During their first date, Leslie Reeves and Chris Smith were shot, with only Smith surviving. Smith was found in his Illinois home with a bullet in his brain and was placed in a medically induced coma after brain surgery. Pieces of the bullet are still in his brain, as removing them could cause further harm. Smith recovered and can now move his left leg from his knee up, although he has no recollections from the night of the shooting. Now he is back singing with his rock band and is engaged to his fiancée, despite his neurosurgeon saying he may never be able to walk again.
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The FBI is investigating the death of Dennoriss Richardson, a Black man who was found hanged in an abandoned house in Alabama, following a request from the local sheriff amid community accusations of local law enforcement misconduct. Richardson’s death was ruled a suicide by the Colbert County Sheriff’s Office but his wife insists he would not kill himself and believes his death might be connected to a lawsuit he filed against local police, alleging assault and abuse while in custody. Widespread distrust of the local law enforcement reflects a history of excessive force incidents and lynchings in the area. The recent case is one among a series of lawsuits against the Sheffield Police Department. Sheriff Eric Balentine hopes the FBI investigation will help alleviate community concerns.
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Chanel’s CEO Leena Nair has criticised the AI model ChatGPT for creating an all-male team when asked to present a leadership group from the brand. ChatGPT’s apparent gender bias contrasts with Chanel’s employee makeup, which is 76% female. Nair, who is the second woman and first Indian CEO of the company, is invested in AI integration for Chanel, but plans to address the biases seen in such technologies. In a statement, an OpenAI spokesperson acknowledged bias as a significant problem in AI, pledging continued work to reduce it. Fortune later reported that ChatGPT generated an image with both men and women present when given the same instructions.
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A 61-year-old man was critically injured in Hawaii when a shark attacked him while he was surfing, severing his leg just below the knee. Emergency services were called to the scene and worked to stem the bleeding before transporting him to Maui Memorial Medical Centre. People have been warned to stay away from the beach park and to avoid the water within a mile in each direction of the incident. Local authorities are patrolling the area using rescue watercraft and drones. There have been no further details regarding the type of shark involved.
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Violent crime in Detroit is down 24%, the most substantial decline since 1966, according to the Detroit Police Department. Community Violence Intervention (CVI) teams and new technology have played a crucial role in this reduction in crime. One of the six organizations involved in Detroit’s CVI program, Force Detroit, has achieved a 72% decrease in violence in the Cody, Rouge area. Despite this positive progress, some residents feel the impact has been minimal. Force Detroit attributes the level of violent crime to a lack of social services and is focused on aiding this issue to further reduce crime rates.
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In the lead-up to the presidential election, former President Donald Trump has criticised actress Julia Roberts for her endorsement of his political opponent, Kamala Harris. Roberts narrated a Vote Common Good advertisement, urging women to vote for Harris regardless of their partners’ preferences. Trump voiced his disapproval during an appearance on Fox & Friends, calling the ad “stupid” and arguing that it doesn’t reflect how couples typically behave. The commercial features two women casting their votes for Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, while their husbands look on. The backlash from Trump occurs as Harris concludes a $370 million media campaign.
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Shasta County in Northern California has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by Jessica Long and her nine-year-old daughter over the confiscation and butchering of their family pet, a goat named Cedar. The lawsuit claimed that deputies wrongfully executed a search warrant to seize Cedar, who the young girl had raised as part of a county fair farm animal care program. Despite Long offering to pay for any costs and requesting the goat not be slaughtered, officials led the animal away. The settlement is the first step in resolving the long-running dispute, though questions still remain over who arranged for the goat’s confiscation and slaughter. The litigation against Shasta District Fair employees and a 4-H volunteer is ongoing.
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TGI Fridays has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, blaming the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The company intends to use the bankruptcy process to explore alternatives to ensure its long-term viability. The process will affect the parent company, which operates 39 restaurants, but not its franchisees. The company secured funding to allow all locations to continue operation while it navigates bankruptcy. The chain, which began in 1965, experienced significant financial struggles from the pandemic and never fully recovered.
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Pastor Gus Booth from Warroad Community Church in Minnesota drew criticism for blending politics and religion during a recent sermon. Strongly condemning the Democratic Party from the pulpit, Booth expressed support for the Republican Party and urged congregants to vote accordingly. The sermon drew mixed reviews, with some appreciating Booth’s words and others finding them shocking and distressing. The pastor’s actions have stirred debate over the legality of his actions, as churches are tax-exempt and are not legally meant to influence political views. However, Booth believes he retains his right to freedom of speech, even inviting an IRS investigation, as he has been sending recorded sermons to the IRS for years.
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During a rally in Milwaukee, Donald Trump experienced microphone problems and suggested he might “knock the hell out of people backstage”. The crowd had chanted “fix the mic” after Trump encountered several issues with his microphone during his speech. In response, Trump simulated fellatio on the microphone stand, causing shock and disbelief on social media. The View’s Ana Navarro called Trump unfit for office, while others called his behaviour “unhinged.” Trump later complained about the weight of a wireless microphone an aide gave him. The Trump campaign has yet to comment on the event.
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John Q. Hosedrinker