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Louisiana bill to castrate sex offenders moving toward governor’s desk for signature

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Louisiana bill to castrate sex offenders moving toward governor’s desk for signature

A proposed Louisiana Senate bill allowing judges to sentence convicted child rapists to surgical castration may become law. 

Reversible chemical castration through medication is already approved as a criminal punishment in the state, but earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed Democratic Sen. Regina Barrow’s bill by a vote of 74 to 24, which would take the punishment a step further.

The law would allow judges to order the procedure for men or women who have committed an aggravated sexual offense against a child under 13, assuming that they are a viable candidate. The procedure would take place no less than one week after a convicted person finishes their prison sentence. If they don’t show up or refuse, per the proposed bill, they could be sentenced to an additional three to five years behind bars.

2 ESCAPED LOUISIANA INMATES FOUND HIDING IN DUMPSTER BEHIND DOLLAR GENERAL STORE, 2 OTHERS STILL AT LARGE

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry will decide whether SB371, which would allow judges to sentence child sex offenders to surgical castration, becomes law. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“We have to stand and fight for the children,” Democratic Rep. Delisha Boyd said when carrying the bill to the House, according to the Louisiana Illuminator. 

Boyd cited reports of a 51-year-old Baton Rouge man recently arrested for the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl. The man was already on the sex offender registry after a previous offense in 2007, suggesting that the proposed bill could thwart repeat sexual predators.

The House approved the bill on several conditions, most notably that offenders younger than 17 would be excluded from the harsh new punishment, the outlet reported. Provided that the Senate approves the changes, the bill will be sent to the governor’s desk.

 LOUISIANA CLASSIFIES ABORTION DRUGS AS CONTROLLED, DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES AFTER GOV. LANDRY GREENLIGHTS PROPOSAL

Vehicles enter the main security gate at the Louisiana State Penitentiary – Angola Prison, the largest high-security prison in the country, on Aug. 5, 2008. (AP Photo/Judi Bottoni)

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Louisiana’s state Department of Corrections and Public Safety said the cost of castration per prospective inmate would be $550 to $680 per offender, but did not provide a total yearly cost for the shift, per the outlet. 

The bill is expected to face a legal challenge over its constitutionality, with Democratic State Sen. Edmond Jordan claiming that defending the statute in court would cost the state at least $100,000, per the outlet, citing conversations with opposing organizations. 

Jordan also objected to the bill’s “historical context,” arguing that it was reminiscent of unwarranted lynching and castrations of Black men in the Jim Crow era and that the punishment would inordinately be applied to Black men. 

USA TODAY NEWSPAPERS QUIETLY DELETE GOP SENATOR’S OP-ED ON TRANS ATHLETES WITHOUT TELLING HIM

Louisiana State Sen. Regina Barrow introduced the bill. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for 2017 Essence Festival)

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“Who does this affect most?” Jordan asked lawmakers, per the Illuminator. “I know it’s race neutral. I know we say it can apply to anybody, but we all know who it affects.”

Bruce Reilly, of Voice of the Experienced, told WWL Louisiana that his organization opposed the bill, and that “there’s not supposed to be any mutilation of people’s bodies” in crime and punishment. 

“Now we’re going to add in cutting off somebody’s testicles,” he told the outlet. “Where do we draw the line on our punishments?”

Per the wording of the bill, female offenders ordered to undergo the procedure would have their ovaries removed.

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The original version of the bill required all convicted sex offenders to undergo the procedure. The current version has been amended to let a judge make the decision. 

Boyd told the outlet that although she wasn’t “foolish [enough] to believe that if this gets on the books… all rapists are going to say I am not going to do it,” she believes the statute would be “a deterrent.” 

But Reilly said Louisiana had one of the highest wrongful conviction rates in the country, and he “believe[s] there were 10 other people who may have been eligible for the punishment who have been exonerated.”

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Southeast

NASCAR star Denny Hamlin gives health update on mom after she was injured in deadly house fire

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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin gives health update on mom after she was injured in deadly house fire

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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin shared an update on his mother’s condition after she was moved to a burn unit following a house fire in North Carolina that left his father dead earlier this week.

Hamlin thanked those who reached out to him and shared their condolences. Dennis Hamlin died from injuries suffered in the blaze that occurred in Stanley.

Denny Hamlin looks on prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Concord, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)

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“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father’s passing,” he wrote on X. “My mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time.”

Officials said Mary Lou Hamlin was transferred to a burn specialist in Winston-Salem to treat her injuries.

Officials said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

The fire broke out at a home in Stanley around 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, which drew emergency responses from Gaston and Lincoln Counties, according to Queen City News.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 12, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

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Both Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin were out of the house as emergency personnel rushed to the scene.

“We are thankful for the multiple agency response and ask that the public be in prayer for the affected family and our first responders in fire, GEMs and police,” the Lucia-Bend Fire Department said in a statement to the outlet.

Dennis Hamlin’s death was announced later Monday.

