| Fox News - Latest Headlines | | | | Want to avoid burnout? Author says working more 'isn't actually getting more done' | | Sep 14, 2022 | | Being your most productive self doesn’t necessarily mean doing more, according to the author of a new book. Fox News Digital sat down with Celeste Headlee, a journalist and radio host, at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., to discuss her book, "Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing and Underliving." At the Library of Congress-run event on Sept. 3, 2022, Headlee, who is based in D.C., said she was inspired to write the book after trying to solve her own struggles with overwork. WHY THE ‘SUNDAY SCARIES’ DON'T NEED TO BE SCARY: TIPS TO GET THROUGH YOUR JOB WORRIES Headlee said that making changes that were supposed to help her become "less overwhelmed" — such as being her own boss — actually made her life "worse." In a society in which it's common for workers to feel as if they’re overdoing it, especially at a time of remote work and the challenge of separating work and leisure, Headlee offered up tips on avoiding burnout. PASTOR MAX LUCADO SHARES MESSAGE OF HOPE FOR THE WEARY IN NEW FAITH BOOK Her first piece of advice: Remember you're a human being with human limitations. "You can say ‘rise and grind’ all you want, but there’s only so much thought you can [accomplish] over the course of a day," she said. "So, after that point, working more isn’t actually getting more done — it’s literally counterproductive." Headlee also suggested avoiding unnecessary screen exposure. That includes the urge to check work-related emails or instant messages on a constant basis. AS BALD EAGLE MAKES MIRACULOUS COMEBACK IN US, AUTHOR REVEALS THAT HUMANS ‘REDEEMED OURSELVES' "Doing nothing at all is actually going to help you produce more," she said. Pulling back on screen time altogether will allow the brain to find pure rest, which is not an easy task to accomplish, said Headlee. "People mistake idleness for leisure," she said. "You can be working and be idle." Headlee’s definition of achieving pure rest is participating in a hobby or an action that is simply for pleasure — and not for earning a living or aiming for a reward. ACTOR NICK OFFERMAN TALKS HIS LOVE FOR THE GREAT OUTDOORS AT NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL This can also be applied to the goal or reward of earning reactions on social media. Headlee warned that apps such as Instagram and TikTok can be addictive and exhausting. "You’re not baking bread in order to post it on social media," she said. "You’re baking bread to eat it." "Find a way to fill your home with hobbies," she said. On that point, she added, "Do something that’s valueless to the broader society." No-strings-attached hobbies count as rest just as much as sitting and doing absolutely nothing at all, Headlee suggested — and she reassured those people who are chronically restless that this is "OK" to do. HOW QUIET QUITTERS ARE COSTING COMPANIES MONEY — AND HARMING THE MORALE OF EXISTING EMPLOYEES Another tip from Headlee: People should know how they're spending their time. "Understanding what you’re doing with your time is a really underrated exercise," she said. Starting this exercise can include writing down how you’re spending your time every 30 minutes to an hour each day, Headlee said, adding that it’s important to be "brutally honest." After attempting the exercise herself, Headlee calculated that she had been spending more than three hours per day on social media. "Do I really want to spend half my day on social media?" she said about herself. "Of course not." Another way to avoid burnout and overwork is to set healthy boundaries in the workplace, Headlee advised. Headlee recommended that workers try to to establish a clear schedule at work — and keep to it. "You have to know what your limits are … and what well-being looks like for you before you can enforce it," she said. | | | | | Karine Jean-Pierre blasted for defense of Inflation Reduction Act: 'What is she smoking?' | | Sep 14, 2022 | | Twitter users were not kind to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre after she attempted to defend the Inflation Reduction Act after the news inflation rose by 8.3% in August, higher than initial predictions on Tuesday. Reporters were eager to quest Jean-Pierre, especially in light of the Inflation Reduction Act being celebrated that afternoon by President Biden and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping. The press secretary appeared to flounder when repeatedly asked questions regarding what, if any, effect the IRA would have on Americans struggling now. "Look, experts economists have said themselves that … the Inflation Reduction Act would be beneficial to let three hundred, the extra three hundred billion dollars in deficit," Jean-Pierre responded. "That is really important as we have right now $1.7 billion in deficit reduction under this administration. It would help lower that even more, which is incredibly important." KARINE JEAN-PIERRE STUMBLES WHEN PRESSED ON SO-CALLED INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: ‘IS IT FAIR?’ She added, "And so, look, we've heard from Republicans and Democrats who [were] US Treasury secretaries who said it would lower inflation. We've heard from more than 126 economists said it would lower inflation." Social media users attacked Jean-Pierre’s defense of the bill as well as its green energy subsidies as food prices jumped at a near-record rate. "She's completely worthless, especially when she's not directly reading out of the binder," Washington Times columnist Tim Young remarked. Townhall.com managing editor Spencer Brown wrote, "Karine Jean-Pierre now bragging about how much good the Inflation Reduction Act has ‘already done’ just hours after the government announced that inflation increased — more than expected — in August as food costs jumped more in the last 12 months than at any time since 1979." "This is most-watched-inauguration-ever territory," said Commentary editor Noah Rothman. Radio host Jesse Kelly tweeted, "There are a lot of words you can use to describe Biden’s presidency. None more appropriate than ‘cold’. They do this all the time. They tell hurting people how good they have it. That’s what happens when you have no connection to working people. Just a bunch [of] snobs." BIDEN SLAMMED FOR HOSTING INFLATION REDUCTION ACT CELEBRATION WITH ‘AMERICAN’S 401KS GOING DOWN THE DRAIN’ Economist Kenny Polcari wrote, "CPI worse than expected, mkt down 1000 pts, and Joey and KJP (Karin [sic] Jean Pierre) are doing a 'victory lap'.....Food, Electricty, Housing, Energy all up and choking avg Amercans and they are celebrating their good work!" "So buy very expensive solar panels and we'll give you 30 percent back and buy other stuff and we'll give you 10 percent back. What is she smoking?" Talk show host Joe Pags Pagliarulo tweeted. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Biden was also attacked for celebrating the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act after the release of the inflation report. | | | | | House GOP leader McCarthy showcases summer vacation spent boosting GOP candidates in push to win back majority | | Sep 14, 2022 | | FIRST ON FOX: It was definitely a working summer vacation for House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. As he aims to win back the House majority in November’s midterm elections, McCarthy spent the August congressional recess on the campaign trail, helping to support and raise money for Republican candidates. Now, McCarthy’s political team is spotlighting some metrics — shared first with Fox News on Wednesday — on how the House GOP leader spent his summer vacation. FINAL SPRINT FOR CONTROL OF CONGRESS AND STATE GOVERNMENTS UNDERWAY McCarthy campaigned with 54 Republican candidates and 53 GOP incumbents in 24 states over 45 days this summer. And the coast-to-coast tour was lucrative, with $12 million raised for candidates and members, according to McCarthy’s aides. FIRST ON FOX: TOP PRO-HOUSE GOP SUPER PAC LAUNCHES AD BLITZ "It was an honor spending the August recess on the campaign trail with over 100 members and candidates. Throughout my travels from Oregon to Rhode Island, voters are fired up and ready to make their voices heard to stop Democrats' runaway inflation, secure our borders, and reduce the rise in violent crime," McCarthy said in a statement. And taking aim at House Democrats, McCarthy charged that "the incompetence under one-party Democrat rule has been disastrous to us here at home and abroad, and we can do better — and we will do better. I’m confident come November 8th we will fire Pelosi and elect a Republican majority in the People's House." House Republicans need a net gain of just five seats in the 435-member chamber in November’s elections to win back the majority they lost during the 2018 midterms. | | | | | Eliza Fletcher murder: Tennessee rape kit backlog comes to light in teacher slaying | | Sep 14, 2022 | | Cleotha Henderson, the Memphis man charged with kidnapping and killing a jogging teacher earlier this month – then later linked to another abduction from nearly a year ago, could’ve been behind bars at the time of both attacks under a new Tennessee law that came into effect earlier this year. The 38-year-old felon had previous convictions for kidnapping, rape and aggravated assault when he was released from prison in 2020 after serving 20 years of a 24-year sentence, court records show. Henderson, also known as Cleotha Abston, is accused of forcing 34-year-old Eliza "Liza" Fletcher into an SUV during her pre-dawn run on Sept. 2. Police found her dead behind a vacant home days later. "If our truth in sentencing bill had been in effect back then, for 100% sentencing, he wouldn’t have been out," Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton told Fox News Digital Tuesday. "If he served the full 24 years, we would have two less victims, and one would not be dead." MEMPHIS MOM ELIZA FLETCHER MURDER SUSPECT CHARGED WITH ANOTHER WOMAN'S ARMED ABDUCTION, RAPE: INDICTMENT And Fletcher’s slaying could potentially have been avoided if Henderson had been