Southwest
Emergency landing prompts United Airlines pilot to order dinner for 150 passengers
A plane full of passengers was forced to make an emergency landing, delaying their arrival by seven hours, but a gesture from the pilot may have made the situation not so bad.
Tanya Stamos, a 44-year-old United States Navy veteran from Woodlands, Texas, said she was recently flying from San Francisco to Houston on a United Airlines flight when things took a turn.
Stamos told Fox News Digital that the nonstop flight was scheduled to arrive in Houston at 7:00 p.m., but the flight had to make an emergency landing soon after takeoff.
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“Not long into our flight, the captain had come on and asked if there were any health care professionals, [and] if so, please let the flight attendant know and head to the back of the plane,” she said via email.
Tanya Stamos (pictured here) told Fox News Digital that the sweet gesture from the pilot made the day not too terrible. (Tanya Stamos)
Stamos said that after learning that a man had passed out and collapsed in the bathroom, they were told by the pilot that the plane would be making an emergency landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to seek medical help for the passenger.
Around 3:30 p.m., the flight landed in New Mexico where the passenger was taken off the plane by medical officials.
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“The pilot then gets on and says they are going to refurbish the medical equipment that was used, and we will be departing by 5:00 p.m.,” Stamos said.
However, a short time later, the passengers were asked to exit the plane and were not given an explanation as to why, Stamos said.
The pilot (pictured here) told passengers that he would make sure their bellies were full. (Tanya Stamos)
Stamos said she and fellow passengers walked into the New Mexico airport and learned that they would have to wait for a new flight crew to board the plane.
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“After sitting there for a couple hours trying to figure out what was going on and the captain to find other flight attendants to serve us so we would not be stuck there overnight, it was near 7:30 p.m. or so,” she said.
Stamos said United Airlines gave passengers a $15 food voucher, but the airport restaurants and food options were closed by then.
Due to the other eating establishments being closed in the terminal, the pilot had 30 pizzas delivered for his passengers. (iStock)
The pilot ended up taking matters into his own hands and ordered pizza.
“The captain said it was a really disheartening situation, and we may be tired, but he would make sure he personally got our bellies full,” Stamos said.
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Stamos said 30 pizzas for the 150 passengers showed up to the gate and everyone was “completely shocked.”
The United Airlines pilot proceeded to help pass out pizza to the 150 passengers in New Mexico. (Tanya Stamos)
“Most organizations do not go above and beyond, but that captain did not hesitate,” she said, adding, “His display that evening is what we should have more of: selfless acts of love, compassion and humanity.”
Stamos said new flight attendants arrived, and the flight was able to take off at 11:00 p.m. The plane safely landed in Houston at 2:00 a.m. the next morning.
She said the pilot stood at the front of the aircraft upon deplaning in Houston to thank the passengers for being patient.
“As it was my turn to exit the plane, I shook his hand and thanked him,” she said, adding, “Everyone behind me then followed suit and shook his hand as well.”
A United Airlines pilot on a diverted flight ordered pizza for all 150 passengers after a long day of travel. The pilot later stood in front of the plane to thank the passengers and shook their hands. (iStock;Tanya Stamos)
Stamos said, “It was a beautiful sight.”
A representative from United Airlines told Fox News Digital that the company “loves to see our pilots going above and beyond for our customers when the unexpected happens.”
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Southwest
Accused Texas cop killer returns to court after Dem judge freed him on bond in ‘slap in the face’ move: expert
A Texas man accused of murdering a police officer in July 2024 is set to appear in court Tuesday for the first time since he was released on $1 million bond last week.
Judge Hilary Unger of the 248th District Criminal Court in Texas, a Democrat, set the bond for Dremone Francis in November 2024 in direct opposition to prosecutors’ request for a no-bond hold. Francis posted the bond amount and was released as of Feb. 26.
“When I first found out about this, I was stunned, I was mortified, and then I got really, really angry because in my over 40 years of being involved in law enforcement and criminal justice, I have never, ever seen a defendant charged with capital murder of a police officer ever released on bond,” Houston Crime Stoppers Director of Victim Services and Advocacy Andy Kahan told “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday morning. “This is a slap in the face to all law enforcement officers and to the public in general.”
Francis is charged with capital murder and two counts of aggravated assault in connection with the fatal shooting of Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Fernando Esqueda. He is one of two suspects, including Ronald “Ronnie” Palmer Jr., in Esqueda’s killing. Palmer, whose bond has been set at $3 million, has not been released.
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Dremone Francis is charged with capital murder and two counts of aggravated assault in connection with the fatal shooting of Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Fernando Esqueda. He is one of two suspects in Esqueda’s killing. (Harris County Sheriff’s Office)
Esqueda was shot and killed while conducting surveillance in an unmarked police car in July 2024.
