St. Augustine

Thousands of Britons, including dozens of members of Parliament, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, have signed a letter in support of four liberal Democratic congresswomen after President Donald Trump wrote in a series of tweets that they should 'go back' to the countries they came from. >> Read more trending news The letter, from British the anti-racism and anti-fascism group Hope not Hate, was addressed to Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Signatories said they were 'disgusted' by Trump's attacks on the congresswomen and that they stood in solidarity with them. 'His blatant, unashamed racism has appalled people around the world,' the letter said. 'You embody the best of America. Its diversity is its strength. Thank you for showing the world that America can still provide leadership to be proud of, even when the White House has abdicated that role.' The letter was signed by nearly 14,000 people in its first 36 hours online, according to the Evening Standard. 'Love and solidarity will always trump hate,' Khan, a frequent Trump critic who called the president a 'global threat' ahead of Trump's visit to London last month, said in a post on Facebook. 'These progressive congresswomen, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley, represent hope for the future. Their home is America, but their message crosses borders.' Trump set off a firestorm Sunday when he wrote in a series of tweets that Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib, Omar and Pressley should go back to the 'totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.' Of the congresswomen targeted in Trump's tweets, only one, Omar, was born outside the U.S. and all are U.S. citizens. Omar was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, according to The Washington Post. Her family fled civil war in the country when she was a child, and she became a U.S. citizen when she was a teenager, the newspaper reported. Trump has defended his comments, telling reporters Monday that the congresswomen are 'very unhappy' and 'hate our country.' 'I'm watching them. All they do is complain,' Trump said. 'So, all I'm saying is, if they want to leave, they can leave.

Kentucky police officials have charged a Louisville attorney with assault after he allegedly attacked a colleague with a Lysol can during a fight in the courthouse. Lindsey Scott, 63, is charged with second-degree assault in the incident, according to WDRB in Louisville. He was booked into and released from the metro jail. >> Read more trending news  Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office officials said another defense attorney, James “J.R.” Moore, was working on some of his cases around 8 a.m. Wednesday in an attorney workroom next to a district courtroom. At some point, Scott entered the room. “Some sort of altercation developed,” Lt. Col. Carl Yates, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, told the news station. Scott is accused of hitting Moore with the aerosol can, causing cuts to his head. When deputies got to the room, Moore was restraining Scott and both were covered with blood, Yates said. The workroom had to be shut down and cleaned of the blood. Surveillance footage released to local news stations by the Sheriff's Office shows the bloody scene, as well as a handcuffed Scott sitting on a bench with blood covering his white suit. Moore was sent to the hospital, where he told WAVE 3 News in Louisville he received about a dozen staples to his head. Scott, who told deputies he was suffering chest pains, was taken to the hospital as well, but was later booked into the jail. Moore later posted a message on Facebook about the skirmish. “Today, I was totally blindsided while peacefully eating my breakfast,” Moore wrote, according to WAVE 3 News. “First thing I felt was a thud. Just a scalp wound. “My friends need not be concerned. All concerns should be for my perpetrator. Something is apparently very wrong in his life. He is a good man.” Other attorneys also expressed shock over the incident, saying both Moore and Scott are well-known and well-liked. Wednesday’s incident is not the first time Scott has been behind bars. According to the Courier-Journal, the attorney was at the center of a sensational court case in the 1980s when, as a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps, he was convicted of raping and attempting to kill a fellow Marine’s wife at the Quantico military base in Virginia. Scott, a Louisville native, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, but the verdict was later overturned on the grounds he received ineffective counsel from his civilian lawyer, the Courier-Journal reported. The Washington Post in 1988 covered his second military trial, at the end of which he was exonerated by the military jury of charges of attempted murder, rape, sodomy and abduction. Scott, who had spent four years in Fort Leavenworth, wept silently, the Post reported. “In the tiny spectators’ gallery, Scott’s ailing mother, Mildred, began to shout in a gravelly voice, ‘Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Lord Jesus! Thank the Lord for giving me back my innocent child!’ before she was pulled from the courtroom by four or five supporters,” the Post story read. The Post reported there was one significant difference in evidence between the first and second trials: the recollection of a former security officer at a Zayre department store in Woodbridge, about 12 miles from Quantico, who testified she saw Scott shopping in the store at the time the victim was being attacked on the base. Her testimony backed up Scott’s claim that he had spent the evening of the attack shopping for his pregnant wife’s birthday, which was the following day, the Post said. The victim also had trouble identifying Scott in the days after the attack, saying each time that other men in the photos and lineup resembled him. The Post reported she said she picked Scott out of the lineup because, “He scares me the most.” No physical evidence linked Scott to the crime, the newspaper said. The case relied on circumstantial evidence, including the determination that the woman's throat was slashed with a serrated knife. Scott had borrowed a serrated knife from his apartment manager that day and never returned it, the Post reported. He told investigators he inadvertently threw it away after using it to clean his stove. Scott also lived in the same apartment complex as the 23-year-old woman and her husband and, because he was a military policeman training as a criminal investigator, would have had knowledge of police procedures regarding evidence gathering. The woman's attacker knew her address, her husband's name and his job, as well as the 'jargon' used by military police, the Post said. According to investigators, the assailant lured the woman from her home by calling and saying her husband had been in an accident, then offering to drive her to the hospital. He instead took her to a wooded area and assaulted her, leaving her for dead, authorities said. The victim picked Scott's car out of a lineup, telling authorities it was the one in which she had been sexually assaulted, the Post reported. Scott's supporters argued that race was a factor in his conviction because he is black and his alleged victim was white. “I maintained my innocence from the beginning,” Scott told reporters after the not guilty verdict. “It was proven today by a jury of my peers that I was innocent. I’m innocent. I’m free.” Gary R. Myers, one of Scott's defense attorneys, told the Post after the verdict: 'I think (jurors) just came to the conclusion that it was a tossup, and a tossup is not a guilty verdict.' Scott’s case was the basis of a 1999 movie, “Dangerous Evidence: The Lori Jackson Story,” which focused on the civil rights activist who fought to have the courts take a second look at Scott’s conviction. WAVE 3 News reported that those who know Scott said his experiences motivated him to go into law. The Courier-Journal reported that, at age 43 in 1999, he began law school at the University of Louisville. According to the Kentucky Bar Association, Scott was admitted in October 2002. He is in good standing and has no record of public discipline.

