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  • Natchez Man Charged with Attempted Murder Following Domestic Dispute, Hostage Situation

    Natchez Man Charged with Attempted Murder Following Domestic Dispute, Hostage Situation

    A Natchez man is facing an attempted murder charge after authorities say he fired multiple rounds at his adult son during a domestic dispute Thursday before barricading himself inside a home with his wife and later surrendering to law enforcement.

    According to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a reported shooting at a residence on Canvas Back Court on Thursday, July 9.

    Investigators identified the suspect as 64-year-old Ben Thames of Natchez. Authorities allege Thames fired multiple rounds at his adult son during the incident. The victim suffered minor injuries and was able to escape to a nearby residence, where he called 911 for help.

    When deputies arrived, investigators said Thames had barricaded himself inside the home with his wife, who was being held against her will. Authorities said Thames was armed with a long gun and other firearms.

    Before officers could fully secure the residence, Thames reportedly fled through the back of the home in a Chrysler 300 and drove toward the Kingston area.

    An investigator with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office established telephone contact with Thames and persuaded him to return to the residence, where he surrendered without incident. Members of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and the Natchez Police Department took Thames into custody. The Mississippi Highway Patrol had also been requested to assist but was no longer needed after Thames surrendered peacefully.

    Thames has been charged with one count of Attempt to Commit Murder under Mississippi Code § 97-1-7(2). The Sheriff’s Office said additional charges are expected as the investigation continues.

    Authorities said the victim’s injuries are believed to be minor. Investigators are still working to determine whether the injuries resulted from a grazing gunshot wound or from debris caused by a projectile striking a nearby object.

    Sheriff Travis Patten praised the response of the officers involved in bringing the situation to a peaceful conclusion.

    “This situation had the potential to end in tragedy for everyone involved. I am grateful for the quick actions of our deputies, the assistance provided by the Natchez Police Department, and the calm, professional efforts of our investigator who was able to convince the suspect to surrender peacefully. Incidents involving domestic violence and firearms are among the most dangerous calls law enforcement responds to,” Patten said.

    The investigation remains active, and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office said additional charges may be filed as investigators continue gathering evidence.

    The Sheriff’s Office also reminded the public that domestic disputes can escalate quickly and urged anyone experiencing domestic violence or who believes they are in immediate danger to call 911 immediately.

    All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

  • Local Roundup: Adams County Appoints New COO; Tarpon Bill Vetoed; Horn Island Death Under Investigation


    Adams County Administrator Mitzi Kahn attended her final meeting Monday as the Board of Supervisors’ Chief Operating Officer. The board has appointed Tawana Williams to fill the position. Williams, who began work last week, attended the meeting as an observer while beginning orientation for the role. The position drew eight applicants and carried a posted annual salary of $100,000. Before her hiring, Williams served as Workforce Development Director for Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Natchez–Adams County.

    Kahn resigned after 15 months in the job. Since 2020, seven people have served in the county administrator position on either an interim or permanent basis following the departure of Joe Murray, who held the role for 10 years.

    The Louisiana Wildlife Federation reported concerns about declining Atlantic tarpon populations, following Governor Jeff Landry’s veto of a bill that would have implemented protective measures for the species. Advocacy Director Rick Owens expressed disappointment, noting that while tarpon remain in Louisiana waters, their distribution has changed over the years. In his veto message, Landry stated there is no evidence of significant harvest pressure on the largely catch‑and‑release species. Owens said the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has identified tarpon as vulnerable and that the legislation would have established a foundation for future conservation and management.

    The Mississippi State Conference NAACP is calling for an investigation into the death of 18‑year‑old Nolan Wells, who was found dead on Horn Island earlier this week. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office reported that Wells was last seen Saturday. According to attorney Benjamin Crump, Wells traveled to the island by boat with friends but did not return with the group. His mother reported him missing that night, and his body was found Monday. Sheriff John Ledbetter said the investigation is ongoing and the cause of death has not been determined.

    In St. Landry Parish, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents cited 32‑year‑old Sydney Broussard of Eunice for allegedly selling native turtles online. Authorities say Broussard was offering red‑eared slider turtles for $8 each and an alligator snapping turtle for $30. LDWF officials stated that while recreational limits exist, commercial activity involving these turtles is not permitted. The seized turtles were returned to the water, and Broussard faces a $350 fine for each turtle she attempted to sell.

