A New Mexico judge dismissed criminal sexual contact charges against actor Timothy Busfield due to prosecutorial misconduct and errors in the grand jury process. The judge found that prosecutors did not fairly instruct the grand jury and withheld witnesses who could support Busfield's innocence.
Key Facts
Timothy Busfield was accused of criminal sexual contact with a child while directing the TV show "The Cleaning Lady."
The allegations involved two twin boys who were removed from the show and claimed inappropriate touching.
A grand jury indicted Busfield, but the judge later dismissed the charges because of unfair actions by prosecutors.
Prosecutors failed to allow the grand jury to hear from key witnesses who could support Busfield’s defense.
Busfield has denied the allegations and called them false and motivated by revenge.
The judge ruled that the grand jury process violated laws designed to protect fairness and justice.
Prosecutors have not yet decided if they will seek another indictment.
Busfield was released from jail and has no previous history of similar allegations.
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Katie Zacharia served as the White House press secretary for only five days, making her the shortest-serving person in this role in history. She has left the position shortly after starting.
Key Facts
Katie Zacharia was White House press secretary for five days.
Her time in the job is the shortest ever for this position.
She was recently removed or left the role.
The White House press secretary communicates with the media on behalf of the President and administration.
This change happened under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The article mentions this event as part of ongoing White House news coverage.
The role is known for being fast-paced and sometimes stressful.
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A team of 17 people is searching for clues about what happened to Amelia Earhart, the famous pilot who disappeared long ago. They are working on a small island in the South Pacific but are having trouble because of bad weather.
Key Facts
The team has 17 members.
They are investigating Amelia Earhart's disappearance.
Their research takes place on a remote South Pacific island.
The search was started after a strange object was seen on satellite radar in 2020.
Severe weather is making the search difficult.
CBS News reporter Lana Zak is covering the story.
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The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) says that its naval blockade has caused Iran to lose $25 billion in oil sales. This action aims to stop Iran from exporting crude oil, affecting the country’s oil revenue.
Key Facts
U.S. Centcom Commander Admiral Brad Cooper announced the impact of the naval blockade.
The blockade targeted Iran’s crude oil exports.
Iran has lost about $25 billion in oil revenue due to this blockade.
The blockade is part of U.S. efforts to limit Iran’s economic resources.
The statement was made publicly on a recent Friday.
Crude oil refers to unrefined petroleum, a major export product for Iran.
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The Trump administration warned California officials that they could face criminal charges if they count ballots from people suspected to be noncitizens in the upcoming midterm elections. This comes after the Justice Department sued California for not reviewing a list of voters thought to be noncitizens in time.
Key Facts
The Justice Department sent a letter threatening California officials with criminal investigation if they count ballots from suspected noncitizens.
The letter says noncitizen voting in a federal election is a federal crime.
The letter was sent to Los Angeles county officials and copied to California's secretary of state.
The administration sued California after officials missed a 48-hour deadline to review a list of 20,000 possible noncitizen voters.
California sends mail-in ballots to all registered voters, and state officials said no proof was given that these names are noncitizens.
Over 23 million Californians are registered to vote statewide.
Some competitive congressional races in California could affect control of the U.S. House during President Trump’s term.
Legal experts say the Justice Department is increasing pressure on election officials with these threats.
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Wanying "Heather" Zhang, a realtor in California, was arrested for acting as an unregistered foreign agent and allegedly spying on the son of the Taiwanese president. Investigations also show her connections to a Cambodian criminal group accused of using forced labor to run scams that stole billions from Americans.
Key Facts
Zhang was charged last week for acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
She is accused of spying on the son of Taiwan’s president.
CBS News found links between Zhang and a Cambodian crime organization.
The Cambodian group allegedly uses forced labor.
This group is involved in multi-billion-dollar scams targeting Americans.
Zhang’s alleged activities connect foreign spying and criminal scams.
The investigation highlights concerns about foreign influence and crime linked to China.
The case is under active investigation by U.S. and international authorities.
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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has proposed a new plan to speed up the approval process for expanding natural gas export facilities in the United States. The goal is to reduce delays caused by long notice periods and protests during the approval steps.
Key Facts
FERC is a federal agency that oversees energy infrastructure projects.
They want to create a program to make it faster to approve projects that expand gas export facilities.
The plan involves limiting the time for public notice and protests.
This proposal aims to help increase the country’s ability to export natural gas.
Faster approvals could benefit energy companies and help meet demand for U.S. gas abroad.