identified earlier as a suspect in a previously unsolved sex assault. In a statement Saturday, a TBI spokesperson told Fox News that the bureau had received evidence in Henderson’s alleged 2021 assault back in September of that year, nearly 12 months ago, but had received no request to expedite the testing. As a result, the sample went into a lengthy queue was not revisited until June 2022 – nine months later. Initial results came back on Aug. 29, just days before Henderson would allegedly attack Fletcher, a mother of two, during her morning jog on Central Avenue near the University of Memphis. "From there, a scientist entered the resulting unknown male DNA profile into CODIS (the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System), which returned a match on Monday, Sept. 5, for Cleotha Abston in connection to the September 2021 assault, after which TBI reported the finding to Memphis Police," Keli McAlister, a TBI public information officer, told Fox News over the weekend. ELIZA FLETCHER'S SUSPECTED KILLER CLEOTHA HENDERSON SERVED 20 YEARS OF A 24-YEAR SENTENCE, HERE'S WHY That was three days after the attack on Fletcher. TBI’s Jackson Crime Lab, which handled the investigation, has an average turnaround of between 33 and 49 weeks, she said, describing it as a result of the workload placed on just four scientists staffing in the unit. While she did not give a specific figure for the rape kit testing backlog, she said each of the state’s crime labs have been receiving requests for between five and seven cases a month stretching back to July 2019. ELIZA FLETCHER ABDUCTION: TIMELINE OF THE MEMPHIS TEACHER'S DISAPPEARANCE Shelby County, where Henderson’s alleged attacks took place, submitted 316 sexual assault testing requests last year, according to state records – by far the most out of any county in Tennessee. Knox County had the next most requests, with 168. The Jackson Forensic Biology Unit is expected to add three more scientists at the end of next month. In its last budget cycle, TBI said it requested funding for another 40 positions in its Forensic Services Unit, and received approval for half of that, McAlister told Fox News Digital Tuesday. Of the 20 approved positions, eight new hires will be dedicated to forensic biology and DNA testing across the state, including three in the Jackson laboratory. That almost doubles the current staff in Jackson, and next year authorities hope to add at least two more. But an outside recommendation from the West Virginia University Department of Business called for 71 new hires total. In addition to sexual assault cases, state forensic biologists work all sorts of investigations involving DNA testing, including burglaries, robberies and homicides. Outside the lab, they are also responsible for testifying in court and responding to crime scenes. "Given the demands of the job, these personnel must be highly competent, highly trained, and of the highest moral character," McAlister said. "In Forensic Biology, new employees must meet the educational requirements of both the TBI and FBI, [and] must undergo 18 months of training." Gov. Bill Lee’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ELIZA FLETCHER DEATH: MEMPHIS KIDNAPPING SUSPECT CLEOTHA HENDERSON HELD WITHOUT BOND Sexton, a Republican, said the Truth in Sentencing law would have also kept Memphis shooting spree suspect Ezekiel Kelly behind bars longer and called the 50-week rape kit backlog "atrocious." He said that the goal is to reduce kit processing to just 30 days. "Every day that you wait only emboldens the criminal to commit more crimes on more victims because they're not in jail – and it increases the pain and suffering of the victims," he said. "What you should strive for is swift punishment, and in order to do that, we need to give law enforcement the resources." In addition to the SAK backlog, he said, other testing could also be bogged down. "When we talk about funding law enforcement, we talk about police officers and equipment, but we never really talk about giving them enough resources to turn around evidence," he added. In cases like Fletcher’s it could be the difference between life and death. Fox News’ Laura Ingle contributed to this report. | | | | | Ken Starr was a historic legal figure and a truly decent human being | | Sep 14, 2022 | | With the passing of Kenneth Starr this week, the legal profession lost one of its most enduring and impactful figures of the last century. As someone who was able to work with Starr in litigation, I can honestly say that he was one of the best lawyers that I have seen in court. He not only had a brilliant legal mind but brought a sense of extraordinary clarity and precision to the law. It was that penetrating intellect that repeatedly led to his being called upon to handle some of this nation’s most intractable and controversial matters. He was often repaid with partisan hostility by the media and Congress. However, he never stooped to the level of his critics. He remained one of the most modest, respectful, and kind individuals that I have ever known. KEN STARR, CLINTON INVESTIGATOR, DEAD AT 76 It is easy to rattle off the list of high-ranking appointments and high-profile cases that made Starr such a historic legal figure. A federal judge, Solicitor General, Independent Counsel, litigator, and academic, he left a legacy that few could hope to match in our profession. However, Ken Starr was more than the collection of his resume items. Much more. While rarely discussed in the media, Starr’s life embodied the very best of the American dream. It is the story of a boy who was the youngest of three children of a Texas barber who was also a preacher. Proudly calling himself a fifth generation Texan, Starr began his early life near the Red River and the Oklahoma border in the tiny town of Thalia with roughly 100 residents and not a single traffic light. The family had little money but made up for it with an abundance of faith. His father served as the local minister and Ken Starr would sell Bibles door-to-door. By the time he was in high school the family had moved to southeast San Antonio. While Starr would be declared the "most likely to succeed" at Sam Houston High School, few likely imagined that this soft-spoken class president would become a household name and one of the most important lawyers of his generation. Starr, however, soon went down the dirt road near his home in search of a life of service different from his father. It would take him first to Harding University, a Church of Christ-affiliated school in Searcy, Arkansas and then to George Washington University in Washington, D.C. where he would get his degree in history in 1968. He received his M.A. from Brown University in 1969. He would then go on to Duke Law School where he continued to excel as a student. He was given a prestigious appellate clerkship on the Fifth Circuit and then served as a Supreme Court clerk to Chief Justice Warren Burger. After working in a top law firm, he was made counselor to U.S. Attorney General William French Smith. MONICA LEWINSKY ON KEN STARR DEATH: 'PAINFUL LOSS FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM' With each position, Starr stood out for his discipline and skills as a lawyer. President Ronald Reagan appointed Starr to the D.C. Circuit where he served with distinction until he resigned to become the United States Solicitor General under George H.W. Bush. He would argue dozens of cases and was considered one of the best litigators to hold that office. When controversies arose, Congress and the courts always seemed to call upon Starr, who always answered that call to service. That was the case when the Senate needed to investigate Sen. Bob Packwood, R., Ore. and it was again the case when Clinton aide Vince Foster committed suicide. In each investigation, Starr’s conclusions were not welcomed by some Republicans, including in his conclusion that Foster died by his own hand. KEN STARR: TRUMP'S IMPEACHMENT 'A VERY UGLY CHAPTER IN OUR CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY' Then there was the Clinton scandal. Starr found himself at the center of a political hurricane as he pursued possible crimes committed by Bill Clinton. The two men had a similar background as the byproducts of small, poor towns in the South. Both rose to national fame due to their proven intellect and skills. However, that is where the comparisons ended. Clinton was a walking moral hazard who was notoriously, even as a state politician, famous for serial adultery. Where Starr displayed a quiet but deep faith, Clinton regularly professed his faith while appearing to violate almost every precept of it. Suddenly, Starr was made persona non grata by a press intent upon protecting Clinton. Even though Democrats admitted that Clinton committed perjury in the Monica Lewinsky matter (and a federal judge affirmed that view), law professors like Harvard Professor Laurence Tribe insisted that perjury was not an impeachable offense. (I would testify at that same impeachment hearing on the other side). Clinton also committed acts that could have been charged as obstruction and witness tampering. Faced with clear criminal conduct like perjury, the media instead attacked the man who helped bring that conduct to light. Major media and Democratic figures vilified Starr in grotesquely unfair hit pieces on an almost weekly basis. Despite the unrelenting personal attacks, Starr remained professional and respectful through this nightmare. He remained firmly tethered to core principles. He once said that, "truth is a bedrock concept in morality and law." It was his North Star and guided everything that he did; everything that he believed. Starr loved being a lawyer. He found a profession that valued his penchant for precision and persuasion. In later years, he would continue to take on major cases like his roles in the Jeffrey Epstein case and in the first Trump impeachment. I did not always agree with his clients or causes but he remained one of the top litigators in the country. CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER I did not always agree with his clients or causes but he remained one of the top