An Ohio couple who reported their daughter missing before the 5-year-old's body was found hidden at their restaurant in January have been indicted on murder and corpse-abuse charges.
Authorities say 29-year-old Mingming Chen repeatedly punched Ashley Zhao and that the girl's father, 34-year-old Liang Zhao, unsuccessfully tried to revive her and then tried to help conceal her death.
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Authorities say Zhao told 911 dispatchers on Jan. 9 that his daughter was sleeping in the back of Ang's Asian Cuisine restaurant in North Canton before she vanished. Police found the girl's body hidden inside the business the next day.
The jailed parents were indicted Tuesday.
Court records don't list current attorneys for them. A lawyer who represented Zhao at an earlier stage in the case has said that Zhao maintains his innocence. An attorney for Chen, a Chinese immigrant, at that point declined to comment.
Back-to-school shopping is a fun tradition, but the cost of school essentials — fresh clothes, brand new notebooks and folders, and of course a new backpack — can add up quickly. The experts recommend getting those items early, and on sale, so you don’t end up paying the highest possible price.
We found deals on back to school items your child will need this upcoming school year, allowing you to save money and get ahead on your list. Shop school supplies like glue and gel pens, backpacks and lunch boxes, and even clothes for their first day, at up to 60% off.
You might be in the midst of enjoying your summer break, but take a few minutes and order these essentials now and you’ll be grateful when they head back to school in August.
Deals on school supplies
Send them off with staples like pencils and post-it notes for jotting down ideas and things to remember. There’s some surprisingly steep deals this summer, including up to 55% off a pack of top-selling mechanical pencils, so it’s worth securing these essentials early.
Don’t pay full price for clothes your kids will outgrow in a year (or less!). This deal from the Children’s Place includes four pairs of jeans for just $50, all in different washes so they can switch it up throughout the week. If they attend a school with a dress code, these polo tops come in 13 different colors to find the shade you need. There’s even plenty of shoes on sale, including a classic skater shoe from Vans or a pair of Classic Crocs.
Baltimore City police announced the arrest of a 49-year-old man in connection with multiple indecent exposure incidents.
According to police, Jason Morgan was arrested in connection with several incidents that occurred in the Southeast District during June and July. Police said Morgan was taken into custody at a residence in Harford County and was taken to the Harford County Detention Center.
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He is facing three counts of indecent exposure and detectives continue to investigate whether Morgan may be connected to additional incidents in the area.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, the son of pool hall owners who rose to become one of his generation's more influential U.S. politicians at home and abroad, is being eulogized Tuesday as “a true American original” during memorial services in Washington.
Graham's flag-draped casket arrived for a tribute at the U.S. Capitol, where the Republican served for more than 30 years as an indefatigable dealmaker who talked and laughed and badgered his colleagues into action. Later, President Donald Trump joined foreign leaders at Washington National Cathedral, a testament to Graham's stature on the global stage.
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Related video above: Trump speaks at Lindsey Graham's funeral
Trump called Graham “a giant of the United States Senate, a true American original who left us much too soon.”
In mostly prepared remarks, the president described his onetime presidential rival turned ally as “the first person to make you laugh and one of the last people that you've really ever wanted to fight.”
Trump told the story of how he had publicly disclosed Graham's cell phone number on the campaign trail, reciting the number in the cathedral, but said the senator had the last laugh because "Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years.”
Among those gathered were Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leaders of two countries fighting separate wars, a nod to Graham's role as a foremost believer in the power of the U.S. and its military to intervene in the world's problems. Fox News' Sean Hannity, in his remarks, said Graham would have been moved that they both made the long journeys to attend.
Trump Cabinet officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and current and former senators and lawmakers joined in the pews, as did Graham’s sister, now- Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed by the state’s governor to fill the remainder of her brother’s term.
It's the start of two days of services, with burial Wednesday in Graham's home state of South Carolina. Joint Base Charleston will be renamed in his honor, the White House said. Graham died suddenly on July 11 at his home in Washington of a likely aortic tear, according to preliminary findings. He had just returned from a whirlwind trip to a NATO summit in Turkey, where he celebrated his birthday, and a visit to Ukraine. He was 71.
During the morning service in the Capitol Rotunda, Vice President JD Vance described Graham as a man of “swashbuckling" stature — “who swashbuckled into the Senate” with his suit jacket open — and was impossible not to like.
“Lindsey was a towering figure,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, choking back tears during his remarks.
First elected to Congress in the 1994 Republican revolt that swept the GOP to power, Graham was part of a new era of conservatives to take their seats in the House — and among the first Republicans from his Southern state since Reconstruction.
