Southern California couple charged with torture of 6 foster children
VICTORVILLE, Calif. — Three members of a Southern California family were charged Wednesday with torturing six foster children between the ages of 4 and 16 over a span of years, prosecutors said.
Kenneth Michael Key and Tina Marie Key, both 60, and their 23-year-old daughter Katlynn Marresa Key were arrested this week in Victorville, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.
It wasn’t immediately known if they have lawyers. Messages were sent to the county public defender’s office asking if its attorneys are representing the defendants.
The investigation began Feb. 13 when authorities received a tip from a child abuse hotline, said sheriff’s spokesperson Mara Rodriguez. The children were immediately removed from the home, Rodriguez said.
Prosecutors say the Keys subjected all six children to years of physical, emotional and mental abuse.
“The abuse included daily beatings, strangulation to the point of unconsciousness, and punishments of withholding food and water from the children for a period of days,” the District Attorney’s office said in a statement.
All three defendants are charged with torture and child abuse. They are being held in lieu of $1 million bail each.
Authorities haven’t said how the alleged abuse went on for years without being detected. Messages were left for San Bernardino County Children and Family Services, which oversees the foster family programs.
The investigation was reminiscent of the case of David and Louise Turpin, the California couple who pleaded guilty in 2019 to torture and years of abuse that included shackling some of their 13 children to beds and starving them to the point they stopped growing.
5/14: CBS Evening News – CBS News
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Missouri lawmakers approve referendum to repeal abortion-rights amendment
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Six months after Missouri voters approved an abortion-rights amendment, Republican state lawmakers on Wednesday approved a new referendum that would seek the amendment’s repeal and instead ban most abortions with exceptions for rape an incest.
The newly proposed constitutional amendment would go back to voters in November 2026, or sooner, if Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe calls a special election before then.
Republican senators used a series of rare procedural moves to cut off discussion by opposing Democrats before passing the proposed abortion-rights revision by a 21-11 vote. The measure passed the Republican-led House last month.
Immediately after the vote, protestors erupted with chants of “Stop the ban!” and were ushered out of the Senate chamber.
The Senate then blocked further Democratic debate and gave final approval to a separate measure repealing provisions of a voter-approved law guaranteeing paid sick leave for workers and cost-of-living increases to the minimum wage. That measure does not go back to the ballot. It will instead become law when signed by Kehoe, who has expressed his support for it.
After taking the sweeping votes, the Senate effectively ended its annual legislative session — two days ahead of a constitutional deadline to wrap up work.
Democrats were outraged by the legislative actions and vowed to retaliate by slowing down any Senate work next year.
“Our rights are under attack,” Democratic state Sen. Brian Williams said during debate. He accused Republicans of “trying to overturn the will of the voters.”
Republicans contend they are simply giving voters a second chance on abortion — and are confident they will change their minds because of the new rape and incest exceptions.
“Abortion is the greatest tragedy in the world right now,” Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman said while explaining her efforts to repeal the abortion-rights amendment. If someone’s fine with “taking the life of an innocent, then probably you can justify whatever you want.”
Some GOP lawmakers said they needed to repeal the paid sick leave requirement, which kicked in May 1, because it’s adding costs that threaten the financial viability of small businesses. Republicans had been negotiating with Democrats over an alternative to exempt only the smallest businesses before scrapping that and opting for the full repeal.
Missouri lawmakers have a history of altering voter-approved policies. They previously tried to block funding for a voter-approved Medicaid expansion and authored changes to voter-approved measures regulating dog breeders and legislative redistricting.
Missouri’s abortion policies have swung dramatically in recent years.
When the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, it triggered a Missouri law to take effect banning most abortions. But abortion-rights activists gathered initiative petition signatures to reverse that.
Last November, Missouri voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to abortion until fetal viability, generally considered sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy. The amendment also allows later abortions to protect the life or health of pregnant women and creates a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom” that includes birth control, prenatal and postpartum care and “respectful birthing conditions.”
A limited number of surgical abortions have since occurred in Missouri, but medication abortions remain on hold while Planned Parenthood wrangles with the state over abortion regulations.
The new measure seeks to repeal the abortion-rights amendment and instead allow abortions only for a medical emergency or fetal anomaly, or in cases of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. It also would prohibit gender transition surgeries, hormone treatments and puberty blockers for minors, which already are barred under state law.