Francis and Palmer are accused of shooting at the deputy’s car so many times that it was riddled with bullet holes, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at the time. Esqueda was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
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Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Fernando Esqueda in uniform in front of a US flag in this portrait provided by the sheriff. (Harris County Sheriff)
“From our perspective, you do not release an individual who represents a public safety risk,” Kahan said, adding later that Francis was on probation at the time of his arrest and had already violated those terms.
“This just sends a terrible message to everyone, and especially for law enforcement officers.”
Francis is the first capital murder suspect to post bond in two decades, as FOX 26 Houston first reported. Capital murder is the only crime in Texas in which a judge can deny bond for a defendant if they so choose.
HOUSTON POLICE UNION WARNS CITY IS ‘NOT SAFE’ AS MURDER SUSPECTS ARE LEFT ‘WALKING THE STREETS’
“There are a lot of million-dollar bonds on capital murder cases, people just don’t make them,” Sam Cammack, Francis’ attorney, told FOX 26. “And Mr. Francis’ family made the bond for Mr. Francis. I think what a lot of people don’t understand is that he’s under 24-hour surveillance with GPS. He’s under house arrest, he can’t step out on his front porch.”
Ronald “Ronnie” Palmer Jr., who is charged in connection with the murder of Deputy Fernando Esqueda, has not been released on bond like his co-defendant, Dremone Francis. (Harris County Sheriff’s Office)
Kahan called the idea that defendants can’t remove or tamper with ankle monitors “delusional.”
“If you’re going to release somebody who’s charged with capital murder of a police officer, that is a threat to public safety, and it shouldn’t depend on how much money you have,” Kahan said. “And even if the judge felt that she had to set a cash bond, she could have set an example by saying, ‘You know, Mr. Francis, you are charged with capital murder. That means you’re looking at one or two outcomes if you are convicted: life without parole or even the death penalty. Therefore, I’m going to set an astronomically high bond based on those factors.”
Democratic Mayor John Whitmire on Monday condemned Judge Unger’s decision.
“HPD and our officers risk their lives for our safety, yet violent offenders, including those charged with capital murder, are getting low bonds,” the mayor said during a press conference.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
Crude details, including secret recordings, are emerging in a case of alleged racism and sexism by several male and female officers working in The Los Angeles Police Department’s Recruiting Employment Division.
In mid-February, news of the scandal broke after the Los Angeles Times learned of a written complaint outlining the accusations, which was filed anonymously on Jan. 5.
At the time, LAPD said four officers, including a lieutenant and a sergeant, had been assigned home with their police powers stripped amid the investigation. That number has reportedly increased by two additional officers.
The Times has since reviewed a copy of the complaint that details around 90 recordings between March and October in the department’s recruiting division where officers and supervisors reportedly hurled discriminatory remarks about colleagues and possible recruits based on race, sex and sexual orientation.
Some of the crude remarks include a Latina officer saying, “You hit Black people in the liver; I heard they got weak livers,” and referring to a Latina janitor as a “wetback.” A Latino officer reportedly said, “Black people enjoy watermelon in between basketball.”
An Asian sergeant is said to have criticized a civilian female supervisor to his subordinates for “looking like a man,” The Times reported, and then made jokes about the genitalia of Asian women.
Five of the six officers reportedly caught up in the scandal include Sgt. Denny Jong, who is Asian, Lt. Louis Lavender, who is Black, an officer identified only as McKay, Ofc. Shirley Burgos, a Latina and Ofc. Christian Flores, a Latino, according to The Times’ reporting.
The complaint alleges that Lavender, who oversaw the section, overheard and witnessed many of the conversations, though did nothing to stop them.
“Man, we’re going to end up in the L.A. Times the way you all talk in here,” he’s allegedly recorded saying. “You all can bring down the whole department.”
Jong, who reportedly ran the office day-to-day and is characterized in the complaint as leading the crude and prejudicial language, is also accused of allowing his officers to review the names of potential background investigators for the unit and then letting the officers veto them when they came up for hiring.
The allegations and investigation come at a time when LAPD is struggling to fill its ranks ahead of the Olympics and the World Cup.
Newly installed L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell has made it clear that the department faces staffing issues, saying that at the time of his appointment, there were 1,200 fewer officers than when he was last on the force 15 years ago, The Times reported.
While department officials have said the investigation into the matter is a top priority, the complaining officer, a Latino himself and a 10-year veteran of the department, is also likely to face an investigation into whether the recordings were made illegally.
