International
U.S. Department of Justice. The United States will have to pay $100 million to the victims of Larry Nassar
The U.S. Department of Justice will pay $100 million to resolve lawsuits against the FBI for mishandling of the investigation into sexual abuse committed by former U.S. gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
The newspaper said that the agreement involves 100 victims of Nassar, who was convicted in late 2017 and early 2018 for sexually assaulting hundreds of athletes and is serving a sentence of up to 175 years in prison.
Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney and other American gymnasts filed a billion dollar lawsuit against the FBI in June 2022 for not having acted properly to reports of sexual abuse by Nassar.
The Journal indicated that the agreement was reached several months ago and was initially accepted by the victims of Nassar, but it has not been finalized.
Citing a report by the inspector general of the Department of Justice, the newspaper said that there were multiple failures in the handling by the FBI of the complaints against Nassar filed by USA Gymnastics to the local FBI office in Indianapolis in July 2015.
The lack of action in the face of the complaints allowed Nassar to continue sexually assaulting dozens of victims before his arrest in 2016.
Nassar worked as a sports doctor at the U.S. Gymnastics Federation (USA Gymnastics) and at Michigan State University for more than two decades.
FBI director Christopher Wray acknowledged the organization’s failures during a testimony before a Senate committee in September 2021, saying that they were “unforgivable.”
Addressing the victims of Nassar, Wray said: “I especially regret that there were people in the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster in 2015 and failed.”
The victims of Nassar reached a $380 million agreement with USA Gymnastics in 2021, one of the largest ever registered for victims of sexual abuse.
USA Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy in 2018 after a wave of accusations against Nassar flooded the organization.
Michigan State University reached a $500 million settlement with hundreds of Nassar victims in 2018.
Nassar was stabbed by another inmate in July last year in the state of Florida prison where he is serving his sentence but recovered from his injuries.
International
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the deaths of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reinerand his wife as an “apparent homicide,” amid a wave of tributes to the director of classics such as When Harry Met Sally.
According to U.S. media reports on Sunday, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles mansion with what appeared to be stab wounds.
Several political figures shared messages of condolence following the reported deaths of the director of A Few Good Menand his wife.
While the LAPD did not officially confirm the identities of the victims, it stated that homicide detectives were dispatched to the Reiner residence.
“At this time, no additional details are available and the investigation into an apparent homicide is ongoing,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement posted on social media.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that no arrests have been made and that no individuals are currently being questioned as suspects.
“I’m not going to confirm whether anyone is being questioned at this moment or not. We are going to try to speak with as many family members as we can,” Hamilton said.
CNN reported that a family spokesperson confirmed the deaths of Reiner and his wife.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and former Vice President Kamala Harrisissued statements expressing their condolences.
International
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.
Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.
“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.
The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.
Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.
Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.
International
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.
“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.
At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.
After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.
Bukele says AI partnership with xAI will transform public education in El Salvador
El Salvador ranks among top countries in the Americas in fight against organized crime
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America5 days agoHonduras election crisis deepens as CNE president denounces intimidation attempts
-
International5 days agoCuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
-
International5 days agoColombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
-
International1 day agoPolice investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
-
Central America2 days agoPanama seizes over three tons of drugs hidden in Caribbean port container
-
International3 days agoSeveral people shot in attack on Brown University campus
-
Central America1 day agoOAS urges swift recount in Honduras as election results remain uncertain
-
International5 days agoEcuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
-
International3 days agoU.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
-
Central America4 hours agoBukele says AI partnership with xAI will transform public education in El Salvador
-
Central America4 hours agoEl Salvador ranks among top countries in the Americas in fight against organized crime