Five Americans detained in Iran are coming home in a prisoner exchange. Actor and comedian Russell Brand is facing allegations of rape and sexual assault. And a suspect has been arrested in the weekend killing of a Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy.
Hey! Spencer Elliott here, filling in for Laura Davis today. Let’s get to Monday’s news.
But first, has anyone seen a stealth fighter jet lying around? Military officials are asking for the public’s help to locate a missing F-35 after a pilot ejected from an aircraft involved in a “mishap” off the coast of South Carolina.
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Iran releases 5 Americans in prisoner swap deal
Five Americans imprisoned in Iran were released Monday in a prisoner exchange negotiated by President Joe Biden’s administration. As part of the deal, $6 billion in frozen Iranian oil revenues was released and five Iranians charged or convicted of nonviolent crimes were freed by the U.S. The five Americans in the swap had been accused of being spies or working on behalf of the U.S. government in Iran, which the White House denies. The exchange comes ahead of a United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York this week, where Biden and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will both speak.
Allegations mount against Russell Brand
Comedian, actor and social influencer Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse based on allegations from four women, according to a joint investigation from The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4’s “Dispatches.” Brand is denying the allegations, and said all of his relationships have been consensual. Brand has since been dropped by his agent and had his affiliation cut with a women’s addiction recovery charity. The Times of London said Monday that more women had contacted the newspaper with allegations against Brand and they would be “rigorously checked.”
What everyone’s talking about
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Suspect captured in slaying of LA sheriff’s deputy, police say
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday that he’s “extremely confident” his department has caught the man responsible for shooting and killing a sheriff’s deputy over the weekend, launching a massive 36-hour manhunt. Luna identified the suspect as Kevin Salazar, 29, of Palmdale, a suburb 50 miles north of downtown Los Angeles where deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer was shot Saturday in his cruiser at a traffic light. No motive has been determined for the attack, according to Luna.
Michigan State plans to fire football coach Mel Tucker following harassment report
Michigan State University has notified football coach Mel Tucker of its intent to terminate his contract, Athletic Director Alan Haller said in a statement Monday. Tucker was suspended following a USA TODAY story that detailed the sexual harassment complaint filed against him in late December. Brenda Tracy, a prominent national advocate for abuse survivors, reported to the university that Tucker subjected her to unwanted phone sex. Tucker has denied sexually harassing Tracy, saying they had a consensual intimate relationship. An investigation into Tucker’s behavior remains ongoing.
A break from the news
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