litigators in the country. He also quietly continued his life of service in other ways, including representing indigent death row inmates. After Starr was stripped of his presidency at Baylor University following a sexual abuse scandal on the football team, he resigned from his position. He insisted that he was not aware of the scandal until it became public. However, he declared that the university needed a clean break and "the captain goes down with the ship." He walked away and again refused to exchange barbs in the media with critics who superficially played up the controversy as Starr’s "own sex scandal." Indeed, during the Clinton scandal and for the decades that followed, I never heard Starr utter a profane or mean-spirited thought. Despite years of grossly unfair treatment in the media, Starr retained his signature calm and civility. Starr refused to allow the hate and the harassment to corrupt him or his view of others. He came too far from that dirt road in Thalia to lose his way in Washington. To the end, he was a man of faith. Not just in the religious sense, but a faith in the legal system and the transcendent power of truth. Ken Starr was not just a great lawyer; he was an even greater rarity in Washington, he was a decent man. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JONATHAN TURLEY | | | | | | | 'The Crown' resumes filming after production was paused due to Queen Elizabeth II's death | | Sep 14, 2022 | | "The Crown" has resumed filming after the Netflix series paused production on Thursday, the day Queen Elizabeth II died at 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Elizabeth Debicki, the 32-year-old actress who portrays Princess Diana, was seen on a set in a small town near Barcelona, Spain dressed as the late princess. The scene is set during Diana’s trip to Bosnia in 1997 where she met with children and landmine victims. Debicki was seen in a pink button down, with black slacks and gold studded earrings, a spitting image of the late princess. In 1997, Diana flew to an area of Sarajevo where she met with landmine victims, which was an aftereffect of the Bosnian War. According to the US Department of State’s website, between 1992 and 1998 there were 125 deaths attributed to landmines. NETLFIX'S ‘THE CROWN’ PAUSES PRODUCTION ‘OUT OF RESPECT’ FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH II Peter Morgan, the writer of the Emmy-winning drama, confirmed the show’s pause in production on Friday. "'The Crown' is a love letter to her, and I’ve nothing to add for now, just silence and respect," he said. "I expect we will stop filming out of respect too." A spokesperson for the series said production was paused on Friday "as a mark of respect" and will also be suspended on the day of the queen’s funeral. ACCIDENT OR MUDER? NEW ‘SCANDALOUS’ SPECIAL GOES INSIDE PRINCESS DIANA'S TRAGIC DEATH The temporary pause in production will not impact the release of season five of the series, which is scheduled for November. The fifth season will star Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Dominic West as Prince Charles and Debicki as Princess Diana. Olivia Williams joins them as Camilla Parker Bowles and Jonny Lee Miller will appear as Prime Minister John Major. The show is currently in production for its sixth season. The first two seasons starred Claire Foy as the young princess Elizabeth ascending to the throne and gradually growing into her role as monarch, and seasons three and four featured Olivia Colman as a more mature queen. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER "The Crown" has gradually moved closer to current events with Netflix recently revealing the actors who are playing Prince William and Kate Middleton in the sixth season. The show has won 22 Emmy Awards to date, including one for outstanding drama series and best drama actress honors for Foy and Colman. Josh O’Connor, who played Prince Charles in 13 episodes, also won the best drama actor Emmy for his portrayal of the future king as a young man. Fox News’ Sarah Rumph and the Associated Press contributed to this report. | | | | | | | Aaron Judge enters Triple Crown conversation with 2-homer game vs Red Sox | | Sep 14, 2022 | | Aaron Judge’s reign of terror on opposing pitchers continued Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox as the New York Yankees topped their American League East rivals 7-6 in 10 innings. Judge hit two home runs, tallying nos. 56 and 57 on the season and inched closer to another potential piece of history – the Triple Crown. He hit one off Nick Pivetta in the sixth inning and another off Garrett Whitlock in the eighth. The Yankees scored three runs in the 10th to help with the win. In addition to his record-setting home run pace, Judge now leads the majors in RBI (123), on-base percentage (.414), slugging percentage (.692) and OPS (1.105). He is just 0.09 points off Minnesota Twins first baseman Luis Arraez’s American League lead in batting average. Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman leads the majors with a .329 average. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Yankees manager Aaron Boone had no words for Judge’s performance up to this point. "I’m out of adjectives. It’s just really impressive," Boone said, via MLB.com. No Yankees player has hit the Triple Crown since Mickey Mantle did it in 1956. The last American League player to reach the batting Triple Crown was Detroit Tigers star Miguel Cabrera. Before Cabrera, it was Boston Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. PITCHER TRADED AWAY FROM YANKEES AT MLB TRADE DEADLINE SAYS 'PINSTRIPES ARE HEAVY' "Some great guys have done it," Judge said. "It’s pretty special, but I think I’m a long ways away from that." In extra innings, Gleyber Torres came up with the bases loaded in two outs, and he came up clutch with a bases-clearing double. Torres has been swinging a hot bat recently after a historically bad slump - from July 17 this past Friday, he was slashing just .177/.222/.286 with 13 RBI. However, in his last three games, he is 5-for-14 (.357) with eight RBI and three extra-base hits. Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report. | | | | | Judge orders Iowa teen trafficking victim to pay $150K in restitution to family of rapist she killed | | Sep 14, 2022 | | An Iowa teenage sex trafficking victim who stabbed her rapist to death was sentenced by a judge on Tuesday to five years of closely supervised probation and must pay $150,000 restitution to her abuser's family. Pieper Lewis, 17, stabbed her abuser, 37-year-old Zachary Brooks, more than 30 times in June 2020. She was initially charged with first-degree murder. Last year, Lewis pleaded to involuntary manslaughter and willful injury, both of which were punishable by up to 10 years in prison. However, Polk County District Judge David Porter deferred those prison sentences on Tuesday, meaning Lewis could serve 20 years if she violates her probation. Porter said he ordered Lewis to pay restitution to Brooks' family because the court was "presented with no other option." He explained that the restitution is mandatory under Iowa law. SAN FRANCISCO POLICE UNION: MAYOR'S CRIME CRACKDOWN IS 'ACKNOWLEDGMENT' THAT DEFUND POLICE WAS 'MISTAKE' Lewis, who was 15 when she stabbed Brooks in a Des Moines apartment, had run away from home to escape her abusive adoptive mother. She was sleeping in the halls of an apartment building when Christopher Brown, 28, took her in and began trafficking her to other men for sex, according to officials. Among those men was Brooks, who Lewis said raped her multiple times before she killed him. She recalled being forced at knife point to go to his apartment for sex. After Brooks raped her for what would end up being the last time, Lewis grabbed a knife off a bedside table and stabbed him. Neither police nor prosecutors dispute whether Lewis was trafficked and assaulted, but prosecutors allege that Brooks was not an immediate threat because he was asleep when he was stabbed. Iowa is not among the dozens of states with a safe harbor law that gives trafficking victims some level of criminal immunity. Lewis will be transported to a halfway house in Des Moines and will wear a GPS tracking device to ensure she does not fall "back into the lifestyle that you thus far left," Porter said. She will also have to complete 200 hours of community service. "My spirit has been burned, but still glows through the flames," she read from a prepared statement prior to her sentencing. "Hear me roar, see me glow, and watch me grow." THREE CHILDREN DEAD AFTER DROWNING INCIDENT AT CONEY ISLAND BEACH, MOTHER BEING QUESTIONED "I am a survivor," she continued. Prosecutors took issue with Lewis labeling herself as a survivor, claiming she failed to take responsibility for Brooks' death and left his children without a father. The judge pressed Lewis to explain the poor choices she made that led to the stabbing and noted his concerns that she sometimes did not wish to follow rules in juvenile detention. "The next five years of your life will be full of rules you disagree with, I'm sure of it," Porter said, later adding, "This is the second chance that you've asked for. You don't get a third." Lewis said, "I took a person's life. My intentions that day were not to just go out and take somebody’s life. In my mind, I felt that I wasn't safe, and I felt that I was in danger, which resulted in the acts. But it doesn't take away from the fact that a crime was committed." She said she regretted the stabbing, "but to say there is one victim is absurd." Iowa does have an affirmative defense law that offers some leeway to victims of a crime if the victim committed the violation "under compulsion by another’s threat of serious injury, provided that the defendant reasonably believed that such injury was imminent." However, prosecutors argued that Lewis waived that affirmative defense when she pleaded guilty to manslaughter and willful injury. Lewis earned her GED while in juvenile lockup and was unable to communicate with friends and family. The Associated Press contributed to this report. | | | | | |
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