JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 804

STARKE, Fla. A Florida man previously convicted for the July 31, 1976, killing of 13-year-old Cynthia Driggers was executed Thursday evening at Florida State Prison; James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, received a lethal three-drug injection beginning at 6 p.m., and officials pronounced him dead shortly after the procedure began.

Officials said Hitchcock was initially sentenced in 1977 and resentenced in 1988, 1993 and 1996 after appeals; this execution was reported as Florida's sixth of 2026 following a record 19 in 2025. Prison officials described procedural details including the timing of the injection and a final statement made by Hitchcock before he was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m.

New York: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Wednesday he would privately encourage King Charles III to return the Koh‑i‑Noor diamond if given the opportunity, making the remark ahead of a wreath‑laying at the National September 11 Memorial where the monarch and other officials gathered to honor the victims of the 2001 attacks.

The comment this week drew public attention and criticism from commentators who described the approach as inappropriate for the memorial setting; video captures a brief, smiling exchange between Mamdani and the King, no private meeting was confirmed, and the monarch continued his four‑day US visit that included additional civic, agricultural and cultural engagements.

Washington — President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he is 'studying and reviewing' a possible reduction of U.S. troops stationed in Germany, posting the announcement on his Truth Social account amid a public dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war in Iran. The announcement follows Merz's recent criticism of U.S. strategy and allied responses this week.

The statement raises immediate questions about force posture in Europe and NATO cohesion, with DMDC data noting roughly 36,400 U.S. active-duty troops in Germany as of December 2025; Trump also indicated on Thursday that cuts could extend to Italy and Spain, prompting diplomatic reactions and media inquiries to the White House this week.

Cleveland rallied Wednesday night in Game 5, as Dennis Schroder scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and Evan Mobley hit two pivotal 3-pointers to help the Cavaliers defeat the Toronto Raptors 125-120 and seize a 3-2 lead in the first-round series at home.

The Cavaliers’ comeback followed a halftime deficit and a 103-100 deficit entering the fourth; James Harden contributed 23 points and Donovan Mitchell added 19, while Toronto’s RJ Barrett led his team with 25. Brandon Ingram left with right heel inflammation, and Game 6 is scheduled for Friday in Toronto with the Raptors facing elimination.

Pittsburgh has placed a rare Unrestricted Free Agent tender on veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, creating a contractual standoff that will shape his immediate future in the NFL. Announced just before the May 5 deadline, the move means that if Rodgers does not sign with another team by July 15, his rights will revert exclusively to the Steelers for the 2026 season at 110% of his 2025 salary. The decision sharply restricts Rodgers’ options amid ongoing reports of tension with head coach Mike McCarthy and concerns about a dysfunctional locker room, while signaling Pittsburgh’s reluctance to lose him without a clear succession plan.

In Washington on Wednesday, President Donald Trump welcomed the four-member Artemis II crew to the Oval Office following their safe return from a 10-day lunar flyby mission. Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen were honored alongside their families and key space advisors, including Jared Isaacman. The crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 11, 2026, after traveling about 248,655 miles from Earth and breaking the distance record set by Apollo 13. Artemis II was the first crewed test of NASA’s Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket, paving the way for Artemis III.

New Orleans. Outgoing Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson was indicted Wednesday, April 29, after a special grand jury returned 30 felony counts alleging malfeasance, falsifying public records and obstruction linked to the May 16, 2025 escape of 10 inmates; her chief financial officer, Bianka Brown, was separately indicted on 20 felony counts.

On Wednesday the judge set bond at $300,000 for Hutson and $200,000 for Brown, ordered both to surrender passports and barred them from leaving the state; Attorney General Liz Murrill cited staffing, safety and financial failures highlighted in a legislative auditor report earlier this month, and prosecutors said they will present evidence in upcoming court proceedings.

CHICAGO. The Chicago White Sox defeated the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 in 10 innings Wednesday after rookie Sam Antonacci hit a tying triple with two outs in the ninth and Colson Montgomery delivered a winning single in the 10th, completing a three-game sweep at the White Sox home game.

The Angels dropped their sixth straight game and fell to a 12-20 record; starter Yusei Kikuchi left after two innings with left shoulder tightness and a noted fastball velocity decrease from 94.9 mph to 92.8 mph. Seranthony Domínguez recorded a perfect 10th inning and Montgomery notched his first major-league walk-off hit.

Louisville, Ky. -- Bob Baffert's California barn received a Flightline colt purchased for $10.5 million by owner Amr Zedan after a jaw‑dropping workout at an auction in Florida fewer than two weeks ago. The colt, immediately named Zedan, is a 2-year-old that now carries high hopes of making the 2027 Kentucky Derby. Baffert, who has housed six Derby winners in Barn 33, also plans to start longshots Litmus Test and Potente on Saturday and said, "When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping."

Trainers and owners described a broader strategy of buying many prospects to chase a Derby contender. Yahoo Sports identified 34 colts purchased at auctions in 2024 and 2025 for Baffert's Triple Crown program that cost $26.7 million in all. Examples include Faran, bought for $3.4 million and not yet raced, and Brant, a $3 million purchase who won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity but was knocked off the Derby trail after a fifth‑place prep finish. Tom Ryan, SF Racing's bloodstock and racing manager, said partnerships often buy 20 to 22 yearlings a year and expect only a handful to develop into Derby options. He and others noted that one successful horse or a stallion prospect can recoup large sums, while many purchases find roles in other divisions or are transferred to different trainers. Ramiro Restrepo summarized the appeal by calling the Derby "the straw that stirs the drink."

Polk County, Florida — Law enforcement carried out Operation Child Protector VIII from April 20 through April 26, arresting 19 suspects after undercover detectives posed online as minors or guardians and arranged meetings in Polk County. Sheriff Grady Judd announced the weeklong sting this week, saying 16 suspects traveled believing they would meet children and additional suspects sent explicit images to investigators.

The arrests include a 68-year-old man described as a local Santa impersonator employed in marketing for a behavioral health organization, who is alleged to have offered to pay for sex with what he believed was a 13-year-old; officials say charges filed include traveling to meet a minor, attempted lewd conduct, and trafficking-related counts. This week prosecutors and deputies said they will review evidence collected and proceed with felony filings and potential court actions.