Midwest
Ex-FBI informant accused of stabbing Derek Chauvin in BLM-inspired prison attack pleads not guilty
A former gang leader and one-time FBI informant accused of stabbing former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin in federal prison pleaded not guilty to related charges Friday.
John Turscak, who is serving a 30-year sentence for crimes committed while a member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang, is accused of attacking Chauvin with an improvised knife in the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona, around 12:30 p.m. on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.
He was charged with attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury two days after the Nov. 24 attack on Chauvin, who is serving out a more than two-decade sentence in connection to George Floyd’s death.
Turscak, accused of stabbing Chauvin 22 times in the attack allegedly inspired by the BLM movement, pleaded not guilty during a Friday court appearance.
DEREK CHAUVIN ‘DEAD MAN WALKING’ EVEN BEFORE THANKSGIVING STABBING: FORMER PRISON MINISTER
Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in George Floyd’s 2020 death. (Court TV via AP, Pool, File)
His jury trial is currently scheduled to begin Feb. 13.
The alleged incident happened just four days after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Chauvin’s appeal of his murder conviction. Separately, Chauvin is making a longshot bid to overturn his federal guilty plea, claiming new evidence shows he didn’t cause Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020.
In a statement released on Dec. 3, Chauvin’s attorney Gregory Erickson said, “Derek’s family confirmed that his medical condition has improved to the extent that he has been removed from the trauma care facility at a local Tucson hospital and returned to prison custody for his follow-up care.”
Erickson added that the Chauvin’s family “is very concerned about the facility’s capacity to protect Derek from further harm,” and that “they remain unassured that any changes have been made to the faulty procedures that allowed Derek’s attack to occur in the first place.”
Derek Chauvin speaks during trial, invokes the Fifth Amendment. (Court TV)
Turscak told FBI agents interviewing him after the assault that he attacked Chauvin on Black Friday as a symbolic connection to the Black Lives Matter movement, which garnered widespread support in the wake of Floyd’s caught on camera death in 2020, and the “Black Hand” symbol associated with the Mexican Mafia, prosecutors have said. After the stabbing, Turscak was moved to an adjacent federal penitentiary in Tucson, the Associated Press reported last month, citing inmate records.
DEREK CHAUVIN STABBED BY INMATE IN FEDERAL PRISON, SERIOUSLY INJURED: REPORT
Chauvin, 47, was sent to FCI Tucson from a maximum-security Minnesota state prison in August 2022 to simultaneously serve a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights and a 22½-year state sentence for second-degree murder. Chauvin’s lawyer at the time, Eric Nelson, had advocated for keeping him out of the general population and away from other inmates, anticipating he would be a target. In Minnesota, Chauvin was mainly kept in solitary confinement “largely for his own protection,” Nelson wrote in 2022 court papers.
Turscak led a faction of the Mexican Mafia in the Los Angeles area in the late 1990s and went by the nickname “Stranger,” according to court records. He became an FBI informant in 1997, providing information about the gang and recordings of conversations he had with its members and associates.
Protesters react after the guilty verdict was read in the trial against former police officer Derek Chauvin on April 20, 2021, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The investigation Turscak was aiding led to more than 40 indictments. but about midway through, the FBI dropped Turscak as an informant because he was allegedly still dealing drugs, extorting money and authorizing assaults. According to court papers, Turscak plotted attacks on rival gang members and was accused of attempting to kill a leader of a rival Mexican Mafia faction while also being targeted himself.
Turscak pleaded guilty in 2001 to racketeering and conspiring to kill a gang rival. He said he thought his cooperation with the FBI would have earned a lighter sentence.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee has no shortage of ways to celebrate this weekend, from a Pride bar crawl to Father’s Day deals around the city and Juneteenth celebrations.
Summerfest and Northcott Neighborhood House are hosting a Juneteenth celebration filled with music and culture at the Summerfest grounds.
Watch: Kidd O’Shea breaks down this weekend’s events:
Wisconsin Weekend in a Minute: June 19-21
The event kicks off right after the traditional Juneteenth Day Festival wraps up.
Pride Bar Crawl
The 9th annual Pride Bar Crawl kicks off Saturday at 4 p.m. at Walker’s Pint.
Tickets include drinks and access to exclusive specials at partner bars. Twenty percent of proceeds will benefit the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center.
The crawl wraps up with an after-party and drag show at La Cage Nightclub.
Father’s Day
On Sunday, The Motor Restaurant at the Harley-Davidson Museum is offering a free beer for dad when purchased with a meal, along with free admission to the museum. Reservations are highly encouraged.
