Lea Michele is engaged! How she found love again after Cory Monteith's death

Lea Michele with Zandy Reich; Lea Michele with Cory Monteith.

Lea Michele is on cloud nine after getting engaged to boyfriend Zandy Reich. Over the weekend, the Glee actress proudly showed off her four-carat diamond ring on Instagram, exclaiming she said yes.

Michele’s happily-ever-after comes nearly five years after she suffered the biggest heartbreak of her life: the death of Cory Monteith. He died in July 2013 from a lethal combination of heroin and alcohol.

Monteith, who was 31 at the time of his death, and Michele met on the set of Glee. They briefly dated when the show first aired in 2009 but ended things before the public caught on. Then in 2011, they rekindled their romance and didn’t bother hiding it.

“From the minute I met Cory, I was like, ‘This is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen in my whole life,'” Michele reminisced to Elle. “One day we just looked at each other and we were like, ‘You wanna do this?’ We knew.”

Monteith went to rehab in March 2013, and his struggles with drugs and alcohol were made public for the first time. “I can only imagine what it looks like from the outside,” Michele told the magazine after his death in 2013. “It was such a short period of time between when people found out to, you know, July, but there are so many personal aspects of this whole journey that people are not invited to know. We had a full life, and that had lots of different details that will be ours forever, for only us to know.”

The co-stars were living together and head-over-heels in love when Monteith was found dead in a hotel room in Canada. According to reports, the pair had even been talking marriage and were practically engaged.

The actress kept a low-profile after the tragedy but slowly began to pick up the pieces and try to move on with her life. In an interview with Teen Vogue in January 2014, Michele said she believed it was Monteith who was providing her with the strength to keep going.

“I somehow feel the insane love Cory and I had for each other morphed into this strength that I have right now,” she said. “There’s just something about knowing he’s watching everything I’m doing and feeling like I have to do everything now not just for me but for him. I also have a safety net below me — if I fall or if it’s too much, my friends and family will be there to catch me.”

Eventually that meant trying to date again too. In 2014, the Scream Queens actress began seeing Matthew Paetz, whom she met on the set of her music video “On My Way” in April 2014.

Lea Michele and Matthew Paetz in 2015.

“I wanted to make sure that I was OK with me, feeling strong and feeling happy on my own. I didn’t want anybody to fill any holes for me — that sounds sexual! I wanted to make sure that I was a whole person again and that no one was coming into my life to put me back together. I needed to do that on my own,” she told Flare in 2015. “I worked very, very, very hard, and I got back to that place where I was genuinely happy and strong and ready to live again and see the world and, you know, bring in more beautiful experiences. And that’s when someone miraculously came into my life.”

Although Michele was trying her best to move on, she found it challenging to do so publicly. Some deemed that the actress rebounded too soon from Monteith.

“I love my fans. They’re incredible, and they were really a part of my whole story and my whole journey with me, so I do come from a place of understanding, but it’s also really hard,” she revealed on the Fempire podcast. “You know, every time I post a picture, then it’s just a landslide of comments that talk about my past and bring that up rather than projecting positivity.”

She continued: “And even though, you know, I don’t think anyone is really projecting hate — it is positive, it’s nothing so, so terrible, but at the end of the day, we have to remember that what we put out there, it manifests and it creates energy and you should want to be the person that chooses to take that second to do something positive.”

As engagement buzz surrounded the pair around their second anniversary, Paetz and Michele abruptly split in 2016. There were various reports as to what happened, but the actress never commented on why they broke up. A few months later, she was linked to Robert Buckley. The actors apparently met through mutual friends, but their relationship quickly fizzled out.

Lea Michele and Robert Buckley.

It wasn’t until a year later that Michele was first linked to her future fiancé. Reich and Michele were photographed holding hands in New York City in July 2017. While the coupling seemed new, it was apparently a long time coming.

“They’ve been friends for a long time, a few years,” a source told People at the time. “Things turned romantic recently, and they’re dating now.”

Reich is the president of AYR, or All Year Round Clothing. Prior to AYR, he worked at Goldman Sachs and was the head of business strategy and development for Theory.

The couple have kept their relationship private aside from a few Instagram posts from the actress. (It doesn’t appear that Reich is publicly on social media.)

Why Did Blake Lively Suddenly Delete Her Instagram Account?

Why Did Blake Lively Suddenly Delete Her Instagram?

What happened to Blake Lively‘s Instagram account?

The actress appears to have deleted all of her photos from the social media platform — everything from her profile pic, to her fan-loved pranks on husband Ryan Reynolds, as well as her enviable fashion posts.

