Latest news with #McClatchyNews
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Doctor posted couple's decapitated baby online, suit says. GA jury awards $2.25M
A 12-person jury awarded $2.25 million to the parents of a newborn who was decapitated at birth, ruling against an Atlanta-area doctor they hired for an autopsy, according to their attorneys. Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor paid Dr. Jackson Gates $2,500 for a postmortem exam of their son, 'Baby Isaiah,' after he died July 9, 2023, according to civil court filings previously reviewed by McClatchy News. Nearly two months later, they sued Gates, saying he took videos of their newborn's body without permission and shared the graphic content online to his Instagram account. The couple horrifically lost Baby Isaiah when the newborn was decapitated by another doctor at Southern Regional Medical Center in Clayton County, according to a separate lawsuit they filed against Ross' obstetrician. The doctor, Tracey St. Julian, was accused of applying too much force on the baby's head and neck during the delivery, resulting in decapitation. Ross and Taylor were heartbroken, then were outraged upon learning Gates shared autopsy videos online of their baby, according to a complaint they filed in Fulton County Court. The case went to trial this week, according to the couple's attorneys, Shofaetiyah Watson of The Edmond Firm and Cory J. Lynch of The Law Firm of Cory J. Lynch, LLC. On the third day of trial, June 18, the jury awarded $2 million in compensatory damages to Ross and Taylor, as well as $250,000, the highest amount possible, in punitive damages, their legal counsel said in a news release. 'While we are pleased that a jury punished Dr. Jackson Gates for his reprehensible behavior, nothing can ease the pain that the parents, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor, Sr., have experienced in losing their baby boy in such a horrific way,' Watson and Lynch said in a joint statement. 'This young couple trusted him with the remains of their precious baby,' they added. 'Gates, in turn, repaid this trust by posting horrific images of their child for the world to see.' Gates did not immediately return McClatchy News' request for comment June 20. The pathologist and primary care doctor has a practice in Conyers, about a 25-mile drive southeast from Atlanta. With their lawsuit, Taylor and Ross accused Gates of invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress and fraud, their attorneys said. When they initially sued him, Gates defended himself in a video he shared to Instagram, saying anything he posted online was for educational purposes, WAGA-TV reported in September 2023. Gates was accused of uploading footage of the baby's autopsy a second time, after taking the videos down in response to a cease-and-desist letter sent to him on the couple's behalf, according to their attorneys. 'Gates initially removed the videos but inexplicably reposted them, even after being informed of the parents' emotional pain resulting from the initial posts,' the release said. Death ruled a homicide In February 2024, the Clayton County Medical Examiner's Office announced the baby's death was ruled a homicide, McClatchy News reported. At the time, the medical examiner's office's director, Brian Byars, told McClatchy News in a phone interview that the baby's head was 'completely separated from the body.' During delivery, the newborn's head became stuck in the vaginal canal in a complicated medical event known as shoulder dystocia, according to Taylor and Ross' lawsuit against St. Julian and Southern Regional Medical Center. That case is ongoing, their legal counsel said. Southern Regional Medical Center denied the accusations involving the facility in a September 2023 statement previously shared with McClatchy News. When the parents sued the hospital and St. Julian, the couple said both parties tried to hide the fact that their baby was decapitated, discouraged them from having an autopsy performed and encouraged them to cremate their son's body. As for the case against Gates, the couple's attorneys said their 'goal was to ensure that Gates was held accountable for his unconscionable lack of empathy and invasion of our clients' privacy.' 'We thank the jury for helping us accomplish that objective,' they added.
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Goofy dog kept returning to shelter for being ‘too playful.' Then came good news
A goofy dog kept returning to a North Carolina shelter for being 'too playful' — then came good news. The 1-year-old pup, known for his love of splashing in the pool, has now been adopted into a new home. 'We are hopeful that this time's the one for him,' Samantha Ranlet, a spokesperson for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Wake County, told McClatchy News in a June 20 email. 'They've renamed him Nova.' The dog — originally named DJ — first landed at the SPCA after he was transferred from another facility. Although the Raleigh-area shelter doesn't know much about his background, he was anxious upon arrival. 'We've discovered that he's much happier on a medication called Trazodone,' the shelter wrote in a Facebook post. 'These meds help him go from a frightened fella that hunches and startles at the sound of a door opening to a lively, playful pup.' DJ was adopted twice, but the situations didn't work out. Both times, his playful nature was too much for the other animals in his homes. 'He wants to be friends sooooo badly, but unfortunately his high energy, goofy antics, and in-your-face play style haven't meshed well with calmer companions,' the SPCA wrote after his latest return on June 17. 'He's a spirited dork which isn't the right fit for everyone, we get it! Now he's back here with us and we are on a mission — to find him a forever home and a dork-tastic animal friend who can keep up with his little-legged zoomies!' At the shelter, DJ became known as a mixed-breed dog who enjoys snuggling. He also has a more 'fun-loving' side that shows up when he's outdoors, according to an online adoption profile and a video shared on Facebook. 'He's the type of dog that's always smiling with his tongue hanging out,' Ranlet wrote. 'He's friends with everybody, and he's the first to greet new people and soak up some attention. He absolutely loves water. Our staff takes him out for play time in the kiddie pool, and he loses his mind — gator rolling, jumping and splashing around, with just the biggest smile on his face.' Then, two days after DJ came back to the shelter, he was adopted for a third time. McClatchy News has asked for more details about the latest adoption and is awaiting a response.
