Alabama
Man indicted after fishing tournament boat crash killed 3
CULLMAN, Ala. (AP) — A Georgia man has been indicted on manslaughter charges in Alabama after an April boat wreck during a professional fishing tournament killed three people and injured two others.
Flint Andrew Davis, 22, was indicted Thursday in Cullman County on three counts of reckless manslaughter and two counts of first degree assault, all felonies. Davis, a Leesburg, Georgia, resident, was also indicted on three misdemeanors, including reckless operation of a vessel, failing to follow boating rules and boating without a boater safety certification.
Video shows Davis’ boat speeding across Lewis Smith Lake, a popular recreational destination about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of Birmingham, striking another boat, and launching into the air. Officials say Joey M. Broom, 58, of Snead, Alabama, was fatally injured in the collision. John K. Clark, 44, of Cullman, Alabama, and Jeffrey C. Little, 62, of Brandon, Mississippi, were thrown overboard and drowned, officials have said. Two other men were seriously injured, Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said at a Friday news conference.
The crash happened while Davis was fishing in the second day of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational, a bass fishing tournament put on by Major League Fishing. The others weren’t part of the tournament, but taking part in a company-sponsored fishing trip.
Although investigators determined Davis’ boat was traveling at 67 mph (108 kph) at the time of the crash, Alabama Marine Patrol Chief Matt Brooks said at the news conference that speed was not a factor in the crash. Instead, he said the wreck was caused by “operator inattention, distraction, not paying attention, failing to keep a proper lookout.”
Brooks said investigators found that “Mr. Davis clearly did not see” the other boat. He also said that Davis didn’t have the required license to operate a motorized boat in either Georgia or Alabama.
Attorney Tommy Spina, representing Davis, said Davis expresses “his deepest remorse and contrition” to the families of those who died, as well as to those who were injured.
Spina said that Davis wasn’t under the influence of alcohol or drugs and was not otherwise distracted.
“He simply did not see the other boat until the moment of impact,” Spina said. “There are many possible explanations for why this tragic collision occurred, but those matters will be fully addressed, in due course, in the courtroom and not in the press.”
Davis is free on bail after his arrest.
Multiple wrongful death lawsuits have been filed seeking civil damages. The accident has also sparked calls for legislation to more closely regulate boating and fishing tournaments in Alabama. Clark said grand jurors recommended that all fishing tournaments require proof-of-boating licenses and that fishing tournaments do more to promote safety.
California
Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner sue for defamation over racketeering claims by Ray J
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kim Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, are suing her ex-boyfriend Ray J for saying they are under federal investigation and on the verge of being indicted.
The defamation lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday by the reality TV stars and businesspeople is a fast and aggressive pushback against allegations they say are entirely baseless.
They say Ray J, whose legal name is Ray Norwood Jr., falsely claimed that he was working with federal investigators on a racketeering case against them that will soon lead to their indictment.
The lawsuit says Ray J’s comments are part of a “sustained campaign of harassment and defamation” that has gone on for years.
“Unable to accept the end of his fleeting relationship with Ms. Kardashian over twenty years ago, Ray J has repeatedly sought to attach himself to Plaintiffs’ names and exploit their prominence for personal gain,” the lawsuit says.
The women say two recent statements crossed a line and forced a lawsuit.
The court filing points to a TMZ special that aired in May, in which Ray J said “racketeering charges against the Kardashians would be appropriate,” and “if you told me that the Kardashians were being charged for racketeering, I might believe it.”
He went further in a Sept. 30 livestream that according to the lawsuit had millions of viewers, saying, “The federal RICO I’m about to drop on Kris and Kim is about to be crazy” and “the feds is coming.” He added that the racketeering case would be “worse than Diddy.”
An email to a Ray J representative seeking comment was not immediately answered.
The lawsuit says he gave no evidence for his “blatantly false” statements.
“No such federal investigation exists; no law enforcement agency has initiated any criminal proceedings or investigations related to racketeering charges against Ms. Kardashian or Ms. Jenner; and no credible evidence whatsoever supports these inflammatory allegations,” it says.
Ray J is a singer, actor and brother to pop star Brandy. But he probably remains best known for his relationship with Kardashian, and a sex tape showing the couple that was leaked in 2007.
“Ray J’s acknowledged animosity toward the Kardashian family, coupled with his demonstrated willingness to lie for attention, leaves no room for doubt that his recent RICO statements were neither careless nor impulsive,” the lawsuit says. “They were the latest salvo in a deliberate and malicious campaign of harassment and defamation intended to defame Plaintiffs while reviving his own fading notoriety.”
