Long Hostage Drama Over in Midland City, Alabama
Long Hostage Drama Over In Midland City, Alabama
The FBI says it will conduct a review of events leading up to the death of a South Alabama man who held a young boy hostage for nearly a week. Law enforcement officers stormed Jimmy Lee Dykes’ underground bunker in rural Midland City yesterday afternoon. They freed the five-year-old hostage, a boy identified as Ethan, and sources say they killed Dykes because they were convinced the child was in imminent danger. Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson said last night that Dykes was armed when officers entered the bunker to rescue Ethan.
Before yesterday’s action, authorities spent nearly a week negotiating with Dykes to release Ethan. Dykes had grabbed the boy after storming onto a school bus and shooting the driver to death. Dykes then barricaded himself in an underground bunker he’d dug on his property. Grief and the slow pace of negotiations with the suspect frayed nerves in the close-knit, rural community, as WBHM’s Dan Carsen reported for NPR’s “Morning Edition” the weekend before the standoff ended.
He also was interviewed that afternoon by “All Things Considered,” and by WBUR-Boston’s “Here and Now” today.
A Ukrainian actress saw herself in a White House video — and created one in response
Antonina Khyzhniak, who appeared in stock footage included in a White House Instagram video for the Trump administration's tax bill, responded with a humorous video — and a serious message.
CBS is the latest news giant to bend to Trump’s power
With a $16 million payment to settle President Trump's lawsuit over 60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris, CBS becomes the latest media outlet to bow to his power.
The GOP’s massive bill would add trillions of dollars to the country’s debt
The GOP tax cut and spending bill passed by the Senate this week is expected to add trillions of dollars to the federal debt over the next decade. The savings would mostly go to top earners.
Trump announces trade deal with Vietnam
The announcement came after President Trump in April proposed a steep 46% tariff on Vietnamese imports; he later paused those tariffs while talks continued.
Whether you’re driving or flying, here are travel tips for the Fourth of July weekend
AAA anticipates that a record 72.2 million people will travel this holiday weekend. Here's how to prepare if you're one of them.
Sean Combs found guilty on two counts, but acquitted on most serious charges
Combs was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but the jury found him not guilty on the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
