Midwest
Jennifer Crumbley defense cites Taylor Swift as prosecutors argue mother is responsible in school massacre
The defense attorney for Jennifer Crumbley, mother of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley, quoted Taylor Swift lyrics in her opening statements Thursday on the first day of Jennifer’s criminal trial.
“On my way to court today, I blasted Taylor Swift to warm my voice and calm my nerves, and there was a line in one of her songs that summarized what this case is about. ‘Band-Aids don’t stop bullet holes,’ and that’s what this case is about,” Shannon Smith told jurors, referencing Swift’s “Bad Blood.”
Jennifer Crumbley and her husband, James Crumbley, who is being tried separately, are charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter each in Oakland County after Ethan, then 15, killed 16-year-old Tate Myre, 16-year-old Justin Shilling, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, and 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin, and left seven others severely injured on Nov. 30, 2021.
Smith said the case is about prosecutors trying to cover problems related to the school shooting with “a Band-Aid” — in this case, the involuntary manslaughter charges filed against Jennifer.
MICHIGAN MOM ON TRIAL FOR SON’S DEADLY SHOOTING MASSACRE RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT PARENT CULPABILITY IN SHOOTINGS
Crumbley, 45, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Nov. 30, 2021, attack.
“The prosecution has charged Jennifer Crumbley with involuntary manslaughter in an effort to make the community feel better, in an effort to make people feel like someone is being held responsible, in an effort to send a message to gun owners,” Smith said.
“None of those problems will be solved by charging Jennifer Crumbley with involuntary manslaughter.”
The defense attorney noted that while Jennifer is “not a perfect parent,” prosecutors have “selectively pulled out slivers of evidence from a forest of trees to try and convince you there was something wrong with Ethan,” and his mother “should have known” before he opened fire on Oxford High School.
OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTER’S MOTHER ASKS TO DISMISS 3 WITNESSES, ‘GRUESOME’ EVIDENCE THAT COULD ANGER JURY
Jennifer broke down in tears while seeing a video from the school shooting for the first time in court.
Jennifer Crumbley becomes emotional after seeing video of her son walking through Oxford High School during the 2021, shooting rampage, on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024 in Pontiac, Michigan. (Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press via AP, Poo)
Prosecutors have argued that Jennifer and James Crumbley purchased the gun that Ethan used in the shooting as a Christmas gift for the then-15-year-old boy. They allege Jennifer posted about the purchase on social media.
Prosecutors have also pointed to Jennifer’s text messages to friends and colleagues indicating she knew something was wrong with her son prior to the shooting.
MICHIGAN SCHOOL SHOOTER ETHAN CRUMBLEY SENTENCED TO LIFE AFTER ADDRESSING COURT: ‘I AM A REALLY BAD PERSON’
On the morning of the shooting, James and Jennifer met with school counselors to discuss a disturbing drawing Ethan had made in class that day. Instead of taking him home, prosecutors say, they left. Ethan Crumbley later took a gun from his backpack and opened fire. He is currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for his crimes.
Assistant prosecutor Marc Keast opened his remarks by naming each of the four victims who were killed on Nov. 30.
“Jennifer Crumbley didn’t pull the trigger that day, but she is responsible for those deaths.”
Keast added that there “is no claim” Jennifer Crumbley gifted her son a firearm knowing he would commit a mass shooting, which is why “she is not charged with murder” but involuntary manslaughter, which, “by definition is unintentional,” Keast said.
The assistant prosecutor also presented a photo of the drawing Ethan made on the morning his mother met with school officials.
ETHAN CRUMBLEY DETAILED PLAN TO ‘STALK, RAPE, TORTURE’ AND ‘KILL’ FEMALE CLASSMATE, PROSECUTORS SAY
“The thoughts won’t stop,” Ethan wrote beneath a drawing of a gun, which he crossed out before meeting with school officials, followed by, “Help me.” Above a drawing of a bullet, the drawing says, “Blood everywhere.” Further down on the page are other handwritten words and phrases, including, “My life is useless.”
James and Jennifer Crumbley met with their son and school leaders the morning of the shooting after a teacher caught Ethan Crumbley drawing disturbing images in class. (Oakland County)
The 15-year-old suspect was able to convince school officials during the meeting that the concerning drawings were for a “video game.” His parents “flatly refused” to take their son home, the prosecutor said in 2022.
“Just got to go to my son’s school and meet his counselor. S— day,” Jennifer Crumbley allegedly texted an acquaintance just before 11 a.m. on Nov. 30 in a conversation about her horse lesson scheduled for later that day.