Polling indicates “that most voters are opposed to most abortions in Missouri but do want to allow for abortions with limited exceptions,” said Sam Lee, director of Campaign Life Missouri.
The ballot title that voters will see doesn’t explicitly mention repealing Amendment 3. Instead, it says the new measure would “ensure women’s safety during abortions, ensure parental consent for minors” and “allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest.” It also states that it will “protect children from gender transition,” among other provisions.
Democratic state Sen. Tracy McCreery called the measure “an attempt to mislead and lie to the voters,” echoing similar accusations that Republicans had made against the original Amendment 3.
An abortion-rights coalition that includes Planned Parenthood affiliates, the American Civil Liberties Union and others planned a rally Thursday at the Missouri Capitol and vowed a vigorous campaign against the measure.
“Abortion rights won in this state six months ago, and mark my words: Missourians will protect reproductive freedom again,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes.
Moderate Republicans call for fixes to energy tax credit cuts in House GOP megabill
Could a mini-stroke leave lasting fatigue?
A transient ischemic attack, also known as a mini-stroke, is typically defined as a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain that causes symptoms that go away within a day, but a new study finds that people who have this type of stroke may also have prolonged fatigue lasting up to one year.
The study, published online in Neurology, does not prove that mini-strokes cause lasting fatigue; it only shows an association.
“People with a transient ischemic attack can have symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or slurred speech and these resolve within a day,” said study author Boris Modrau, MD, Ph.D., of Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark.
“However, some have reported continued challenges including reduced quality of life, thinking problems, depression, anxiety and fatigue. Our study found that for some people, fatigue was a common symptom that lasted up to one year after the transient ischemic attack.”
The study involved 354 people with an average age of 70 who had a mini-stroke. They were followed for a year.
Participants completed questionnaires about their level of fatigue within the first two weeks of the mini-stroke and again at three, six, and 12 months later.
One questionnaire looked at five different types of fatigue, including overall tiredness, physical tiredness, reduced activity, reduced motivation and mental fatigue. Scores ranged from four to 20 with higher scores indicating more fatigue. Participants had an average score of 12.3 at the start of the study. At three months, the average score decreased slightly to 11.9, at six months to 11.4 and at twelve months to 11.1.
Researchers looked at how many participants experienced fatigue, as defined as a score of 12 or higher. Of the participants, 61% experienced fatigue two weeks after the mini-stroke and 54% experienced fatigue at each of the three other testing time periods at three, six and 12 months.
Participants also had brain scans. Researchers found that the presence of a blot clot on a scan was equal between people with long-term fatigue and those without it, so this did not explain the reason for the level of fatigue.
Researchers did find that previous anxiety or depression was twice as common in those participants who reported lasting fatigue.
“Long-term fatigue was common in our group of study participants, and we found if people experience fatigue within two weeks after leaving the hospital, it is likely they will continue to have fatigue for up to a year,” said Modrau.
“For future studies, people diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack should be followed in the weeks and months that follow to be assessed for lingering fatigue. This could help us better understand who might struggle with fatigue long-term and require further care.”
A limitation of the study was that while participants were asked to complete the questionnaires themselves, it is possible some responses may have been completed with assistance from relatives or caretakers and this may have influenced responses, including those around fatigue.
More information:
Neurology (2025).
American Academy of Neurology
Citation:
Could a mini-stroke leave lasting fatigue? (2025, May 14)
retrieved 14 May 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-mini-fatigue.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
What to know about Season 4 release date, cast, more
What ‘Bridgerton’ star Luke Thompson says about Benedict’s sexuality
“Bridgerton” actor Luke Thompson talks to USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa about his character Benedict’s sexuality following season 3, part 2.
It’s been a whole year since the esteemed members of the ton graced our screens so it’s no surprise that their return is highly anticipated.
However, it appears that we might have to wait a little longer since it’s going to be a while until Season 4 of the wildly popular Regency-era drama “Bridgerton,” arrives on Netflix, this author learned on May 14.
To mark the announcement and make up for the “Bridgerton” drought, the streaming platform gave a sneak peek into the first meeting between Season 4’s lead couple, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek’s (Yerin Ha). In the short clip, while the ladies of the ton swoon as an oblivious Mr. Bridgerton walks into the ball in a mask, the only person who catches his attention is a lady dressed in a silver enthralled by the chandelier.