    The Mississippi River at Natchez‑Vidalia measured 41.14 feet and is falling.

  • Volkswagen sales plunge as German automaker lays out plan to slash number of brands


    BERLIN (AP) — Volkswagen reported weak sales numbers on Friday, a day after the giant German automaker announced plans to slash the number of models by nearly half as sales plunged, particularly in China.

    The Wolfsburg, Germany-based company said group sales fell 8.6% in the second quarter to just under 2.1 million vehicles, with sales in China alone plummeted by more than one-third.

    After a board meeting on Thursday, Volkswagen said its “fundamental realignment” over the last three years had reached its next phase, announcing plans to streamline the model lineup by up to half, without providing specifics.

    CEO Oliver Blume laid out plans to make VW faster and more competitive through less complexity, focused technologies, better alignment across regional markets and reduction of overcapacities, among other things, citing an “increasingly demanding environment.”

    Among its main brands, the core Volkswagen unit saw deliveries of slightly over 1 million vehicles in the second quarter, a drop of 14% from a year earlier. Deliveries at Audi declined 8% and those at Porsche fell 18%.

    Lamborghini, Skoda and the trucks unit reported upticks, and sales grew in the Americas and Europe.

    Volkswagen cited dramatic change over the last year, including geopolitical tensions, rising costs mainly through tariffs, and increasing regulatory requirements alongside growing competition.

    As recently as December, Volkswagen was betting big on China, where electric cars have been taking a greater market share and competition is stiff.

    Research firm BernsteinSG, in a note after Thursday’s announcement, expressed skepticism. “VW stated that it is extending its technology leadership, a claim that will likely raise eyebrows given the pace of innovation among its Chinese competitors,” it said.

    Also Thursday, hundreds of employees led a protest outside the Volkswagen plant in Zwickau to demand protections for jobs and voice opposition to plans to close the site. The factory has fully switched to making electric cars.


  • Community screenings help a movie set during an Indian insurgency bypass censorship


    GURDASPUR, India (AP) — As dusk settled over Gurdaspur’s fields, villagers gathered in the courtyard of a Sikh temple to watch a movie that has been blocked by Indian officials.

    “Satluj” tells the true tale of a human rights activist who investigated thousands of disappearances and extrajudicial killings during a government crackdown on a separatist insurgency in India’s Punjab state in the 1980s and early 1990s.

    At the screening in Gurdaspur, elderly survivors of the insurgency sat beside teenagers born years after it ended. When the screen flickered to life and “Satluj” movie began, the crowd fell silent.

    Originally titled “Punjab 95,” the movie was stalled for three years after India’s censor board demanded more than 120 cuts. After failing to secure a theatrical release, it debuted on the ZEE5 streaming platform last week, but was removed in India two days later.

    The takedown had an unintended consequence.

    Across villages in Punjab, Sikh organizations, local activists and residents have begun organizing community screenings using copies that have circulated online. The screenings have transformed Sikh temple compounds and village halls into makeshift cinemas where audiences watch not just a film but a retelling of memories of one of India’s bloodiest internal conflicts.

    Spotlight on Punjab’s insurgency

    “Satluj” draws on the life of rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, whose investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings exposed one of the darkest episodes of Punjab’s insurgency. The conflict pitted Sikh militant groups seeking an independent Khalistan against Indian security forces and claimed thousands of civilian, militant and police lives.

    During the insurgency, rights groups documented allegations of enforced disappearances, custodial killings and secret cremations. Khalra’s investigation alleged that thousands of people who had disappeared were cremated anonymously by police without informing their families or maintaining official records.

    Khalra was abducted in 1995 and later killed. Several police officers were convicted in connection with his murder.

    Although the insurgency was crushed and support for Khalistan waned within Punjab, the Indian government continues to view separatist sentiment as a national security concern. It has not publicly explained why the film was removed, but officials told local media they ordered it taken down on security grounds.

    Local organized screenings

    The public screenings take shape through grassroots cooperation. Residents arrange for projectors, audio speakers and power generators, Sikh temples and village community spaces become open-air theaters for an evening, and volunteers spread the word from one household to the next.

    Inderjeet Singh Bains, who helps coordinate screenings in Gurdaspur district, said the initiative aimed to create spaces where people can watch together and reflect on a period of Punjab’s history that continues to resonate across generations.

    “When we screen the film, we see our elders and mothers, many of them 60 or 70 years old, crying because they have lost their sons. Our people have endured immense suffering,” Bains said.