The changes are still in the proposal stage and not yet final.
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A 16-year-old former student opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, killing three children and a teacher. A teacher tackled the suspect, and a father passing by, who had a legal gun, shot and killed the attacker, helping to stop the violence.
Key Facts
The attacker was 16 years old and a former student with special educational needs at the school.
He fired about 15 shotgun rounds inside the classroom and had around 44 more rounds of ammo.
Three children and one teacher died in the attack; two others were injured.
A teacher physically fought the attacker to try to stop him and was not hurt.
A father of two children at the school, legally carrying a .40-caliber pistol, shot and killed the attacker after seeing the attack from outside.
Police are still investigating the attacker’s motive, how he got the gun, and his exact movements.
President Donald Trump called the father a “great hero” and said the situation could have been worse without his intervention.
Police thanked those who acted courageously to stop the attack and prevent further harm.
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Christina Block, a wealthy German heiress, is on trial for allegedly ordering the kidnapping of her children from their father in Denmark during a custody dispute. The case involves a security firm from Israel and has led to the arrest of Germany’s former intelligence chief on unrelated espionage charges.
Key Facts
Christina Block is accused of hiring an Israeli security firm to abduct her two children from their father in Denmark.
The abduction happened during New Year’s 2023-2024, when the children and their father watched fireworks.
Prosecutors say the children were forced into a car, had their mouths taped, and the girl’s hands tied.
The children were held in Germany until their mother came to pick them up on January 2, 2024.
Six people, including Christina, her family lawyer, and her partner, face charges related to the abduction.
Jonathan G, an Israeli citizen involved, admitted participation but claimed he thought it was a rescue.
The custody battle has involved courts in both Germany and Denmark with conflicting rulings.
Germany’s former intelligence chief, August Hanning, was arrested for treason and espionage, but this is not connected to the abduction case.
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Health care leaders are discussing whether to build their own artificial intelligence (AI) tools or buy them from vendors. Some say building AI is cheaper but hard to maintain, while buying means paying more but having support. Experts suggest working with technology companies and focusing on how to manage changes in health systems.
Key Facts
Hospitals face decisions about building AI tools internally or buying from outside vendors.
Building AI tools can be less expensive but requires ongoing support and maintenance.
Buying AI tools is costly but provides vendor support, especially for urgent fixes.
Health systems have struggled with electronic health records (EHRs) because of complexity and maintenance issues.
Arcadia, a health care data company, launched Ascent, an AI platform to improve health and financial outcomes.
Organizations spend more on managing change than on technology itself.
Rush University System for Health is merging with Endeavor Health to create a large health system with over 46,000 staff.
The merged system plans to invest $1 billion in community health, academic programs, research, and innovation.
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In some Australian suburbs, mortgage repayments have become cheaper than renting, due to rising rents and falling property prices. This situation is happening mainly in areas with lots of new apartments and some mining regions, where buying costs are now close to or below rental costs.
Key Facts
Median rents in Australia rose 5.5% over the year to reach $713 per week.
Median property prices have mostly stayed flat or fallen in some places over the past year.
Mortgage repayments are cheaper than rents in certain Melbourne suburbs like Carlton and Southbank.
The analysis assumes a new 30-year loan with a 6.2% interest rate and a 5% deposit.
In Sydney, mortgage repayments are only about $100 more per week than rents in some suburbs.
Areas with many new apartments tend to have lower buying costs compared to rents.
In Darwin, buying is cheaper than renting in about a quarter of suburbs, partly due to high rents and the presence of temporary workers.
Higher interest rates have increased repayments in most places, but where property values dropped sharply, repayments have also gone down.
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At a rally in north Georgia, President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that the 2020 election of Senator Jon Ossoff was illegal. Trump also spoke about his achievements during his presidency and made promises related to the economy and immigration if Republicans win control of the House of Representatives.
Key Facts
President Trump said Jon Ossoff was never legitimately elected in Georgia’s 2020 election.
Ossoff is currently leading against Republican Mike Collins in the upcoming November election.
Trump highlighted stock market growth, low unemployment, and poverty reductions as achievements during his term.
He promised a $5,000 government check to voters if Republicans win the House.
Trump claimed $21 trillion in foreign investments were pledged during his administration, but many remain unfulfilled.
He discussed his immigration policies and claimed zero illegal immigrants had been admitted in the past 17 months.
Trump talked about military actions related to Iran and Venezuela without providing new specific details.
About 1,200 people attended the rally, where two protesters with an anti-ICE banner were quickly removed.
