December 14 top stories
It is December 14. Here are today’s top stories.
Man charged in fatal stabbing of Detroit Jewish leader
Law enforcement in Detroit said they have charged a man with murdering Samantha Woll, a Jewish leader in Detroit, on October 21.
Woll was found stabbed to death outside her home. At the time it raised concerns that it was a hate crime due to tensions over the Israel-Hamas war. But police said there was no evidence of hate crime. There was a large Israeli flag in Woll’s home that was left untouched.
The man who was charged with murder is Michael Jackson-Bolanos (28). Police said he did not know Woll and that he was, at the time of the murder, under investigation over a number of larcenies in the area. Police said they found a jacket with Woll’s blood on it in an apartment belonging to Jackson-Bolanos’ girlfriend.
Jackson-Bolanos was also charged with home invasion and lying to an officer. His attorney said he is innocent and that Detroit police were under pressure to find a suspect.
House Republicans formalizes Biden impeachment inquiry
ABC News said House Republicans on Wednesday passed a resolution formalizing their ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The vote was 221-212 in a party-line vote. It directs three House committees to continue their investigations on whether Biden was directly involved and benefited from his son and brother’s foreign business dealings.
Republicans said they passed the resolution because the White House wasn’t cooperating due to a lack of a full House vote formalizing the inquiry. Now this measure has passed.
President Biden said Republicans are wasting time and not doing work to help make Americans’ lives better. The White House said there’s no evidence.
Family of young woman who died in hotel’s walk-in freezer to receive $6M
NPR reported that the family of Kenneka Jenkins, who was found dead at age 19 in a Chicago-area hotel’s walk-in freezer, has reached a settlement worth $6 million.
The incident was more than six years ago at a Crowne Plaza hotel. Jenkins went to the hotel to attend a party and never came home. After 24 hours, her body was found in a kitchen freezer and the cause of death was hypothermia.
Hotel surveillance videos showed that she was walking alone through the hotel in a disoriented state and walked towards the freezer. The freezer had a mechanism to open the door from the inside but it is unknown why Jenkins couldn’t get out.
Jenkins’ family sued the hotel and others, accusing hotel staff of negligence and failing to do enough to find Jenkins before she died. Now there’s this report of a settlement.
Jenkins’ mother previously said if the hotel had done things differently, her daughter might still be alive.
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Missing 72-year-old woman rescued after crash
CBS News said in Idaho, a 72-year-old woman was found alive at the bottom of a steep canyon about four days after crashing her car 200 feet down the canyon wall.
Her family had reported the woman, Penny Kay Clark, missing last Tuesday. Local police put out a release asking for the public’s help. On Saturday, two men saw the vehicle on the canyon and informed police on Sunday morning.
Police said when they looked at the scene, they saw that Clark was about 40 feet below the car in a ravine. She was conscious, alert, and moving that Sunday afternoon. She was carried out and taken to a hospital.
Police said it is more than likely that Clark was in the ravine for more than four days and said it is a testament to her strength and fortitude.
Federal Reserve holds rates steady and predicts cuts in 2024
CNBC said the Federal Reserve on Wednesday held its key interest rate steady for the third straight time and said there could be several cuts in 2024 and beyond.
This could end a cycle that has seen 11 rate hikes. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said inflation has eased from its highs and that there isn’t any significant increase in unemployment, so that’s very good news.
Axios said mortgage rates dropped below 7% this week, which will make homes a bit more affordable for buyers.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/penny-clark-missing-4-days-found-alive-idaho-canyon-tip-from-civilians/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67716291
https://www.npr.org/2023/12/13/1219048773/freezer-death-family-settlement-chicago
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/13/fed-interest-rate-decision-december-2023.html