    Gurmukh Singh, who attended a screening, said the film gave voice to stories the young in Punjab had heard only in fragments. For families in his village, he said, the insurgency was not history but lived experience, with many losing loved ones in the violence.

    “After watching the movie, there is a feeling of the grief our earlier generations had to bear,” Singh said.

    Movie fuels censorship debate

    The takedown of “Satluj” has reopened a debate over artistic freedom in India, where films have increasingly run into censorship battles under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government. Critics have said such cases have become more frequent and accuse Modi’s government of promoting films that align with its nationalist narrative.

    “Everything happened right before our eyes, so what is there to oppose? The truth is coming to light, and people should be allowed to see it,” said Balwinder Singh, a Sikh religious leader.

    The government says movie certification decisions are made independently under the law.

    In a statement, ZEE5 said the film would no longer be available for viewing in India “in light of current developments.” It added that it would explore “every appropriate avenue through due process” to restore it.

    Audiences revisit painful memories

    Diljit Dosanjh, the lead actor who plays Khalra, said he was unconcerned about whether the film remained online because once audiences had seen it, “it cannot be erased.”

    That sentiment appears to be playing out in Punjab’s villages.

    Inside the temple compound in Gurdaspur, the audience watched scenes of police killings, crackdowns and families searching for answers. Afterwards, many lingered in conversation, comparing the film with the real-life memories they had carried for decades.

    Pawan Deep Kaur described the film as a heartbreaking portrayal of the suffering endured by the older generation.

    “It made us cry endlessly,” she said.

    ___

    Saaliq reported from New Delhi.


  • Gen Z brings back the mall / Jodi & Murphy’s house-hunting addiction / What you should never thrift – FRIDAY 7/10

    Gen Z is flooding malls again and reviving physical media in search of real-world community. Jodi and Murphy confess their weird couple hobby of touring houses they’ll never buy, plus the color analysis that has Jodi rethinking her whole closet.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • Federal agents at scene of ICE shooting in Houston didn’t have body cameras, DHS says


    Federal agents did not have body-worn cameras when a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a Mexican homebuilder who was driving a work van they tried pulling over in Houston, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday.

    Separately, prosecutors in Houston said they are investigating the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, whose family has joined Democrats in calling for an independent probe over Tuesday’s early morning shooting in one of the city’s heavily Hispanic neighborhoods.

    Few photos or videos surrounding the shooting have emerged publicly in the days since the encounter between Salgado Araujo and ICE agents, unlike other deaths involving federal immigration officers. The family of Salgado Araujo, who had lived in the U.S. for more than 35 years, has questioned ICE’s account and called on the agency to release evidence.

    In a statement, DHS said the agents at the scene in Houston had not yet been issued body cameras, which it blamed on Democrats and a record government shutdown that was fueled by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

    DHS, which oversees ICE, has said federal officers were conducting a targeted operation to arrest a person in the country without legal status when they attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Salgado Araujo. The agency has said Salgado Araujo rammed an ICE vehicle and that a federal officer fired a weapon in self-defense.

    Asked whether ICE agents had been specifically targeting Salgado Araujo, DHS said Thursday that officers had been surveilling a property where they had previously observed two white vans.

    “On July 7, officers were almost at the target’s address when they observed a white van with an individual who resembled the target. Officers then initiated the vehicle stop,” the department said.

    Salgado Araujo had no criminal record and was close to obtaining a work permit after living in the U.S. for more than three decades without legal status, his family has said.

    The Harris County District Attorney’s office said it would conduct an investigation into the shooting. The office is consulting with local prosecutors in Minneapolis, where federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, to learn how they have navigated investigations into federal immigration agents, spokesperson Rafael Lemaitre said.

    “Although access to key evidence remains under federal control, we are pursuing investigative avenues available to us and will conduct a review of any information we collect within our reach,” Lemaitre said in an emailed statement.

    Three men, including Salgado Araujo’s brother, were detained by ICE during the fatal traffic stop, according to Juan Proaño, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, who has been communicating with their families.

    LULAC has yet to obtain video footage that clearly shows what happened during the moments of the shooting and has offered a reward of $5,000 for information from witnesses, Proaño told The Associated Press. The position of Salgado Araujo’s van and ICE vehicles has obstructed security camera footage LULAC has reviewed, he added.

    “It’s going to make it even more difficult to find the truth in all this,” he said.

