Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge for the death of his girlfriend. A grand jury in Hamilton County, Tennessee, returned the indictment on Tuesday. Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp said prosecutors dismissed a tampering with evidence charge to focus on the more serious allegation. Lee, a first-round draft pick in 2016, is accused of killing Gabriella Perpetuo, 29, in February. A decision on whether to pursue the death penalty is expected in the coming weeks. Former #Jets first-round LB Darron Lee has been indicted on a murder charge in the death of his 29-year old girlfriend. Prosecutors are seeking a first-degree murder conviction, which carries a life sentence. A decision on whether to pursue the death penalty is expected in the… pic.twitter.com/IQwAUak8Ca — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 11, 2026 More from the Associated Press: A medical examiner listed Perpetuo’s cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries, and the autopsy report listed 12 different injuries, including multiple hematomas, bone fractures and stab wounds. At the time of Lee’s arrest, he was on probation in Franklin County, Ohio, and Alachua County, Florida, after he was charged in three separate alleged assaults involving another man, Lee’s mother and the mother of his child, court records showed. Prosecutors accused Lee of asking ChatGPT how to get medical help without calling the police. He asked the artificial intelligence assistant whether a fall could cause bruising to two eyes and “two stabby looking wounds,” according to evidence presented in court. Lee remains in the Hamilton County Jail without bond. The 31-year-old Lee played 58 games with the Jets, Kansas City and Buffalo between 2016 and 2020. The former Ohio State standout was the 20th pick in the 2016 draft by the Jets. Lee spent three seasons with the Jets and ended his career with 273 tackles, four sacks, and two forced fumbles. Prosecutors presented body camera footage, testimony from investigators, and evidence recovered from electronic devices during a preliminary hearing. A report from investigators also noted a bite mark on her shoulder, which was collected for DNA testing. Ex-Jets linebacker Darron Lee indicted on murder charge in death of his partner https://t.co/E3JMCbzdu3 pic.twitter.com/KWH5hRHqch — New York Post (@nypost) June 11, 2026 WTVC shared further: The murder case has also generated a separate $50 million wrongful death lawsuit filed by Perpetuo’s family. Court records also revealed allegations of prior domestic violence incidents involving Lee before his arrest in Tennessee. Lee remains in custody as the criminal case moves forward. An arraignment date on the indictment is expected to be scheduled in Hamilton County Criminal Court. Watch additional coverage below:

An Obama-nominated federal judge just handed President Trump a win. On June 12, 2026, U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta denied an emergency bid to shut down UFC Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn. The case is Douglas v. National Park Service, No. 1:26-cv-02016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Two plaintiffs, Susan Douglas and Paul Romano, asked the court for a temporary restraining order or an expedited preliminary injunction to block the event. Mehta said no. JUST IN: A judge has REFUSED to block President Trump's White House UFC Freedom 250 fight that's taking place on Sunday, it can PROCEED as planned LMAO, Democrats tried SUING over this? Pathetic losers! The show goes on! pic.twitter.com/Df265ONWMv — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 12, 2026 The event is set for the South Lawn on June 14, 2026, and it lands on President Trump’s 80th birthday. Trump first floated the idea back in July 2025 as part of a run of events marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. The centerpiece is a 92-foot-tall, 154-foot-wide temporary staging structure called the Claw, built to hold the Octagon and the camera and lighting positions. The court order lays out the dispute and the outcome this way: Plaintiffs Susan Douglas and Paul Romano move for a temporary restraining order (TRO) or expedited preliminary injunction to prevent Defendants from using the South Lawn of the White House and the Lincoln Memorial as venues for an Ultimate Fighting Championship (“UFC”) event that is scheduled to start on the evening of June 12, 2026. For the reasons that follow, the motion is denied. The UFC is scheduled to host an MMA event called “UFC Freedom 250” on the White House’s South Lawn on June 14, 2026. President Trump first proposed hosting such an event in July 2025 as part of a series of events celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence. On May 26, 2026, construction of a 92-foot-tall, 154-foot-wide staging structure, known as “the Claw,” began on the South Lawn of the White House. The Claw will house the Octagon and provide vantage points for cameras and lighting. Because Plaintiffs fail to establish both a substantial likelihood of standing and irreparable harm, and because the equities and public interest weigh against emergency relief, Plaintiffs’ Emergency Application for a Temporary Restraining Order or, in the Alternative, an Expedited Preliminary Injunction, ECF No. 3, is denied. Mehta found the plaintiffs fell short on the basics. They did not show they were directly affected, did not show a substantial likelihood of standing, and did not prove irreparable harm. On the equities and public interest, the judge said both pointed away from yanking the plug at the last minute. A first look inside the Octagon on the White House South Lawn, where the @UFC Freedom 250 Fight will take place on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/OxNPNyMKO3 — Gary Grumbach (@GaryGrumbach) June 11, 2026 The government’s filing did not flatter the people trying to stop the show. Here is the heart of the Justice Department brief: Plaintiffs did nothing for months while these costs accrued. On the equities, this is not a close