Families can also take dad to the Milwaukee County Zoo, where all fathers receive free admission on Sunday.
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As part of our 30th anniversary celebration last month, we asked Hour Detroit readers to vote for their favorite covers from the magazine’s history. With all votes tabulated, here are the top 10 Hour Detroit covers, as voted by our loyal readers.
10. May 2022
Our May 2022 cover story by Nolan Bianhi highlighted the rise of Detroit City Football Club. The cover itself, photographed by Sal Rodriguez and featuring DCFC’s rabid Northern Guard Supporters, also birthed the very funny #EdDuckerForever social media trend.
As explained by Editor-In-Chief Kate Walsh in her Editor’s Letter in the June 2022 issue, “When the DCFC fans noticed a fan holding a scarf that said “Ed Ducker Forever,” some were left scratching their heads…Most people figured out that Ed Ducker was born to cover a profanity front and center on our cover, but they didn’t leave it at that. #EdDuckerForever became a thing on Twitter, with DCFC fans and others creating a backstory for this fictional character, including tales of his prowess on the pitch and in the sheets, saving (or dropping) babies, his love of beer, etc.”
Truthfully, the whole incident is symbolic of the overall vibe at any DCFC match. If you’ve never attended one yet, what are you waiting for?
Another piece of trivia: former Hour Detroit digital editor Christina Clark is among the group of fans — she’s the one with pink hair. Coincidentally, the photo was taken before she joined the magazine.
9. July 2023
Featuring a stunning aerial photograph by William Cunningham, the cover for the July 2023 issue of Hour Detroit just draws you in with its beauty. The cover story by Kate Townley chronicled the many reasons (65, to be exact) why the Great Lakes are so great. Frankly, there are plenty more reasons to add to this already extensive list.
8. April 2024
Like the DCFC cover, the cover for the April 2024 issue, created by Ryan Olbrysh, has an incredible kinetic energy. Based around Detroit hosting the NFL Draft, the “City Guide” cover story explored all of the details any visitor to metro Detroit should know and featured contributions from Bill Dow, Dana White, Juliana Lumaj, Mickey Lyons, and Jack Thomas.
7. May 2020
For the May 2020 issue, Hour Detroit chronicled the impact of COVID-19 on metro Detroit in a nine-page special report by Steve Friess, Amy Haimerl, Joanne C. Gerstner, and Ashley Winn. The cover depicts the Spirit of Detroit monument wearing a mask and hospital scrubs. The poignant image is an original oil painting by Luke Mack for Hour Detroit.
6. January 2018
Abdul El-Sayed graced the January 2018 cover of Hour Detroit, was profiled by Lou Blouin, and photographed by Matthew LaVere. At that time, he was a 33-year-old Michigan gubernatorial candidate gaining lots of attention for his rising grassroots campaign.
The former director of the Detroit Health Department lost the Democratic nomination to Gretchen Whitmer. However, the man some thought could be the first Muslim governor in the United States now has a chance at becoming the first Muslim person elected to the United States Senate. El-Sayed, now 41, is in a very competitive 2026 Democratic primary race against Rep. Haley Stevens and State Sen. Mallory McMorrow. Primary elections for the open Michigan Senate seat vacated by a retiring Sen. Gary Peters will take place on Aug. 4, with the Democratic and Republican primary winners facing off in the midterm elections on Nov. 3.
5. February 2021
On this cover photographed by Julia Pickett, contributor Steve Friess summed up Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2020 rather perfectly: “A pandemic. An ‘SNL’ parody. A kidnapping plot. And mean tweets from the president. Did anyone have a more bizarre and intense 2020 than ’the woman in Michigan’?” Friess’ cover story on Whitmer explored her 2020 experiences and describing them as “surreal” could be the most apt use of that word ever.
4. January 2024
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell headlined our annual “Detroiters” list in 2024, which highlights the people making unique impacts on metro Detroit. His striking portrait, courtesy of the Detroit Lions, appeared on the cover, with contributor Jim McFarlin detailing the rise of Campbell becoming one of the most beloved Detroit sports figures in recent history.