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A 16-year-old shooter attacked a special education classroom at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon. Four people died, including three children and a teacher, and the shooter was killed at the scene. Police are still trying to understand why the attack happened.
Key Facts
The shooting took place at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon.
Four people died: three young children and one teacher.
The shooter was a 16-year-old former student of the school.
The shooter targeted a special education classroom.
Police killed the shooter at the scene.
The motive behind the shooting is still under investigation.
William Brangham reported on the event.
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Katie Zacharia was fired as White House press secretary after only five days on the job. President Donald Trump is now looking for a new press secretary to replace her.
Key Facts
Katie Zacharia worked as White House press secretary for only five days.
She was fired from her position on a Friday.
Sources report that Zacharia was "unusually isolated" during her short time in the role.
President Donald Trump is seeking a new press secretary after her departure.
No official reason for her firing has been publicly given.
The news was reported by CBS News, including a segment by Natalie Brand.
Zacharia’s firing comes amid other breaking news stories unrelated to the White House.
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A family of barn owls has nested in a water tower on Manhattan's Upper West Side, marking the first recorded instance of barn owls breeding in Manhattan in modern times. The owls have drawn large crowds of residents and birdwatchers eager to see the rare birds in the city.
Key Facts
Barn owls nested in a water tower near Central Park on West 75th Street.
This is the first known barn owl nesting in Manhattan in recorded history.
Barn owls are rare in New York City parks and live at the edge of their natural range in the area.
The barn owl population has been declining significantly over time.
Residents and birdwatchers gather nightly to observe the owls, including adults and several fledglings (young owls).
The owls have sparked excitement because they are secretive, nocturnal animals rarely seen in Manhattan.
Local experts have confirmed multiple fledglings and at least two adult barn owls at the site.
Past favorite birds in NYC include Pale Male the red-tailed hawk and Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl.
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A deadly shooting happened at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon. James Densley, a criminology professor, spoke about the incident and shared information from a project that tracks mass shooters in the United States.
Key Facts
The shooting took place at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon.
James Densley is a professor who studies crime and justice.
He helped create the Violence Prevention Project.
This project collects data about mass shooters in the U.S.
Experts are still investigating many unknown details about the shooting.
The goal is to understand what makes this shooting different and what lessons can be learned.
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White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia is leaving her job after working less than a week. Meanwhile, large fires in Southern California are causing evacuations, and Israeli settlers have started fires and attacked Palestinians during an olive harvest in the West Bank.
Key Facts
Katie Zacharia served as White House Press Secretary for less than one week.
She is now leaving or "transitioning out" of her role.
Three big brush fires are happening in Southern California right now.
These fires are making people leave their homes for safety.
In the West Bank, some Israeli settlers set fire to cars and trees.
The settlers also attacked Palestinians during an autumn olive harvest.
The olive harvest is an important seasonal event in the area.
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Italian prosecutors have opened an investigation into Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and others over how activists were treated when Israeli forces stopped boats trying to reach Gaza in 2025 and 2026. The investigation looks into accusations including torture, kidnapping, injuries, theft, and sexual assault of detained activists.
Key Facts
The probe includes Israel Katz, military and police officials, and focuses on treatment of activists on Gaza-bound boats.
The boats were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters in two missions, in 2025 and 2026.
Around 50 Italian citizens who were detained after these missions filed complaints leading to the investigation.
Activists reported beatings, injuries, death threats, insults, and accusations of terrorism.
The second mission’s detainees described more severe abuse, including beatings in dark, tasers, rubber bullets, and sexual assaults.
Italian prosecutors requested judicial help from Israel to gather more details but have not said if Israel responded.
Under Italian law, crimes against Italian citizens abroad can be tried in Italy.
Similar investigations are happening in other European countries through EU judicial cooperation.
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President Donald Trump is campaigning in key states ahead of the midterm elections. Some of the statements he made during his rallies have attracted attention and are being checked for accuracy by news reporters.
Key Facts
President Trump is actively campaigning before the midterm elections.
He is focusing on battleground races, where elections are closely contested.
Some of his comments at rallies have sparked debate and media fact-checks.
A White House reporter named Liz Landers is reviewing and verifying his claims.
The midterm elections will decide control of Congress and influence U.S. politics.
The rallies are part of Trump’s efforts to build support among voters.
Campaign statements are often scrutinized to separate facts from exaggerations or errors.
Fact-checking helps voters understand the truth behind political messages.
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