    DHS said the ICE agents involved in the incident were expected to receive body-worn cameras in the next 60 days.

    In the aftermath of the fatal Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Democrats had refused to fund ICE and the Border Patrol without changes to those operations designed to increase accountability and transparency. Republicans in Congress eventually passed legislation funding just ICE and CBP for three years.


  • Murakami set for White Sox return Friday after being sidelined by hamstring injury


    CHICAGO (AP) — Munetaka Murakami is expected to return to the slumping Chicago White Sox on Friday night after being sidelined by a strained right hamstring.

    Murakami made two rehab appearances with Triple-A Charlotte, going 2 for 7 with a double. Following Chicago’s 2-1 loss to Boston on Thursday, White Sox manager Will Venable said Murakami would be in the starting lineup for the opener of the team’s weekend series against the Athletics.

    “He’s ready to go,” Venable said. “He was challenged running the bases, defensively, had a really long game yesterday. So feel good about the workload, recovered well today so he’s ready to go.”

    Murakami got hurt during a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on May 29, grabbing his right hamstring after beating a throw to first on a fielder’s choice in the third inning. At the time of the injury, the Japanese rookie ranked among the major league leaders with 20 homers, 41 RBIs, 43 runs and a .947 OPS.

    Chicago (47-45) is in a virtual tie with Cleveland (48-46) for the lead in the sluggish AL Central. But the White Sox have dropped three in a row and six of eight overall. They managed just two runs and 15 hits in the three-game set against the Red Sox.

    White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi said getting Murakami back right now is huge.

    “Obviously, he’s a presence in the lineup,” he said. “He’ll bring the energy, I think. It seems like the vibe in here is kind of down right now but I’m sure seeing him tomorrow will spark it back up.”

    The 26-year-old Murakami signed a $34 million, two-year contract with Chicago in December. The White Sox went 17-18 while he was on the injured list.

    “We understand the impact he makes on the field and in the clubhouse so to activate him is going to mean a lot for our group,” Venable said. “Really excited about him.”

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb


  • Wally Funk, aviation pioneer who was the oldest woman to travel into space, dies at 87


    GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — Wally Funk, an aviation pioneer who was the oldest woman to launch into space, has died. She was 87.

    Funk died Wednesday at her apartment in an assisted living facility in the Dallas and Fort Worth suburb of Grapevine, Texas, Grapevine City Councilwoman Duff O’Dell said Thursday. O’Dell, who described herself as Funk’s caregiver, said she was by Funk’s side. Funk had fallen a couple of times recently and had an infection in her leg.

    “It took its toll,” O’Dell said in a phone interview.

    Funk was one of 13 female pilots who went through the same tests as NASA’s all-male astronaut corps in the early 1960s but never made it into space with that agency. In 2021, she got her chance aboard Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket.

    At the time, the 82-year-old was the oldest person to go into space, though the record was later broken by “Star Trek” actor William Shatner and Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate. They were both 90.

    Bezos chose Funk as an “honored guest” to ride alongside him and two others on an up-and-down hop from West Texas.

    In a post on X, Blue Origin said Funk was a “pioneer in every sense of the word.”

    “We were humbled to be part of her journey,” the post said.

    O’Dell said Funk was the “most eternally optimistic person” she had ever met.

    “She was told by many, many, many men, ‘No, you can’t do this. No you can’t do that,’ ” O’Dell said. “And she never got mad about it. She just was more determined.”

    Funk was the first female inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration and the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, according to a brief biography released by the City of Grapevine.

    In the 1960s, she and other female pilots went through astronaut training in the Mercury 13 program, but they were not allowed to become astronauts.

    “Wally Funk never stopped believing that one day she would reach space. Her passion for flight, perseverance, and love of exploration will continue to inspire generations of Americans. Godspeed, Wally,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted Thursday on X.


  • Kylian Mbappé scores his eighth goal of the World Cup, equaling Lionel Messi for the tournament lead


    FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Kylian Mbappé is keeping pace with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot at the World Cup.

    Mbappé made up for missing a first-half penalty in France’s 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Morocco on Thursday by scoring a goal in the 60th minute. It was his eighth goal of the tournament, equal with Messi for the tournament lead and one ahead of Norway forward Erling Haaland.

    Norway plays England in the quarterfinals on Saturday, and Messi will lead Argentina against Switzerland later that night.