The lawsuit says the “media storm” set off by the comments has caused them reputational and financial damages that will be established at trial.
Kardashian and Jenner are represented in the case by attorney Alex Spiro, who has become a go-to lawyer for prominent figures and led the team that got charges against Alec Baldwin dismissed in the middle of his trial.
Washington
Lawsuit seeks to stop President Trump’s $100,000 fee for H-1B visas
SEATTLE (AP) — In what appears to be the first major challenge to the new $100,000 fee required for H-1B visa applications, a coalition of health care providers, religious groups, university professors and others filed a federal lawsuit Friday to stop the plan, saying it has “thrown employers, workers and federal agencies into chaos.”
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Sept. 19 requiring the new fee, saying the H-1B visa program “has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labor.” The changes were slated to go into effect in 36 hours, which caused panic for employers, who instructed their workers to return to the U.S. immediately.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, said the H-1B program is a critical pathway to hiring healthcare workers and educators. It drives innovation and economic growth in the U.S., and allows employers to fill jobs in specialized fields, the lawsuit said.
“Without relief, hospitals will lose medical staff, churches will lose pastors, classrooms will lose teachers, and industries across the country risk losing key innovators,” Democracy Forward Foundation and Justice Action Center said in a press release. “The suit asks the court to immediately block the order and restore predictability for employers and workers.”
They called the new fee “Trump’s latest anti-immigration power grab.”
Messages seeking comment from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which are named as defendants along with Trump and the State Department, were not immediately returned.
The H-1B visa program was created by Congress to attract high-skilled workers to fill jobs that tech companies find difficult to fill. About a third of H-1B workers are nurses, teachers, physicians, scholars, priests and pastors, according to the lawsuit.
Critics say the program is a pipeline for overseas workers who are often willing to work for as little as $60,000 annually, well below the $100,000-plus salaries typically paid to U.S. technology workers.
Historically, H-1B visas have been doled out through a lottery. This year, Seattle-based Amazon was by far the top recipient of H-1B visas with more than 10,000 awarded, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple and Google.
Geographically, California has the highest number of H-1B workers.
The $100,000 fee will discourage the best and brightest minds from bringing life-saving research to the U.S., said Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors.
Mike Miller, Region 6 Director of the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, said Trump’s plan “prioritizes wealth and connections over scientific acumen and diligence.”
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, contends the “exorbitant fee” invites corruption and is illegal. Congress created the program and Trump can’t rewrite it overnight or levy new taxes by executive order, the groups said.
Florida
Attorneys say reopening of Stardust Racers is preventing further investigation of man’s death
The family of a 32-year-old man who died of blunt force injuries on a theme park roller coaster is accusing Universal Orlando Resort of endangering lives by reopening the ride this weekend.
Attorneys for the family said the Epic Universe park reopened the Stardust Racers ride even though they were in “active communication” with the company seeking to have it inspected first by their legal team’s experts.
“Whoever is making the decision to put profits over people and their safety, may God have mercy on your soul,” Ana Zavala, the mother of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, said in Spanish during a Monday news conference with their attorneys.
“They reopened the ride as if his life didn’t matter and his death wasn’t worth answering for,” reads a statement written by the victim’s father, Carlos Rodriguez Ortiz. “We’re not here to tear Universal down. We’re here to lift safety standards up.”
Attorney Ben Crump condemned the reopening, saying “Universal has a responsibility not just to Kevin’s family, but to every family who visits the park to ensure its rides are safe for all guests.”
A representative for Universal did not immediately respond to an inquiry on Monday.
Previously, Karen Irwin, president and chief operating officer at Universal Orlando Resort, said the ride at the company’s newest theme park had undergone an extensive operational and technical review that confirmed the ride systems had functioned properly and Universal workers had followed proper procedures. The ride system’s manufacturer and an independent roller coaster engineering expert also conducted on-site testing which supported Universal’s findings, Irwin said.
The medical examiner for the Orlando area ruled that Zavala died accidentally on Sept. 17 of multiple blunt force injuries. The full autopsy report hasn’t been made public.
Zavala had a spinal disability from birth and used a wheelchair, but his family’s attorneys said his disability didn’t cause his death.
Multiple people have reached out with related stories of injuries from the ride, his family’s lawyers said. Separately, a central Florida woman sued Universal last month saying she had suffered injuries while on the roller coaster.