“It seems as though someone has finally caught the attention of Mr. Benedict Bridgerton,” says Netflix in the teaser.
Fortunately for our dear readers, this author has been catching all the hints Lady Whistledown Netflix has been dropping, so here’s what we know so far about Season 4 of “Bridgerton,” including a potential release date and cast.
Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY’s movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox
Who is leading Season 4 of ‘Bridgerton’?
Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), the marriage-evading and free-spirited second child of the Bridgerton family, will be headlining Season 4 of “Bridgerton,” Netflix had announced last July.
“That’s right, the man who once moped from the corner of the ballroom is about to be the focal point of the marriage mart as he searches for a mysterious woman called the Lady in Silver,” Netflix had said in its Season 4 announcement on Tudum.
‘Lady in silver’
In the book by Julia Quinn, “An Offer from a Gentleman,” Benedict meets his love interest, “a lady in silver” named Sophie Baek at the masquerade ball hosted by the Bridgerton matriarch Violet.
As the teaser suggests, Benedict is completely enamored by the lady, who as it turns out is “a resourceful maid with her own secrets and dreams,” according to Netflix.
Thompson told Netflix’s Tudum “the storyline is a bit of a twist on ‘Cinderella’” and that it’s really “exciting to have that weaved into the world that we know of Bridgerton.”
Things came to a head for Benedict in Season 3
Benedict, at the end of Season 3, ended things with Lady Tilley Arnold, telling her that he was enjoying his freedom and wanted to explore more of the world. Tilley was hoping for a more substantial relationship with the Bridgerton brother, telling him that even “merriment can grow tiresome.” That conversation seemed to have resonated with Benedict and in his parting shot, he appears to be at a crossroads over his future.
Thompson, in an earlier interview with USA TODAY, had said that he felt like things came to a head for Benedict in Season 3.
“He’s always been obsessed with this idea of freedom and wanting to sort of escape something, whether it’s what’s going on with his family or whether it’s society, and so that carries on,” Thompson had said. “At the end of the season, when he comes across Lady Tilley’s character, she tells him something that he hasn’t really heard before, and that’s what makes him think about things in sort of different ways.”
“Benedict for the last three seasons has been a very free character, but also slightly lost sometimes. There’s a sense of not being quite sure where he sits,” Thompson said.
“You have to accept that there comes a point where you have to make a choice and commit,” the actor added.
While Thompson had not confirmed if he would be leading Season 4 at the time, he had said he was excited to “deep dive” into Benedict’s character.
‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 release date
Season 4 of “Bridgerton” will arrive on Netflix in 2026. However, an exact date has not been specified.
Netflix hasn’t exactly been consistent as far as “Bridgerton” release dates are concerned.
The first season released in December 2020 and the second season landed a little more than a year after in March 2022. However, Season 3 took its time, coming just over two years later and in separate parts. Part 1 of Season 3 dropped May 16, while Part 2 released on June 13.
In between Seasons 2 and 3, Netflix released “Queen Charlotte,” a spinoff from the “Bridgerton” series with none of the main Bridgerton siblings.
Showrunner Jess Brownell, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the U.K. premiere for Part 2 last year in June, had warned fans to expect a wait of up to two years.
“We are working to try and put the seasons out more quickly, but they do take eight months to film and then they have to be edited and then they have to be dubbed into every language,” Brownell told THR. “And the writing takes a very long time as well, so we’re kind of on a two-year pace, we’re trying to speed up, but somewhere in that range.”
It is not yet clear if filming for the series, which was underway in the London area, has wrapped up.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 cast
The new season will have a mix of new and familiar faces, though some of the old cast members may have limited screentime, based on previous trends.
Here’s who is in the cast of Season 4 so far:
- Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton
- Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek
- Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton
- Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington
- Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton
- Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton
- Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma
- Ruth Gemmell as Violet Bridgerton
- Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton
- Victor Alli as Lord John Stirling (the Earl of Kilmartin)
- Masali Baduza as Michaela Stirling
- Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton
- Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton
- Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
- Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury
- Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown
- Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs. Varley
- Harriet Cains as Philipa Featherington
- Bessie Carter as Prudence Featherington
- Jessica Madsen as Cressida Cowper
- Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich
- Polly Walker as Portia Featherington
- Daniel Francis as Marcus Anderson
- Sam Phillips as Lord Debling
- Katie Leung as Araminta Gunningworth
- Michelle Mao as Rosamund Li
- Isabella Wei as Posy Li
How many seasons will ‘Bridgerton’ have?
“Bridgerton” is slated for eight seasons, given that there are eight books in the “Bridgerton” series. The Regency-era romance is based on Julia Quinn’s novels, with each spotlighting a different family sibling. Season 3 focused on the love story between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).
Netflix also announced that it has greenlit Season 5 and 6 of the series.
“Mayfair’s esteemed Bridgerton family will return for two more seasons: Seasons 5 and 6,” Netflix said. “A rousing celebration is certainly in order.”
Executive producer Shonda Rhimes also previously said they plan to adapt all eight Bridgerton books into eight seasons for Netflix.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.
Android Auto’s upcoming media player redesign could shuffle key controls
Summary
- Android Auto is testing a new media playback UI on its home screen’s media card, rearranging the buttons to place the Play/Pause control on the left, closer to the driver in left-hand drive vehicles.
- The updated design also features a larger, color-accented Play/Pause button, aiming to improve ease of access while driving.
- Despite the potential for easier access, this UI change is expected to disrupt users’ established muscle memory with the traditional media control layout.
Google’s transition from Google Assistant to Gemini on all surfaces has already begun. Google confirmed that the former will be phased out by the end of the year, with clues pointing to Gemini’s arrival already appearing on some surfaces.
The AI assistant is coming to the one place where it makes the most sense — your car. Hints surrounding Gemini’s arrival on Android Auto first surfaced all the way back in January, long before Google announced that it would begin phasing out the Google Assistant. Subsequently, early UI leaks gave us a sneak peek at what the AI assistant’s implementation would look like, spotlighting a look similar to what Google ultimately showed off at its Android Show.
Related
Gemini is coming to Android Auto later this year, with shorter responses in tow
Keeping safety front of mind
Now, early leaks point at other aspects of Android Auto changing, and if the past is any indication, this new change could be out over the coming weeks and months.
The upcoming change essentially rearranges the media card’s UI on Android Auto’s home screen, making the Play/Pause control easier to access in left-hand drive markets, first highlighted by Android Authority.
Source: Android Authority
As seen in the screenshots above, instead of the regular Previous, Pause/Play, and Next order, the updated UI puts the Pause/Play button towards the very left (closest to the driver), followed by the Previous and Next controls. The screenshots highlight Spotify, but this isn’t an app-specific change. The same UI also surfaces when music is played through YouTube Music.
Apart from the positioning change, the pause button itself now appears within a larger pill, highlighting the most dominant hue found in the song/album cover art. This change, too, should make it easier for the vehicle driver to Play/Pause music or other content. Regardless of the advantages, though, it’s clear that the redesign will mess with users’ muscle memory, potentially leading to initial frustration and outweighing the apparent benefits when the change first rolls out.
Related
15 essential Android Auto apps every driver and passenger needs
Going for a drive? Take these apps with you
Donatella Versace Slams Miami Hotel That’s Named After Her
Donatella Versace is denouncing the new Florida hotel and restaurant that is named after her.
The fashion designer, 70, clarified on Saturday, May 10, that she is not affiliated with the new Donatella Boutique Hotel & Restaurant in Miami.
“Let me be clear,” Versace began in an Instagram post. “The hotel and restaurant named Donatella, located near our former family home in Miami, will never have anything to do with me or my family. To try to capitalize on our tragedy and my name for profit is disgraceful.”
The new hotel, which is a Nakash and Vida & Estilo Hospitality group property, is opening up the Miami Beach property on Wednesday, May 21.
PEOPLE reached out to Nakash and Vida & Estilo Hospitality groups for comment.
Google Maps
Nakash and Vida & Estilo Hospitality groups also converted the Versace mansion, where Donatella’s brother, Gianni, was tragically killed, into a hotel, the Villa Casa Casuarina. The hotel also has a restaurant called Gianni’s.
The hospitality group is advertising the new property as a “sister property” to Villa Casa Casuarina, per Ocean Drive magazine.
The property has six exclusive rooms, and each will include dedicated concierge and butler service. Guests can also use the hotel’s amenities, including exclusive beach access with daybeds and premium services such as jet ski rentals. Guests will access a partner facility’s signature massages, revitalizing facials, spa treatments, fitness center and private pool, per the press release.
Meanwhile, the restaurant at Donatella will serve Neapolitan cuisine, which will feature traditional dishes, including pólipo al insalata, carpaccio gambero rosso, rigatoni nduja, black truffle cacio e pepe, veal milanese and skull island prawns. The space can seat up to 170 guests and houses a private dining room for 15 diners.
“The Donatella Boutique Hotel is the ideal sister property, with its Neo-Mediterranean elegance and storied heritage. We are excited to make Donatella Restaurant the heart of this new project, offering world-class Italian cuisine within this stunning space,” chairman Joe Nakash said in the press release.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Michele Eve Sandberg/Corbis via Getty
The Nakash family, behind the aforementioned hospitality group, reportedly purchased the Versace mansion in 2013 for $41.5 million, per Women’s Wear Daily.
Gianni bought the property in 1992, and was fatally shot on its steps in 1997. Three years later, the Versace family sold the property for $19 million to Peter Loftin, who then operated the space as a private club and a boutique hotel.
Active weather region spotted for first time on a faraway moon
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft stared at Saturn for nearly 44 hours on April 25 to 27, 2016, to obtain this movie showing just over four Saturn days. (Courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)
Partly cloudy with a chance of methane? Astronomers with the Space Telescope Science Institute say they have spotted evidence of active weather patterns on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, helping to shape theories of the natural satellite.
Using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the ground-based Keck II telescope in Hawaii, researchers said they were able to discern cloud formations over bodies of methane and ethane gases across the moon’s northern hemisphere.
The discovery is notable because previous observations only suggested that meteorological processes occurred over its southern hemisphere.
Images captured by the technology observed clouds above the mid- to high-northern latitudes, where the summer season was underway.
“Titan is the only other place in our solar system that has weather like Earth, in the sense that it has clouds and rainfall onto a surface,” Conor Nixon of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a statement.
Photo of Titan – One of Saturn’s moons
(NASA)
SEE THE OBJECTS HUMANS LEFT BEHIND ON THE MOON
According to NASA, Titan possesses a dense nitrogen-based atmosphere and apparently has an active weather cycle similar to Earth — only instead of raining water, it’s raining methane.
Due to its unique atmosphere, temperatures are thought to hover around -290 degrees Fahrenheit, but despite the frigid environment, evaporation, cloud formation and rainfall all occur.
The northern hemisphere is home to most of Titan’s lakes and is similar in structure to North America’s Great Lakes, with the lakes instead being fed by liquid methane rainfall.
Unlike Earth, Titan’s troposphere extends much higher, reaching about 27 miles above the surface, compared to Earth’s 7-mile-tall troposphere, according to researchers at the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Saturn is thought to have around 274 moons – more than any other planet in the solar system – but it is unknown if any of the natural satellites exhibit characteristics similar to Titan.
Using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the ground-based Keck II telescope in Hawaii researchers said they were able to discern cloud formations over bodies of methane and ethane gasses.
(Space Telescope Science Institute / FOX Weather)
TELESCOPE CAPTURES SIGHT OF BRIGHT AURORAS, BUT THESE AREN’T ON EARTH
Over time, methane in Titan’s atmosphere is being depleted, and without a replenishing source, the moon could lose its atmosphere – similar to the fate of Mars.
“On Titan, methane is a consumable. It’s possible that it is being constantly resupplied and fizzing out of the crust and interior over billions of years. If not, eventually it will all be gone and Titan will become a mostly airless world of dust and dunes,” Nixon stated.
NASA plans to launch a rotorcraft to conduct surveillance of Titan, but a launch is not anticipated before 2028, with an arrival around 2034.
“With contributions from partners around the globe, Dragonfly’s scientific payload will characterize the habitability of Titan’s environment, investigate the progression of prebiotic chemistry on Titan, where carbon-rich material and liquid water may have mixed for an extended period, and search for chemical indications of whether water-based or hydrocarbon-based life once existed on Saturn’s moon,” NASA recently stated about the planned mission.
NASA plans to launch a rotorcraft to conduct surveillance of Titan, but a launch is not anticipated before 2028, with an arrival around 2034.
(NASA)