1 Election 2018: Dems Take The House, GOP Keeps The Senate
And then…it was the next day. While several Red state Democrats have lost their seats in the Senate, the GOP House majority is no more. Democrats needed to pick up 23 seats…and at last check, they snagged 27.
On the Senate side, perhaps the biggest win was in Missouri, where Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley beat two-term Senator Claire McCaskill. Similarly, one of the most-watched races in the country – the battle in Texas between incumbent Ted Cruz and upstart Beto O’Rourke – remains Red. In Arizona, however, Republican Martha McSally and Democrat Kyrsten Sinema are locked in a dead heat to become the state’s first female senator.
2 Potential El Chapo Juror Kicked Over Autograph Request
Day two of jury selection in the trial of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman brought an unexpected surprise. While jurors are usually excused for their opinions or their life circumstances, a potential was excused by the judge after requesting Guzman’s autograph. While the juror was not identified, it has been revealed that he was born in Colombia but has been living in New York for the past 20 years. During his interview, the man admitted he was born in Medellin (the hometown of late drug kingpin Pablo Escobar). According to reports, the man also revealed that he liked TV crime dramas, and insisted it wouldn’t affect his judgment going forward. But then…he asked a court security officer for Guzman's autograph. When asked by the judge, the man reportedly owned up and noted, “I'm a bit of a fan.” Defense attorneys wanted him to stay, prosecutors wanted him gone…and he was ultimately excused.
3 Accused NY Subway Bomber Now A Convicted Man
A 28-year-old Brooklyn man linked to ISIS is convicted today in connection with a terror attack after setting off a pipe bomb inside a subway in Times Square. As you might recall, Akayed Ullah tried to blow himself up on December 11th in a passageway connecting two subway stations. In all, five people sustained minor injuries – while Ullah was more severely burned.
Ullah pleaded not guilty – and during the course of the investigation and trial said that he never had terrorism on his mind…rather, he was upset with President Trump specifically. He repeated that claim yesterday after the decision came, telling the judge, “I was angry with Donald Trump because he says he will bomb the Middle East and then he will protect his nation. In the end, the Bangladeshi immigrant is guilty on six counts and is facing life in prison. His sentencing date is pending.