
Hostage survivor testifies in trial of ISIS member accused in deaths of several Americans
CNN
A hostage taken by the ISIS terror cell known as the "Beatles" testified Thursday in a trial against one of the alleged members, El Shafee Elsheikh, who is accused of assisting in the kidnapping, torture and death of several Americans, Europeans and other foreign nationals from 2012 to 2015.
During the second day of trial, Italian aid worker Federico Motka told the jury how he was captured, imprisoned and tortured by the terror cell alongside other hostages who were eventually killed, including Americans James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig.
The so-called Beatles -- as the hostages came to call them because of their British accents -- were the primary handlers of the hostages and, according to the Department of Justice, Elsheikh is the last of the group to stand trial. His co-defendant pleaded guilty in September and the other member, Mohamed Emwazi, was killed in a drone strike in 2015.

Janet Mills and her allies are counting on a gender gap to narrow Platner’s wide lead ahead of the June 9 primary to decide who will face incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins. They are betting that the unfiltered style that has brought Platner widespread attention as someone who could help Democrats reach young men will backfire with women.

As a shrinking number of Transportation Security Administration agents work to keep hourslong security lines moving despite not being paid, President Donald Trump stepped into the fray Saturday, announcing he will send Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to airports by Monday if Congress doesn’t agree to a plan to end the partial government shutdown.











