Video shows ex-'American Idol' contestant's emotional outburst after he allegedly killed his wife

Newly released bodycam video obtained by Fox News Digital shows the husband of an Ohio teacher, who was shot and killed inside the couple's home, reacting in the immediate aftermath of her death. 

Caleb Flynn, 39, is charged with murder stemming from the death of his wife, Ashley Flynn. 

The mother, teacher and volleyball coach was shot and killed inside the family's Tipp City home on Feb. 16. Caleb Flynn was arrested later the same week after he initially called 911 to report that someone had broken into the family’s home. 

Video released by Tipp City police shows officers arriving at the home believing they were responding to a botched burglary attempt, with some clips blurred while showing the inside of the residence.

FBI JOINS PROBE IN MURDER OF CHRISTIAN TEACHER SHOT IN OHIO HOME AS 'AMERICAN IDOL' HUSBAND, CHILDREN SLEPT

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The officers subsequently encounter Caleb Flynn inside the home. 

"Oh, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," a sobbing Caleb Flynn says in the video. 

"Is she, is she gone?" he asks. "What do I do with my daughters?" 

Caleb Flynn continues to appear frantic throughout the initial search of the home, loudly crying and hyperventilating as officers attempt to communicate with him. 

At one point, he can be heard calling his own mother to inform her of the situation. 

"Ashley’s dead," he repeats, sobbing, "Mommy, she’s gone. I don’t know what to do."

FAMILY OF OHIO TEACHER ‘CLINGING TO FAITH’ AFTER EX-'AMERICAN IDOL' CONTESTANT HUSBAND CHARGED WITH HER MURDER

Several minutes later, bodycam video captures Caleb Flynn exiting the home before stumbling and falling to the ground. 

He is later seen throwing up in the front yard of his home as he is comforted by a woman who arrived at the scene and is later identified as the children’s grandmother. 

"The girls don’t know," he adds, as the woman also breaks down in tears.

The couple shared two daughters, who were asleep inside the home when the shooting happened, according to a 911 call and the bodycam video.

FMR AMERICAN IDOL CONTESTANT, HUSBAND OF OHIO TEACHER CHARGED WITH WIFE'S MURDER AFTER SHE WAS FOUND IN HOME

In a 911 call obtained by Fox News Digital, Caleb Flynn can be heard telling authorities that someone broke into his house and killed his wife. 

"Oh my god, somebody broke into my home, somebody broke into my home and shot my wife," Caleb Flynn said. "My wife, she's got two shots to her head, there's blood everywhere. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my God."

CHRISTIAN MOTHER, TEACHER FOUND DEAD AS POLICE HUNT HOMICIDE SUSPECT IN OHIO HOME INVASION 

The dispatcher then asked if Ashley was breathing, to which he responded, "No, I don’t think so." 

"Ashley, Ashley, baby, baby please, oh my god, there's no - she's not!" he said.

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Caleb Flynn then added that he found the door "leading to the garage door" "wide open" at the time of the shooting.

Additionally, the individual who called 911 told dispatchers that the kids were asleep in their rooms at the home, according to News Center 7.

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"Someone broke into the RP [reporting person’s] house, unknown if they are still there. Garage door is open," the dispatcher said. "There was apparently a female shot in the head. Is not responding currently."

"Squad is en route; they aren’t staged yet. Are they good to respond in?" the dispatcher asked.

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"Yes, one person only," a first responder replied.

The two young children were reportedly asleep in their bedrooms when the shooting happened.

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"RP and juvenile daughter are locked in a bedroom," the dispatcher told police, according to the outlet.  "Just a correction — the juveniles are going to be in their own rooms asleep currently."

Three days later, Caleb Flynn was arrested in connection with his wife’s killing.

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He is charged with murder, two counts of felonious assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of tampering with evidence. 

Prosecutors allege that "Caleb Flynn murdered his wife [redacted] in the morning hours of February 16, 2026," according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. He allegedly used a 9mm handgun to kill his wife and later staged a crime scene inside the home, causing responding officers to be "led estray," documents said. 

He was later booked into the Miami County Jail and arraigned. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and had his bond set at $2 million.

