Three things for October 20
1. MD-87 jet heading to Boston crashes on takeoff in Texas
An emergency response was issued on Tuesday for a plane crash just outside of Houston, Texas.
“Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed the incident in a field in the southeast corner of Waller County, which is not too far from the Houston Executive Airport, a public facility next to the city’s Energy Corridor that mainly caters to corporate passengers,” reports ABC News.
The plane rolled through a fence and caught fire in a field while attempting to depart from the airport.
According to Waller County Sheriff Troy Guidry, 21 people, which included 18 passengers and three crew members, were on board, and all made it out safe. Two people were sent to the hospital. The youngest passenger was a 10-year-old.
2. Judge refuses to suppress video evidence in Josh Duggar case
Josh Duggar, who appeared in “19 Kids and Counting,” was charged in April with two counts of downloading and possessing child pornography.
“A federal judge has denied motions to suppress video evidence found on electronic devices that were seized from former reality TV star Josh Duggar, who is facing child pornography charges,” reports AP News.
Duggar’s attorneys argued the evidence in the case had become “stale” because so much time elapsed between the seizure of the files and the issue of a search warrant.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks said evidence in child pornography cases does not become stale, even when files were downloaded many months before search warrants.
Duggar, 33, faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 on each count if convicted. Brooks set the jury date for Nov. 30.
3. Queen Elizabeth II turned down being named ‘Oldie of the Year’ by a British magazine
On Tuesday, British magazine The Oldie published Queen Elizabeth II’s response to their offer to make her the “Oldie of the Year.”
The 95-year-old queen politely declined, saying she does not meet the relevant criteria. Queen Elizabeth II is the oldest monarch to date, but still keeps a busy schedule of royal duties, according to AP News.
“‘Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel, as such The Queen does not believe she meets the relevant criteria to be able to accept and hopes you will find a more worthy recipient,’ said a letter from her assistant private secretary, Tom Laing-Baker. He ended the letter ‘with Her Majesty’s warmest best wishes,’” reports AP News.
The Oldie of the Year prize honors people who have made a special contribution to public life. The queen’s husband Prince Philip, who died in April, received the accolade in 2011 when he was 90.
After the queen declined, this year’s Oldie of the Year award went to French-American actress and dancer Leslie Caron, 90.