While it’s unclear why Lively, 30, deleted the photos on Monday, her last post was a bit mysterious — she posted a photo of a completed game of hangman, the answer to which was a question, “What happened to Emily?” — which is also her new Instagram bio.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

Fans of Lively were quick to notice the changes, and that the actress is now only following women (27 and counting) with the name Emily Nelson. A few fans speculated that the star’s blank Instagram and sudden love for Emily Nelsons everywhere has something to do with her upcoming film, A Simple Favor. The film, directed by Paul Feig and also starring Anna Kendrick, is an adaptation of a book by the same name in which a woman named Emily Nelson mysteriously vanishes.

Some of the Emily Nelson’s on social media have caught on to Lively and are wondering, publicly, why the well-known actress has suddenly started following her.

“Does anyone want to tell me why Blake Lively followed me and had this as a bio,” one Emily Nelson asked. “Goodbye cruel world some hacker is anti-Emily, my time has come :-)”

 Nelson quickly tweeted again, noticing that Reynolds, 41, had liked her tweet, sharing her excitement by writing, “ALRIGHT SO LONG F—— LOSERS MY EGO IS ETERNALLY THROUGH THE ROOF BYE.”

Another Twitter user noticed as well, tweeting, “I’m so confused why is Blake Lively’s entire Instagram deleted and now she only follows girls named Emily Nelson.”

Others believed Lively had been hacked, including one user who tweeted, “Someone hacked @blakelively instagram & followed 23 Emily Nelson pages.”

Fans also attempted to catch Lively’s attention and gain her as a follower, with one user named Sofia tweeting, “my name is emily nelson too @blakelively.”

Another tweeted, “Tempted to change my name to Emily Nelson, so I can get a follow from Blake Lively. Lol.”

Before Lively went offline, she showed off a gold necklace from Lola James Jewelry which clearly spelled out Reynolds’ last name in a sweet tribute to her husband of five years.

Alongside the sweet statement necklace, Lively also wore a floral print Michael Kors dress as well as jewelry from Anthropologie and Jen Meyer Jewelry.

If Lively is actually removing herself from Instagram, her playful social media jabs at Reynolds will be missed. Recently, the actress made an epic comeback when she shared a photo herself and Reynolds at the premiere of A Quiet Place.

In the photo, Reynolds is smiling at Lively and she has her hand placed on his chest, but instead of captioning the snap with a message about their love, she decided to pay herself a compliment.

“If there’s one thing I’m infinitely proud of in this picture, it’s the incredible hair styling that I did on myself,” she wrote, ignoring her husband.

John Cena and Dwayne Johnson Team Up for Universal’s ‘The Janson Directive’

John Cena and Dwayne Johnson Team Up for Universal’s ‘The Janson Directive’

Six years ago, they faced off at Wrestlemania. Now John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be a movie-making tag team in the upcoming Universal action-thriller, “The Janson Directive,” with Cena starring and Johnson executive producing through his Seven Bucks production banner.

Based on the novel by Jason Bourne writer Robert Ludlum, the film will star Cena as Paul Janson, a former Navy SEAL who left the world of covert ops after his commander betrayed him during the Vietnam War. Now working as a security consultant, he returns to his old world when he’s asked to save a Nobel Peace laureate being held hostage. When the hostage is killed, Janson is framed for the murder and must uncover a deep conspiracy while being the target of a directive demanding he be stopped at all costs.


The novel was released in 2002, a year after Ludlum’s death.

“I’ve known John for years, he’s so excited to play the role,” Johnson said in a social media post announcing Cena’s casting. “I’m excited for him and he’s very committed.”

Both wrestlers have released films this past month. Cena starred in Universal’s comedy “Blockers,” which has grossed $77.5 million worldwide against a $21 million budget. Johnson’s mega-budget film, “Rampage,” grossed $335 million worldwide with $106 million from China.

Johnson will executive produce alongside Dany Garcia for Seven Bucks and Tracey Nyberg of Mythology. Producers include Ben Smith and Jeffrey Weiner of Captivate Entertainment; Hiram Garcia of Seven Bucks Productions; James Vanderbilt; Brad Fischer and William Sherak of Mythology; and Akiva Goldsman of Weed Road Pictures.

Goldsman shares story credit with James Vanderbilt, who is adapting Ludlum’s novel for the big screen. Executive vice president of production Mark Sourian and creative executive Lexi Barta will oversee production for Universal. Cena is represented by ICM Partners.

A Complete List of Who Lives and Dies in Avengers: Infinity War

You expected superheroes to die in Avengers: Infinity War. You probably didn’t expect so many superheroes would perish by the end of the film.

The Russo brothers, who directed the film, let audiences know early on that no character was safe: fan favorite Loki is killed off in the first few minutes. Other characters met an ugly fate throughout the movie at the hands of Thanos and his minions, including Gamora (more on that later). But it wasn’t until the very end of the film that heroes begin to disappear — literally.

Thanos fulfills his plan to destroy half of all life in the universe, and with the snap of his fingers, people being to disintegrate. But are they really gone? Probably not. Black Panther just broke every record at the box office, and Disney is eager to make a sequel. A second Spider-Man is already in the works. And Marvel has confirmed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will hit theaters in 2020.

How then will the remaining heroes bring all these characters back? Note that all the members of the original Avengers team — Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and (presumably) Hawkeye — survived Thanos’ attack. Presumably they will unite one last time in Avengers 4 next year to reverse the curse.

In the meantime, here is a full list of Avengers: Infinity War deaths and of those who survived.

Here’s who died in Avengers: Infinity War

 Loki: Turns out Loki (Tom Hiddleston) wasn’t such a bad guy after all. In the opening scene of the movie, Loki hands over the Tesseract to Thanos (Josh Brolin) to save Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) life. Loki offers fake fealty to Thanos and then immediately tries to assassinate the evil alien. Thanos doesn’t buy Loki’s trick and quickly murders him. Thanos quips, “No resurrections this time” after killing the trickster god, who has seemingly died twice before in the film series.

Heimdall: Thanos and his children murder Thor’s best friend Heimdall (Idris Elba) when they invade Thor’s ship. But before he dies, the Asgardian opens up a gateway to Earth for the Hulk to escape. Thor cries out when Heimdall perishes, and swears that Thanos will die for his actions. He does sort of avenge Heimdall later by stabbing Thanos, but unfortunately Thanos is already invincible at that point.

Gamora: Thanos travels to a planet with his adopted daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldana). There, they encounter Red Skull, the baddie from Captain America: The First Avenger who has been cursed to guard the Soul Stone. Red Skull tells Thanos that he will have to sacrifice something he loves in order to get the Soul Stone. Despite taking a commanding lead in the World’s Worst Dad competition, Thanos apparently loves Gamora — just enough to throw her over a cliff. Gamora dies and Thanos walks away with another Infinity Stone.

Don’t mourn yet though: If the Avengers find a way to reverse all that Thanos has done, they may be able to bring Gamora back. And who better to finally kill the villain in the end?

Vision: Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) destroys the Infinity Stone inside Vision’s (Paul Bettany) head to keep it from Thanos. But Thanos uses the Time Stone to turn back time and restore the stone and Vision. He then crushes Vision’s head in his hands and takes the Infinity Stone. Vision is left lifeless on the ground.

Here’s who disintegrated in Avengers: Infinity War

Black Panther/T’Challa: Okoye (Danai Gurira) cries out as her king disintegrates. Chadwick Boseman will likely be back, but in the meantime will someone else don the Black Panther suit? Here’s hoping Shuri or Okoye get to try out his claws.

Spider-Man/Peter Parker: Poor Spider-Man (Tom Holland). He was just a kid. But don’t worry, Spider-Man is already set to appear in a Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel next year. There is a small chance that Tom Holland’s Spidey really did die, and Miles Morales — another Spider-Man from the comic books whose existence Marvel teased in Homecoming — could take over for him.

Doctor Strange/Stephen Strange: Marvel has been cagey about confirming a Doctor Strange 2 and now we know why. Doctor Strange disintegrates in Infinity War. But he also is the only character who hints that he may be able to return. As he dies, he tells Iron Man that giving up the Time Stone to Thanos in exchange for Iron Man’s life was the “only way.”

Earlier in the movie, Doctor Strange looked into many possible futures and probably saw that the only way to ultimately defeat Thanos — and possibly bring everyone back —w as to lose that particular battle.

Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes and Falcon/Sam Wilson: Many fans have speculated that either Bucky or Falcon will take over the Captain America mantle when Steve Rogers retires. But his time has not come yet: Cap survives but loses his two best friends.

Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff: This loss hurts: Scarlet Witch seems to be the only superhero with the ability to destroy an Infinity Stone. The Avengers will have to find a clever way to destroy the stones as they fight Thanos in the next movie.

The Guardians of the Galaxy: The remaining Guardians — Star-Lord, Groot, Drax and Mantis — all perish in the culling. However, director James Gunn has already confirmed that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will happen. So some combination of these characters and Gamora will almost certainly be resurrected.

Nick Fury and Maria Hill: The former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents disintegrate in New York in a post-credit scene from the film — but not before they call on Captain Marvel for help. (More on her later.)

Here’s who survived Avengers: Infinity War

Captain America/Steve Rogers: Captain America actor Chris Evans has been suggesting for months that he would die in Infinity War. But when he faces down Thanos one-on-one, Thanos inexplicably decides to toss Cap aside instead of just killing him. Captain America survives.

Iron Man/Tony Stark: Despite being stabbed in the stomach, Iron Man survives. Doctor Strange trades the Time Stone to save Iron Man’s life.

Thor: With the help of his new battle axe, Thor is able to stab Thanos in the heart. Thor survives, but he doesn’t stop Thanos from destroying half the universe.

Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff: Black Widow takes out several of Thanos’ children in the battle in Wakanda and survives the fight.

Hulk/Bruce Banner: Bruce Banner also manages to live despite his inability to turn into the Hulk for most of the movie.

War Machine/James Rhodes: Rhodey lost the use of his legs at the end of Captain America: Civil War (though he can now walk with the aid of Stark technology). At least he made it through the end of Infinity War.

Rocket and Nebula: Of the original Guardians crew, only Rocket survives. Gamora’s sister Nebula also lives. Perhaps the two will reunite in the next film.

Okoye and M’Baku: Black Panther may be dead, but Wakanda lives on. Okoye and M’Baku survive. Likely, one of them — or perhaps Shuri — will have to lead the Wakandan army in any Avengers 4 battles.

Here’s who went M.I.A. in Avengers: Infinity War

Shuri: Black Panther’s sister Shuri tries to remove the Infinity Stone from Vision’s head, but is thrown from her lab by one of Thanos’ children before she can finish. We don’t see what happens to her when half the world’s population disappears. If she did survive, there is a chance that Shuri become the new Black Panther in her brother’s absence (as she does at various points in the comic books).

Pepper Potts: The last we heard from Pepper, she was berating Tony for abandoning her to fight evil — again. We don’t know whether she survived the culling. But if she lived, she could fight in Avengers 4. After all, Pepper gained super powers in Iron Man 3.

Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers: If you stayed for the post-credit scene, you know that Nick Fury called Captain Marvel right before he disintegrated. The new, extremely powerful hero probably survived the culling and will likely swoop in to help save the day in Avengers 4. Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) will also get her own solo film in March of 2019 before Avengers 4 drops.

Hawkeye/Clint Barton: The archer (Jeremy Renner) was conspicuously missing from Avengers: Infinity War. The stay-at-home dad apparently told the rest of the Avengers that fighting Thanos was too risky. But maybe if Hawkeye survived he will want to join his old buddies to avenge the members of his family who died.

Ant-Man/Scott Lang: We know from the Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer that Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) was put under house arrest after the events of Captain America: Civil War and before Infinity War. Likely, Ant-Man was under surveillance or missing during the events of Infinity War. We don’t know if he survived.

The Collector: We see the Collector (Benicio del Toro) alive and well in Thanos’ alternate reality, but then discover he’s not actually hanging out in his museum. Did Thanos kill him? Did he flee? Did he survive the culling? We don’t know.

Valkyrie: Where is Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson)? At the end of Thor: Ragnarok, Thor’s new ally Valkyrie boarded the ship bound for earth along with Thor, the Hulk, Loki, Heimdall and the rest of the Asgardians. But we don’t see her dead on the ground when Thanos takes over that same ship at the beginning of Infinity WAr. Thor makes no mention of her. Did she run out to get chips and guac on an escape pod and miss the whole fight?

Wong and Ned: Wong (Benedict Wong) returns to the Sanctum Sanctorum to protect the building after Doctor Strange is taken captive by Thanos’ children. We never see whether he lives or dies. We also never find out whether Ned, who creates a distraction for his friend Spider-Man to escape a school field trip at the beginning of the movie, lives or dies.

Mass child sacrifice site in Peru may be largest in history

This photo provided by National Geographic shows how the face of this child was painted with a red cinnabar-based pigment, at the Huanchaquito-Las Llamas site near Trujillo, Peru - National Geographic

Archaeologists in northern Peru say they have found evidence of what could be the world’s largest single case of child sacrifice.

The pre-Columbian burial site, known as Las Llamas, contains the skeletons of 140 children who were between the ages of five and 14 when they were ritually sacrificed during a ceremony about 550 years ago, experts who led the excavation told The Associated Press on Friday.

The site, located near the modern day city of Trujillo, also contained the remains of 200 young llamas apparently sacrificed on the same day.

The burial site was apparently built by the ancient Chimu empire. It is thought the children were sacrificed as floods caused by the El Nino weather pattern ravaged the Peruvian coastline.

"They were possibly offering the gods the most important thing they had as a society, and the most important thing is children because they represent the future," said Gabriel Prieto, an archaeology professor at Peru’s National University of Trujillo, who has led the excavation, along with John Verano of Tulane University.

"Llamas were also very important because these people had no other beasts of burden, they were a fundamental part of the economy," Prieto said, adding the children were buried facing the sea, while the llamas faced the Andes Mountains to the east.

More than a dozen bodies were preserved in dry sand for more than 500 years Credit: AP

Excavation work at the burial site started in 2011, but news of the findings was first published on Thursday by National Geographic, which helped finance the investigation.

Prieto said that besides the bones, researchers also found footprints that have survived rain and erosion. The small footprints indicate the children were marched to their deaths from Chan Chan, an ancient city a mile away from Las Llamas, he said.

Verano said the children’s skeletons contained lesions on their breastbones, which were probably made by a ceremonial knife. Dislocated ribcages suggest that whoever was performing the sacrifices may have been trying to extract the children’s hearts.

