Amanda Hirsch, the creator and host of the popular Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, faced widespread criticism in September 2026 after publishing sponsored content for prediction-market company Polymarket tied to the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy. Hirsch posted the Polymarket partnership on September 4, shortly after a Massachusetts judge declared a mistrial in Clancy’s … Read more
McKenna West is an Alaska cardiac nurse and gestational surrogate at the center of a multistate legal battle over abortion, surrogacy contracts, parental rights and custody of a baby born with a severe congenital heart defect. West agreed to carry a child for California couple Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed. During the pregnancy, doctors diagnosed … Read more
Julie Hanway Molina is a 56-year-old Aliso Viejo, California, woman and former treasurer of the Wolverine Football Club, a nonprofit organization that supports the Aliso Niguel High School football program. Federal prosecutors accuse Molina of stealing more than $400,000 from the booster organization and using the money for personal expenses. A federal grand jury indicted … Read more
Authorities in Georgia are investigating after a hiker discovered the bodies of two people on Mount Yonah, a popular hiking and climbing destination in White County. The discovery was reported at approximately 11:20 a.m. on September 9, 2026. Investigators from the White County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia Department of Natural Resources responded, and the sheriff’s … Read more
Wimbledon has become part of a growing controversy over social-media influencers at major tennis tournaments after disruptive incidents during the 2026 U.S. Open prompted criticism from players and fans. Several reports subsequently described Wimbledon as “banning” influencers for its 2027 tournament. That description overstates what the All England Lawn Tennis Club has actually done. Wimbledon … Read more
Meranda Jasmin Valerio is a 22-year-old former substitute teacher for Balmorhea Independent School District in West Texas who was arrested on a felony charge of improper relationship between an educator and a student. Valerio was arrested by the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office on September 2, 2026, following an investigation into allegations involving a 17-year-old male … Read more
Malone Lam is a 22-year-old Singaporean who pleaded guilty on September 8, 2026, to participating in a federal RICO conspiracy that prosecutors say operated an international cryptocurrency theft and money-laundering enterprise. Federal authorities say Lam organized a network that used social engineering, stolen databases and, in some cases, residential burglaries to steal cryptocurrency from wealthy … Read more
Olivia Oras was a 27-year-old Finnish social media influencer and entrepreneur who died on September 3, 2026, after losing consciousness during preparations for a cosmetic procedure at a private clinic in Helsinki. Finnish police opened a criminal investigation into her death under the offense törkeä kuolemantuottamus, generally translated as aggravated negligent homicide or aggravated manslaughter. … Read more
Nicholas Attalla, better known online as “Niky Sal,” is an Erie, Pennsylvania-area social media influencer who operates accounts devoted to confronting people he believes are attempting to meet minors for sexual purposes. In September 2026, Attalla was charged with three offenses stemming from a violent December 2025 confrontation at a Tim Hortons in Jamestown, New … Read more
Jacob Coxon is an artificial intelligence researcher and former OpenAI and Anthropic employee who resigned from Anthropic in September 2026, warning that leading AI companies are racing toward self-improving superintelligence without adequate safeguards. Coxon’s resignation became a major AI safety controversy after he said people developing frontier artificial intelligence genuinely fear that future superintelligent AI … Read more