Latest news with #chaos
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Balloon boy' Falcon Heene finally reveals how he remembers parents' hoax that shocked America in new Netflix documentary
The child who was at the center of the 'balloon boy' hoax that gripped America nearly 16 years ago has now revealed how he relished in the chaos during the ordeal. Falcon Heene, now 22, was just six years old when he captivated the nation after his weatherman father, Richard, set off a weather balloon and then claimed it was carrying his son. For two difficult hours on October 15, 2009, the silver helium balloon, resembling a flying saucer, drifted to heights of up to 7,000 feet across the skies of Colorado. Falcon's parents claimed that the boy sneaked into the balloon and a frantic search began that grounded planes and involved the National Guard. However, Falcon was found hiding in the attic at the family's Fort Collins home. Richard and his wife, Mayumi, were later sentenced to prison for what was declared a hoax. Nearly 16 years later, the Heene family is speaking out in a new Netflix documentary called 'Trainwreck: Balloon Boy' that airs on July 15. In the new trailer, Falcon confessed that thinks it's 'crazy' how much chaos he stirred. 'I think it was crazy how I was six years old and I was able to affect the whole state of the country,' he said. The Heene parents defended their actions in the trailer with Mayumi crying, 'You don't get it!' 'All I wanted to do was make a really fantastic project for the kids,' Richard said. 'Everybody starts criticizing us. I'm like, "You've got to be s******g me!"' At the time of the incident, the family had pitched for a science-based reality TV show, but it had been rejected. Mayumi later told investigators that her husband wanted attention to secure the show, and a runaway balloon with a child inside could be just the thing to clinch a TV deal. Richard and Mayumi eventually pleaded guilty to their crimes. Mayumi was charged with false reporting and Richard was charged with a felony count of attempting to influence a public servant. Richard served 90 days in jail, and the family was ordered to pay $42,000 in restitution for the emergency rescue efforts. The judge also barred them from profiting off of the incident for four years. The couple has maintained that the incident wasn't a hoax, and they pleaded guilty out of fear that Mayumi would be deported. In 2020, Richard and Mayumi were finally forgiven for their crimes when Colorado Governor Jared Polis pardoned them. 'In the case of Richard and Mayumi Heene, the 'Balloon Boy' parents, we are all ready to move past the spectacle from a decade ago that wasted the precious time and resources of law enforcement officials and the general public,' Polis said in a statement. 'Richard and Mayumi have paid the price in the eyes of the public, served their sentences, and it's time for all of us to move on.' The family has since moved to Florida, and a now grown-up Falcon has shared on his Instagram that he builds tiny homes for a living. Falcon owns Craftsman Tiny Homes, a family-run business in Archer, Florida, constructing several different models available for purchase. The tiny homes range from $25,000 to $79,000. He shared a video documenting the process of building a tiny home from start to finish.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Diddy Trial Latest: Court Unexpectedly Cancelled
The Diddy trial hit a pause after a juror reported a medical issue, just one day after jurors saw intense video evidence in court. Bill Belichick's girlfriend may have thrown subtle shade at his ex in a cryptic Instagram caption referencing high-society drama. Plus, a Southwest flight turned turbulent when a woman unleashed chaos mid-air, leading to her arrest once the plane landed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Macron sounds ‘chaos' warning over Iran regime change
NewsFeed Macron sounds 'chaos' warning over Iran regime change Israel's attacks on Iran initially targeted its nuclear programme but so-called 'regime change' is being openly discussed. France's President Emanuel Macron has warned such action would unleash 'chaos', citing the aftermath of Iraq and Libya.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Secrets of the five 'clutter personalities' revealed... and what your hoarding habits say about YOU
A decluttering expert has revealed what your 'clutter personality' says about you, so that you can start to rid the chaos from your life once and for all. Between dresser drawers that can barely shut, overflowing closets and boxes filled with who-knows-what, eliminating the mess from your home may feel like an impossible task.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Iranians speak of their fears and hopes as the conflict with Israel intensifies
Traffic was gridlocked for hundreds of kilometres heading out of Tehran before Israel and Donald Trump told people to leave Iran's capital. People were desperate and scared. "It's complete chaos. There's no safe place left in Iran right now," Tehran local Pari said. "We first tried heading north, but the roads were completely jammed. People were out of their cars, drinking tea, smoking. It was just gridlock — about 180 to 200 kilometres of traffic stuck across four lanes." Many Iranians have tried to move to the country's north for safety, but Pari was not sure if that would work. "The bread that costs 500 tomans ($0.018) here, it's 15,000 tomans ($0.55) over there and that was on the first day. Just imagine what it's like now … there'd be nothing left to buy, and there's no room left at all to stay," she said. The traffic forced Pari to return home to Tehran on Monday