Man indicted after fishing tournament boat crash killed 3
CULLMAN, Ala. (AP) — A Georgia man has been indicted on manslaughter charges in Alabama after an April boat wreck during a professional fishing tournament killed three people and injured two others.
Flint Andrew Davis, 22, was indicted Thursday in Cullman County on three counts of reckless manslaughter and two counts of first degree assault, all felonies. Davis, a Leesburg, Georgia, resident, was also indicted on three misdemeanors, including reckless operation of a vessel, failing to follow boating rules and boating without a boater safety certification.
Video shows Davis’ boat speeding across Lewis Smith Lake, a popular recreational destination about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of Birmingham, striking another boat, and launching into the air. Officials say Joey M. Broom, 58, of Snead, Alabama, was fatally injured in the collision. John K. Clark, 44, of Cullman, Alabama, and Jeffrey C. Little, 62, of Brandon, Mississippi, were thrown overboard and drowned, officials have said. Two other men were seriously injured, Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said at a Friday news conference.
The crash happened while Davis was fishing in the second day of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational, a bass fishing tournament put on by Major League Fishing. The others weren’t part of the tournament, but taking part in a company-sponsored fishing trip.
Although investigators determined Davis’ boat was traveling at 67 mph (108 kph) at the time of the crash, Alabama Marine Patrol Chief Matt Brooks said at the news conference that speed was not a factor in the crash. Instead, he said the wreck was caused by “operator inattention, distraction, not paying attention, failing to keep a proper lookout.”
Brooks said investigators found that “Mr. Davis clearly did not see” the other boat. He also said that Davis didn’t have the required license to operate a motorized boat in either Georgia or Alabama.
Attorney Tommy Spina, representing Davis, said Davis expresses “his deepest remorse and contrition” to the families of those who died, as well as to those who were injured.
Spina said that Davis wasn’t under the influence of alcohol or drugs and was not otherwise distracted.
“He simply did not see the other boat until the moment of impact,” Spina said. “There are many possible explanations for why this tragic collision occurred, but those matters will be fully addressed, in due course, in the courtroom and not in the press.”
Davis is free on bail after his arrest.
Multiple wrongful death lawsuits have been filed seeking civil damages. The accident has also sparked calls for legislation to more closely regulate boating and fishing tournaments in Alabama. Clark said grand jurors recommended that all fishing tournaments require proof-of-boating licenses and that fishing tournaments do more to promote safety.
California
Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner sue for defamation over racketeering claims by Ray J
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kim Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, are suing her ex-boyfriend Ray J for saying they are under federal investigation and on the verge of being indicted.
The defamation lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday by the reality TV stars and businesspeople is a fast and aggressive pushback against allegations they say are entirely baseless.
They say Ray J, whose legal name is Ray Norwood Jr., falsely claimed that he was working with federal investigators on a racketeering case against them that will soon lead to their indictment.
The lawsuit says Ray J’s comments are part of a “sustained campaign of harassment and defamation” that has gone on for years.
“Unable to accept the end of his fleeting relationship with Ms. Kardashian over twenty years ago, Ray J has repeatedly sought to attach himself to Plaintiffs’ names and exploit their prominence for personal gain,” the lawsuit says.
The women say two recent statements crossed a line and forced a lawsuit.
The court filing points to a TMZ special that aired in May, in which Ray J said “racketeering charges against the Kardashians would be appropriate,” and “if you told me that the Kardashians were being charged for racketeering, I might believe it.”
He went further in a Sept. 30 livestream that according to the lawsuit had millions of viewers, saying, “The federal RICO I’m about to drop on Kris and Kim is about to be crazy” and “the feds is coming.” He added that the racketeering case would be “worse than Diddy.”
An email to a Ray J representative seeking comment was not immediately answered.
The lawsuit says he gave no evidence for his “blatantly false” statements.
“No such federal investigation exists; no law enforcement agency has initiated any criminal proceedings or investigations related to racketeering charges against Ms. Kardashian or Ms. Jenner; and no credible evidence whatsoever supports these inflammatory allegations,” it says.
Ray J is a singer, actor and brother to pop star Brandy. But he probably remains best known for his relationship with Kardashian, and a sex tape showing the couple that was leaked in 2007.
“Ray J’s acknowledged animosity toward the Kardashian family, coupled with his demonstrated willingness to lie for attention, leaves no room for doubt that his recent RICO statements were neither careless nor impulsive,” the lawsuit says. “They were the latest salvo in a deliberate and malicious campaign of harassment and defamation intended to defame Plaintiffs while reviving his own fading notoriety.”
