News briefs

Tribune News Service on Jun 30, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

‘We’re beyond furious’: Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger accepts plea deal

BOISE, Idaho — Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the highly anticipated murder trial who is accused of killing four University of Idaho college students, accepted a plea deal, NewsNation first reported.

A victim’s family member told The Idaho Statesman that they received a letter, and provided the letter to the Statesman, confirming the plea deal.

Kohberger was accused of fatally stabbing the University of Idaho students in November 2022 in their off-campus Moscow home. He faced four first-degree murder charges and, if convicted, could have been sentenced to death in a trial that was slated to start with opening statements on Aug. 18.

The plea deal offered to take the death penalty off the table, in exchange for Kohberger pleading guilty to the four first-degree murder charges. He will be sentenced to life in prison, and must waive his right to an appeal, NewsNation first reported.

—The Idaho Statesman

‘Nothing short of a miracle’: Reactions after girl falls off Disney cruise ship

A magical Disney cruise experience turned nightmarish after a young girl fell overboard — and her dad leaped off the ship, too.

The Disney Dream ship was en route to dock Sunday at Port Everglades following a four-day sail to the Bahamas and a stop at Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, the cruise line’s private island, when the fall occurred, Miami Herald news partner CBS Miami reported.

The names and ages of the father-daughter duo haven’t been confirmed by the cruise line and neither has how the young girl toppled overboard despite the ship’s plexiglass barriers. What is known is that the successful rescue effort happened “within minutes” of the fall and followed standard procedure.

“The Crew aboard the Disney Dream swiftly rescued two guests from the water. We commend our Crew Members for their exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the safe return of both guests to the ship within minutes,” a Disney Cruise Line spokesperson told the Miami Herald in a statement Monday.

—Miami Herald

Wild orcas have been trying to feed people, new research shows

SEATTLE — Wild orcas on more than 30 occasions in four oceans have attempted to share their prey with people, potentially to develop relationships with humans, researchers have found.

In each of the instances recorded over two decades, orcas approached a person within a length of the orca’s body, and dropped freshly hunted prey in front of the human, then waited for a response, according to a paper reporting the behavior published Monday in the Journal of Comparative Psychology.

Orcas of every age tried to share their prey, and just about everything was on the menu: sea otter, harbor seal, common murre, gray whale, green turtle, eagle ray, starfish, jellyfish, on and on.

Orcas are the ocean’s top predator, and their brains are second only to modern humans in terms of their size in relation to their body. Their capacity for advanced communications and cognitive, social and emotional intelligence is well known. Prey sharing is common in orca culture.

—The Seattle Times

Spain hosts key UN talks on global development finance as US retreats

MADRID — The UN's Conference on Financing for Development kicks off on Monday in the Spanish city of Seville with a focus on tackling global inequality, amid a major funding shortfall following drastic U.S. aid cuts under President Donald Trump.

Trump slashed more than 80% of USAID funding, which previously accounted for roughly a quarter of total international development financing.

The once-in-a-decade conference, which runs through Thursday, aims to deliver concrete solutions to address critical global needs, including hunger, poverty, climate protection, health and peace.

It will also emphasize international cooperation and rebuilding multilateral trust. According to organizers, a central focus will be the restructuring of financing for the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted in 2015 with a target date of 2030.

—dpa