He quickly rose to prominence as a manager in Democrat Bill Clinton's presidential impeachment, and he was elected to the Senate in the 2002 election. There, he formed an alliance with Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, and Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, in what would become the “three amigos,” globe-trotting the world focused on national security issues.
Vance recalled how he argued with Graham over the senator's staunch support for aid to Ukraine, which has divided the GOP, but praised his legacy saying Kavanaugh “would not be on the Supreme Court” were it not for Graham’s “fierce advocacy” during the confirmation hearing.
For decades, Graham had been at the center of the action — a member of virtually every bipartisan gang in Congress — with a relentless ability to adapt to political realities, particularly when it came to Trump.
One by one, many of Graham’s colleagues said their goodbyes in the Rotunda. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala, placed both hands on his casket and then placed her hand on her heart. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., saluted from her wheelchair. Former Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., bowed and delivered a brief kiss and Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., gave a fist bump.
The ‘Trump whisperer’ had one last mission: Russia sanctions
Perhaps nowhere was Graham's political dexterity on display more as when he navigated his on-again, off-again relationship with Trump.
Graham had denounced Trump as a “unfit for office” during the 2016 presidential campaign, but over time he had become what senators called the “Trump whisperer,” someone even world leaders relied on to understand the president.
Days before his death, Graham had won Trump's support for a long-fought bipartisan proposal to impose sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Senators were scheduled later Tuesday to take a first procedural vote on the sanctions package, in Graham's honor. Zelenskyy is expected to be on hand and meeting with senators in the evening.
Graham's champions and potential successors
At the Washington cathedral, a roster of socially conservative and anti-abortion leaders gave readings, including Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Marjorie Jones Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and the Reverend William Franklin Graham III.
When Hannity said how important Darline Graham and her family had been to the senator, she put her hand over her heart in response.
Lindsey Graham never married, but he helped support his younger sister after both of his parents died while he was at college and then starting law school. He became the guardian for Darline, who was then 13, and he later in life often extolled the benefits of Social Security that helped keep them financially afloat.
Darline Graham is now running in a potentially crowded primary field for the fall election. The filing period for the special primary election closes Tuesday, with voting set for Aug. 11.
Graham went on to serve as a judge advocate general in the Air Force, and remained a reserve or National Guard member for decades. In the Senate, he briefly switched back to active status to help advise the Air Force during the Iraq War and was awarded the Bronze Star medal for service in 2014 before formally retiring as a colonel in 2015.
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Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Collin Binkley and Michelle L. Price contributed to this story.
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VIDEO: 6-foot-long iguana leaps out of package at FedEx store
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Iguana escapes inside Tennessee FedEx store
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Workers at a Tennessee FedEx store got more than they bargained for when a box was opened – and a 6-foot-long iguana leapt out of it.
See the moment in the video above.
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Roderick Duncan went to pick up his new pet reptile at the Memphis store on July 17.
The iguana, named Titan, was shipped overnight and kept inside a cold container, so Duncan expected it to be stiff inside the box.
Iguana runs loose inside of FedEx store
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However, when Duncan opened the box, Titan jumped out of it and ended up behind the counter at the FedEx store. The iguana was eventually corralled and taken home.
Duncan ordered the reptile from a breeder after his previous pet iguana died earlier this year, CNN reported.
A newly updated conduit franchise fee is under consideration in Baltimore City that amounts to an increase of about 84%.
Mayor Brandon Scott's office on Tuesday released a proposal for an updated fee of $4.05 per linear foot that would be adjusted for inflation moving forward. The mayor's office said the new fee structure would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, to support investment into the system as costs and needs for repairs rise.
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"We are doing what is right by the folks who own the conduit system, and that is the residents of Baltimore, and we think this is a responsible way to move forward," Scott said Tuesday afternoon at an unrelated news conference.
The main issue is the conduit system's age, dating back to the early 1900s. The city-owned, 700-mile system is composed of a network of underground ducts and manholes that the city built in the early 20th century to house electrical, telecommunications and fiber-optic cables. Since then, the city has maintained the conduit system through reactive repairs and capital improvement work, according to the mayor's office.
"Our conduit system is one of the most important components of our city's infrastructure, and it is imperative we continue prioritizing its maintenance and improvement," Scott said in a statement.
What the city says has changed since 2023 agreement
The mayor's office said the current fee structure is insufficient and that a new proposal is necessary due to changing needs of the system and inflation.
Under a 2023 agreement, Baltimore Gas and Electric — the largest occupant of the city's conduit — helps modernize the system in exchange for its use. Other utilities and other entities use the conduit system at a fee of $2.20 per linear foot, a rate that has not increased since 2019, according to the mayor's office.