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In a previous statement to Fox News Digital, Caleb Flynn's attorney, L. Patrick Mulligan, said prosecutors rushed to accuse his client of murder.

"Caleb Flynn entered a plea of Not Guilty this morning and looks forward to defending this case. We are both disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment in this case," Mulligan said. "When the government runs out of leads or can't develop leads and looks at a surviving spouse in cases such as these, the chance of a wrongful conviction increases."

In 2013, Caleb Flynn was a contestant on "American Idol" and was filmed talking about his love for his wife and their relationship during a Hometown Interview segment. 

"I absolutely love the Lord. I love my wife more than anything. She is very, very pretty. I love her," Caleb Flynn said. "But, you know, I'm just a normal person who absolutely loves to sing more than anything in the world."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Flynn's attorney for additional comment.

Fox News Digital's Tessa Hoyos and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report. 

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Cincinnati may be the next city to fund reparations program with marijuana tax money

The Cincinnati City Council will consider in early March a reparations housing program that would use tax revenue on marijuana to fund a portion of it. 

The city is expected to discuss the "Cincinnati Real Property Reparations Program," a proposal cosponsored by Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney and Councilman Scotty Johnson. 

The program would offer assistance to "low-to-moderate income residents" and "any individual or family member of an individual who was prevented from buying a home due to discriminatory practices," the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

The two officials want an initial investment of $5 million for the program using proceeds from marijuana tax revenue and the city’s capital budget, according to the Enquirer. The program would target residents in 15 of the city's 52 neighborhoods, and would allow recipients to use the money for a down payment, pay delinquent property taxes or emergency home repairs. 

ILLINOIS CITY'S REPARATIONS PLAN IS MISGUIDED, DIVISIVE AND LIKELY UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Supporters of the proposal point to a city housing policy from the 1920s that discriminated against Black residents from owning property. The city's Real Estate Board forbade agents from selling or renting homes to Black residents in White or suburban neighborhoods at the time. Supporters also cite federal redlining policies that prevented Black people from getting loans to purchase homes. 

"Let's repair some of the damage done to low-income communities that kept the residents from owning homes and other real estate and prevented building of generational wealth," Kearney told the Enquirer. 

SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS BAND TOGETHER TO SHUT DOWN REPARATIONS FUND, CLAIMING IT’S ‘DIVIDING’ THE CITY

Cincinnati NAACP President David Whitehead urged people not to be opposed to the term "reparation" and be more receptive to it.

"I think people get confused and caught up with word 'reparation,'" Whitehead said. "It’s restoring people that have been unfairly treated."

Whitehead, Kearney, nor Johnson responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

CHICAGO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON TAKES JAB AT CLARENCE THOMAS WHILE DEFENDING CITY'S REPARATIONS TASK FORCE

Reparation programs continue to be debated and introduced around the country. 

Evanston, Illinois was the first city to issue $25,000 in reparation payments to some Black residents, using marijuana tax revenue.

Proponents of Evanston's program said their city provided a model for others to follow. 

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss said his city showed how reparations could be a "tangible" reality. 

"Our job here is just to move forward and to continue being that example, to continue illustrating that a small municipality can make real tangible progress," he said.

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‘Mission: Impossible’ star Ving Rhames says Tom Cruise taught him Hollywood’s most important lesson

Between death-defying stunts, Ving Rhames embraced a different kind of mission — learning from Tom Cruise how to survive and thrive in Hollywood.

The actor, who has appeared in every "Mission: Impossible" movie in the franchise as world-class hacker and confidant Luther Stickell, is taking on a new high-risk operation. 

As host of the History Channel series "History’s Deadliest with Ving Rhames," he guides viewers through some of the most catastrophic natural disasters ever recorded, where the danger is real and survival is anything but guaranteed.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO WARNS YOUNG ACTORS ABOUT ONE CAREER-DAMAGING MISTAKE THEY MUST AVOID

The 66-year-old told Fox News Digital that explosions, car chases and high-altitude chaos aside, he’s never feared for his safety while bringing "Mission: Impossible" to life, all thanks to the steady hand of Cruise.

"Tom Cruise made it quite safe for us," Rhames insisted.