MICHIGAN SCHOOL SHOOTER’S MOM SAYS SON’S ‘DISTURBING’ BIRD TORTURE SHOULDN’T BE USED AGAINST HER
After the meeting, Jennifer Crumbley suggested in another text that she might take Ethan to the horse farm on the afternoon of Nov. 30 after school, saying, “He can’t be left alone.”
After learning that her son was the suspected shooter, Jennifer Crumbley texted her boss, “The gun is gone and so are the bullets,” and “Omg Andy he’s going to kill himself he must be the shooter.” She also said, “Ethan did it.”
Texts are shown from Jennifer Crumbley, mother of Ethan Crumbley, who was sentenced to life in prison for the Oxford High School shooting deaths, during a preliminary examination on involuntary manslaughter charges in Rochester Hills, Michigan, Feb. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Immediately after the shooting, the Crumbleys allegedly fled their Oxford home as Michigan authorities issued a be-on-the-lookout alert for the couple after the shooting. They were considered fugitives before U.S. Marshals apprehended them on Dec. 4, 2021.
Their attorneys said they fled for their own safety and turned themselves in several days later and have argued the parents could not have predicted their son’s plan to commit a mass shooting.
Ethan said during his December 2023 sentencing that his parents are not to blame because they “did not know,” and the now-17-year-old did not “tell them” what he planned to do.
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Cleveland, OH
All Future Cleveland Cavaliers Draft Picks in 2026, 2027 & Beyond
As we move closer to the 2026 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers will begin to put together their roster structure for the 2026-2027 season.
As the Cavaliers weigh their options with the 29th selection in this year’s draft, the future draft capital of the Cavs is pretty thin.
Although the Cleveland Cavaliers have consistently been drafting at the end of the first round, and in last year’s case, just having a second-round pick, they have shown a strong ability to draft well in the post-LeBron era.
Players like Collin Sexton and Darius Garland may no longer be with the organization. They have both shown the ability to be high-level NBA Players. Evan Mobley has been the Cavs ultimate draft selection since he’s been on the roster, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, also being named to an All-Star Game, Second Team All-NBA, and All-Defensive team.
Even Ochai Agbaji, who never played a game for the Cavaliers, helped Koby Altman and staff secure Donovan Mitchell in a trade with the Utah Jazz.
With the Cavs being all-in on chasing an NBA Championship since getting Mitchell in a trade, the Cavs have made a lot of trades to limit their draft capital. We will dive into how things look for the future and what it means for the Cavs.
2026: 1st Round Pick (29th overall)
The Cavaliers currently own the San Antonio Spurs pick in the 2026 NBA Draft due to the first DeAndre Hunter trade when the Cavs acquired him from the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta originally had the Spurs pick when they traded it to the Cavs, and it ended up being a pick swap where the Cavs received the lowest pick for the 3 teams.
The Cavaliers do not have their second round pick in this years draft as they attached it to Darius Garland in the Los Angeles Clippers trade for James Harden this past January.
2027: No picks
The Cavaliers do not own their 2027 pick, and it has been moved since they traded it. The Memphis Grizzlies will receive the most favorable pick in this draft between the Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Utah Jazz, while the second most favorable pick will go to the Phoenix Suns. The Cavs 2027 Second-Round pick goes to the Chicago Bulls.
2028: First Round Pick
In 2028, the Cavs hold their first-rounder. They will receive the least favorable pick between themselves, the Utah Jazz, and the Atlanta Hawks. Utah will receive the more favorable pick between themselves and the Cavs, while Atlanta will get the more favorable pick if it is their own or the least favorable pick of Cleveland and Utah. The Cavs 2028 second-rounder goes to the Utah Jazz from the Donovan Mitchell trade.
2029: No Picks
The Cavs 2029 first-round pick gets a little confusing. Utah will get the most favorable pick between Cleveland, Minnesota (Top 5 Protected), and the Jazz pick to Utah, the second most favorable pick will go to Charlotte. The Cavs do not own their second-round pick in 2029; it will go to the Atlanta Hawks.
2030-2032: First Round Pick
The Cavs own their first-round pick outright between 2030-32. They do not own any of their second-rounders as 2030 goes to San Antonio, 2031 goes to either the Boston Celtics or Utah, and the least favorable goes to Boston. Their 2032 second goes to Utah.
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Illinois
104th Illinois General Assembly passes bills for immigration, technology
The 104th Illinois General Assembly adjourned Monday, having passed significant bills relating to children and technology, immigration and rent.
Its most recent legislative session began on Jan. 14. The General Assembly introduced more than 3,000 bills and passed 395, according to the Illinois Municipal League.