call. Defendants and the public have substantial reliance interests at stake. Defendants have been planning this event for a year. As recounted above, this includes 700 to 900 workers onsite since May 20; multiple truck deliveries per day; the promotion and coordination of 200,000 ticket requests; and the Secret Service’s efforts to secure the grounds and clear each of these workers, deliveries, and attendees. Seven government agencies and components have been involved in coordinating this event. Two Plaintiffs with idiosyncratic preferences cannot use equity to upend an event of this cost and magnitude at the last minute and spoil the evenings of tens of thousands of other Americans who wish to celebrate their pride in their country in a manner that Plaintiffs disdain. No one is holding Plaintiffs in a jiu jitsu lock, forcing them to watch UFC Freedom 250 against their will. The public interest does not favor allowing them to exercise a heckler’s veto, particularly at this late date. That jiu-jitsu line is the part people are going to remember. One plaintiff planned to walk past the event. The other might drive past it. Now the irony that makes this one sting for the other side. According to the Federal Judicial Center, Mehta was nominated to the bench by Barack Obama on July 31, 2014, confirmed in December of that year, and commissioned days later. An Obama-nominated judge looked at a left-leaning attempt to cancel a Trump celebration and told them to take the loss. To be precise, Mehta denied emergency relief based on standing, irreparable harm, equities, and public interest. But the practical result is simple. The Claw stands, the fights go on, and the South Lawn hosts UFC Freedom 250 on the President’s birthday while the people who sued to stop it watch it happen from somewhere other than the front row. This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here. What are your thoughts? TAP HERE TO ADD YOUR VOTE

Thomas Partey will miss Ghana’s opening match in the World Cup after the Canadian government denied his visa application. “Partey has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London’s Metropolitan Police and is awaiting trial,” ESPN reports. The 32-year-old has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His trial is scheduled to begin on June 8, 2027. “FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government,” FIFA said in a statement. “FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country,” it added. From @TheAthleticFC: Thomas Partey was denied entry into Canada and will not play in Ghana’s opening World Cup game. The former Arsenal midfielder is due to stand trial in the UK on seven charges of rape and one of sexual assault. He denies the charges. https://t.co/v1gvG7i97l — The New York Times (@nytimes) June 12, 2026 ESPN shared further: A media spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued a statement to ESPN on behalf of the office’s minister, Lena Diab, regarding the visa denial Friday. “Canada is proud to be a host country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is working to facilitate a successful event while maintaining the safety and security of Canadians,” the statement read. “Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada’s immigration laws. “Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies,” the statement read. Partey played for Arsenal from 2020 to 2025 and is currently at Villarreal. He has 57 caps for Ghana and featured in their last warmup match against Wales on June 2. But as the team prepares to travel from its Rhode Island base to Canada, Partey will not be joining it. Ghana will play Panama in Toronto on June 17. Partey will be able to play in the team’s other two group stage matches, which take place in the United States. Ghana will play England in Boston on June 23 and take on Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27. Watch below: FIFA have confirmed that Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey will be unable to play in Ghana's opening game against Panama in Toronto next Wednesday because the Canadian government have decided not to issue him with a visa. pic.twitter.com/i1mQc4cGS3 — Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 12, 2026 More from The New York Times: The Canadian government website outlines that, “if you have committed or been convicted of a crime, you may not be allowed into Canada.” Partey has been charged, but is awaiting trial and has not been convicted. The Athletic have approached the Ghana Football Association and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for comment. The IRCC previously told The Athletic in a statement before the World Cup: “Without any signed consent form, it is not possible for IRCC to provide details regarding any individual situation. “We can, however, state that the safety and security of Canadians is our priority as we welcome FIFA World Cup participants and visitors from around the world. That is why IRCC applies its rules consistently and without exception, regardless of nationality, profile, or role in the tournament. “IRCC officers are trained decision makers who assess an individual’s eligibility and admissibility in accordance with Canadian immigration laws. If they believe that an individual could pose a security risk, they may decide to deny them entry.” The seven counts of rape and one of sexual assault will be tried at Southwark Crown Court, London. The trial was originally scheduled for November, but may now be delayed until early 2027. Under the conditions of his bail, Partey is obliged to notify authorities of any plans to travel abroad. The initial six charges, which relate to three women, are alleged to have taken place in 2021 and 2022. Detectives at the Metropolitan Police began their investigation into Partey in February 2022 when they received a report of alleged rape. The two further charges relate to a fourth woman after a separate report of non-recent offences in 2020, following a new investigation by the Met. These allegations were first reported to police in August 2025.

