Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend
Epstein, awaiting sex trafficking charges, dies of apparent suicide
Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who was awaiting federal sex trafficking charges in a Manhattan jail, died Saturday from an apparent suicide, according to authorities. Epstein, 66, an investment banker who counted President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton among his powerful connections, had pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking and allegedly sexually abusing dozens of underage girls. Epstein was placed on suicide watch less than three weeks ago after he was found in his jail cell with injuries to his neck. But he was removed from suicide watch just six days later, according to the New York Times. Attorney General William Barr said he was "appalled" to hear about Epstein's suicide, adding that his death "raises serious questions that must be answered."
President Donald Trump re-tweeted a no-evidence conspiracy theory Saturday trying to link Epstein's death to former President Clinton, drawing heavy criticism from Democratic presidential candidates and his own adviser's husband. "The President of the United States is a nut job," tweeted George Conway, an attorney married to Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway.
Simone Biles lands the first-ever double-twisting double somersault
Simone Biles continues to prove she’s the best gymnast in the world, and at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships this weekend, she’s soaring toward her sixth national title. Biles made history on the balance beam Friday, becoming the first gymnast to land a double-twisting double somersault. With a 1.75-point lead after Friday, the first of two days of competition, Biles was in place to win another championship and extend her streak of winning every meet she’s entered since nationals in 2013. Nationals for women continue Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Manhunt over: An escaped Tennessee inmate is captured
A Tennessee inmate went missing Wednesday after a corrections worker at the prison was found dead. The four-day search for that inmate, Curtis Ray Watson, ended Sunday 10 miles from the prison, West Tennessee Penitentiary. The inmate was charged with the murder of Correctional Administrator Debra Johnson, the Tennessee Department of Correction said in a news release. Watson was serving a 15-year prison sentence for especially aggravated kidnapping. Johnson, 64, was the first Tennessee Department of Corrections employee to be killed in the line of duty in 15 years.
Real quick
- A Trump aide said he regrets the "unfortunate" timing on an ICE raid of 680 workers at food processing plants in Mississippi.
- Beto O’Rourke decried "white supremacist rhetoric" at a march in his native El Paso.
- Prince Andrew made his first public appearance since his friend Jeffrey Epstein was found dead.
- A shooting at a mosque that wounded one person in Norway is being investigated as an attempted terrorist attack.
- A 28-year-old NFL kicker abruptly retired after one preseason game with the New York Jets.
- Hepatitis A is breaking out across the country in the wake of the opioid crisis.
Universal canceled a film where the wealthy hunt rural Americans
Universal Pictures is canceling the release of "The Hunt," a film that President Donald Trump seemingly criticized earlier this week. The film, which was set for release in September, sparked controversy due to its subject matter in the wake of recent mass shootings. The film follows a group of wealthy elites who hunt people in rural America for sport, according to Rotten Tomatoes and The Hollywood Reporter. In a statement, Universal said that "we understand that now is not the right time to release this film." In tweets Friday, Trump labeled Hollywood as "racist," describing a "movie coming out" that he said aimed to "inflame and cause chaos."
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are breaking up less than a year of marriage
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth announced Saturday that they are calling it quits after less than a year of marriage. A representative for Cyrus told The Associated Press the duo decided a break was best while they focus on “themselves and careers,” but will remain “dedicated parents to all of their animals they share.” Cyrus, 26, and Hemsworth, 29, met in 2009 while filming an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' "The Last Song.” The two dated on and off for years before tying the knot in December 2018.
This is a compilation of stories from across the Paste BN Network. Contributing: Associated Press.