    Mbappé had a chance from the spot after drawing a foul from Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui in the box in the 28th minute. But goalkeeper Yassine Bounou guessed correctly, diving to his left to stop the attempt.

    The Real Madrid forward delivered in the second half for the two-time World Cup champions when he dribbled into the area and let loose a rocket that went just inside the post.

    Ousmane Dembélé scored six minutes later to give France a 2-0 lead. Mbappé was taken off in the 77th minute, turning and waving with both hands to the Gillette Stadium crowd as he walked off the field for a substitute.

    Mbappé also moved one behind Messi on the all-time World Cup scoring list, with 20 goals in 20 matches. Messi has 21 goals in 31 career World Cup matches over six tournaments, breaking the record of 16 that had been held by Germany striker Miroslav Klose.

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    See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here


  • Conor McGregor confident for rematch with Max Holloway, as the two headline UFC 329 on Saturday


    LAS VEGAS (AP) — Conor McGregor said he is ready for his return to the Octagon.

    The 37-year-old Irishman is also convinced he’ll have his way with Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night.

    The two will meet in a welterweight bout, as McGregor will compete for the first time in more than five years.

    “Hallelujah!” McGregor exclaimed on Wednesday. “The Mac is back.”

    McGregor earned a unanimous decision over Holloway in a featherweight clash in 2013, when neither was an MMA megastar.

    In the blink of an eye, McGregor’s star rose.

    On Wednesday, he admitted he got caught up in his own stardom after winning UFC belts in two weight classes and becoming one of the biggest names in combat sports.

    “I launched an Irish whiskey,” McGregor said. “I didn’t drink heavily, if at all, at that time of my life. I was an athlete at the top of my game. Next thing you know, thousands upon thousands of bottles (are) in my garage.

    ”‘Sell this, Conor.’ OK, I’d leave my property with two bottles under my arm, and that was it. I was caught. And I wasn’t used to it. And that’s it. God gave me these lessons. That’s it. I was trapped and caught, and it is what it is.”

    Easier said than done, perhaps, as the controversial former champion has navigated in and out of multiple controversies and legal issues over the past several years, including a rape case in which he was found civilly liable in 2024.

    Prosecutors declined to charge him criminally, and McGregor doubled down on Wednesday that he will be vindicated.

    “I’m an innocent man, and I’ll stand for my innocence until the day I go out,” he said. “That is still a situation where I fight. There’s a reason it didn’t go where it went and went to a civil trial. It is what it is. It stings deep. I continue to fight.”

    Saturday, McGregor (22-6) will face his biggest fight in years against a vengeful Holloway (27-9), whose last fight ended with a unanimous decision loss at the hands of Charles Oliveira on March 7.

    McGregor, who last fought on July 10, 2021, spoke confidently about his comeback.

    “Weight’s on point, body’s on point, mind’s sharper than ever, plan is laid set, and I’m ready to go to war,” he said. “I plan to contort Max’s body into such uncomfortable positions and have my way with him.”

    McGregor suffered a horrific broken leg in his last match, his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier, and then withdrew from his scheduled fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 due to a broken pinky toe.

    Meanwhile, Holloway has fought eight times since McGregor’s last fight, is out to avenge his loss to Oliveira, and is still thinking about exacting revenge from 2013.

    “I’m going to go in there and put paws on him,” the 34-year-old Holloway said. “I’m going to make him wish that he didn’t come back.

    “Actually, no. I’m not going to make him wish that. I’m going to make him think he can do it one more time, so we can rematch at the end of the year.”

    Co-headlining the card is Benoit Saint Denis (17-3-0) and Paddy Pimblett (23-4-0) in a battle of top-10 lightweights, both of whom are hoping to position themselves for a title shot.

    Saint Denis, 30, has turned in consecutive stoppage wins over Kyle Prepolec, Mauricio Ruffy, Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker. The Frenchman is 9-2 in the UFC lightweight division. Pimblett, meanwhile, opened 2026 with a loss to new champion Justin Gaethje in their interim title clash that headlined UFC 324 in January. It brought an end to the 31-year-old Liverpool native’s nine-fight winning streak.

    The main card will get underway in the lightweight division with King Green (35-17) facing Terrance McKinney (18-8). Former title challenger Brandon Royval (17-9) will meet Lone’er Kavanagh (10-1) in a flyweight match. Cory Sandhagen (18-6) and Mario Bautista (17-3) will be a battle of top-10 bantamweights.

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    AP MMA: https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts