Accused Of Killing 2 People In Kenosha, Rittenhouse Takes Stand

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ACROSS AMERICA — Good morning! It’s Thursday, Nov. 11. One day remains between us and the weekend, so make it a good one. In the meantime, catch up on the stories we’re following today:

• Kyle Rittenhouse takes the stand in his own defense.
• Three people remain in critical condition following the deadly Astroworld crowd surge.
• A biography on the life of George Floyd is in the works.
• Dr. Oz is reportedly considering a Senate bid in Pennsylvania.

Illinois teen Kyle Rittenhouse took the stand Wednesday as his defense aims to prove he acted in self-defense when he fatally shot two men and injured a third in August 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

During two instances Wednesday, Kenosha County Judge Bruce Schroeder asked the jury to leave the room and sternly admonished Kenosha County assistant district attorney Thomas Binge. Schroeder admonished the DA on his line of questioning and later accused him of purposely throwing the case to "invoke a mistrial.”

The now 18-year-old Rittenhouse claimed he acted in self-defense amid a night of unrest on the streets of Kenosha, which became another flashpoint for nationwide protests after a Black man was shot in the back by a white police officer. At one point, Rittenhouse became emotional, sobbing on the stand as he described the seconds before he fatally shot 36-year-old Jacob Rosenbaum. » Kyle Rittenhouse Trial Livestream: Judge Admonishes Prosecutor, via Grayslake, Illinois, Patch

• RELATED: Photo Updates: Kyle Rittenhouse Testifies In His Murder Trial

Astroworld Festival: 3 Still In Critical Condition

Three people are still in critical condition in the aftermath of the Astroworld Festival tragedy that killed eight people and hospitalized 25 on Friday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday.

"Our hearts are very, very heavy this morning," Turner said at a meeting to discuss what went wrong at the festival. "We want to pray for those three and their families because not one of us is in their shoes. ... First and foremost, let's lift these families up. That's priority number one ... to provide them with whatever encouragement we can provide them, to be respectful of their space and their wishes." »3 Remain In Critical Condition From Astroworld Tragedy: Mayor, via Houston Patch

• RELATED: Gov. Abbott Forms Safety Task Force In Wake Of Astroworld Tragedy

Arbery Death Trial: The Latest

The three men accused of attacking and killing Ahmaud Arbery claiming citizens arrest and self-defense as he jogged in a coastal Georgia neighborhood didn't know for sure if the 25-year-old black man had committed any crime, according to reports. Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan, Jr. are on trial for Arbery's death. »Arbery Death Trial: McMichaels Unsure If Arbery Was Trespassing, via Across Georgia Patch

Hospital Safety Grades Released

How safe are hospitals in your city? The answer varies from hospital to hospital. But you more than likely can find at least one nearby facility where you're in good hands, according to new safety grades released by a national watchdog organization focused on improving health care in the United States. »2021 Leapfrog Safety Grade: See How Your Hospital Scored, via Across America Patch

Judge Won’t Block Trump Records

A federal judge this week rejected former President Donald Trump's request to block the release of documents to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. In denying a preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said Congress had a strong public interest in obtaining records that could shed light on a violent insurrection mounted by the former president's supporters. » Federal Judge Refuses Trump Request To Block Jan. 6 Records, via Across America Patch

George Floyd Biography Coming

Two Washington Post reporters are working on a biography of George Floyd, from his family history in the tobacco fields of North Carolina to his murder last year in Minneapolis by a white police officer. The book will come out next May, nearly two years to the day of Floyd's death. »George Floyd Biography To Be Published In May 2022, via Southwest Minneapolis Patch

More national headlines on Across America Patch and others:

• Prince Harry Says He Warned Twitter CEO Of U.S. Capitol Riot
• Soaring Prices Will Heavily Burden U.S. Shoppers As Holidays Near
• Mandates Drive Up Vaccinations At Colleges, Despite Leniency
• U.S. Food Banks Struggle To Feed Hungry Amid Surging Prices
• 'Qanon Shaman' Could Spend 4 Years In Prison, via Phoenix Patch
• SpaceX Set To Send New Crew To International Space Station, via Manhattan Beach Patch

Around ‘The Patch’

Veteran: Finally, A Graduate: Louis Picariello left high school for the Marines a few months before he was set to graduate. On Wednesday, he finally received his diploma, via Needham, Massachusetts, Patch.

Home Fit For The Mob: An East Harlem storefront that was home to a 1980s mafia boss — and was featured in a Martin Scorcese film — is available to be rented out, via Harlem, New York City, Patch.

More Local News

• Dr. Oz Reportedly Considering PA U.S. Senate Bid, via Pittsburgh Patch
• Gov. Abbott Criticizes Austin For Canceling Veterans Day Parade, via Austin, Texas, Patch
• If DeSantis Won’t Serve Full Term, Trump Ally Threatens To Run For FL Governor, via Miami Patch
• Broomstick Involved In New Jersey High School Hazing, via Wall Patch
• Book Burning Urged By Virginia School Board Members, via Fredericksburg Patch
• Vikings Player Hospitalized With COVID-19, Had Trouble Breathing, via Eagan Patch
• Packers, Rodgers Fined After COVID-19 Protocol Violation, via Milwaukee Patch
• Black Owned-Business Supreme Burger Wins $10K In Business Contest, via Decatur, Georgia, Patch
• Video: Man Climbs Spire Of Air Force Memorial As Part Of Maintenance Work, via Arlington Patch
• Fans Around The World Send Get-Well Wishes To Winter The Dolphin, via Clearwater Patch

House Hunting

This home for sale on Long Island is an expansive estate that sits on nearly three full acres and also happens to be right next to a 27-acre nature preserve. This eight-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bath house has it all — music room, chef’s kitchen, heated pool — and a huge yard to go with it, via Levittown, New York, Patch.

This Day in History

In 1920, Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of World War I, was marked with the burial of unknown soldiers in tombs in Paris and London. A similar ceremony was held at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia in 1921.

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