A federal judge in New York declined Thursday to grant bail to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein as he awaits trial on allegations of sex trafficking. >> Read more trending news  Update 12 p.m. EDT July 18: Lisa Bloom, the attorney for three of Epstein's accusers, issued a statement after a judge denied Epstein bail. 'We are pleased that the judge denied bail,' Bloom said on Twitter. 'It gives us hope that justice may truly be possible against this sex offender who has hurt so many for so long.' Update 11:35 a.m. EDT July 18: U.S. District Judge Richard Berman has rejected Epstein's bail application, citing danger to others and the community. Prosecutors had asked Berman to hold Epstein, 66, without bail, arguing in court on Monday that Epstein is a flight risk and danger to the community who has shown no remorse for victimizing dozens of girls as young as 14 between 2002 and 2005. Attorneys for Epstein had argued he poses no flight risk, as evidenced by his conduct since pleading guilty in 2008 to two counts of soliciting a minor for prostitution after he was accused of molesting girls in Palm Beach County, Florida. Update 9:50 a.m. EDT July 18: An Austrian passport found by authorities during a search of Epstein's Manhattan mansion included several stamps inside, 'including stamps that reflect use of the passport to enter France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia in the 1980s,' prosecutors said in a letter filed Thursday in court. Authorities said the passport, issued in the 1980s and bearing Epstein's image but not his name, was found July 6 in a safe. Attorneys for Epstein claimed in court filings that the Austrian passport had never been used. 'Epstein -- an affluent member of the Jewish faith -- acquired the passport in the 1980s, when hijackings were prevalent, in connection to Middle East travel,' Epstein's attorneys said. 'The passport was for personal protection in the event of travel to dangerous areas, only to be presented to potential (kidnappers), hijackers or terrorists should violent episodes occur.' It was not immediately clear how Epstein obtained the passport. Update 12:40 p.m. EDT July 15: Two of Epstein's alleged victims on Monday asked Berman not to allow the 66-year-old to be released on bail pending his trial. Both spoke at his bail hearing in New York. Courtney Wild said she was 14 years old when Epstein started sexually abusing her in Palm Beach, Florida, according to Courthouse News. She told the court that if Epstein were to be granted bail, he would be 'a scary person to have walking the streets,' CNN reported. Annie Farmer said she met Epstein when she was 16 years old and that he behaved inappropriately, though she declined to give details, according to Courthouse News. She also asked Berman not to grant bail to Epstein. Prosecutors said Monday that during a search of Epstein's home safe, authorities found a bogus passport that listed a Saudi Arabia residence, 'piles of cash' and 'dozens of diamonds.' The passport, issued in the 1980s, had Epstein's photo on it but a different name. Prosecutors said previously that federal agents found a trove of nude photos during the raid on Epstein's mansion following his arrest on sex trafficking charges. Update 10:30 a.m. EDT July 15: Epstein will remain incarcerated until at least Thursday, when a judge said he'll likely rule on whether to grant bail to the 66-year-old, CNN reported. Several of Epstein's alleged victims were in court Monday, according to Courthouse News. Prosecutors said Friday in a court filing that multiple victims have told government officials that they want Epstein detained until his trial because they fear his release will give him the opportunity to harass them. Original report: Epstein's attorneys have asked a judge to allow their client to be detained at his Manhattan mansion until trial and offered to put up a 'substantial' bond to ensure his compliance with the proposed terms of his release. Among other things, Epstein's attorneys proposed he be fitted with a GPS device and said their client would agree to ground his private jet. In a response filed Friday, prosecutors argued Epstein should be held without bond due the severity of his charges and his financial means. Prosecutors said they believe Epstein might have tried to influence witnesses after discovering that he had paid a total of $350,000 to two individuals, including a former employee, in the last year. Authorities said that several more women have come forward to accuse Epstein of sexually abusing them since charges against the New York hedge fund manager were made public last week. Officials have said authorities found 'hundreds or thousands of nude and seminude photographs of young females in his Manhattan mansion on the night of his arrest,' evidence which they say eliminates 'any doubt that the defendant is unrepentant and unreformed.' Epstein is accused of sexually exploiting and abusing dozens of girls at his homes in New York and Florida, heading a sex trafficking scheme that saw his victims recruiting other girls to be abused. He pleaded not guilty last week to sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy charges. Epstein avoided significant jail time and federal prosecution in 2008 as part of a deal overseen by then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta. As part of the non-prosecution agreement, Epstein pleaded guilty to a pair of lesser charges and agreed to register as a sex offender. He served 13 months in jail as part of the deal. Acosta said his office 'proceeded appropriately, based on the evidence' in 2008, but scrutiny of the once-secret deal, detailed in a series of in-depth reports published last year by The Miami Herald, prompted him to resign last week from his role as President Donald Trump's secretary of labor. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Only on Orlando’s Morning News with Joe Kelley You don’t usually have to look too far to find fun things to do around Central Florida, and we’ve got you covered by selecting the best of the best each week. Shelley talks through our top weekend picks early Friday morning on Orlando’s Morning News with Joe Kelley. icFlorida Fun 3: Moon Fest Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing at Moon Fest! Discover the wonders of space, engage in space-themed activities like the Mars Landing Egg Drop Challenge and even learn from local astronomers during this out-of-this-world event on July 20 and 21.   Historic Downtown Sanford Battle of The Food Trucks This Saturday July 20th is the Sanford Battle of the Food Trucks with over 40 trucks participating! Bigger and better than ever with tons of craft beer, vendors, and live music.  Family and pet friendly fun in the Pints n' Paws Pavilion with doggie pools and water bowls to keep your pooch cool during the event!   Tacos & Tequila 2019 Tacos & Tequila celebrates the city's tastiest, most delectable delight: TACOS! Sample and vote on your favorite tacos among competing food trucks, taco shops and restaurants! There will also be tequila samplings, plenty of beer, and live entertainment, ALL INCLUDED in your ticket price. It’s all happening on July 20th, 2019 at Cheyenne Saloon and Church Street. Salud!   Want to make sure you are prepared for this weekend’s weather? WFTV’s meteorologist Brian Shields is here to help! - https://www.icflorida.com    3 More Fun Things:  Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Apollo 50th Celebrations  Lakeridge Winery Summer Music Series 2019 Free Family Summer Event at Bass Pro Shops Stay in the know about what fun things are happening throughout Central Florida at icFlorida.com. - http://www.icflorida.com/

