February 21 top stories
It is February 21. Here are today’s top stories.
Police find body of missing 11-year-old Texas girl
A sheriff said Tuesday afternoon, that divers have recovered the body of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham in the Trinity River in a rural area about 70 miles northeast of Houston days after the girl went missing. Her body was located about 10 miles from her home near Lake Livingston.
Audrii’s family had reported her missing on Thursday after she failed to return after school to her home in Livingston. After she was reported missing, investigators discovered that she never got on the bus to go to school that morning.
As authorities investigated Audrii’s disappearance last week, they had named Don Steven McDougal as a person of interest after he and Audrii left for the bus stop around 7 am Thursday and that was the last time Audrii’s family saw her and witnesses tied his dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban to the case. However, McDougal was arrested Friday on an unrelated assault charge and remained in jail today on that charge.
The city officials said police were preparing an arrest warrant for Don Steven McDougal, 42, on a recommended charge of capital murder.
Investigators said McDougal is a friend of the girl’s father and lived in a camper on the family’s property. He sometimes took Audrii to the bus stop or would take her to school if she missed the bus. After Audrii did not return home from school, her family reported her missing. A massive search ensued and McDougal joined in the efforts.
The girl’s body has been taken to the Harris County medical examiner’s office in Houston to determine the cause of death.
Two charged with murder in Chiefs parade shooting
According to prosecutors, two men were charged on Tuesday afternoon with murder in connection with a mass shooting in Kansas City on February 14 that killed one person and wounded 22 others at the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade last week.
The two juvenile suspects, identified as Dominic Miller and Lyndell Mays, each face charges of second-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. Both suspects were taken into custody last week but their names were not released due to their ages until Tuesday. Both Miller and Mays were both shot and both men remain in the hospital.
According to court records, the defendants attended a Super Bowl rally and were armed with firearms. A verbal altercation occurred and gunfire broke out with no regard for thousands of other individuals in the area. Mays told police that he drew a gun first after arguing with a random stranger [Miller], fired two shots then said other people started shooting after he did.
One of the prosecutors said, “We seek to hold every shooter accountable for their actions.”
The evidence shows it was gunfire from Miller’s weapon that struck and killed Elizabeth Lopez-Galvan. Twenty-two other people, including at least nine children, were wounded by gunfire.
American Airlines raises baggage fees
Checking a bag on American Airlines will now cost you more than at every other major US airline.
The carrier announced Tuesday that the price of the first checked bag on most flights is increasing to $40 for customers who did not prepay online. It will cost $35 if paid online during check-in. That is as much as a 33% increase from what it previously cost on American Airlines: $30 for both methods.
Flights within and between the United States, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands are all affected by the price increase. American has also hiked the price of a second checked bag to $45 (up from $40.)
Changes are effective for flights booked beginning Tuesday. Passengers who bought tickets prior to that day will pay the previous prices.
American said in a press release that it hadn’t hiked bag prices since 2018.
American’s largest rivals, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, charge $30 for the first checked bag and $40 for a second on similar routes.
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Starbucks releases pork-flavored coffee
Pork-flavored coffee is Starbucks’ newest China pitch. Starbucks is betting on that unusual combination with a new drink released in China to mark the Lunar New Year.
According to the Starbucks delivery app, the drink combines Dongpo Braised Pork Flavor Sauce with espresso and steamed milk, with extra pork sauce and pork breast meat for garnish.
The photo of the drink shows a drizzle of dark red sauce atop the latte foam – with a square slice of pork on a skewer resting on the mug rim.
Shanghai Starbucks Reserve Roastery wrote on Weibo, Chinese social media platform, “Eating meat means prosperity in the coming year” days before the Lunar New Year began.
While the foods served at New Year feasts vary by region, braised pork makes a frequent appearance. Named after the ancient poet, painter and statesman Su Dongpo, Dongpo rou is a dish made from braised pork belly, rock sugar, soy sauce, yellow wine and other seasonings.
See Alex for the latest brief on Ruby Franke’s child abuse case.
Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt sentenced to up to 30 years in prison in child abuse case
Thanks, Callie.
In Utah, Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, who were once famous on YouTube for giving parenting advice before they were arrested on child abuse charges in August, were sentenced each to 4 to 30 years in prison. Both had pleaded guilty.
In August, one of Franke’s children escaped Hildebrandt’s house to beg a neighbor for help. The 12-year-old child was malnourished and had duct tape on his wrists and ankles.
The neighbor called the police, and from there, it was discovered that Franke’s children (six of them) were abused with extreme forms of discipline.
The YouTube videos that Franke and Hildebrandt created did raise some controversy because they seemed to be excessively strict with their children, but they gave a false picture of who they really were. Franke often kept her children bound and forced them to do manual labor outside in the hot sun.
Franke said she had religious beliefs that made her think her children were possessed and needed to be punished to improve.
Hildebrandt posed as a counselor and admitted that she also tortured the children or was aware of the abuse.
A prosecutor said this is a case about religious extremism and that Hildebrandt regularly stated that God communicated directly with her and gave her instructions. Franke looked to her as her leader.
Franke’s husband has filed for divorce and is not facing charges of any kind. He had already been separated and moved out when Franke was arrested. His attorney said he wants to keep the children together.
So, this concludes the Franke case. The exact prison time that the duo will serve (4 to 30 years) will be determined by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.
Thanks for that brief. That is all the news stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
Police find body of missing 11-year-old Texas girl:
Two charged with murder in Chiefs parade shooting:
https://www.kmbc.com/article/kansas-city-prosecutor-chiefs-parade-day-shooting/46871100
American Airlines raises baggage fees:
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/american-airlines-bag-fees-going-up-how-much-why-rcna139576
Starbucks releases pork-flavored coffee:
https://abc7chicago.com/starbucks-pork-flavor-coffee-drink/14448201/
Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt sentenced to up to 30 years in prison in child abuse case: