Duane “Keefe D” Davis was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years for orchestrating the murder of famous rapper Tupac Shakur, who was shot and killed near the Las Vegas Strip more than 30 years ago, according to what was reported by the Associated Press.
Davis, 63, was convicted in August of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon. He is the only person who has been sentenced and charged in the killing of Shakur, whose popularity was at its peak when he was 25 years old.
Prosecutor Mark DiGiacomo said Tuesday that whatever sentence the court imposes, Davis is “guaranteed to die” behind bars.
After more than a week without any appearances in his election campaign due to a severe cold, billionaire Elon Musk and conservative Republicans on the “X” platform and other social media promoted theories about the mental health of the Democratic Senate candidate for Texas, James Talarico.
By last Sunday, a post on X claimed that Tallarico was in the Lindner Hope Center psychiatric facility in Ohio, a story promoted by allies of his Republican rival, state Attorney General Ken Paxton. President Donald Trump intervened, arguing that the Democratic representative's recovery period was too long to be a mere "flu."
The theory surrounding Tallarico originated in right-wing circles, and spread more widely when right-wing influencer Nick Sortor posted an audio clip he claimed was from a medical clinic employee stating that Talarico had recently left the hospital. Calling on the Democratic candidate from Texas to withdraw from the race. The clip received 7.3 million views.
"It's dangerous"
Commenting on the allegation that Talarico was admitted to a mental health center in suburban Cincinnati, Musk wrote, “The Talarico campaign is hiding something serious that voters should know.” Musk's response received more than 870,000 views, more than double the number of views of the post to which he responded.
As a result, the sanatorium took the unprecedented step of officially announcing that Talarico had never received treatment there. “Representative James Tallarico did not receive any treatment from the Lindner Center for Hope,” the center wrote in a statement.
As for Talarico, who has returned to his election campaign since Friday, he wrote a post in which he shared the sanatorium’s statement, saying: “I have never visited Ohio.” He described this rumor in a press interview as “the strangest thing I have ever heard in my life.”
The New York Times newspaper published that it obtained dated photos from a surveillance camera in Talarico's home, provided by his election campaign, showing Talarico walking around the house and its entrances during the first week of October, reflecting a turbulent phase for the Senate race in Texas, one of the most prominent and expensive competitions in the midterm elections that will be held on November 3.
Misinformation environment
The uproar over Talarico's absence was unprecedented on many levels, and showed how distrust of politicians and the mainstream media, as well as internet algorithms that encourage the spread of false theories, have created a chaotic environment full of misinformation. The incident provided a lesson for Democrats: In this day and age, it is a huge political risk for a candidate to disappear, even one too ill to campaign, for nine days.
On the other hand, this showed how concerned Republicans in Texas are about the chances of their candidate, Paxton, in light of Tallarico's continued lead in the polls, despite the Republican Party spending hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising. No Democrat has won a statewide election in more than three decades.
In the early days, Talarico's absence attracted little attention, and he appeared at a fundraising event in New York on September 29. The next day, he appeared ill and spoke online at another campaign event, telling the audience that he had the flu.
Gradually, Paxton began to inflame the situation; Firstly, report on Tallarico's cancellation of electoral activity. He then led his supporters in a chant: "Where's James Tallarico?" During an election rally with President Trump. He finally announced the establishment of a hotline to receive information about Tallarico's whereabouts.
Clinton's podcast
With the midterm elections approaching in less than three weeks, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will begin, on Wednesday, new “podcast” episodes entitled “High Stakes,” in cooperation with journalist Kara Swisher, in order to analyze the races to control the House of Representatives and the Senate.
When asked about this podcast, Clinton said: “I do not believe that the risks facing the country and the world could be greater.” She added: “If we do not stop this chaos, corruption, and cruelty that this administration is inflicting on us, we will not recognize our country.”
Many voters feel disillusioned with the Democratic establishment, of which Clinton remains a major part. Clinton noted that many Democrats in hotly contested races are now asking her for help with their campaigns and fundraising.
US President Donald Trump's ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, resigned on Tuesday due to accusations of inappropriate behavior, but she pledged to defend herself "with full force." The Trump administration announced earlier, Tuesday, that it had asked Guilfoyle to leave her position, after she faced severe criticism following accusations of inappropriate, and perhaps illegal, behavior before and during her assuming her duties in Athens. The new White House spokeswoman, Katie Zacharias, said during her first press briefing that Guilfoyle “was an extremely valuable addition to the team, and we wish her well.” On Monday, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the reports regarding the ambassador’s behavior, telling reporters at the White House: “We are looking into the matter.” "We are not happy." The Associated Press quoted a senior US official as saying that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were “very angry” about reports regarding Guilfoyle’s behavior.
Accusations of “influence for money”
Since late September, the Wall Street Journal has published a series of reports on controversial actions attributed to Guilfoyle, which included an alleged threat to a Greek official, accepting inappropriate gifts and services, and offering to exploit her influence within the US administration in exchange for paying her credit card bill.
The newspaper reported, based on text messages, that Guilfoyle asked a Trump donor to pay a $100,000 credit card bill, prior to her confirmation hearing, and in return promised him access to administration officials. It also accused her of promoting the interests of a Greek company operating in the construction and energy sectors, and allowing one of its lobbyists to attend private diplomatic meetings. Guilfoyle denied the accusations, saying in a post on the “X” platform: “These accusations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, reputation, and integrity.” She added: “I will not allow false accusations to shorten my decades of public service.” Her lawyers confirmed that the money she requested from the donor was due in exchange for participation and public appearances dating back to before her nomination for the position of ambassador, and that she had not received her wages. They also denied that she had committed violations related to traveling on private planes.
Demands for investigation
The Associated Press quoted an American official as saying that the Office of the Inspector General at the State Department is looking into the accusations, without it being clear whether it has opened an official investigation.
Three senior Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation, including Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Representatives Gregory Meeks and Robert Garcia.
In Greece, opposition parties called for Guilfoyle to be summoned to respond to the accusations, considering that the case affects “national dignity,” but Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis confirmed that she was treated like other ambassadors, and that summoning her officially was not necessary. Guilfoyle is a former Fox News presenter and a former prosecutor in California. She was married to the current governor of the state, Gavin Newsom, and was later engaged to Donald Trump Jr., the son of the US president.
