Laken Riley case: Bench trial set to begin for murder suspect
Laken Riley in an undated photo. Image via Augusta University
(ATHENS, Ga.) — A bench trial is set to begin Friday for the suspect accused of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia’s campus.
The suspect, Jose Ibarra, waived his right to a jury trial this week. Judge H. Patrick Haggard granted the defense’s motion for the bench trial on Tuesday, a day before jury selection had been scheduled to begin.
The case will now be presented in the Athens-Clarke County courtroom to Haggard, who will render a verdict.
Ibarra, 26, faces a minimum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty to malice murder, felony murder and other offenses.
Police have said they believe Ibarra — a migrant from Venezuela who officials said illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 — did not know Riley and that this was a “crime of opportunity.”
Riley’s brutal death became a rallying cry for immigration reform from many conservatives, including President-elect Donald Trump. Trump mentioned her by name as recently as Nov. 3 when he campaigned in Macon, Georgia, in a final pitch to voters in the battleground state.
Riley, a student at Augusta University, was found dead in a wooded area on the Athens campus on Feb. 22 after she didn’t return from a run. The indictment alleges Ibarra killed her by “inflicting blunt force trauma to her head and by asphyxiating her” and seriously disfigured her head by striking her “multiple times” with a rock.
Additional charges in the 10-count indictment include aggravated battery, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, obstructing or hindering a person making an emergency telephone call and tampering with evidence. The latter charge alleged that he “knowingly concealed” evidence — a jacket and gloves — involving the offense of malice murder.
Ibarra was also charged with a peeping tom offense. The indictment alleges that on the same day as Riley’s murder, he spied through the window of a different person who lived in an apartment on campus. The judge last month denied a motion seeking to sever that charge from the case.
Haggard also denied the defense’s motion for a change of venue in the high-profile case.
Ibarra has been held without bond at the Clarke County Jail since his arrest on Feb. 23.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Department of Labor is proposing a rule that will eliminate the certificates that allow employers to pay some workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage, which stands at $7.25 an hour.
The department announced the change on Tuesday, which also marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
“One of the guiding principles of the American workplace is that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay, and this proposal ensures that principle includes workers with disabilities,” said Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman in a statement on the proposed rule.
She continued, “Since the enactment of the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, opportunities and training have dramatically expanded to help people with disabilities obtain and maintain employment at or above the full federal minimum wage. Similarly, employers today have more resources and training available to recruit, hire and retain workers with disabilities in employment at or above the full minimum wage, and this proposed rule aligns with that reality.”
The rule, if passed, would no longer allow employers to apply for certificates under Section 14(c) of Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows for the subminimum wage. It would set a three-year phase-out period for employers who currently have existing certificates.
A 2020 report from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found that some workers were being paid less than a dollar an hour for their work.
The disability community faces higher rates of poverty and lower rates of employment in the workforce, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Council on Disability. Disabled advocates have long criticized Section 14(c) for perpetuating what they call discrimination and stigma.
(NEW YORK) — A 21-year-old rock climber died after “sustaining major injuries” while climbing Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming, authorities said.
The fall occurred on Sunday shortly before 8 p.m. when Devils Tower Law Enforcement was informed that a rock climber, Stewart Phillip Porter, a 21-year-old from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was rappelling down the second pitch of El Cracko when he fell and sustained “major injuries” in a fall, according to a statement from the National Park Service released on Monday.
“Porter’s partner was stranded and later rescued from the wall of the Tower, with help from Devils Tower Lodge Climbing Guides and Buck Wild Climbing Guides,” officials said.
Over the 100 plus year climbing history at the Tower, there have only been seven climbing deaths, according to the National Park Service.
“While climbing fatalities at Devils Tower are infrequent, it is still inherently dangerous,” park officials said.
The National Park Service took the opportunity to remind the public of proper safety measures to take while climbing.
“Check the local weather forecast before climbing and observe changing weather conditions,” officials said. “Watch for animals (stinging insects, birds, rodents and reptiles all live on the Tower) … [and] Consult multiple sources for information on a route, as suggested gear varies between guidebooks.”
