JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 825

Los Angeles — Four siblings from New Jersey filed a federal lawsuit in February alleging they were groomed and abused for years by members of Michael Jackson’s entourage, naming the Jackson estate and individuals including attorneys John Branca and John McLain and investigator Herman Weisberg; plaintiffs gave an extensive New York Times interview this week.

The complaint, publicized April 25 after the NYT interview, arrived as a Michael Jackson biopic was earning positive audience response in theatres; the plaintiffs seek legal redress and public accountability while the estate and named individuals face legal and reputational scrutiny and subsequent court proceedings will follow the filings.

United States: The U.S. Southern Command said Friday that American forces conducted a lethal strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific that it identified as transiting known narcotics routes and operated by a designated terrorist organization; the command reported two people killed, with one outlet reporting three on April 26.

The announcement comes amid a campaign launched in early September that has involved roughly fifty known strikes and produced differing tallies — from at least 163 to 185 reported deaths — prompting media and legal scrutiny; SOUTHCOM named Joint Task Force Southern Spear and Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan in posts this week and indicated operations will continue.

Salt Lake City — the Utah Mammoth defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Friday in Game 3 of the first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs, marking the first NHL postseason game hosted in Utah and giving the Mammoth a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Lawson Crouse scored twice and goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 29 saves as Utah built a 4-0 advantage by the middle of the second period; Jack Eichel and Nic Dowd scored for Vegas. Game 4 is scheduled Monday at Delta Center, where Utah can extend the series lead and Vegas seeks adjustments.

WASHINGTON: A federal judge on Friday ordered a May 27 hearing to determine whether President Donald Trump can sue the Internal Revenue Service in a US$10 billion lawsuit he filed in January, in which he and his sons alleged leaked tax returns harmed their business.

Judge Kathleen Williams directed both Trump's lawyers and the Department of Justice to submit briefs explaining why the case should proceed and set the May 27 hearing; she noted on Friday that the president and the Treasury and IRS may not be sufficiently adverse, signaling the suit could be dismissed. Trump and his eldest sons maintain their damages claim.

Houston — On Friday and Saturday nights in Houston, the New York Yankees won successive games, beating the Astros 12-4 and 8-3 to extend their streak first to seven and then to eight games. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ryan McMahon, Ben Rice and José Caballero homered in the 12-4 game; Austin Wells hit the go-ahead seventh-inning homer in the 8-3 victory.

The streak improved the Yankees' record from 17-9 to 18-9 and highlighted pitching and bullpen performances, including a six-inning start by Will Warren (3-0) and multiple Astros reliever walks. Giancarlo Stanton exited the first game with right lower leg tightness; managerial and medical staff monitored his condition after the incident Friday night.

Washington, D.C. On April 24–25, the US State Department confirmed that Kuwaiti-American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, detained in Kuwait since March 3 over online posts related to the Iran war, has been released, acquitted by a Kuwaiti court, and permitted to leave the country after more than seven weeks in custody.

This week CPJ and legal representatives said he has reached a place of safety and been reunited with his family, with lawyers requesting privacy on April 25; the State Department declined to provide further specifics, while press freedom groups welcomed the outcome and highlighted regional concerns over restrictions on wartime reporting.

Gary, Indiana — Members of the Jackson family, the film's star Jaafar Jackson, producer Graham King and the singer's eldest son Prince attended a hometown screening of the new biopic Michael at the city's only high school. Mayor Eddie D. Melton moderated a panel in which they discussed the making of the film and the Jackson family legacy; Melton told CNN he did not think there was a need to address the sexual abuse allegations there, and called the film "phenomenal." He said the screening was a chance to celebrate Jackson's contributions and the impact of his music.

Los Angeles — Directed by Antoine Fuqua and due for release on April 24 after years of delays, Michael features Colman Domingo and Nia Long as Jackson's parents and stars Jaafar Jackson as the pop star. The production underwent major changes after Puck reported the original version addressed the 1993 molestation case but a roughly $25 million settlement barred the estate from mentioning that case; Variety sources said the estate paid $10 million to $15 million for reshoots. The estate has been involved from the start; its lawyer Marty Singer called a recent lawsuit a "desperate money grab," and a motion to move the case to arbitration was granted in March. Jackson, who died in 2009 at 50, maintained his innocence and was later acquitted of 2003 charges.

Tempe, Ariz. The Arizona Cardinals selected quarterback Carson Beck with the 65th overall pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday, and earlier used the third overall pick on running back Jeremiyah Love; the Rams selected Ty Simpson at No. 13 on Thursday, reshaping Arizona's draft expectations.

Tempe, Ariz. Beck joins a quarterback room that includes Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew and Kedon Slovis while Brissett has not attended voluntary offseason programs as he awaits a new contract; general manager Monti Ossenfort and coach Mike LaFleur described Beck as a developmental, competitive option, and the team will evaluate him during offseason work.

MILWAUKEE — On April 24, Paul Skenes retired the first 20 Milwaukee Brewers batters at American Family Field before surrendering a two-out single in the seventh, and the Pittsburgh Pirates won 6-0. Skenes completed seven innings with seven strikeouts, while Konnor Griffin hit his first major-league home run on his 20th birthday.

Pittsburgh improved to 15-11 on the season and 5-2 against the NL Central; the Pirates have split their past 13 games. Skenes averaged about 97-98 mph on his four-seam and sinker and used his splitter roughly 30% of the time, and he publicly praised Griffin after Griffin's homer.

Los Angeles: The Chicago Cubs placed left-hander Caleb Thielbar on the 15-day injured list Friday with a left hamstring strain after he was removed following one batter faced Thursday; the club also transferred right-hander Porter Hodge to the 60-day IL and designated infielder Scott Kingery for assignment. They called up Vince Velasquez and added Nicky Lopez to the 40-man roster.

Chicago: The moves provide immediate roster flexibility for Friday's series opener, following the team's 6-4 win over the Dodgers and 10th straight victory; Lopez rejoined the major-league roster and Hodge's placement follows his ongoing recovery from Tommy John surgery, while the club will monitor Thielbar's recovery through the coming week.