HB5511 — The Children’s Social Media Safety Act
The Children’s Social Media Safety Act was passed by both the state Senate and state House Monday. By Jan. 1, 2028, operating system providers must present an interface when users create an account that requires them to indicate their birth date, age or both. The act then requires that operators use default privacy settings for minors if the operator knows the user is a minor, unless a parent of the minor chooses to override them. Violation of the act would be considered illegal under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.
State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview), who represents a part of Evanston, was the lead sponsor of the bill.
Gov. JB Pritzker expressed explicit support for the Children’s Social Media Safety Act, posting a video in March on Facebook in which he spoke about his concerns about children in Illinois who struggle with mental health issues because of social media.
“Social media companies have shown us time and again they won’t step up. So, Illinois is stepping in,” Pritzker said in the video. “I want to empower parents with more tools to help protect their kids, and our kids need to know they’re safe when they’re online.”
HB5024 — a bill preventing detention center facilities from being located close to communities
The bill prohibits detention center facilities from being “located, constructed, or operated within 1,500 feet” of schools, day care centers, public housing and other community locations. It was also passed Monday and is awaiting Pritzker’s approval.
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Westchester), the lead sponsor of the bill, said during a March legislative meeting that his district is deeply impacted by the presence of detention center facilities. Welch said the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois, is located in the “heart” of the district he represents.
“This is not an abstract policy debate for me — this is personal, and it is deeply local,” Welch said in March. “This bill says something very simple and very reasonable: detention facilities do not belong in the middle of our neighborhoods. They should not be next to schools.”
The mayor of Broadview, Katrina Thompson, said in a video released by the Illinois House Democrats that some Broadview residents are 600 feet away from ICE facilities.
“House Bill 5024 creates clear, common-sense boundaries that prioritize people over placement,” Thompson said in the video.
HB3564 — The Rental Fee Transparency and Limitations Act
Passed by both houses in April, the bill would amend the Landlord and Tenant Act to prevent landlords from imposing a move-in fee for renters and from “renaming” fees.
The bill would also amend the Illinois Human Rights Act, establishing in-state policy that “access to housing is a fundamental human right in preventing discrimination based on familial status or source of income in real estate transactions.”
More than 40% of Evanston households are renters as of 2024, according to U.S. Census survey data. Around half of these households are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs, according to a September 2025 Evanston Housing Gap Analysis.
The lead sponsor of the bill, State Rep. Nabeela Syed (D-Palatine), said the legislation would benefit both renters and landlords.
“When fees are transparent upfront, renters can budget accurately, and landlords avoid disputes down the line,” Syed said during a press conference in April. “That’s a win for the rental market as a whole.”
The Illinois General Assembly is expected to return for its next legislative session Nov. 17 to 19 and from Dec. 1 to 3 for a Fall Veto Session.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Illinois state legislature narrows in on affordability concerns
— Hundreds rally for environmental legislation at State Capitol
— Illinois lawmakers hit back at ICE with constitutional rights and protections bill
Indiana
Indiana extends gas tax suspension: ‘Cheapest gas in the country’
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Gov. Mike Braun announced an extension of the state’s gas tax holiday through July 7.
The move extends the suspension of Indiana’s 7% Gasoline Usage Tax and the state’s Gasoline Excise Tax for a second time. The current suspension had been scheduled to expire June 7.
Braun said the extension is part of an effort to keep costs down for Indiana families.
“Indiana has the cheapest gas in the country because we are using every tool in the toolbox to save Hoosier families money,” Braun said in a statement. “Affordability is my number one priority.”
By the numbers:
According to AAA, Indiana currently has the nation’s lowest average gas price, with regular gasoline averaging $3.585 per gallon.
State officials said drivers will save more than 62 cents per gallon while both taxes remain suspended. For June, the Gasoline Usage Tax would otherwise total 26.5 cents per gallon, while the Gasoline Excise Tax stands at 36 cents per gallon.
Dig deeper:
The extension is being carried out under Indiana’s energy emergency statute. State officials said an energy emergency declared in April remains in effect and allows the governor to continue related relief measures for up to 120 days.
Indiana lawmakers limited a governor’s emergency powers tied to statewide disaster declarations to 60 days following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, state officials noted that energy emergencies operate under separate legal authority and retain a 120-day maximum duration.
Braun first suspended the Gasoline Usage Tax on April 8. He expanded the relief on May 6 by also suspending the Gasoline Excise Tax, more than doubling the savings available to motorists.
The latest extension means Indiana drivers will continue receiving the tax relief through at least early July.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Indiana Governor’s Office.
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