The Short List: Probable cause found in Tamir Rice case; calls to bench Solo; a Germanwings clue
Judge finds probable cause in 12-year-old Tamir Rice's death. Now what?
Enough evidence exists to charge a Cleveland police officer with murder in the November shooting death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, a judge ruled Thursday. Municipal Court Judge Ronald Adrine found probable cause for prosecutors to charge rookie officer Timothy Loehman with murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide or dereliction of duty. The ruling also finds probable cause to charge Loehmann's partner, officer Frank Garmback, with reckless homicide or dereliction of duty. So what's next? The ruling is merely the judge's assessment of the accusations made against the two officers, so it's now up to the prosecutor to assess the judge's findings and decide whether to file charges in the investigation that critics say has been slow moving. Tamir was shot nearly seven months ago on a playground when the officers responded to a 911 call about someone with a firearm in the area.
U.S. Soccer gets an earful about Hope Solo — but will it listen?
Talk about late in the game. U.S. Soccer didn't take action following Hope Solo's 2014 domestic violence arrest, and calls to bench the superstar goalie are loud — and unlikely to be heard ahead of the second game of the 2015 Women's World Cup. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who was an outspoken critic of the NFL's handling of the Ray Rice incident last year, sent a sternly worded letter to U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati on Thursday, admonishing the organization for allowing the USWNT goalie to represent the United States in the Cup. Paste BN Sports columnist Christine Brennan — who calls Solo "soccer's Ray Rice without the video" — says U.S. Soccer should have suspended Solo as soon as she was charged and because she wasn't, officials should suspend her now. "They won't, of course," Brennan writes, "because Solo is just too valuable to the team when it matters most, in the vitally important games being played in the highest profile and most prestigious tournament in the world." Meanwhile, Swedish coach Pia Sundhage had sharp words for some of her former U.S. players, including Solo. "She's a piece of work. But that's good as well. Things happen around her … She's the best goalkeeper in the world, so why wouldn't you try to make her happy?"
Germanwings co-pilot's fear of blindness could be clue in fatal crash
Was Andreas Lubitz losing his vision? French prosecutor Brice Robin said Thursday that the co-pilot of the doomed Germanwings flight may have been depressed over fears he was losing his eyesight — which would have ended the pilot's career — when he flew the plane into the French Alps. Robin said Lubitz, 27, had seven doctor appointments within the month before the March 24 crash, including three appointments with a psychiatrist. Some of the doctors believed Lubitz was unfit to fly, but they were legally prevented by privacy laws from passing the information to his employer. Robin also told family members that he had opened a formal criminal investigation to determine whether Germanwings airlines or any individual should be held responsible for failing to monitor Lubitz's psychological health. Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, has acknowledged that it was told about his illness but said he was reinstated after a company flight doctor found him fit to fly.
28 hot dogs in a pizza crust? We can't even
How does 28 mini hot dogs wrapped in pizza crust sound? We don't know whether we're horrified or hungry. Even so, Pizza Hut says "it's real," and curious consumers can try the Hot Dog Bites Pizza beginning June 18. The new pizza will feature a pigs-in-a-blanket style crust of individual hot dogs, instead of a single hot dog roped around it. Will you try it? Tweet us at @usatoday and tell us what you think of the #HotDogPizza.
R.I.P., Christopher Lee: You were so much more than a horror legend
He made us laugh. He creeped us out. He took on some Jedi. But best of all actor Christopher Lee put together a fantastic — and fangtastic — film life not so easily duplicated. If you don't recognize the name right away, you'll recognize the face — and the roles. The tall British actor loomed over cinema in an intimidating fashion by creating some of Hollywood's greatest villains, most notably as Count Dracula, and leaving fans with a filmography as broad as his smile. Lee, who died Sunday in his birth city of London at age 93, was a living horror legend, but as he'd quickly remind you, he was much more than that. In his more recent roles over the past 15 years, Lee brought a high-end bad guy to the Star Wars prequels with his light saber-wielding Count Dooku and added presence to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy as the wizard antagonist Saruman. Click through the gallery and see if you recognize some of his characters.
Extra Bites
If you only read one thing tonight, read this: Help! How do I keep my name from appearing in Facebook ads?
Finally — reason to stay home on a Saturday night. Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig's new "thriller" — A Deadly Adoption — premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT on June 20 on Lifetime. Check out the trailer.
Paging Dr. Lee! The plastic surgery community has a new star: Harrison Lee, the doctor who constructed Caitlyn Jenner's new face. "I don't want to show off, but I think she's ecstatic with the result," Lee said this week.
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This is a compilation of stories from across Paste BN.
Contributing: Doug Stanglin, Brian Truitt, Maria Puente and Cindy Clark, Paste BN; Christine Brennan and Nate Scott, Paste BN Sports; Mary Bowerman, Paste BN Network; Phil Trexler and Kim Wendel, WKYC-TV, Cleveland