From the very beginning, Rhames said the 63-year-old star managed to surprise him.

WATCH: TOM CRUISE CREDITED FOR TEACHER-TURNED-ACTORS JOB CHANGE

"[What surprised me about him?] I’d say the fact that Tom Cruise does not see color," Rhames said. "To work with a Caucasian actor who really didn’t see color, I was very moved by the experience."

Between daredevil stunts, Cruise didn’t hesitate to sit down and bond with Rhames.

"[My favorite memories] are talking to him off-stage," said Rhames. "Learning secrets he knew about the industry that he was able to talk to me about."

The biggest lesson Rhames said Cruise passed along was surprisingly simple: "Treat each person fairly."

In an industry known for ego and excess, Rhames said that principle has been essential to his longevity in the entertainment industry.

"[One big piece of advice is] to be in Hollywood, not of Hollywood," he said. "And that's just from years of experience."

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Cruise’s spokesperson for comment.

Before "Mission: Impossible," Rhames faced another challenge: portraying feared Los Angeles crime boss Marsellus Wallace in 1994’s "Pulp Fiction." Like with Cruise, he described the cast as "down-to-earth."

But there was one unexpected reason the dark comedy was so memorable.

"The tape on the back of my head!" he said. "I was going to a dermatologist, and I had a keloid injected. I had that Band-Aid on. So then the day we had to film, I had the Band-Aid off. Quentin Tarantino said, ‘Where’s the Band-Aid?' It was something that wasn’t planned. It just happened."

The look stuck. To this day, fans have a few choice words when they spot Rhames.

"I’m gonna get medieval on your a--," said Rhames, referring to one of his character’s most iconic catchphrases.

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Even with decades of Hollywood experience, Rhames said he was unprepared for the disturbing stories uncovered in "History’s Deadliest."

"We did an episode about something that happened in China," he teased. "I was affected because I really thought about how many people were affected by this [natural catastrophe]. If that happened in America, how would it have affected me? But I hope [these stories] will give knowledge. And I hope that the knowledge I get from it will make me a fuller human being."

After narrating "History’s Deadliest," there’s one thing Rhames would tell viewers.

"Never put anything past man — that’s what I would say to them," Rhames said. "History repeats itself."

Rhames is still going strong, and Cruise remains just as relentless.

In May 2025, while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter at the premiere of "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning," Cruise said he doesn’t see himself ever stepping back from action movies.

He previously told the outlet that he wanted to continue making "Mission: Impossible" movies until he was in his 80s, much like Harrison Ford, who continued making "Indiana Jones" movies in his 80s.

"I actually said I’m going to make movies into my 80s; actually, I’m going to make them into my 100s," said Cruise. "I will never stop. I will never stop doing action, I will never stop doing drama, comedy films — I’m excited."

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'Landman' star Ali Larter excited to turn 50, reveals ‘disciplined’ fitness and wellness routine

Over the course of her career, Ali Larter has been subject to the harsh realities of Hollywood's beauty standards. Now, the "Landman" actress — who turned 50 on Saturday — is leaning into who she is today and feeling better than ever before. 

"The most beautiful you're ever going to be is today and to embrace that, to embrace it, to be kind to yourself," Larter said during a luncheon to celebrate a new wellness destination, Canyon Ranch Austin, in Dallas, Texas, earlier this month. "I think that women, in my industry and in the world and the way that we're seen and spoken about, it's just it's so critical. We just need to be kinder to ourselves and also, like I'm someone who, I don't want to look 20 years younger, 10 years younger. I want to be the best version of me right now."

"So I think that embracing the best version of yourself and don't be scared of the hard work, because you will feel mentally and physically stronger when you have that practice," she said. 

‘LANDMAN’ STAR ALI LARTER GETS UNEXPECTED PRAISE AND ‘BADA--’ COMPLIMENT FROM HOLLYWOOD ICON

Larter also said she was looking forward to turning 50.

"The women that I know that [are] older than me, are living their best lives. They’re taking care of themselves. I have a big birthday coming this year, and I’m excited," she said.

Larter's view on health and wellness hasn't always been crystal clear. From her early modeling days to her "Landman" success, the mom-of-two has evolved in more ways than one. 

