About a year after her husband's death, Kouri Richins published a children's book to help her three sons cope with their grief. “Just because he's not present here with us physically, that doesn't mean his presence isn't here with us,” Richins said during an interview promoting the book on a local news program in April 2023. “Dad is still here, it's just in a different way.” A month later, the Utah mother was arrested and accused of poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, with a lethal dose of fentanyl in 2022. On Monday, a jury will hear opening statements as Richins goes on trial for the murder of her husband of nine years. Prosecutors allege she killed him for financial gain and to start a new life with the man with whom she was having an affair. She is also accused of attempting to poison her husband on Valentine's Day, weeks before his death. If convicted of the most serious charge, she could face up to life in prison. Richins faces additional financial charges in a separate case. Court records indicate she has yet to enter a plea. Richins told authorities one of their sons was having bad dreams, so she went to sleep in his room around 9:30 p.m., charging documents said. “I turned over, like to put my arm around Eric and he was just cold,” she told investigators in April 2023, according to court documents. They noted it seemed like Eric Richins had been “dead a while,” the charging documents said. Richins told investigators she left her cellphone in the master bedroom and called 911 immediately after she found her husband dead. Prosecutors, however, said a forensic analysis of her phone showed it was unlocked six times in the 15 minutes before she made the emergency call at 3:21 a.m. Kouri Richins told investigators her husband would sometimes take THC gummies before bed – and that she believed they could have contained fentanyl. The medical examiner did not detect THC in Eric Richins' system, and prosecutors said the gummies in his home did not test positive for fentanyl. Hours later, Eric Richins told two friends he felt like he was going to die after eating the sandwich, according to charging documents. Eric Richins told the other friend he broke out in hives, then injected himself with an EpiPen and drank a bottle of Benadryl. “You almost lost me,” he said, according to prosecutors. Eric Richins did not have any food allergies, but fentanyl and other opioids can sometimes cause “pseudoallergic reactions,” prosecutors said. Kouri Richins manually deleted more than 800 messages with the woman from January to mid-March 2022, as well as a “significant amount” of cellphone data from that time period, prosecutors said. After Richins was informed of her husband's cause of death, her phone's internet history allegedly included visits to websites about women's prisons in Utah, life insurance payments, and how police recover deleted cellphone data. By that summer, Richins' phone had been used to make various internet searches, including one that read, “if someone is poisned (sic) what does it go down on the death certificate as,” according to charging documents. Shortly after her arrest, Richins told her family she asked the woman for pain pills that her husband wanted, but he threw them out because they weren't strong enough, according to court documents. Her former defense attorney said Eric Richins was known as a “partier” who would “consume alcohol and THC in any form.” Prosecutors said Richins repeatedly told law enforcement that her husband didn't take drugs other than the occasional THC gummy. Prosecutors allege Kouri Richins killed her husband to profit off his lucrative business and life insurance policies – funds she could then use to support her struggling real estate business. “She also did so because she planned a future with her paramour, and divorcing Eric Richins would leave her without any proceeds from his business and possibly without custody of their children,” prosecutors wrote in court filings. Richins told a friend in December 2021 that she felt trapped in her marriage and it would be better if her husband was dead, according to charging documents. On the day of Eric Richins' death, his estate was worth roughly $5 million and his wife was “spiraling toward total financial collapse,” prosecutors said. Eric Richins' life was insured for more than $2 million through several life insurance policies, one of which prosecutors allege his wife fraudulently applied for weeks before he died. However, Eric Richins met with a lawyer in the fall of 2020 to implement various estate planning methods that excluded his wife, charging documents said. “Eric Richins informed his lawyer that he wanted to protect himself in the short-term from recently discovered and ongoing abuse and misuse of his finances by the Defendant, and to protect his three children in the long-term by ensuring that the Defendant would never be able to manage his property after his death,” prosecutors wrote. Utah woman accused of killing her husband with fentanyl claims a letter in her jail cell is part of a fictional book she's writing, prosecutors say In 2023, the drug dealer who allegedly provided the pills to Richins' housecleaner confirmed he sold her fentanyl, according to court documents. Last year, however, he told investigators he had given the woman a different drug, not fentanyl, Richins' defense attorneys said in a motion last fall. “(The dealer's) statement doesn't just poke holes in their case, it throws a grenade in the middle of it.” Prosecutors argued in their own court filing that the dealer's recent claim isn't credible. In their statement to CNN, Richins' defense attorneys said they believe the evidence at trial will support their client's claim of innocence. “We are confident this jury will make that possible.”
