At a well-known adventure destination in Laos, where methanol-tainted alcohol has been linked to a recent wave of poisonings, one American national passed away. According to the State Department, the U.S. national passed away in Vang Vieng, a backpacker-friendly hamlet north of Vientiane, the capital of the Southeast Asian nation. On Thursday, a representative told NBC News, "We extend our deepest sympathies to the family on their loss." To show respect for the family, the spokesperson did not disclose the victim's identity or the cause of death. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid respects to 19-year-old Bianca Jones and her friend Holly Bowles, who both passed away in Thailand after being airlifted from Vang Vieng for medical treatment. In a speech to the Australian Parliame...

President-elect Donald Trump ended a turbulent week for his prior pick, Matt Gaetz, by appointing close buddy Pam Bondias as his new attorney general on Thursday. Hours after Gaetz removed his name from consideration due to heightened scrutiny over sexual misconduct claims, Bondi was promoted. Bondi would oversee the Justice Department and determine the course of federal investigations and prosecutions if confirmed. Some of Trump's detractors worry that he would use his administration to exact revenge on them, which is why he chose him to be the country's top law enforcement official. "The partisan Department of Justice has been used as a weapon against Republicans like me for far too long." Trump stated on Truth Social, "Not anymore.""Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of ...

In Alabama's third nitrogen hypoxia execution this year, an inmate convicted of a 1994 murder passed away on Thursday. Concerns regarding the potential for protracted suffering and whether there is an unlawful danger of more pain are still raised by the new execution technique, which entails breathing only nitrogen gas through a mask while being deprived of oxygen. However, a federal appeals court last week dismissed the convicted man's attorneys' claims, allowing 50-year-old Carey Dale Grayson to be executed. The governor's office reports that Grayson was put to death at 6:33 p.m. in the state prison in Atmore for the kidnapping and murder of Vickie Deblieux, a hitchhiker, when he was 19 and his three co-defendants were under 18. After the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the death penalt...

On Thursday night, President-elect Donald Trump said that Pam Bondi would be his new attorney general. From 2011 to 2019, Bondi served as Florida's attorney general. Hours after former Representative Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrew from consideration, the news was made. "The partisan Department of Justice has been used as a weapon against Republicans like me for far too long." Trump stated on Truth Social, "Not anymore.""Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again." Additionally, Trump commended her efforts to combat the trafficking of lethal pharmaceuticals. Bondi previously served on a Trump commission that addressed drug addiction and the opioid problem. According to the firm's website, Bondi is a partner with the lobbying firm Balla...

A Georgia mother was given a life sentence on Thursday for the murder of her 20-month-old son, who she reported missing in 2022, sparking a massive search that resulted in the discovery of the boy's remains in a landfill. Last month, Leilani Simon was found guilty of killing Quinton Simon. In a Chatham County court, she was given a life sentence with the prospect of release. Before imposing a sentence, Chatham County Judge Tammy Stokes stated, "It is evident that Quinton Simon's life and death affected not just a huge number of people but also the community as a whole. On October 5, 2022, Simon reported her son missing from their Chatham County, close to Savannah, home. Authorities quickly declared that Simon was the main suspect and that they thought Quinton was dead. Five weeks or so aft...

On Thursday night, President-elect Donald Trump said that Pam Bondi would be his new attorney general. Bondi was the attorney general of Florida before that. Hours after former Representative Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrew from consideration, the news was made. "The partisan Department of Justice has been used as a weapon against Republicans like me for far too long." Trump stated on Truth Social, "Not anymore.""Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again." Additionally, Trump commended her efforts to combat the trafficking of lethal pharmaceuticals. Bondi previously served on a Trump commission that addressed drug addiction and the opioid problem. According to the firm's website, Bondi is a partner with the lobbying firm Ballard Partn...

In his testimony on Thursday, a forensic pathologist employed by Daniel Penny's lawyers stated that Jordan Neely's death was caused by a combination of several causes rather than a chokehold. In connection with Neely's chokehold murder on a New York City subway train in May 2023, Penny faces charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. The defense is attempting to disprove testimony from a New York City medical examiner who determined that Neely died from compression to his neck as a consequence of a chokehold, and Dr. Satish Chundru was the second expert witness to testify. Chundru, a consultant and forensic pathologist, claimed to have performed over 9,000 autopsies while serving as a medical examiner for Texas and Florida counties. He said that just over two weeks after Ne...

MLB announced Thursday that Aaron Judge, the center fielder for the New York Yankees, and Shohei Ohtani, the designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers, had been awarded the National League and American League MVPs, respectively. Ohtani, 30, was the 2021 and 2023 AL MVP winner. He led the NL in the latter two categories with a.310 batting average, 54 home runs, and 130 RBI in his debut season with the Dodgers. Ohtani finished second in hits and first in OPS for the league. Ohtani was the first big leaguer to ever record at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. He also stole 59 bases, which was second among all players, in addition to his skill at the plate. After spending the first six years of his Major League Baseball career with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani ink...

After the department's internal watchdog expressed concerns that the long-standing practice of the Drug Enforcement Administration searching travelers at airports and confiscating their cash was encouraging widespread civil rights violations and possibly racial profiling, the Justice Department ordered the agency to halt the practice. The Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General said in a management directive released Thursday that it had been receiving complaints regarding the searches for years and had recently discovered fresh evidence indicating serious issues with them, including possible constitutional violations. According to the IG, the program significantly increases the likelihood that DEA Task Force Officers and Special Agents will carry out these tasks incorrectly, ...

On Thursday night, President-elect Donald Trump said that Pam Bondi would be his new attorney general. Bondi was Florida's attorney general before that. Hours after former Representative Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrew from consideration, the news was made. "The partisan Department of Justice has been used as a weapon against Republicans like me for far too long." In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, "Not anymore.""Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again." Additionally, Trump commended her efforts to combat the trafficking of lethal pharmaceuticals. Bondi previously served on a Trump commission that addressed drug addiction and the opioid problem. According to the firm's website, Bondi is currently a partner with Ballard Partner...