A Florida man accused of raping and mutilating a woman is facing new charges after prosecutors said he tried to prevent his victim from testifying during his upcoming trial. 54-year-old Bruce Whitehead was arrested in 2022 after allegedly raping a woman at knifepoint after he picked her up near a strip bar on the South Orange Blossom Trail‚ according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said Whitehead then bit the woman‚ cut her with a knife‚ and burned her. He allegedly tried to stab her in the chest‚ but the blade of the knife collapsed into the handle. She was able to escape and get help. Whitehead has a distinctive and massive forehead tattoo reading "Sacrifice‚" and he tried to hide it by wearing a hat. An "observant resident" spotted him anyway and alerted police‚ who were able to arrest him. He was charged with a slew of crimes‚ including sexual battery with a deadly weapon and physical force and attempted felony murder with a weapon. One Orange County detective called him a "monster." New charge of tampering Prosecutors filed a new charge of witness tampering after an assistant state attorney found that he had allegedly asked another inmate in jail to "take care" of the victim after he was to be released. Investigators said they were initially afraid that Whitehead was asking the inmate to kill the victim‚ but they later surmised that he was allegedly trying to pay her off so that she would refuse to testify against him. He reportedly believed that the charges would be dropped without her testimony. The criminal complaint also said that Whitehead admitted to the other inmate that he had been filing new motions in the case in order to buy time for his accomplice to get to the witness. Whitehead was accused of giving the inmate a note with the victim's information‚ including her name and address. That inmate told prosecutors that he was afraid if he didn't follow through with Whitehead's order that he would find someone to kill the victim. The suspect had been previously released from prison after being found no longer a threat to the community by two doctors. Whitehead's trial is scheduled to begin in May. Here's a local news report about the charges: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A small group of students who organized a sit-in protest at Vanderbilt University were roundly mocked and ridiculed after they called 911 over "toxic shock" in a protester who was not allowed to change her tampon. The protesters were demonstrating Tuesday against the university's refusal to participate in the Israeli divestment movement‚ but officials said they assaulted a community service officer and pushed staff members. Critics of the protest erupted in laughter after a video from Vanderbilt Generation Action showed distraught protesters panicking after discovering one of their comrades hadn't changed out her tampon in several hours. They called 911 and one protester can be heard explaining‚ "There is currently a female student who is being denied the right to change her tampon that has been in for multiple hours‚ which leads to an increased risk of toxic shock syndrome." The protesters argue with the dispatcher on the video. "OK‚ what you are not hearing‚ what you are not hearing is that if she stands up to use the restroom to change her tampon‚ they are threatening arrest!" the protester says. "So‚ it is not an option for her." "Ma'am? Ma'am?" the dispatcher responds. "Do you have an emergency?" "Yes‚ ma'am. I do‚" the protester replies. "That is an emergency!" another protester says. The protest was broken up after the university began suspending students. "So brave. So stunning." Many on social media mocked the students for their tampon toxic shock panic. "LOL this is like a comedy sketch but it’s real!" read one response."They’re ready to storm Normandy tomorrow. So brave. So stunning‚" was one sarcastic reply. "What is really funny is how they expect the 911 dispatcher to solve this problem for them. What exactly do they want the dispatcher to do?" read another response. "The only thing that these students have proven is their privilege- that their WORST day is not eating for 24 hrs &; not getting to change their tampon according to package instructions (Big 90s girl mood‚ btw)‚" said another detractor on social media. "Did that chick in Vanderbilt ever get to change her tampon or is she dead?" asked another social media user on Wednesday. Video of the toxic shock tampon incident garnered over 9 million views. Vanderbilt statement The University said in a statement that several students were suspended in response to their actions. "Some students physically assaulted a community service officer to gain entrance and proceeded to push staff members who offered to meet with them‚" read the statement. "Student Affairs staff took a graduated approach to de-escalate the situation‚" they added. "First‚ they asked students to leave. After the students refused to leave‚ staff made them aware their actions violated university policy and that they would be subject to disciplinary action. After several hours‚ the university began issuing interim suspensions." Protesters were furious that a journalist participating in the protest was detained‚ but the charges against him were eventually dropped. Here's more about the protest: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Fewer than three months into 2024‚ there have already been more measles cases reported in the U.S. than were reported during all of 2023‚ according to data posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The CDC indicates that as of March 21‚ there had been 64 measles cases reported‚ compared to just 58 reported in all of 2023. "As of March 21‚ 2024‚ a total of 64 measles cases were reported by 17 jurisdictions: Arizona‚ California‚ Florida‚ Georgia‚ Illinois‚ Indiana‚ Louisiana‚ Maryland‚ Michigan‚ Minnesota‚ Missouri‚ New Jersey‚ New York City‚ Ohio‚ Pennsylvania‚ Virginia‚ and Washington‚" the CDC reported.But that figure pales in comparison to the 2019 number‚ which was much higher. "From January 1 to December 31‚ 2019‚ 1‚274 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 31 states‚" the CDC noted. "This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1992."The illness is very contagious‚ but the vaccine is very effective‚ the CDC indicates."Measles (rubeola) is highly contagious; one person infected with measles can infect 9 out of 10 unvaccinated individuals with whom they come in close contact‚" the agency noted. "Measles is almost entirely preventable through vaccination. MMR vaccines are safe and highly effective‚ with two doses being 97% effective against measles (one dose is 93% effective). When more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated (coverage >;95%) most people are protected through community immunity (herd immunity)."The CDC noted that "From January 1 to March 14‚ 2024‚" it was "notified of 58 confirmed U.S. cases of measles across 17 jurisdictions" and that of those‚ "54 (93%) were linked to international travel. Most cases reported in 2024 have been among children aged 12 months and older who had not received measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine."There have been some measles cases connected to a migrant shelter in Chicago‚ Illinois."Due to increasing measles cases among young children at the Halsted Street shelter in Pilsen who recently received a single dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine‚ the City of Chicago announced Monday that everyone at the Halsted shelter should receive a second measles vaccine dose 28 days after the first dose‚" a Chicago Department of Public Health press release noted.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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