night, but she vowed to try again on Tuesday despite the internet being down and a limit of 20 litres of petrol being imposed per customer. "We're gathering some essential items, identification documents, clothes, bedding, so wherever we go, we at least have the minimum," she said. The usually bustling city she and so many others were trying to leave became eerily quiet after Israel started attacking it. The Grand Bazaar was shuttered, shops were closed and the streets were left almost empty. Many of the city's 9.5 million residents have either left the city or taken shelter indoors. Locals remained in a state of shock. Tehran resident Hanna, who like others who spoke to the ABC did not want her full name published for fear of reprisal from Iranian authorities, recounted being at home when the Israeli bombs started falling last week. "I heard the blasts around 3am," she said. "At first, I thought it was fireworks. Then my phone started ringing, friends panicking, sending pictures of fires and missile strikes. We were all up until 6 or 7 in the morning, too anxious to sleep. Mohammad, who lives in the western city of Ahvaz near the border with Iraq, said the aftermath of Israel's attack last week was unlike anything he had seen before. "The strikes were intense. Windows shook across the city," he said. "There's real worry now." The Israeli strikes that shook Iran, targeting multiple military and intelligence facilities across the country, have killed at least 244 people and injured 1,200, including many civilians, according to Iranian authorities. "[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu had claimed they stood with the Iranian people and only targeted military facilities. But in the early hours of the attack, they struck residential buildings," Ali, a resident of Iran's western Khuzestan province, said on Monday. "Many of those killed were civilians, scientists, respected professors, people who had risen in their fields. "They were at home, asleep with their families, when the buildings were hit. Entire families were wiped out. Among the dead were women and children." But Israel's assault has also ignited a cautious hope among some Iranians. They feel the Islamic Republic's grip on power could be weakening — and that the collapse of the regime might be near. News media is controlled by the government and internet has been slowed, or completely shut down in some parts of the country, since the conflict with Israel broke out. In Tehran, Mehdi said the mood was "a mix of fear and joy". "Yes, some fear losing their jobs. Some packed their bags. But deep down, there's happiness, especially after hearing those 20 senior commanders were killed," he said. "The top figures were struck in their penthouses. There's real joy in the poorest neighbourhoods. "For 40 years, they've held us hostage. They stole our youth, our lives," he said. "During the Mahsa Amini protests, and those killed in Iraq and in Syria — so many children were killed. So many young people in Iran were killed." Speaking from the city of Isfahan in central Iran, Hassan offered a colder assessment on Sunday. "Life goes on. The fruit shops are open. But people now understand something important — this regime's drum was loud but hollow," he said. "They crushed protesters with guns and batons, but now we see their power was only ever used against defenceless Iranians. When it comes to a real threat, they collapse." Israel has launched strikes against population centres across Iran — from Tehran in the north to Shiraz in the south-west. In retaliation, Iran fired a barrage of missiles and drones toward Israel that have killed 24 people. For Ali, the Islamic Republic's military response was justified. "Iran wasn't just watching. It responded carefully and intelligently. No one wants war, but when Israel crosses the line of humanity, silence is betrayal," he said. "We're not celebrating war. We're talking about the right to defend our homes." Yet, as the conflict escalates, many Iranians are distancing themselves from the actions of the regime. Hassan said the Iranian government had "been at war with its own people for decades". "Now it needs this cross-border missile show just to try and rally some part of the population behind it," he said. "I see no reason why my country, which doesn't share a single inch of border with Israel, should be at war with them. There is simply no reason." US President Donald Trump posted on social media on Tuesday, local time, that the US knew where Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was. "He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers," Mr Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social. "Our patience is wearing thin." He also called for an "unconditional surrender". US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on X that the US "may" take further action against Iran, but added it was a matter for Mr Trump to decide. Iranians were already resigned to fear and uncertainty before the latest updates from Washington DC. "It's still war and we're the ones who suffer," Hanna said. "It doesn't matter who wins. It's always the ordinary people who pay the high price through panic and pain." Others hoped the pain would lead to great change. "This conflict feels different from anything in the past 40 years," Mehdi said. "It feels like the beginning of the end. But we worry about the cost. We want the regime to fall, but not through war. "We want liberation, not destruction." As the world waits to see what happens next, Hassan said he would not mourn if the regime fell. "This is not our war, but maybe, just maybe, it will end our captivity," he said. Translation assistance from Kaveh Akbari.