NASCAR released a statement on Tuesday to honor the NASCAR driver’s father.

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“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family,” the organization said.

Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, exits his car  after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, 2025, in Avondale, Arizona. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)

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“Dennis Hamlin instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport. We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.”

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

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Repeat offender truck driver charged with bank robbery after claiming C-4 explosives, firing on officers: feds

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Repeat offender truck driver charged with bank robbery after claiming C-4 explosives, firing on officers: feds

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A North Carolina truck driver, who is a repeat offender, has been federally charged following a bank robbery and a shootout with law enforcement, authorities said.

Willie Edward McGee Jr. is charged with bank robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, according to a complaint.

Authorities said that McGee entered a First Citizens Bank in Zebulon, North Carolina, on Dec. 26, and demanded money from a teller while claiming to have C-4 explosives. The teller gave him $3,234, and McGee fled in a semi-truck, they said.

Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to an armed bank robbery investigation that led to the arrest of Willie Edward McGee Jr. in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)

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Deputies with the Rocky Mount Police Department said that McGee’s truck was found in a Hobby Lobby parking lot following the initial robbery.

According to surveillance and officers at the scene, McGee allegedly exited the vehicle armed with a Ruger AR-style 5.56 rifle and fired at officers.

Police returned fire and struck McGee. No law enforcement officers or civilians were injured. While taking McGee into custody, officers recovered the AR rifle he allegedly used to shoot at officers and a handgun from his waistband.

No officers or members of the public were injured as law enforcement safely took the suspect into custody after a coordinated response in Rocky Mount. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)

McGee, according to records reviewed by WRAL-News, has a lengthy criminal history. The local outlet said that the suspect has dozens of charges dating back more than 20 years.

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WRAL reported that he has offenses spanning from Duplin, Wake and Durham counties.

Federal and local law enforcement recovered guns and evidence following the arrest of a suspect charged with armed bank robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the incident “domestic terror.”

“As alleged, this defendant didn’t just rob a bank — he threatened innocent civilians with explosives and then opened fire on police officers,” Blanche said. “That is not desperation, it is domestic terror. Thanks to the extraordinary courage and professionalism of our law enforcement partners, he is alive, in custody, and facing decades in federal prison.”

“Let this serve as a warning: if you bring violence into our communities or target the men and women who protect them, this Department of Justice will meet you with the full weight of the federal government and ensure you are removed from the streets for a very long time.”

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The investigation remains active. Anyone with further information about the alleged crimes is asked to please call the FBI at (704) 672-6100. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, for comment.

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Homeless drifter accused of killing Barnes & Noble Christmas shopper blamed ‘fight or flight’ outburst: report

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Homeless drifter accused of killing Barnes & Noble Christmas shopper blamed ‘fight or flight’ outburst: report

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The man accused of fatally stabbing a woman inside a Palm Beach Gardens Barnes & Noble days before Christmas had traveled through several states before entering Florida, authorities said Tuesday.

Palm Beach Gardens police identified the suspect as Antonio R. Moore, 40, and said he is accused of killing 65-year-old Rita B. Loncharich inside the popular bookstore on the evening of Dec. 22.

Investigators said Moore is not a Florida resident and had moved through multiple states, including through Georgia and North Carolina, before coming to Florida. Police said Moore boarded a bus on Dec. 15 from Orlando to Titusville and then traveled onward into Palm Beach County.

Antonio Moore, 40, is facing a murder charge following the alleged stabbing at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Google Maps/Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office)

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According to the arrest affidavit obtained by WFLX Fox 29, Moore entered the bookstore around 7:29 p.m. and Loncharich arrived shortly afterward. Investigators said Moore approached Loncharich in a store aisle and stabbed her in the back with a pocketknife.

According to the Palm Beach Post, Moore allegedly told police a “fight or flight” response overtook him, and he took a fixed-blade knife from his jacket pocket. He reportedly told police that he stabbed Loncharich because she was the closest person to him at the time and said he did not have any prior interaction with her.

A Barnes & Noble location in San Diego, Calif.  (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

Bystanders helped the victim until first responders arrived, the local outlet reported. Loncharich was transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where she died during surgery.

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MAN WITH VIOLENT CRIMINAL HISTORY ON PAROLE ALLEGEDLY STABS TEEN TO DEATH: OFFICIALS

Police received a 911 call at 7:52 p.m. and located Moore several blocks from the scene minutes later. He was taken into custody without incident.

Moore, who police say is homeless, told investigators he had no prior relationship with the victim and offered no motive for the attack. According to authorities, he admitted to sitting in the store charging his phone just before the stabbing.

Jail records from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office show that Moore was booked on a charge of first-degree premeditated murder. He is being held without bond.

The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department said it is searching for a motive in the Barnes & Noble stabbing. (Palm Beach Gardens Police Department)

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Local family members and community members described Loncharich as a “kind, gentle” person whose life was cut short during what should have been a routine holiday outing.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.

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