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The city notified BGE in June that it would not renew the 2023 agreement for an additional three years and would instead impose a new fee, according to the mayor's office.
"The agreement we negotiated back in 2023 has allowed us to make significant progress in upgrading and modernizing the system through significant capital improvements. However, as the system faces higher construction costs and ever-changing needs, the city must constantly evolve our approach to keep pace with our needs in 2026 and in the years to come," Scott said in a statement. "This new proposal takes into account those needs, builds on the progress we've made since 2023, and outlines a path for cooperation between all of our partners who utilize the conduit system."
The Board of Estimates is expected to consider the proposal at its Aug. 5 meeting.
"What I will say about 2021, 2022, 2019, is that in the words of the immortal Fat Joe, 'Yesterday's price is not today's price.' You will not find anything you can buy today in 2026 that's the same exact price as it was in 2019," Scott said Tuesday afternoon at an unrelated news conference.
Statement: 'BGE cannot support that'
BGE sent a statement to WBAL-TV 11 News, saying:
"BGE entered discussions with Baltimore City about its conduit system focused on affordability for our customers. Unfortunately, the city is seeking to nearly double what customers across Maryland pay for Baltimore's conduit system, and BGE cannot support that.
"While we were unable to reach a new agreement, BGE remains committed to working with the city to ensure its residents and businesses continue to benefit from a safe, dependable city-owned conduit system."
BGE said that under the current conduit agreement, customer bills are lower because improvement costs are paid over time rather than all at once.
The mayor's office said BGE is on track to meet its obligation of making approximately $120 million in capital investments to the system by the end of 2026.
According to its statement, BGE said it has installed 369,000 feet of new duct, as well as installed 35 new manholes and rebuilt 20 existing manholes.
Why the city says it's proposing a new fee structure
When it comes to maintenance, the mayor's office cited underground fires in 2024 and 2025.
In June 2025, firefighters responded to an underground fire on Guilford Avenue, which remained closed for days between Fayette and Baltimore streets. BGE officials said at the time that the damage was widespread throughout the underground system due to extensive steam damage and that crews had to dig up parts of the sidewalk and ventilate several manholes.
In September 2024, an underground fire displaced a dozen people and majorly impacted businesses near North Charles and Pleasant streets. It took a month for the area to fully reopen.
Perspective from a city resident
Desmond Stinnie, a city resident, told WBAL-TV 11 News he has opposed the 2023 conduit deal and has since been advocating for change when it comes to who votes on the Board of Estimates.
"The problem with this conduit deal is it was a terrible deal, and everyone knew it. It's just that the (former) council president and the comptroller had no power to stop it because the mayor had three votes out of five," Stinnie said. "That's what I've been advocating to change, is that any contract has to be approved by at least two of our elected officials, that's the big Board of Estimates reform I've been pushing."
The BOE, which passed the 2023 deal, consists of the mayor, City Council president, city comptroller, and two mayoral appointees: the Public Works director and city solicitor.
"The 2023 conduit deal is the master class in why our Board of Estimates and spending board needs reform. The fact that one elected official controls all the contracting, and that's because there's only five members of the spending board. The mayor and two of his appointees are on that spending board," Stinnie said. "Even if there's dissent from other elected officials being the comptroller and the council president, the mayor always has three votes. He has a super majority. That means we have one elected official who controls all of our contracting. That's what needs to change."
Some in city leadership cite need for increased fee
The announcement from the mayor's office included statements from city leaders who support the proposal.
"It is deeply important to me that companies like BGE contribute directly to Baltimore's renaissance, not just benefit from it," City Council President Zeke Cohen said in a statement. "As BGE records historic profits for shareholders, the city must invest more in the conduit system for the safety of our residents and businesses. It is my expectation that BGE does not pass on these costs to ratepayers. Their shareholders, not our residents, must pay for these investments."
"It is vitally necessary that the city charge all conduit users the rate needed to provide for reasonable maintenance and improvements," City Comptroller Bill Henry said in a statement. "I am glad that we are resuming a normal franchise relationship with BGE and I look forward to an acknowledgment of the need for this increased fee from them and other conduit users as the city moves forward to provide a better conduit environment."
"The city built the underground conduit, and ever since, the city has had the authority to charge a reasonable rate to the users to enable the city to maintain the system. That is clear under both state and local law," City Solicitor Ebony Thompson said in a statement. "Today's announcement follows many years of simply adjusting that rate to reflect the needs of the system and the costs for the city to meet those needs."
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