questioning why he was pulled over in the first place.

The deputy informs Cure he's under arrest for speeding and reckless driving.

The two get into an argument, which quickly escalates to a point where the deputy TASES Cure.

Cure freezes from the electroshock before rushing at the deputy while flailing his arms. The deputy ends up fatally shooting Cure after a vicious fight.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation issued a statement, explaining that Cure assaulted the deputy and failed to comply with his orders.

But attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Cure family, said the deputy acted too aggressively and should have done a better job de-escalating the heated confrontation.

As for Cure's wrongful conviction, a jury found him guilty of armed robbery with a firearm and assault with a firearm in 2004, even though he had an alibi and no physical evidence tied him to the crimes.

A dentist in Miami is out of a job after he was spotted ripping down posters of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas ... learning the definition of f*** around and find out.

A viral video from earlier this week shows two men removing missing people posters put up in Miami's Brickell neighborhood. Internet sleuths were quick on the case, identifying one of the men ripping them down in the footage as dentist Ahmed ElKoussa.

The guy's employer, CG Smile, caught wind of the video and took action ... firing him.

ElKoussa's former dental practice says  ... "We are very sad to see this situation upon waking up. Our office CG Smile is not in favor of any of the actions taken by De. ElKoussa. We do not support terrorist groups, actions or supporters. He has been removed from our staff, all of our social media pages and groups."

Folks in the comments are applauding CG Smile for dismissing ElKoussa, while also wondering what spurred him to rip down the posters.

President Joe Biden is siding with Israel over the bombing Tuesday that killed hundreds of people in a Gaza hospital ... claiming it was not Israel that unleashed the weapon.

Israeli intelligence officers said Tuesday's rocket attack on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was the work of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) -- an independent Muslim paramilitary organization. They said the jihadists were launching rockets at Israel and one of them misfired and came crashing down on the medical center.

Coupled with the footage, Israeli officials released a purported audio clip of two Hamas terrorists talking about the deadly explosion and blaming PIJ. Hamas, which controls the Palestinians in Gaza, has a tense relationship with PIJ, but the two groups sometimes work together.

In the audio clip, one alleged terrorist says, "They are saying (the rocket) belongs to Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It's from us?"

The other responds, "It looks like it. It misfired and fell on them... God bless - couldn't it have found another place to explode?"

However, the Palestinian Health Ministry issued a statement, saying Israeli airstrikes were responsible for the bombing at the medical facility, which was housing thousands of displaced people from the war.

Death tolls from the hospital blast ranged from 200 to 500 people, depending on which side you asked.

Major protests throughout the Middle East flared up as a result of the hospital attack. Hundreds of anti-Israel demonstrators took to the streets in Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon.

La madre de Mia Schem está haciendo todo lo posible para humanizar a la joven de 21 años capturada por Hamás, compartiendo un video de su hija feliz y bailando momentos antes de que fuera secuestrada.

Keren Schem —quiem llamó a su hija una "guerrera"— publicó videos que la familia de Mia ha reunido desde ese horrible día.

Muestra a Mia sonriendo y de fiesta con amigos, bailando en el Festival Supernova. Keren dice que Mia "solo fue a un festival para divertirse y ahora está en Gaza".

Hamás publicó el lunes un inquietante video de Mia recibiendo tratamiento médico. Las heridas parecen muy graves y ella le habla a la cámara, afirmando que está bien y suplicándole al gobierno israelí que la saque de Gaza lo antes posible.

El martes, Keren dio una rueda de prensa en la que suplicó "al mundo que traiga a mi bebé de vuelta a casa". Hizo un llamado a Hamás por cometer un "crimen contra la humanidad".

Dice que llamó al teléfono de su hija durante horas y horas después de que los terroristas de Hamás irrumpieran en el festival y mataran al menos a 260 inocentes asistentes al concierto y tomaran como rehenes a otras 200 personas.

Mia Schem's mother is doing everything she can to humanize the 21-year-old captured by Hamas -- sharing video of her daughter happy and dancing moments before she was taken.

Keren Schem -- who calls her daughter a "warrior" -- released videos Mia's family has gathered since that horrific day.

It shows Mia smiling, partying with friends and dancing at the Supernova Festival. Keren says Mia "only went to a party, to a festival party to have some fun, and now she's in Gaza."

Hamas released a disturbing video on Monday of Mia getting medical treatment for what looks like very serious injuries, and speaking on camera ... claiming she's fine and pleading with the Israeli government to get her out of Gaza ASAP.

On Tuesday, Keren held a news conference where she begged "the world to bring my baby back home." She called out Hamas for committing a "crime against humanity.

She says she called her daughter's phone for hours on end after Hamas terrorists stormed the festival and killed at least 260 innocent concertgoers and took about another 200 people hostage.

The Hadids are receiving death threats over their support for Palestine -- and it's gotten so bad they've been forced to take action ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... every member in the Hadid household -- including Gigi, Bella, Anwar and even their parents, Mohamed and Yolanda -- have gotten ominous messages that have made them fear for their lives.

We're told these death threats are coming through multiple mediums ... including emails, social media and even their own cell phones.

Our sources tell us phone numbers of several Hadid family members have been leaked online over the past week -- in other words, they've been doxxed -- and they've had random people hitting them up with horrific sentiments ... including graphic descriptions of how they would carry out the Hadids' executions.

It's forced the hand of the Hadids, whom we're told have all had to change numbers to avoid the ongoing threats. It's gotten so bad, our sources say Mohamed -- the patriarch -- is considering going to the FBI.

Gigi broke her silence in the wake of the Hamas attack -- which came across as measured and nuanced, but her latest remarks have drawn the ire of Israel itself.

That disgust appears to have manifested into blind hatred ... and it's having real-world effects on the family.

Other members of the family have yet to address the Israel-Palestine issue publicly.

A Cornell University professor is in hot water for calling the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel "exhilarating" and "energizing" -- his words, and the crowd's reaction to them, are downright ugly.

Russell Rickford -- who's an associate professor of history there at the Upstate NY Ivy League school -- made the inflammatory remarks over the weekend at a pro-Palestine rally ... which were also caught on camera and circulated on social media.

Cropped versions of this clip have been making the rounds, but even in its full context ... what Rickford says here is pretty despicable. Take a look for yourself -- he starts by saying that Palestinians have been living in oppression for a long time, and that what Hamas carried out two weeks ago (an outright onslaught of innocents) gave them renewed hope.

He says the Hamas attack allowed the Palestinian people a chance to finally breathe -- and makes the bold claim that by doing what they did ... they've "shifted the balance of power."

Bottom line ... this all amounts to a justification for the terrorism, and it sounds like most of the crowd that was on hand was backing him -- chanting "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." Of course, his remarks have also drawn outrage on the other side.

Amid the outcry ... Cornell has yet to respond, nor has Rickford himself. Many are calling for his job ... but it's unclear if anything's going to happen on that front.

On the opposite coast, however, a different professor from a separate prestigious school is singing a different tune on this issue -- UC Berkeley law professor Steven Solomon is now calling for students who preach Professor Rickford’s brand of discrimination to be blacklisted.

He wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal arguing as much ... saying that law firms should not hire Berkeley grads who've spewed "hate, dehumanization or anti-Semitism toward Jews" --  which he says some of his Berkeley students have been doing.

He writes, in part ... "My students are largely engaged and well-prepared, and I regularly recommend them to legal employers. But, if you don’t want to hire people who advocate hate and practice discrimination, don’t hire some of my students." He goes on to state that it is the "duty" of law firms to reject job applicants "if they support discriminatory bylaws or other acts and resolutions blaming Jews and Israelis for the Hamas massacre."