People walk in Nuuk, Greenland on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Sunday “no thanks” to U.S. President Donald Trump's idea of sending a hospital ship to Greenland, a territory that Trump has repeatedly said he wishes to take over. Trump said on Saturday on social media he was working with Louisiana Governor and special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, to send a hospital boat to Greenland. “President Trump's idea of sending an American hospital ship here to Greenland has been noted. But we have a public health-care system where treatment is free for citizens. Nielsen said Greenland remained open to dialogue and co-operation, also with the U.S. “But talk to us instead of just making more or less random outbursts on social media,” he said. Trump's post on the ship came hours after Denmark's Joint Arctic Command said it had evacuated a crew member who required urgent medical treatment from a U.S. submarine in Greenlandic waters, seven nautical miles outside of Greenland's capital, Nuuk. Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following. © Copyright 2026 The Globe and Mail Inc. All rights reserved.
An aerial view of U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.Steve Helber/The Associated Press An armed man drove into the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's resort in Palm Beach, Florida, as another vehicle was exiting before being shot and killed early Sunday morning, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service. The man, who was in his early 20s and from North Carolina, had a gas can and a shotgun, according to Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman. He had been reported missing by his family a few days ago, and investigators believe he headed south and picked up the shotgun along the way. Trump has faced threats to his life before, including two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign. After entering near the north gate of the property, the man was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said at a brief press conference. The FBI asked residents who live near Mar-a-Lago to check any security cameras they may have for footage that could help investigators. In a post on X, FBI Director Kash Patel said that the bureau would be “dedicating all necessary resources” to the investigation. Asked whether the individual was known to law enforcement, Bradshaw said “not right now.” On Sunday afternoon, vehicles blocked the entrance to a property listed in public records as an address for Martin at the end of rugged and sandy private road in Cameron, North Carolina. The incursion at Mar-a-Lago took place a few miles from Trump's West Palm Beach club where a man tried to assassinate him while he played golf during the 2024 campaign. Routh was found guilty last year and sentenced this month to life in prison. Trump also survived an assassination attempt at a Butler, Pennsylvania campaign rally. That gunman fired eight shots before being killed by a Secret Service counter sniper. “Federal law enforcement are working 24/7 to keep our country safe and protect all Americans,” Leavitt said. “It's shameful and reckless that Democrats have chosen to shut down their Department.” There have been other recent incidents of political violence as well. Five days ago, a Georgia man armed with a shotgun was arrested as he sprinted towards the west side of the U.S. Capitol. Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.
US Secret Service agents and Palm Beach County law enforcement shot and killed an armed man who unlawfully entered the secure perimeter at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in South Florida on Sunday morning, the Secret Service said. In July 2024, Trump survived an assassination attempt while campaigning for his second term in Pennsylvania. Another man who planned to assassinate the president at his Florida golf course in September 2024 was sentenced this month to life in prison. Political violence has targeted Republican and Democratic figures alike. Last summer, Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband were shot and killed, and conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in September. A White man in his early 20s entered the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago around 1:30 a.m. ET before he was shot by agents and a deputy with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, authorities said. He made it about 20 or 30 yards before he was confronted by law enforcement, officials said. When a deputy and two Secret Service agents encountered the man, they ordered him to drop the items. He added that the officers involved were wearing body cameras. The man is from North Carolina and was reported missing Saturday by his mother, law enforcement officials said. The FBI is leading the investigation, with teams collecting evidence and looking into his background and motive. No law enforcement officials were harmed in the incident, authorities said. The Secret Service agents involved will be placed on administrative leave during the investigation “in accordance with agency policy,” a Secret Service statement said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the quick action of the Secret Service agents involved in the incident in a statement on X Sunday. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said she has been in touch with Trump about the incident and is coordinating with federal partners on the investigation. Trump spends most weekends during the winter at his Mar-a-Lago club. He is spending this weekend in Washington, where he hosted a dinner for governors at the White House on Saturday night. As Mar-a-Lago has increasingly become the setting for official presidential activity under Trump, security has been a concern for intelligence officials. While the Secret Service screens guests before they enter, it does not determine who can access the site, as paying club members may enter alongside world leaders. Recent security enhancements include snipers, bomb-sniffing dogs and boats patrolling the Intracoastal Waterway, along with miles of secure telephone and internet cables. CNN's Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
Spain is one of several EU nations where active euthanasia and assisted suicide are legal. The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg also allow both practices under strict conditions, while Austria and Germany permit assisted dying or assisted suicide in limited circumstances. The latest case involves a 25-year-old woman from Barcelona named Noelia, who was left paraplegic with chronic pain after a 2022 suicide attempt in which she overdosed on medication and jumped from a fifth-floor window, according to court documents cited by Spanish media. Her injury resulted in paralysis of both legs and what is described as ongoing suffering. In 2024, a specialized medical commission approved the woman's request for euthanasia, and a procedure was scheduled for August 2. However, her father opposed the decision, arguing that her mental illness and disabilities impaired the ability to make an informed choice, having filed an appeal. “We will defend her life until the end.” Spain legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide in June 2021, allowing adults with serious or incurable conditions to seek a medically facilitated death. According to government data, 426 people underwent euthanasia in 2024, a nearly 48% rise compared with the first full year after legalization in 2022. Despite broad public support for assisted dying in Spain, the law's adoption was contentious and sparked debate between liberal reformers and opponents, including conservative political parties and the Catholic Church, who argue it devalues life. Read RT Privacy policy to find out more.