Jeffrey Quilter, the director of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology at Harvard University, described it as a "remarkable discovery."

In an email, Quilter said the site provides "concrete evidence" that large scale sacrifices of children occurred in ancient Peru.

Quilter is heading a team of scientists who will analyse DNA samples from the children’s remains to see if they were related and figure out from which areas of the Chimu empire the sacrificed youth came.

Several ancient cultures in the Americas practised human sacrifices including the Mayans, the Aztecs and the Incas, who conquered the Chimu empire in the late 15th century. But the mass sacrifice of children is something that has rarely been documented.

The Las Llamas site is located in a shantytown, and has been fenced off to stop illegal developers from building homes on it.

Prieto says the site shows how in Peru history can be just around the corner.

"This site surrounded by houses in a working class neighbourhood can tell us a lot about a macabre event that is perhaps one of the darkest moments in our history," Prieto said. "But this is also part of our cultural heritage."

Tens of thousands told to flee as floods swamp Australian town

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Floodwaters filled the streets of a major Australian town of more than 25,000 people on Friday, as a storm system generated by the powerful cyclone that pummeled the nation's northeast three days ago swept down the coast with heavy rain.

Cyclone Debbie hit as a Category Four storm in the north of tropical Queensland state on Tuesday, smashing tourist resorts, bringing down power lines, flattening canefields and shutting down coal mines.

Authorities on Friday told almost 20,000 people to evacuate to higher ground as driving rain in hinterland and coastal areas either side of the Queensland state capital, Brisbane, swelled rivers to record heights across the region.

"We have everything happening, we've got people on rooftops, we've had people stuck in vans, it's a disaster, an utter disaster," New South Wales State Emergency Services Controller Ian Leckie told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.

The cyclone was downgraded to a tropical low depression on Wednesday and on Thursday it unleashed squalls with torrential rain across a 1,200-km (745-mile) stretch of Australia's east coast, before slowly moving out to sea on Friday.

No deaths were reported, but authorities feared fatalities after logging more than 100 flood rescues during the night. Gales and huge surf swells lashed the coast still around Cape Byron.

At Lismore, the rising Wilsons River overwhelmed a levee protecting the rural hub in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, home to at least 25,000 people, and floodwaters flowed downtown, filling streets and swamping dozens of shops.

"The CBD is being flooded and because it's now very dark and it's also windy, there are a lot of people who're scared as well," former Lismore mayor Jenny Dowell told the ABC.

Tens of thousands of people in the affected areas are without electricity.

In the cyclone-hit zone further north, military helicopters, ferries and planes on Thursday evacuated hundreds of holidaymakers from the resort islands along the world-famous Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday coast that bore the brunt of the storm with wind gusts stronger than 260 kph (160 mph).

In the Bowen Basin, the world's single largest source of coal used to make steel, major miners Glencore and BHP , said they were still assessing the extent of any disruption to shipments.

About 2,500 insurance claims have been filed but Queensland's top two insurers, Suncorp Group Ltd and RACQ, said it was too early to put a dollar figure on the damage.

One female tourist was killed in a car crash on Monday that police said was due to wild weather as Cyclone Debbie approached.

Golden Globe Nominations: 'Carol' & Fox Lead Films, Netflix Tops In TV

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s 73rd annual Golden Globes nominations were revealed this morning. On the TV side, a broadcast-free Best TV Series Comedy race includes Casual, Mozart in the Jungle, Silicon Valley, Transparent, Orange is The New Black and Veep. On the drama side: Empire, Game Of Thrones, Narcos, Mr. Robot and Outlander. Fox’s Empire also landed a nom for Taraji P. Henson in Best Actress Drama.

The Weinstein Company’s Carol leads the film side with five nominations including for Best Picture Drama and a head to head showdown between stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, who both landed Best Actress Drama noms.

The Big Short, The Revenant and Steve Jobs followed with four noms apiece, with the latter two also landing acting noms for stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael Fassbender. The Best Picture Drama race offers a wide swath with Carol, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Room and Spotlight, which was shut out of the actor races.

Oklahoma ex-cop guilty of 18 counts in sex assaults trial

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A former Oklahoma City police officer was convicted Thursday of raping and sexually victimizing eight women on his police beat in a minority, low-income neighborhood.

Daniel Holtzclaw, who turned 29 Thursday, sobbed as the verdict was read aloud. Jurors convicted him on 18 counts involving eight of the 13 women who had accused him; the jury acquitted him on another 18 counts.

He could spend the rest of his life in prison based on the jury's recommendation that he serve a total of 263 years, including a 30-year sentence on each of four first-degree rape convictions. He was also convicted of forcible oral sodomy, sexual battery, procuring lewd exhibition and second-degree rape.

The jury deliberated for about 45 hours over four days. Holtzclaw's sentencing is set for Jan. 21. A judge will decide whether he will have to serve the sentences consecutively.