The insurance claim brought by a Clearwater woman after an 11-foot alligator went crashing through a kitchen window has been denied. The story of the gator break-in made headlines on May 31, 2019.  Homeowner, Mary Wischhusen,  told reporters she filed the claim hoping her insurance company would make an exception. Unfortunately, Florida Peninsula Insurance has denied the claim saying the police does not cover wildlife.  Now,weeks later, the 77-year-old does not know where to turn saying she simply does not have enough money to fix the window or the other wall damage left from the alligator.

With GOP lawmakers in Congress publicly expressing their concerns about a campaign rally chant aimed at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), President Donald Trump on Thursday made clear he did not endorse the 'Send her back' call, as Democratic leaders expressed fears for Omar's security. 'I wasn't happy with that message that they gave last night,' the President told reporters at the White House. Asked several times by reporters why he didn't stop the chant, Mr. Trump said it was a 'packed arena,' very specifically saying he did not endorse the message against Omar. 'I was not happy with it,' the President added. 'I didn't like that they did it.' Here was the moment the chant started during his rally, in response to his criticism of four minority women Democratic House members, including Omar: On Capitol Hill, a number of Republicans expressed their concern about the message from the Trump crowd. 'No American should ever talk to another American that way,' said Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK). 'That's a very inappropriate sentiment in this country,' Cole told reporters just off the House floor. “The tweet was wrong & the chant last night grotesque,” wrote Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) on Twitter. “What I’m hearing from Capitol Police is that threats are up across the board for all members,” said Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC), who expressed his concern about the ‘send her back’ chant just a few hours after the rally had ended. As for Omar, she met on Thursday morning with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as reporters pressed her to respond to the chant. “We have said this President is racist,” Omar said as she walked from the Capitol back to her House office. Democrats said they were concerned about Omar’s safety and possible threats against her. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the head of the House Democratic Caucus, encouraged lawmakers and the Capitol Police to quickly share any information about threats to police back in their home districts. “We got to make sure every single person, Democrat, Republican, progressive, conservative, the left and the right, get through it together,” Jeffries said.