Miami Herald
6 hours ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Park employee looks up at tree — and finds ‘rare' visitor staring back. See it
A 'routine' wildlife survey at a nature reserve in the United Arab Emirates took a turn when a staff member looked up at a tree — and found a 'rare' visitor staring back. The brief encounter was the park's first sighting of the 'long-eared' species in 22 years. An employee at the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve was conducting a 'routine bird census' in January 2022 when they noticed an owl in a tree, ecologist Shakeel Ahmed said in a June 19 email to McClatchy News. The employee snapped a few photos before the bird 'immediately flew away.' Intrigued, the employee showed the photos to Ahmed and coworker Sálim Javed who identified the bird as a long-eared owl, Asio otus, a species rarely seen in the UAE, they wrote in a study published May 26 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Threatened Taxa. Photos show the 'rare' long-eared owl, which has pointy feathers on its head and bright yellow eyes. Its feathers are a mixture of brown hues, cream and black. The owl was seen 'roosting on a branch' after a day of 'very high winds' and 'heavy rains,' the study said. The January 2022 owl sighting was the nature reserve's first sighting of the species in 22 years and the country's first sighting in nine years, researchers said. Long-eared owls are a 'highly migratory species with an extremely wide distribution range in Eurasia,' the study said. The species is not at-risk but does have a declining population. Al Wathba Wetland Reserve is on the outskirts of Ahu Dhabi, the capital city of the UAE, a country on the Arabian Peninsula that borders Oman and Saudi Arabia. The reserve is regularly monitored and 'the most important site for migratory waterfowls, waders, diurnal birds of prey and owls' in the UAE, the study said.
Miami Herald
9 hours ago
- General
- Miami Herald
Two whales found dead together on Florida beach, state says. Here's what we know
Two whales found dead at a coastal park in northeast Florida are believed to be a mother and her calf, state officials say. The discovery was made Wednesday, June 18, about a 15-mile drive northeast from Jacksonville, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told McClatchy News. 'FWC staff responded to a report of two deceased Gervais' beaked whales just south of Hanna Park,' state officials said. 'A lactating adult female, approximately 14 feet in length, and her 7-foot-long female calf were recovered and necropsied by our team.' Results of the necropsy have not been released, but the data could reveal what killed the whales. Investigators did not report if they suffered wounds of any kind. Fatalities among Gervais' beaked whales have been linked to entanglement with fishing gear and 'man-made' underwater sounds that can drive them from critical feeding and breeding grounds, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says. The whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and can reach 17 feet and 2,640 pounds, NOAA says. 'This species prefers deep tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean but is occasionally found in colder temperate seas,' NOAA reports. 'There is little information on the abundance of Gervais' beaked whales worldwide.'
Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
New species found with babies crawling on its back and four other discoveries
The summaries below were drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All linked stories were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists. Unique creatures, odd animals and new species are being discovered across the planet. Some are found lurking in remote corners of the world, while others have been hiding right under our noses. Learn more about some recent new species discoveries: 'Large' venomous creature — with babies on back — is new species in Thailand In the forests of Doi Phu Kha National Park in Thailand, a new species of scorpion called Scorpiops doiphukha was discovered. This 'large' scorpion, found hiding in rock crevices, is notable for carrying its young on its back. The species thrives in the dense, humid forests of northern Thailand. | Published June 12 | Read More | Deep-sea creature — with feather-like body — is new ocean species. Take a look Researchers exploring a cold seep in the South China Sea discovered a new species of crinoid named Endoxocrinus kexuei. This feather-like creature, found attached to rotted wood 2,700 feet below the surface, belongs to a family of sea lilies known for their suspension-feeding habits. The species was named after the ocean vessel 'Kexue' for its 'significant contribution' to biological research. | Published June 13 | Read More | 'Long'-tailed creature found hiding in fallen log at night. It's a new species In the forests of Thailand and Malaysia, researchers discovered a new species of gecko called Cyrtodactylus peninsularis, or the peninsula bent-toed gecko. These nocturnal lizards, with 'long' tails and 'large' eyes, were found climbing tree trunks and branches. The species is named for its presence on the Thai-Malay Peninsula. | Published June 13 | Read More | Creature with 'horned' eyelids discovered on China mountain. It's a new species On a mountain peak in Yezhong Nature Reserve, China, researchers found a new species of frog named Boulenophrys yezhongensis, or the Yezhong horned toad. This frog, with 'horned' eyelids and a 'shield-like' snout, is adapted to high elevations and cold temperatures. The species is at risk due to its limited distribution and potential climate change impacts. | Published June 16 | Read More | River creature — with more than 100 teeth — found as new species in Zimbabwe In the highland rivers of Zimbabwe, researchers discovered two new species of suckermouth catfish, including Chiloglanis asperocutis, known as the 'rough skin' suckermouth catfish. This species, found in the Honde River, is notable for its ridged body and high number of teeth, ranging from 68 to 128, which is more than other related species in southern Africa. The second species, Chiloglanis compactus, or the dwarf suckermouth catfish, is the smallest of its kind, measuring just 1.7 inches long, and was found in the Pungwe and Buzi river systems. | Published June 18 | Read More | McClatchy News continues to follow the discovery and sightings of unusual and intriguing species. Check back for the latest stories.