"I hold myself to such a high regard in the way that I want to walk through this world, and a lot of that starts with wellness," Larter said during the Texas luncheon event. "The beauty of aging is just being kinder to yourself. I’m much more forgiving of myself than I ever have been."

WATCH: ‘LANDMAN’ STAR ALI LARTER SHARES HER SELF-CARE SECRETS

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Larter also spoke about her relationship with food, saying, "I’m not scared of food...food is what makes you feel strong, but you have to choose it wisely."

In January, while on the "Not Skinny But Not Fat" podcast, the actress opened up about her strict workout regimen and healthy eating habits. 

"I take care of myself. So that's what I do. But also, when I say I go to the gym, yes, you need to strength train," she said. "You know, as you get older as a woman, it's part of it. You have to do it. But I'm also there, babe. I am like getting through my terror of life. Like I'm working my anxiety out and then I can start the day."

ALI LARTER LEAVES LITTLE TO IMAGINATION IN SHEER BURGUNDY OUTFIT AT LONDON 'LANDMAN' PREMIERE

Larter said she typically starts the day with celery juice, a coffee, and then hits the gym. 

"I get up an hour and a half before call time before I get picked up. I just do it. I do the Peloton trainers. I fit it in when I fit it in. I don't do a lot. Sometimes I'll do half an hour. Sometimes I do 20 minutes."

"For me, after I exercise and I sweat, I've burned off a lot of my fear and I spent a lot of time just breathing, and it just gets so much oxygen into my body, and then I just feel better about myself. Like, I've already won the day," she added. "For me, it's a life-changer, and I've never been this disciplined ever in my whole life."

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In July, Larter gave Fox News Digital her self-care tips that benefit her hectic, day-to-day routine. 

"I believe in sweating. Number one, you sweat," Larter said. "I don't care if you run, or you do it in a steam room. Sweat, sweat, sweat to get your glow on."

Next, Larter insisted, "Enjoy your life. When you're happy and relaxed, like you can feel it, you can see it. Stressed out, intense, curmudgeons – no, thank you."

"I think one of the biggest things is that routine is how I can handle when my life is running at a high-power level," she said. "It's getting up in the morning. Even if it's 20 minutes, I go for a run. I do yoga, I do stretching. I eat really clean. I drink a lot of water. I don't drink a lot of alcohol. I keep it really tight. And then as soon as I'm done with the run, I ruin it all in one day." 

Despite her new outlook and all her hard work, Larter said she still finds it challenging to let go of vulnerability when it comes to filming bikini scenes in "Landman."

During an interview with People magazine, Larter, who plays Angela Norris in the hit Paramount+ series, described shooting scenes in which her character wears a bikini as "tough, in a weird way."

"I don't think there's an actress alive that's like, 'Woo! Got a bikini scene!'" Larter said. "Nobody wants to do it. Those are the hardest for me," she continued. "I don't enjoy them. It's just part of the story that I'm telling, and I'm an actress, so I get on board. But those are definitely my least favorite."

"In the end, anytime you have to put on a bathing suit and walk in front of anybody, it's really difficult," she said. "When I look around, the sexiest women I know are the women that own it. So, part of getting there with Angela is owning it."

"But no matter what, it's like, I've got to spend all this time fighting off my own insecurities, my own anxiety, to be able to put on that bikini and walk into these scenes," she admitted.

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Shia LaBeouf lands behind bars again as third victim steps forward in alleged Mardi Gras melee

Shia LaBeouf has been arrested on another charge related to his alleged Mardi Gras bar brawl earlier this month.

LaBeouf is currently being held at the Louisiana Orleans Justice Center after being taken into custody early Saturday on a new charge of simple battery, according to inmate records viewed by Fox News Digital. Local outlet WWL Louisiana reports that an arrest warrant was issued Friday after an additional victim came forward from his alleged fight outside R Bar on Feb. 17.

This is the actor's third simple battery charge related to the alleged incident. He is set to appear in court this afternoon for his first appearance related to the new charge.