“The majority of climbing accidents and deaths on the Tower occur during the rappel. The National Park Service does not maintain anchors – inspect all anchors and back them up if necessary. Ensure you know the location of your rappel route before you begin,” officials said. “Start rappels over the nose of columns to prevent ropes from jamming in cracks. Avoid knocking loose rock onto climbers below. Many rappels require two ropes; know the distance of your planned rappel before beginning.”
Devils Tower expressed appreciation for Devils Tower Lodge, Buck Wild Climbing Guides, Hulett EMS and the Crook County Sheriff’s Office and monument staff who assisted in search and recovery efforts, and offer condolences to the family, park officials said.
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has vaulted to the forefront of the presidential campaign as a top donor and impassioned speaker in support of former President Donald Trump.
Still, Musk has said in recent days that the candidate’s economic plans could cause financial pain, at least in the short term.
Among those proposals is the potential formation of a new “government efficiency commission” to be led by Musk. The group would scrutinize federal spending and slash programs deemed wasteful.
Speaking on a telephone town hall on Friday, Musk said spending cuts imposed by the commission would “necessarily involve some temporary hardship.” Ultimately, Musk added, the cost-cutting would “ensure long-term prosperity.”
“We have to reduce spending to live within our means,” Musk said.
Offering up another cautionary note, Musk voiced agreement with a post on X on Tuesday that warned of dire economic fallout if Trump wins the election and implements some of his key agenda items.
“If Trump succeeds in forcing through mass deportations, combined with Elon hacking away at the government, firing people and reducing the deficit – there will be an initial severe overreaction in the economy,” an anonymous user posted on X.
“Market will tumble. But when the storm passes and everyone realizes we are on sounder footing, there will be a rapid recovery to a healthier, sustainable economy,” the post added.
In reply, Musk said, “Sounds about right.”
ABC News contacted Musk-owned companies, Tesla and SpaceX, in an effort to reach Musk for comment. He did not immediately respond. America PAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In response to ABC News’ request for comment, the Trump campaign praised Musk, saying he is uniquely equipped to help improve government efficiency.
“As President Trump has said, Elon Musk is a genius, an innovator, and has literally made history by building creative, modern, and efficient systems. Elon Musk has dedicated himself to America’s future by offering to serve with President Trump to ensure our government works more efficiently and uses America’s taxpayer dollars effectively,” Brian Hughes, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, told ABC News.
“The commission will ultimately be staffed and dedicated to this mission, and President Trump is committed to having Mr. Musk lead this commission to analyze the functionality of our government,” Hughes added.
On the campaign trail, Trump has vowed to slap tariffs of up to 20% on all imported goods and deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Economists widely view those proposals as likely to drive up consumer prices, since companies typically pass along the costs of taxes and wage increases to customers.
Trump has also floated the notion of eliminating the personal income tax for all Americans. The U.S. would pay for the lost tax revenue with far-reaching tariffs, Trump told Joe Rogan last week.
The individual income tax currently accounts for roughly half of the $5 trillion in revenue that the federal government brings in each year. It would be all but impossible to make up for the lost revenue with increased tariffs, experts previously told ABC News.
Last year, the U.S. imported about $3.8 trillion worth of goods, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis found. To generate the same amount of revenue currently brought in by the individual income tax, a tariff would have needed to be set at about 70%, said Alan Auerbach, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
However, a tariff of such magnitude would significantly reduce U.S. trade, slashing the total amount of imported goods and, in turn, reducing tax revenue.
Musk, who leads Tesla and SpaceX, has taken an active role as both a large donor and vocal proponent backing Trump.
Musk donated about $75 million to a pro-Trump Super PAC over a three-month period ending in September, according to disclosures filed to the Federal Election Commission. Musk, who owns X, frequently posts messages in support of Trump on the social media platform, where he boasts more than 202 million followers.
The U.S. national debt currently stands at about $35 trillion. President Joe Biden has added to the national debt over the course of his term in office, just as Trump did.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ economic plans would increase primary deficits by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years, according to a budget model created by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. The plans put forward by Trump, meanwhile, would increase primary deficits by $5.8 trillion over that period, the model found.
Speaking on a telephone town hall on Friday, Musk vowed to closely examine the federal budget if appointed head of a potential “government efficiency commission.”
The role means “looking at every line item, every expense, and saying is this necessary at all?” Musk said.