3. June 2005
Detroit has been very fortunate to have some incredible local news anchors over the years. WDIV-TV’s Carmen Harlan is certainly among the most iconic. A Detroit native, Harlan joined WDIV-TV in 1978 as a general assignment reporter. Three years later, she became an anchor. Paired with Mort Crim, another legendary Detroit news anchor, Harlan continued to serve as anchor until her retirement in 2016. Photographed by Roy Ritchie, Harlan appeared on the cover of Hour Detroit in June 2005 for our “Best of Detroit” issue. In the 2005 edition of our readers’ poll, Harlan won three honors: Best local TV anchor, best TV hairdo (female), and best-looking TV personality.
2. April 2026
Our latest “City Guide” feature took on the theme of “Hidden Detroit.” In it, we examined lesser-known aspects and treasures in metro Detroit. The cover was of Tintoretto’s “The Dreams of Men,” which is featured in the Detroit Institute of Arts, but it’s in a surprising location. If you’re looking to find out where to spot this gorgeous painting, Jack Thomas and Kate Walsh share its location in their piece appropriately titled “Things You May Have Missed at the Detroit Institute of Arts.”
1. June 2019
The 2019 “Best of Detroit” list served as a tribute to Aretha Franklin, who passed away in Aug. 2018 at age 76. Not only did the “Queen of Soul” win the honor of “Detroit Legend,” but she appeared on the cover via an original oil painting by Kim Frank Fujiwara. (Fujiwara won in the category of “Best Fine Artist.”) Simply put: This is a breathtaking cover. We admire and agree with our readers’ outstanding taste in their choice for the best Hour Detroit cover.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ impending trading of Giannis Antetokounmpo to a new team has been the buzziest NBA story since the New York Knicks won the title. But what if it never happens?
The stars are aligning for the Bucks to pitch a narrative to Giannis that for the second straight transaction cycle they’ve dangled him to the rest of the Association and gotten a tepid response.
A few teams, like the Miami Heat, have been clearly interested. Many others, like the Boston Celtics, seem much more cautious and coy about their pursuit of the Greek Freak. Juggernauts like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are less than a Giannis away from winning the championship, and neither team even seems willing to bid.
Even Miami’s dogged pursuit may not include exhausting every possible means to add Giannis. After all, he’s into his 30s now, with a lot of basketball miles between NBA and international competition, and his representatives want a seat at the table, plus the injury history is getting extensive…
The important distinction, as @Anthony_Chiang and I, and @EthanJSkolnick have noted, is while only Bam is off limits, the Heat cannot in good conscience offer every single good young player and every single available first and every pick swap. Most, sure. But offer everything…
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) June 18, 2026
And then there’s the Bucks, an organization so committed to winning with Giannis they waived and stretched Damian Lillard last summer because they thought adding Myles Turner would lead to the next great Milwaukee frontcourt following Brook Lopez’s decline. There’s a pitch to be made right now from Jon Horst and the Bucks’ leadership that there’s no other NBA team out there who wants to win with Giannis as badly as they do.
Outside from the human element of feeling wanted, there are more tangible elements in play. Giannis can’t sign his next massive extension until October 1 with Milwaukee, or six months following a trade if he is dealt. If his next team is hesitant to give up players or picks to trade for Giannis, is there really any guarantee that a max extension is on the table in 2027?
The collective bargaining agreement’s extension rules offer somewhat of a double-edged sword in this case. It hurts the Bucks’ ability to keep Giannis that he can’t formally extend until the draft and free agency are over, but also the prospect of being able to sign before suiting up in 2026-27 is more appealing to Giannis than having to wait until January or February. Especially given the series of injuries that have plagued him.
All of this sentiment and security still isn’t enough in itself for Milwaukee. The Bucks would require a plan to improve quickly to get Antetokounmpo bought in again to avoid ending up back here, but in an even more desperate spot, come February. Upgrading from Doc Rivers to Taylor Jenkins is a great start, but executing trades and smart free agent signings will be crucial.
Is it serendipitous timing that the Bucks biggest position of need is wing players and the New Orleans Pelicans reportedly want to get into the range of the 2026 NBA Draft where Milwaukee is slated to pick, with rival teams eyeing young wings Trey Murphy and Herb Jones? Notably, those same Pelicans infamously overpaid to “get their guy” last Draft.
This is more than likely some combination of pipe dream and fairy tale, given most of the reporting around Giannis continues to conclude he’ll be departing Milwaukee in the coming weeks. But even that is strangely optimistic for the Bucks, as they’ve reportedly quietly walked back ownership’s stated timeline of having a decision made by the draft.
All of that said, it still feels more likely that Giannis is traded than not. But this saga has had its share of twists and turns so far and throughout all the noise Giannis has re-signed with the Bucks. Who’s to say that couldn’t happen one more time?
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