Holtzclaw's father — a police officer in Enid, about 100 miles northwest of Oklahoma City — his mother and sister were in the courtroom as the verdict was read. At least one accuser was present, as well as several black community leaders. Seven armed deputies were stationed around the room.

        

Holtzclaw's defense attorney, Scott Adams, declined to comment after the verdict was read.

"Justice was done today, and a criminal wearing a uniform is going to prison now," Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said. "In those counts where the not guilty verdicts came back, they determined that we didn't prove those cases beyond a reasonable doubt. It doesn't mean they didn't believe the victims."

The lead detective in the case, Kim Davis, said after the verdict: "I feel horrible for his family. It's brutal, but I think justice was served."

The allegations against Holtzclaw brought new attention to the problem of sexual misconduct committed by law enforcement officers, something police chiefs have studied for years.

During a monthlong trial, jurors heard from 13 women who said Holtzclaw sexually victimized them. Most of them said Holtzclaw stopped them while out on patrol, searched them for outstanding warrants or checked to see if they were carrying drug paraphernalia, then forced himself on them.

        

Holtzclaw's attorney, meanwhile, described him as a model police officer whose attempts to help the drug addicts and prostitutes he came in contact with were distorted.

Among the eight women Holtzclaw was convicted of attacking was a grandmother in her 50s, who launched the police investigation and who was in the courtroom Thursday. She said she was driving home after 2 a.m. when Holtzclaw pulled her over. He first asked her if she had been drinking, then ordered her out of the car and into the backseat of his squad car. He then stood over her and ordered her to perform oral sex.

The woman was tearful after the verdict and prayed with supporters outside the courtroom.

She was the first victim to testify. The last was a teenager who was 17 when Holtzclaw attacked her. Holtzclaw was convicted of three charges related to her case: first-degree rape, second-degree rape and sexual battery.

The teenager recalled Holtzclaw pulling up in his police car as she walked home one night in June 2014. Holtzclaw drove her home and walked her to her door, where he told her he had to search her. She said he grabbed her breasts, then pulled down her shorts before forcing them off and raping her.

        

Despite the number of victims, the case presented prosecutors with several challenges.

Many of the women had arrest records or histories of drug abuse. Holtzclaw's attorney made those issues a cornerstone of his defense strategy. Adams questioned several women at length about whether they were high when they allegedly encountered Holtzclaw. He also pointed out that most did not come forward until police identified them as possible victims after launching their investigation.

Ultimately, that approach did not sway the jury to dismiss all the women's stories.
Holtzclaw was convicted of one of two charges related to a woman who testified he gave her a ride home, then followed her into her bedroom where he forced himself on her and raped her, telling her, "This is better than county jail."

That woman testified in orange scrubs and handcuffs because she had been jailed on drug charges hours before appearing in court. But the jury still convicted Holtzclaw of forcible oral sodomy in her case.

        

All of the accusers were black. Holtzclaw is half-white, half-Japanese. The jury appeared to all be white, though Oklahoma court officials said they did not have race information for jurors. Some supporters of the women questioned whether the jury would fairly judge their allegations.

A former college football star, Holtzclaw joined law enforcement after a brief attempt at pursuing an NFL career. Oklahoma City police chief Bill Citty fired Holtzclaw before the trial began.

Citty said in a statement Thursday night that the department was satisfied with the outcome of the "long and difficult trial and deliberation process."

"We are satisfied with the jury's decision and firmly believe justice was served," the statement said.

Holtzclaw's case was among those examined in an Associated Press investigation of sexual misconduct by law enforcement. The AP's yearlong probe revealed about 1,000 officers had lost their licenses for sex crimes or other sexual misconduct over a six-year period. Holtzclaw was not included in that count because he has not yet lost his license.

The AP's finding is undoubtedly an undercount of the problem of sexual abuse in law enforcement. Not every state has a process for banning problem officers from re-entering law enforcement, known as decertification. And of those states that do, great variations exist in whether officers are prosecuted or reported to their state licensing boards.

The mother of the 17-year-old victim told The Associated Press on Thursday night that she feels like justice has been served. The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sex crimes and is not using the mother's name so as not to identify her daughter.

The mother said she believes the type of police crime brought to light by the Holtzclaw case "isn't just a problem in Oklahoma — it's a problem for the nation."

Obama names favorite song, book and movie of 2015

President Barack Obama speaks in Emancipation Hall on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015, during an event to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the 13th amendment that abolished slavery. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kendrick Lamar's "How Much a Dollar Cost" is tops in the White House.

President Barack Obama says the song by the Grammy-nominated rapper from Compton, California, is his favorite song of 2015.

In an interview with People magazine that was released Wednesday, Obama also shared his favorite book and movie of the year. They are "Fates and Furies," a novel about a marriage by Lauren Groff, and "The Martian," starring Matt Damon.