Home-based fans for Senegal and Ivory Coast have been denied visas to the United States, preventing them from attending the World Cup. The president of the Ivory Coast national supporters’ committee and an official from the Senegalese sports ministry shared the news with AFP. “The supporters have cancelled the trip because the US government does not want to see supporters from certain countries, including Ivory Coast, on its soil. The United States has been clear with us, saying they do not want to see our supporters,” said Julien Kouadio Adonis, president of Ivory Coast’s National Committee of Elephants Supporters (CNSE), according to the outlet. “This situation hurts us deeply because it prevents us from fulfilling our sacred duty, which is to support our team,” Adonis added. JUST IN: Some Ivory Coast fans have been denied visas to the United States “The supporters have cancelled the trip because the US government does not want to see supporters from certain countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, on its soil” – President of the CNSE pic.twitter.com/xQ2BDjhSTg — Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) June 11, 2026 AFP has more: The Ivory Coast supporters’ group operates under the country’s sports ministry to organise trips for the country’s small number of travelling fans to follow the team abroad. Ivory Coast play two of their three group matches in Philadelphia, against Ecuador on June 14 and Curacao on June 25 either side of a trip to Toronto to face Germany. In March, Kouadio told AFP he hoped 500 fans would travel across the Atlantic. He said a handful of CNSE officials had been authorised to travel to the World Cup where they will be “look after the Ivorian supporters based in the United States”, he said. The CNSE estimates there will be more than 1,000 at matches. The run-up to the World Cup, which kicks off in Mexico City later Thursday, has been dogged by the visa policies of the main host nation, the United States. Senegal fans have faced similar difficulties obtaining visas, the report said. It’s the first time home-based fans of Senegal will not be attending a World Cup the country has qualified for. Senegal made the World Cup in 2002, 2018, and 2022. “It is the first time we will not be sending a delegation because of restrictions linked to the granting of visas by the United States,” Ndeye Dome Thiouf, the communications advisor to the sports ministry, told AFP. Senegal plays two of its group stage matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, while it plays the other contest in Toronto.

A federal judge on Friday denied a request by two Virginia residents to block this weekend’s UFC event on the White House South Lawn. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said the two individuals had no standing because they provided no evidence of how the event would harm them. A federal judge rejected an effort to block President Trump's planned UFC Freedom 250 events at the White House and Lincoln Memorial. pic.twitter.com/o6v0qOvLa6 — SCOTUS Wire (@scotus_wire) June 12, 2026 The Hill shared further: It removes a potential last-minute roadblock to this weekend’s event, set to be held in a 92-foot-tall, temporary octagon erected on the White House lawn, with a press conference and other activities happening at the nearby Lincoln Memorial. “The court rightly rejected an untimely and frivolous effort to halt the historic UFC event hosted to honor the 250th anniversary of our Nation,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement. “The White House is thankful for this correct decision and looks forward to hosting this once-in-a-lifetime celebration on the South Lawn.” A political activist and retired Air Force sergeant, represented by the Public Integrity Project, sued the National Park Service (NPS) and Department of the Interior last weekend seeking to block it. They argued the event was “deeply corrupt” and didn’t follow necessary environmental and NPS permitting requirements. Mehta’s opinion doesn’t address those arguments. Instead, he rejected their effort by ruling their regular visits to the National Mall isn’t enough for them to file suit. The activist said she frequently protests near the Lincoln Memorial, and the sergeant said he’s a ride-share driver who may end up near the event this weekend. “Plaintiffs fall short of showing they are ‘directly affected’ by Defendants’ actions,” Mehta wrote in his ruling. “Because Plaintiffs fail to establish both a substantial likelihood of standing and irreparable harm, and because the equities and public interest weigh against emergency relief, Plaintiffs’ Emergency Application for a Temporary Restraining Order or, in the Alternative, an Expedited Preliminary Injunction, ECF No. 3, is denied,” he added. BREAKING: Judge turns down bid to halt UFC fights on White House's South Lawn. Judge Amit Mehta (Obama/DC) finds plaintiffs' standing too shaky and request for TRO too close to event. Doc: https://t.co/E5ruRnAt9F — Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) June 12, 2026 ABC News noted: Lawyers with the Department of Justice said the authorization for the event was lawful, comparing it to other events on the South Lawn like Easter Egg Roll, National Christmas Tree Lighting, state dinners, the Congressional Picnic, and a 2022 Elton John Concert. They also argued that the plaintiffs lack standing and would not be harmed by the event. “No one is holding Plaintiffs in a jiu jitsu lock, forcing them to watch UFC Freedom 250 against their will,” DOJ lawyers wrote on Tuesday. “The public interest does not favor allowing them to exercise a heckler’s veto, particularly at this late date.” Read the 15-page ruling HERE.