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A Canadian tourist who stole a flamingo and brought it back to his hotel room in Las Vegas was found guilty Monday of animal cruelty.
Mitchell Fairbarn was captured on surveillance video carrying the 27-year-old Chilean flamingo, Peachy, to his room after removing the bird from its enclosure at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in March.
Fairbarn said he had drunk “30 to 40 beers” with friends within 24 hours, local station 8 News Now reported.
Prosecutors said feathers were found on the floor of Fairbarn’s hotel room and accused him of intentionally inflicting pain on the bird, the Associated Press reported.
Peachy was found with blood on its feathers and injuries to a wing, local media and AP reported, citing the authorities and a veterinarian who examined the bird.
A Flamingo Las Vegas Casino and Hotel security guard was on his smoke break during a graveyard shift when a voice crackled over the radio, “someone took a flamingo.”
https://t.co/F1OZ4ftwiH pic.twitter.com/kYZUjvU0co
— 8 News Now (@8NewsNow) October 15, 2026
Fairbarn’s lawyer, Josh Tomsheck, said his client was under the influence of alcohol and regretted his actions, but he denied any intent to hurt the flamingo. “The truth is, Mitch was drunk. Mitch was stupid. He made bad decisions,” he said.
Fairbarn was convicted on felony and misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty. He will be sentenced Dec. 1.
Vice President JD Vance declined Monday to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection, a day after President Donald Trump backed him.
“I’m not anti-endorsing him, I’m not pro-endorsing him. I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections,” he said in an interview with “2WAY Tonight.” “I endorse American candidates and that’s where I’m focused on, is the midterms,” he said.
In April, Vance traveled to Hungary to support then-Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who went on to fail to be reelected after 16 years in power.
Trump has backed Netanyahu ahead of next week’s elections, calling him “a Great Warrior.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Netanyahu in Israel on Monday, a spokesman for the prime minister’s office, Doron Spielman, told The Washington Post, adding that part of the discussion focused on Trump’s endorsement of Netanyahu. The Pentagon declined to comment.
Vance has maintained that he views Israel as an ally, but he has faced backlash from some Jewish commentators over his criticism of Israeli officials and his association with podcast host Tucker Carlson, who has been fiercely at odds with the U.S.-Israel lobby.
In August, he attended the Republican Jewish Coalition summit in a bid to win over Jewish Republicans.
What’s it like to work at a company that expects everyone to use artificial intelligence all the time?
A typical employee spends 20 percent more time in meetings, because tasks still handled by humans require more personal interaction. Salespeople close more deals and human resources staff can spend more time with job candidates. But employees also say nagging chatbots create more work.
That’s the picture inside Anthropic, the start-up behind the Claude chatbot, which analyzed internal records and employee feedback.
The findings could preview the future for all white-collar workers, or represent a skewed assessment from a company that’s staked its fortunes on AI transforming work.
Either way, it’s a fascinating snapshot of a workplace that Anthropic acknowledges is demanding.
Staff often have to find new roles as they automate their job duties. New hires are chosen for showing judgment in fast-churning work. Junior employees are becoming rarer among the technical staff, as AI does more tasks.
One employee compared working with AI to babysitting two children: One demands help opening a juice box, the other just sliced open a finger and each says it’s an emergency, the unnamed employee said.
“Human attention is a constant bottleneck,” the report said.
Voters in Alberta have opted for it to remain part of Canada, early projections from a referendum held Monday show, in a decision hailed by political leaders as a win for Canadian unity.
Preliminary results early Tuesday show 76 percent of voters opted to remain part of Canada, with around 23 percent voting in favor of starting the legal process required to hold a binding referendum on separation.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday the results showed “Albertans chose Canada.”
The vote comes amid a trade war with the United States and threats from President Donald Trump to make Canada a 51st state. Carney has reacted with defiance, stoking a sense of Canadian nationalism that has had high public support. Ahead of the vote, Carney had warned of forces outside the country “working to break us so they can own us.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith also welcomed the results, saying she would address voters to discuss the next steps.
Keith Wilson, co-chair of the separatist Let Alberta Decide group, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that “the conversation about Alberta’s future in Canada … will continue.”
The vote also posed nine other questions, including on immigration. Official results will be published on Oct. 29.
Sam Forstag used to parachute out of planes to fight wildfires for a living. Now, he could become the first Democrat elected to the U.S. House from Montana in more than three decades.
Forstag, 32, a smoke jumper and former union leader, faces Republican Aaron Flint, the chosen successor of retiring Rep. Ryan Zinke (R). This open seat — which the Cook Political Report now considers a toss-up — was ranked likely Republican just weeks ago.
Forstag answered rapid-fire questions about his policy stances on data centers, health care and top priorities in Congress if he wins.
Leading up to the 2026 midterm elections, The Washington Post is grilling candidates in races across the country, pressing Republicans and Democrats to share their takes at high speed.
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, Oct. 20, and this guy who spent a year foraging every meal will probably make you feel a little guilty about your breakfast this morning.
Today’s edition of The 7 briefing leads with the deteriorating relationship between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Yesterday, Trump suggested that Zelensky should be replaced. Meanwhile, the U.S. is delaying the transfer of crucial Patriot missiles to Ukraine.
We are also two weeks out from the midterm elections. In the briefing, we cover a discreet effort from U.S. national security officials to advise states on how to deal with the possibility of election meddling from the Trump administration. We also look at potential impacts of redistricting in Texas.
Finally, we include an entertaining article about the film everyone is talking about. Our colleagues got together to discuss the new documentary about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.
Read today’s edition of The 7 here.
Three Democrats from different parts of Virginia campaigned together Monday and invoked the war in Iran as a major election issue that goes beyond its effect on the price of gas.
The unpopular war, which has roiled oil markets, has been a drag on Republicans in the midterms. But in one of the most military-dependent states, the consequences go beyond the pocketbook.
“This war … is sending our sailors overseas under an administration that’s lying about the number of casualties,” former representative Elaine Luria said at a rally in eastern Henrico County, outside Richmond.
Luria is challenging Rep. Jen Kiggans, a fellow Navy veteran, in Virginia’s 2nd District, which is anchored in Virginia Beach and touches several important Navy installations.
Henrico prosecutor Shannon Taylor, who is challenging Rep. Rob Wittman in the 1st District, also cited her opponent’s support for the war. And former representative Tom Perriello, who is challenging Rep. John McGuire in the 5th District, said he is seeking to retake the seat he lost in 2010 partly “to end this war.”
Former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg — a military veteran and possible Democratic presidential hopeful for 2028 — was on hand Monday to amplify the message and encourage Virginia Democrats to think big about taking control of the House. The party needs a net gain of four seats for a majority.
“The road to that majority runs right through here, and it depends on you,” he told an enthusiastic audience of more than 200 people waving signs for all three candidates.
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