JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 839

Tallahassee, Fla. Florida's looming congressional redistricting fight intensified this week after Virginia voters approved a mid‑decade measure to alter how maps are drawn and a Virginia judge then paused certification. Florida lawmakers scheduled a special legislative session beginning April 28 to consider whether to redraw congressional districts in response.

Within hours of the Virginia vote, a judge blocked certification, leaving legal uncertainty, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned Wednesday that Democrats would aggressively contest Republican moves. Governor Ron DeSantis publicly invited Jeffries to campaign in Florida, and both parties signaled immediate national mobilization ahead of decisions in the coming days.

Los Angeles. This week the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner released an autopsy finding that 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez died of multiple penetrating injuries, ruling her death a homicide; her dismembered remains were found in bags in the trunk of a Tesla registered to singer David Burke (stage name D4vd). The singer was charged Monday and pleaded not guilty.

Los Angeles courts moved quickly: a judge unsealed the report Wednesday after prosecutors agreed to its release, and Burke returned to court Thursday where defense lawyers sought an expedited evidentiary hearing. Prosecutors say they have collected roughly '40 terabytes' of evidence; the District Attorney has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.

Manchester — High school track teams from Lynchburg-Clay, Whiteoak, West Union, Oskaloosa, Jamestown and other area schools competed at regional invitationals this week, including the Manchester Invitational on Monday, April 20, and additional meets on Monday and Tuesday; Eastern won the Manchester boys title with 150 points and West Union scored 143 to win the girls meet.

Regional results this week produced individual event winners, 11 personal records for Oskaloosa boys at the Mid-Prairie Hawk Relays, a Jamestown 4x100 school record of 54.73 seconds at the Dennis Hancock Invitational, and multiple top team scores such as Monroe City girls' 189; teams will return to competition with upcoming meets, including Oskaloosa’s co-ed meet in Newton on Thursday.

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys announced Wednesday that they will not negotiate a long-term contract with wide receiver George Pickens and expect him to play under the franchise tag for the 2026 season, executive vice president Stephen Jones said at the club’s pre-draft news conference, citing organizational precedent and roster plans.

Pickens is reported to plan to sign the $27.3 million one-year, fully guaranteed tender this week, which allows him to participate in offseason programs beginning Monday but limits long-term negotiation options before the July 15 extension deadline; trade speculation surfaced two hours before the draft, but Jones publicly denied any intent to move the receiver.

BATON ROUGE — LSU Athletics asked the university Board of Supervisors Thursday to approve higher season-ticket prices for men's and women's basketball, proposing top men's tickets rise from $450 to $500 and top women's from $250 to $300 for next season; per-game increases were reported at $1 to $22 for men and $1 to $6 for women, and some Pete Maravich Assembly Center sections would see $50 reductions.

The LSU Board met Thursday morning at 9 a.m. to vote on the pricing plan and considered employment contracts for athletics staff, including Athletic Director Verge Ausberry, football general manager Billy Glasscock and men's basketball head coach Will Wade; WBRZ reported the board approved the ticket increases and provided a livestream of the proceedings, signaling administrative moves to adjust revenue and personnel arrangements.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Vice President JD Vance has indefinitely canceled a planned visit to Islamabad, Pakistan, where he was due to lead a second round of high‑stakes peace talks with Iran, according to multiple media reports. Pakistan had been set to host and mediate the discussions between Washington and Tehran, with Vance heading a U.S. delegation that also included special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner. The talks were meant to build on an earlier round that lasted more than 20 hours but failed to deliver a final agreement, leaving major disputes unresolved over Iran’s nuclear program and control of shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.

TEHRAN — The decision to halt the trip came after Iran did not respond to U.S. negotiation terms or failed to commit to attending, and U.S. officials said the visit is not being rescheduled at this time. The breakdown followed Iranian demands that Washington lift a U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, which Tehran calls an act of war and a violation of the ceasefire, before talks resume. The United States has pressed Iran to give up highly enriched uranium and halt further enrichment, while Tehran is seeking sanctions relief, war reparations, and recognition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz. The collapse of the talks comes as a fragile ceasefire deadline expires and tensions over regional attacks and global energy supplies remain high.

Washington: The US Treasury this week extended a 30-day sanctions waiver permitting the sale of Russian oil after representatives from more than ten energy‑vulnerable countries requested the measure during IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testified to the Senate on April 22–23 that the waiver aimed to maintain supply and avoid sharp price spikes.

Washington: Secretary Bessent defended the waiver at Senate hearings this week, saying it placed roughly 250 million barrels 'on the water' and helped prevent prices rising toward $150 per barrel; Democratic senators, including Chris Coons, argued the exemption risks sending revenue to Russia or Iran, while the Treasury reiterated it rejected estimates of $14 billion in Iranian gains.

ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Wednesday for 91 Georgia counties, ordered the Georgia Forestry Commission and related agencies to mobilize all necessary resources, and the state forester issued a broad outdoor burn ban to reduce wildfire spread amid extreme drought, while air assets and National Guard personnel were activated for response efforts.

The 30-day emergency order allows the Georgia Department of Defense to deploy Guardsmen and air assets and includes anti-price-gouging measures; this week smoke from multiple south Georgia fires reduced air quality across the region, prompting a Code Orange alert in metro Atlanta Thursday and reporting containment at roughly 10 percent in Clinch County and 15 percent in Brantley County.

Waterville, Maine, city councilors on Tuesday voted to consider an ordinance that would prohibit most municipal employees, including police, from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement unless legally required, modeled on Portland’s draft and measures in Rockland and Lewiston; Police Chief Bill Bonney said he opposed the proposed restriction and council support counted five of seven members.

Houston officials on Wednesday approved an amended immigration ordinance in a 13–4 council vote to clarify police interaction with ICE and to pursue restoration of more than $100 million in state public safety funding; Governor Greg Abbott said the funds remain frozen until the Houston Police Department agrees to required notification and detention terms, warning the city could face repayment obligations exceeding $110 million.

Atlanta — U.S. Rep. David Scott, 80, a Democrat who represented parts of metro Atlanta since 2003, died Wednesday. Scott had recently filed paperwork to seek a 13th term for the 13th Congressional District. He served in the Georgia legislature beginning in 1974 and was noted for chairing the House Agriculture Committee from 2021 to 2023.

The death prompted tributes this week from Governor Brian Kemp, Senator Jon Ossoff, and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who cited his long service and advocacy for agriculture and consumer finance. With Scott having filed for re-election and facing primary challengers, his passing creates an immediate vacancy and shifts the timing and dynamics of the district's upcoming electoral contests.