His attorney, Greg Smith, told The Times, that officers should expect privacy from these types of recordings while in uniform and in a public building “ridiculing the very people they took an oath to serve.”
Smith added that his client, who has not been publicly identified, handed the recordings over to LAPD’s Inspector General.
As for L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who was briefed on the complaint when it was filed in January, she referred to the allegations in a statement as “especially outrageous and unacceptable.”
“Growing LAPD’s ranks is a top priority of this Administration, and for our city’s safety,” she said.
The mayor added that she and Chief McDonnell are working together to “fix the recruiting and hiring process and make sure that officers stuck in the past don’t tarnish the badge for everyone else.”
Southwest
Red state leader calls for states to stand behind Trump's ban on funding illegal immigration
As Democrat states double down on resisting the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, Oklahoma Education Superintendent Ryan Walters is calling on states to stand behind the president and take a proactive role in implementing his executive orders.
Walters, a Republican, believes that all state elected officials and agencies, including state education systems, have a role to play in implementing President Donald Trump’s agenda.
“You’ve got Democrat governors, you’ve got Democrat elected officials saying we’re going to thwart this in any way we can,” he said. “Where are the states that are moving at lightning speed to enact these agenda items?”
Last week, he filed an inquiry to Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond to clarify how the Oklahoma public education system can implement Trump’s executive order ending taxpayer funding for programs that incentivize illegal immigration.
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Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters speaks during a special state Board of Education meeting, April 12, 2023, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The order, titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,” directs the heads of each federal executive department and agency to examine their agencies to “ensure, to the maximum extent permitted by law, that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens.”
The purpose of this, according to the order, is to “prevent taxpayer resources from acting as a magnet and fueling illegal immigration to the United States.”
Drummond responded on Monday by praising Trump and his order while asserting that it does not affect state agencies and that Walters’ request is “nothing more than manufactured political drama.”
He also criticized Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt for what he called his “many failures in dealing with this critical issue here in Oklahoma.”
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Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (Chris Kleponis)
Stitt, in turn, responded to these criticisms by telling Fox News Digital, “Sadly, once again, we are just getting noise from people campaigning for their next political promotion.”
Stitt said that “being governor has been one of the greatest honors of my life” and he “will continue to do everything in my power to protect both Oklahomans and the innocent children in our communities.”
In response, Walters said he was “disappointed but not surprised by AG Drummond’s response.”
“He has a responsibility to offer opinions on all laws, not just the ones he deems worthy,” he said. “Once again, he is refusing to support President Trump’s executive order on illegal immigration at a time when we all need to move forward with a unified front to protect Oklahoma families.”
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Walters asserted that though the order only pertains to federal tax dollars, it is also up to state education officials to make sure the funding they receive from the federal government complies with the order.
“What we’ve seen here with this latest executive order is to not allow illegal immigrants to have access to federal funds. Well, in education, there’s a lot of different federal funding streams that come into states,” he explained.
DEM AND GOP GOVERNORS URGE TRUMP TO ‘LET THE STATES PLAY A ROLE’ IN IMMIGRATION DECISIONS
(Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images | Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
Walters said that under the Biden administration, the Oklahoma education system was flooded with illegal immigrant students, which he said caused “chaos” in the schools. He estimates Oklahoma spent a minimum of $474 million on illegal immigrant students, which he said took away resources and opportunities from students who are U.S. citizens.
Since Trump retook the White House, Walters has been a vocal advocate for policies he believes will aid the administration in putting an end to the migrant crisis.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE
In late January, he announced that Oklahoma public schools would begin tracking students’ immigration status and share that information with federal authorities. However, Stitt has opposed this policy, and it is currently under consideration by the state legislature.
Walters continued, “We are applying President Trump’s executive orders in every way possible, and that means, yes, you’ve got to know how many illegal immigrants are in your school system, how does this apply to formulas funding streams, how does this apply to grant funding streams, so that you’re able to ensure that those executive orders are being followed through on.”
TRUMP REPORTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT HISTORIC LOWS DURING FIRST FULL MONTH IN OFFICE
Ultimately, Walters believes “education systems across the country” should be following suit and moving quickly to similarly implement Trump’s orders.
“Here’s the reality that’s facing states right now,” he said. “Are you going to align with President Trump’s illegal immigration agenda, which means you are going to ensure that illegal immigrants are being accounted for and that you are ensuring that every executive order from President Trump is being carried out for illegal immigration, or are you going to support President Biden’s illegal immigration view, which is don’t ask, don’t even acknowledge it?”
“There couldn’t be a [more] clear mandate from this last election,” he went on. “Every state has a decision to make, and they should all be aligning with President Trump.”
Read the full article from Here
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