The US Secret Service shot and killed an armed intruder who breached the perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's Florida residence and private club in Palm Beach, early on Sunday. At a press conference on Sunday morning, Ric Bradshaw, the sheriff of Palm Beach county, said two Secret Service agents and one of his deputies went to the north gate of the property at about 1.30am ET after a security detail alerted them that a person was within an inner perimeter. “He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him, at which time he put down the gas can [and] raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” the sheriff said. Bradshaw said none of the law enforcement personnel were injured, and was unable to say if the man's shotgun was loaded. He distributed to reporters a photograph of the shotgun and fuel canister. He did not immediately identify the intruder, and answered “not right now” when a journalist asked if the person was previously known to law enforcement. However, on Sunday afternoon the Associated Press reported that the man killed had been identified by investigators as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin, citing a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation. The incident took place just inside Mar-a-Lago's main entrance gate on South Ocean Boulevard, the coastal Atlantic road that remained closed to traffic on Sunday morning. More widely it operates as a private members' club for the wealthy elite of Palm Beach society and it is also common for Trump to host world leaders and political operatives and events there, and he is a frequent glad-handing presence among dinner guests. He was reported missing a few days ago by his family. Investigators believe he left North Carolina and headed south, picking up a shotgun along the way, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. Skiles asked residents who live near the sprawling resort on the exclusive Palm Beach island to check exterior cameras for any footage from Saturday night or early Sunday for “anything that looks suspicious or out of place”. Sunday's episode has parallels with a 2019 incident in which a Chinese woman carrying multiple cellphones and a computer thumb drive bearing malware gained access to the main lobby of Mar-a-Lago, having evaded security. In July, 2024, Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt as he spoke at a rally for supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania, during the presidential election campaign. A bullet grazed his ear and some spectators were killed. He appeared to be pointing the weapon through a perimeter fence. He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month. Last Wednesday, police in Washington arrested a man from Georgia who was armed with a loaded shotgun and sprinted towards the west side of the US Capitol building. The White House did not immediately respond on Sunday to a message seeking comment.
Authorities say agents confronted a white male, who has not been identified, carrying shotgun and gasoline can The US Secret Service shot and killed an armed intruder who breached the perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's Florida residence and private club in Palm Beach, early on Sunday. At a press conference on Sunday morning, Ric Bradshaw, the sheriff of Palm Beach county, said two Secret Service agents and one of his deputies went to the north gate of the property at about 1.30am ET after a security detail alerted them that a person was within an inner perimeter. “He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him, at which time he put down the gas can [and] raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” the sheriff said. Bradshaw said none of the law enforcement personnel were injured, and was unable to say if the man's shotgun was loaded. He distributed to reporters a photograph of the shotgun and fuel canister. He did not identify the intruder, and answered “not right now” when a journalist asked if the person was previously known to law enforcement. The incident took place just inside Mar-a-Lago's main entrance gate on South Ocean Boulevard, the coastal Atlantic road that remained closed to traffic on Sunday morning. More widely it operates as a private members' club for the wealthy elite of Palm Beach society and it is also common for Trump to host world leaders and political operatives and events there, and he is a frequent glad-handing presence among dinner guests. He was reported missing a few days ago by his family. Investigators believe he left North Carolina and headed south, picking up a shotgun along the way, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. Skiles asked residents who live near the sprawling resort on the exclusive Palm Beach island to check exterior cameras for any footage from Saturday night or early Sunday for “anything that looks suspicious or out of place”. Sunday's episode has parallels with a 2019 incident in which a Chinese woman carrying multiple cellphones and a computer thumb drive bearing malware gained access to the main lobby of Mar-a-Lago, having evaded security. In July, 2024, Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt as he spoke at a rally for supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania, during the presidential election campaign. He appeared to be pointing the weapon through a perimeter fence. He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month. Last Wednesday, police in Washington arrested a man from Georgia who was armed with a loaded shotgun and sprinted towards the west side of the US Capitol building. The White House did not immediately respond on Sunday to a message seeking comment.
MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/. Russia will defend its national interests in diplomatic confrontations regardless of how this may affect its adversaries, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview with TASS. Asked whether the dialogue with the US and efforts by European countries to promote talks with Russia indicate that Moscow has effectively defended its interests, the diplomat replied: "I think these are two different issues, two different topics. We defend our national interests regardless of how it affects our enemies in any part of the world." "When we talk to our friends, we defend our interests too. When we negotiate on controversial issues, we defend our interests again. When we stand up for our position, fighting our enemies, including through diplomacy, we also defend our positions," Zakharova added.
MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/. Russia does not threaten Estonia or other countries, but it will always do what is necessary to ensure its own security. If Estonia has nuclear weapons aimed at Russia, Moscow will aim its own nuclear weapons at Estonia, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Pavel Zarubin, a journalist from Vesti. "Estonia is very close to us, and we don't threaten Estonia, just like any other European country. However, if there are nuclear weapons on Estonian territory aimed at us, our nuclear weapons will be aimed at Estonian territory, and Estonia must clearly understand it. Russia will always do what it must to ensure its own security, especially when it comes to nuclear deterrence issues," he said when asked a respective question. Earlier, the Baltic republic's Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, stated that Estonian authorities did not rule out the deployment of nuclear weapons on the country's territory if such a decision was made within the framework of NATO defense plans.
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One man was killed after Russia launched a large-scale combined missile and drone attack on Ukraine in the early hours of Feb. 22. The Ukrainian Air Force reported downing 33 missiles and 274 drones. Wall-shaking explosions first took place in Ukraine's capital at around 4:00 a.m. local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. More blasts were heard at approximately 4:30 a.m. local time and continued intermittently throughout the early morning. The attack caused a building to collapse in the town of Fastiv, 60 kilometers southwest of Kyiv, killing a 49-year-old man and injuring seven others, according to Kyiv Oblast governor Mykola Kalashnyk. A total of 17 people were injured across the oblast as a result of the attack, including four children, he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said early on Sunday afternoon that the attack not only targeted energy facilities, but also water supply and railway infrastructure. "This week alone, Russia launched more than 1,300 attack drones against Ukraine, over 1,400 guided aerial bombs, and 96 missiles of various types, including dozens of ballistic ones," he added. Since October, Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine's energy and heating infrastructure, as the country goes through one of its coldest winters in years. Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, reported that Russia hit an electrical substation in the attack on Odesa. In response to Russia's strikes, the Polish Air Force said it had deployed fighter jets to protect Polish airspace overnight. The two brothers were first injured by an explosive device dropped by a drone and taken to the hospital, Sumy Oblast Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported. A woman has been arrested in connection to a suspected terrorist attack that killed a police officer and injured 25 others in the Western city of Lviv in the early hours of Sunday morning, Ukrainian authorities said. Several rounds of explosions were reported in Kyiv overnight on Feb. 22, leaving a mother and her child injured as Russia launched ballistic missiles at Ukraine. Twenty drones were shot down en route to Moscow during the afternoon of Feb. 22, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed. The factory, located in Trostianets in Sumy Oblast, was struck by a missile, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said. Hungary said it would block the EU's new sanctions package against Russia over halted oil deliveries through Ukraine, the latest development in a deepening spat between Ukraine and its neighbors, Slovakia and Hungary, over Russian oil imports. In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent's Anna Belokur examines how global support for Ukraine has shifted four years into Russia's full-scale invasion. Ukraine struck an oil depot in Russian-occupied Luhansk overnight on Feb. 22, Telegram news channel Exilenova+ reported. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as "ultimatums and blackmail" from Hungary and Slovakia after the two countries threatened to halt emergency electricity supplies. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Feb. 21 that Ukraine is imposing new sanctions targeting the captains of Russia's shadow fleet. The Votkinsk Plant is a strategic, state-owned defense enterprise and one of the most important missile factories in Russia. Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 1,000 supports us financially. One membership might not seem like much, but to us, it makes a real difference. If you value our reporting, consider becoming a member — your support makes us stronger.