The lawsuit says the “media storm” set off by the comments has caused them reputational and financial damages that will be established at trial.
Kardashian and Jenner are represented in the case by attorney Alex Spiro, who has become a go-to lawyer for prominent figures and led the team that got charges against Alec Baldwin dismissed in the middle of his trial.
Washington
Lawsuit seeks to stop President Trump’s $100,000 fee for H-1B visas
SEATTLE (AP) — In what appears to be the first major challenge to the new $100,000 fee required for H-1B visa applications, a coalition of health care providers, religious groups, university professors and others filed a federal lawsuit Friday to stop the plan, saying it has “thrown employers, workers and federal agencies into chaos.”
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Sept. 19 requiring the new fee, saying the H-1B visa program “has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labor.” The changes were slated to go into effect in 36 hours, which caused panic for employers, who instructed their workers to return to the U.S. immediately.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, said the H-1B program is a critical pathway to hiring healthcare workers and educators. It drives innovation and economic growth in the U.S., and allows employers to fill jobs in specialized fields, the lawsuit said.
“Without relief, hospitals will lose medical staff, churches will lose pastors, classrooms will lose teachers, and industries across the country risk losing key innovators,” Democracy Forward Foundation and Justice Action Center said in a press release. “The suit asks the court to immediately block the order and restore predictability for employers and workers.”
They called the new fee “Trump’s latest anti-immigration power grab.”
Messages seeking comment from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which are named as defendants along with Trump and the State Department, were not immediately returned.
The H-1B visa program was created by Congress to attract high-skilled workers to fill jobs that tech companies find difficult to fill. About a third of H-1B workers are nurses, teachers, physicians, scholars, priests and pastors, according to the lawsuit.
Critics say the program is a pipeline for overseas workers who are often willing to work for as little as $60,000 annually, well below the $100,000-plus salaries typically paid to U.S. technology workers.
Historically, H-1B visas have been doled out through a lottery. This year, Seattle-based Amazon was by far the top recipient of H-1B visas with more than 10,000 awarded, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple and Google.
Geographically, California has the highest number of H-1B workers.
The $100,000 fee will discourage the best and brightest minds from bringing life-saving research to the U.S., said Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors.
Mike Miller, Region 6 Director of the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, said Trump’s plan “prioritizes wealth and connections over scientific acumen and diligence.”
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, contends the “exorbitant fee” invites corruption and is illegal. Congress created the program and Trump can’t rewrite it overnight or levy new taxes by executive order, the groups said.
Florida
Attorneys say reopening of Stardust Racers is preventing further investigation of man’s death
The family of a 32-year-old man who died of blunt force injuries on a theme park roller coaster is accusing Universal Orlando Resort of endangering lives by reopening the ride this weekend.
Attorneys for the family said the Epic Universe park reopened the Stardust Racers ride even though they were in “active communication” with the company seeking to have it inspected first by their legal team’s experts.
“Whoever is making the decision to put profits over people and their safety, may God have mercy on your soul,” Ana Zavala, the mother of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, said in Spanish during a Monday news conference with their attorneys.
“They reopened the ride as if his life didn’t matter and his death wasn’t worth answering for,” reads a statement written by the victim’s father, Carlos Rodriguez Ortiz. “We’re not here to tear Universal down. We’re here to lift safety standards up.”
Attorney Ben Crump condemned the reopening, saying “Universal has a responsibility not just to Kevin’s family, but to every family who visits the park to ensure its rides are safe for all guests.”
A representative for Universal did not immediately respond to an inquiry on Monday.
Previously, Karen Irwin, president and chief operating officer at Universal Orlando Resort, said the ride at the company’s newest theme park had undergone an extensive operational and technical review that confirmed the ride systems had functioned properly and Universal workers had followed proper procedures. The ride system’s manufacturer and an independent roller coaster engineering expert also conducted on-site testing which supported Universal’s findings, Irwin said.
The medical examiner for the Orlando area ruled that Zavala died accidentally on Sept. 17 of multiple blunt force injuries. The full autopsy report hasn’t been made public.
Zavala had a spinal disability from birth and used a wheelchair, but his family’s attorneys said his disability didn’t cause his death.
Multiple people have reached out with related stories of injuries from the ride, his family’s lawyers said. Separately, a central Florida woman sued Universal last month saying she had suffered injuries while on the roller coaster.