Groff seemed flabbergasted upon learning of Obama's book selection.

"Never, even in my most grandiose dreams, did I think the president would read my book, let alone like it," she said through her publisher, Riverhead Books. Groff's book was a finalist for the National Book Award and has appeared on numerous lists of the year's best books.

Obama's wife, Michelle, revealed her picks, too, telling People that she can't get enough of Bruno Mars' song "Uptown Funk." She and a troupe of dancers performed to the lively song earlier this year on "Ellen."

For her favorite book, Mrs. Obama picked another marriage tome, "The Light of the World," by family friend Elizabeth Alexander. It's about the unexpected death of Alexander's husband in 2012 and raising their two sons in the aftermath.

And for the first lady's favorite movie? She chose "Inside Out," an animated film led by comedian Amy Poehler.

2016 Chevrolet Malibu: First Drive

Did Chevy finally crack the midsize sedan code that’s left previous Malibus lagging the competition? 

What is it? An all-new version of Chevy’s stalwart midsize sedan

Price range? $22,500 to $31,795

Competitors? Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima

Alternatives? Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda6, Chevrolet Impala

Pros? Comfortable and composed ride; plush, spacious interior; solid tech package and good fuel economy.

Cons? The base 1.5-liter turbo is a little small for the vehicle.

Would I buy it with my money? Yes, and I hated the previous edition with a passion.

“Thrilling” is not an adjective I would normally use to describe an everyday midsize sedan. “Mundane,” “uninspiring” and “meh” are typically more applicable, and more frequently used, by car enthusiasts like me.

Which is our problem because midsize sedans are still hugely popular with consumers. The Toyota Camry remains the most popular car in America; U.S. buyers will snap up roughly 2.3 million midsize sedans this year, spending about $62 billion in the process. It’s the default choice for those who pride practicality and reliability over sex appeal, which is why the segment is filled with relatively commonplace machines designed to transport Mom, Dad and their 1.7 children to work, the grocery store and soccer practice safely and reliably.

The Chevy Malibu has been an also-ran in the midsize sedan segment for years, and a big disappointment for General Motors. (Just ask them. Surprisingly, they’ll tell you.) Bland styling, a poor ride, and a snug back seat have made it an easy target for critics and a poor choice for families. In fact, the current generation Malibu, which first hit the streets in 2012-13, was so repellant that Chevy sent it back to the drawing board for a facelift less than 18 months after the car rolled off the assembly line. Unfortunately, the move didn’t pay off. The “refreshed” Malibu was still a laggard. The car couldn’t keep up with increasingly inventive competition such as the stylish Hyundai Sonata and the Ford Fusion.

For 2016, Chevy hit the reset button. Redesigned from the ground up, the Malibu sports a fresh look, larger interior, new underpinnings and better engine options. It is superior to the model it is replacing in every way—and, surprisingly, muscles its way into comparisons with the midsize standard-bearers.

Thanks to completely new architecture underneath, the 2017 Malibu also rides on a 3.6-inch-longer wheelbase, which translates into a 2.3-inch bump in overall length compared over the outgoing model. Width remains the same at 73 inches. Cosmetically, the ninth-generation Malibu boasts a more aggressive front end, swept roofline like the Fusion and more athletic proportions a la its larger sibling, the Chevy Impala. The Malibu design team borrowed many styling cues from the Impala including the headlamps, front apron and the beltline creases. The goal was to create something unique, but still recognizable as a Chevy. The overall effect is pleasing, as the Malibu looks lower and wider with more sporting intent—and far more coherent than before.

The size increase pays off in the cabin, where it was desperately needed. The interior feels much larger and airier than the outgoing model, even with the lower roofline. Rear-seat passengers get an additional 1.3 inches of legroom, making the backseat a little more comfortable for adults and a lot easier to enter, exit or check on a young one.

While more upscale materials are used throughout, they are mostly prevalent in the cockpit. Sadly, hard plastic still covers most of the interior surfaces up front, detracting from the car’s new premium feel. Chevy should have learned from its peers (Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, even Ford) and upgraded all of the materials, not simply covering frequently touched surfaces in leather and padding.

Materials aside, the cockpit is a serious improvement compared the previous model. The dash has a more high-tech look, but still easy to navigate, and the new center stack features fewer buttons and knobs as more systems are managed via the seven-inch color touchscreen, which is standard on lower trims. An eight-inch screen is standard on more premium trims.

It’s equipped with one of the most comprehensive package of driver assist features I’ve seen on more “affordable” vehicles. The list: Pedestrian detection with automatic braking, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning with automatic braking, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic parking, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control.

Chevy is also offering a new PIN-protected Teen Driver feature that allows parents to monitor their kids’ driving and set speed-limit warnings, reduce the maximum sound-system volume level and more. No judgments, but this feature is a trust killer in my opinion. More importantly, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and 4G LTE Wi- Fi capability is available on all Malibu trims, not just the most expensive ones.

Under the hood, the base engine is a new 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder. Output stands at 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, which is down 36 horses and two lb-ft relative to the previous car’s standard 2.5-liter four-banger, which developed 196 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque. Sadly, it’s also less powerful than most of its peers—in some cases, considerably lower.

However, according to Chevy, the new Malibu is 300 pounds lighter than the outgoing model, making it one of the lightest vehicles in the segment. Thus, performance shouldn’t suffer much, and doesn’t. While the vehicle does seem to work harder when tackling inclines and during more spirited driving, it never seems out of breath, and runs quiet. It’s paired with a six-speed automatic and comes standard with auto stop-start. Fuel economy improves to 27 mpg city and 37 mpg highway, increases of 2 and one mpg, respectively.

If more power is what you crave, a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is also available. It is largely a carryover from last year, only re-tuned to make 250 hp and 258 lb-ft, 9 hp and 37 lb-ft of torque less than the outgoing 2.0-liter turbo, which developed 259 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. You’d think going with less power would be a bad thing. You would be wrong.

On the road, the Malibu delivers the goods better than it has in years, allowing it to catch up to its midsize competition. The ride is comfortable and the backseat usable, thanks to the longer wheelbase. The handling is more precise, thanks to the 16 percent improvement in torsional rigidity and reduced curb weight. Plus, the standard transmission was impressive. Shifts were smooth and pretty much seamless, sharpening when we got aggressive with the throttle. Though there is plenty of grip, there was more body roll than we’d like under aggressive driving and steering felt numb. But it was responsive and spot on.

The hybrid model returns, too, but not until the spring.  An adaptation of the system used in the second-generation Volt, it consists of a new 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine and two electric motors, capable of operating on electric power alone up to 55 mph, according to Chevrolet. It is expected to deliver a combined city/highway fuel economy rating “north of 45 mpg.”

In the final analysis, the all-new Malibu is an impressive evolution, with prices starting at $22,500 and running into the low $30,000s that appear competitive with the more popular competitors. For the first time in years, the Malibu deserves to be on the short list of many midsize-sedan buyers. Maybe it’s not thrilling, but it’s far, far better than “meh.”

Siberian tiger becomes unlikely friends with a goat it was given to eat

Amur the Siberian tiger has become fast friends with a goat it was given to eat at the Primorsky Safari Park. Photo: Dmitry Mezentsev via CCTV News

An odd and remarkable thing happened when a live goat was put into the enclosure of a Siberian tiger as part of its twice-a-week feeding of live animals at the Primorsky Safari Park in Russia: Amur the tiger became friends with its dinner.

In a story that has captivated Russia, Timur the goat and Amur the tiger have become fast friends, eating and playing together, chasing each other in the snow and even playfully head-butting each other, according to the Agence France-Presse.

Timur the goat has even taken over the shelter Amur the tiger usually sleeps in, and now Amur sleeps on the shelter’s roof.

So enamored is the public about this unusual relationship that Primorsky Safari Park issues regular updates and plans to install webcams in the enclosure.

Amur the Siberian tiger plans with Timur the goat. Photo: Dmitry Mezentsev via CCTV News

How did this unlikely friendship happen?

Simply stated, when the goat was released into the enclosure it did not show any fear. It didn’t act like prey.

“No one had taught the goat to be afraid of tigers,” the park stated.

So the adversaries became friends, instead. Zoo chief Dmitry Mezentsev called it nothing short of a miracle.

“This is a sign from above,” he told AFP. “People, take a look at yourselves. There are wars everywhere — Ukraine, Syria — while such different animals can live together in peace.”

The typical day starts with a morning walk around the enclosure with the goat following the tiger. On Wednesday, the goat poked the tiger with its horns.

“The tiger accepted the goat’s challenge,” the park reported. “He pushed his forehead against Timur’s horns, the friends butted heads for five seconds without coming to blows, after which Amur calmly went to bask in the sun on the hill.”

Amur the Siberian tiger has attempted to teach Timur the goat how to catch prey. Photo: Dmitry Mezentsev via CCTV News

When it comes to feeding, Amur is now getting a diet of live rabbits “out of respect for goats,” Mezentsev told AFP, and the tiger has attempted to teach the goat how to catch the prey.

And Timur has shown Amur how to lick a block of salt that it was given.

“We liked the story of the friendship between the tiger and the goat simply because a normal person cannot always live amid the lies, hatred and humiliation,” a Russian online op-ed said in Gazeta.ru, according to AFP. “One would like to believe it is possible not to gobble up the weak but be friends with them.”

But will Amur the tiger eventually gobble up Timur the goat?

Novosibirsk zoo director Rostislav Shilo told TASS there was an 80 to 85 percent chance of that the Siberian tiger would eventually eat the goat.

But Mezentsev isn’t buying it.