SHIA LABEOUF RUNS FROM COURTHOUSE AFTER POSTING $100K BOND IN NEW ORLEANS MARDI GRAS BATTERY CASE

Fox News Digital has reached out to LeBeouf and New Orleans police for comment.

LaBeouf appeared in court on Feb. 26 for a status hearing on the original charges. During the hearing, Orleans Parish Criminal Court Judge Simone Levine set a $100,000 bond and ordered LaBeouf to return to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

According to the Associated Press, LaBeouf was reprimanded for allegedly yelling homophobic slurs while hitting multiple people near the French Quarter last week. The police report said LaBeouf allegedly dislocated one victim’s nose.

Levine also ordered the 39-year-old to submit to weekly drug tests.

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LaBeouf posted bond following the hearing and was seen running away from the media outside the courthouse shortly after.

In a video captured by local news network WDSU, LaBeouf — who was wearing a white fleece pullover, jeans and boots — jogged away from the courthouse as members of the media attempted to follow him. 

The "Transformer" star's whirlwind day last week allegedly began with an early-morning bar fight in the Faubourg Marigny district of the city. Authorities responded to a simple battery on the 1400 block of Royal Street at approximately 12:45 a.m. Tuesday, when two male victims reported being assaulted, according to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD).

LaBeouf was allegedly "causing a disturbance and becoming increasing aggressive at a Royal Street business." When a staff member attempted to eject the actor from the establishment, LaBeouf allegedly used "his closed fists on the victim several times," police said.

"The victims reported that LaBeouf left, but then came back, acting even more aggressive."

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Multiple people allegedly attempted to hold LaBeouf down outside the business in Faubourg, and he was eventually let up in hopes that he would leave. 

The "Even Stevens" actor allegedly struck the same victim again with "closed fists to the victim’s upper body" before allegedly assaulting another person by punching them in the nose.

"LaBeouf was again held down until police arrived," police said. "He was taken to a hospital for treatment of unknown injuries. Upon release, he was arrested and charged with two counts of simple battery."

The following day, LaBeouf broke his silence with a two-word message posted on X shortly after 2 a.m., "Free me." Earlier in the day, the "Transformers" actor was spotted celebrating Mardi Gras and dancing on Bourbon Street with his release papers in his mouth, WGNO reported.

Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright and Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.

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Illinois city was the first to pay Blacks residents $25K in reparations, but how will it find more funding?

The City of Evanston, Illinois' Reparations Committee issued $25,000 to 44 residents earlier this month in reparations' payments and is currently looking for other ways to keep the program funded.

Committee members have reportedly previously discussed the lack of revenue from their cannabis tax source, due to low sales at the two dispensaries in the city. "When you tax something at a high rate, customers are less likely to purchase that product and are more likely to identify alternatives," Tiffany Ingram, the executive director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. 

"And so that's why you see customers going to other places like Michigan or Missouri, if they're close to the border, or purchasing products from the illicit market or purchasing alternatives like unregulated Delta 8," she said.

According to the city’s resolution, Evanston committed the first $10 million of the city’s Municipal Cannabis Retailers' Occupation Tax — a 3% tax on gross sales of cannabis — to fund the program. 

SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS BAND TOGETHER TO SHUT DOWN REPARATIONS FUND, CLAIMING IT’S ‘DIVIDING’ THE CITY

"We're always excited to see the ways in which municipalities determine how they want to use cannabis revenues to improve their communities. So it was definitely — I believe — Evanston was the first," Ingram told Fox News Digital.

Another way the program is funded is through the city’s Real Estate Transfer Tax Ordinance. According to a city memo, the fund had received $276,588 from Evanston’s real estate transfer tax.

The fund was primarily supported by the cannabis sales tax and real estate tax money, since there were no philanthropic donations this year as of Jan. 31, and it received $1,010 last year. Furthermore, the city reported $55,956.22 in donations to the Reparations Fund as of September 2024. 

Evanston was the first city in the nation to pass a reparations plan, pledging $10 million over a decade to Black residents in November 2019. Established in 2019 and approved by the City Council in 2021, the program issues $25,000 direct cash payments to Black residents and descendants of Black residents who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969. 

CHICAGO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON TAKES JAB AT CLARENCE THOMAS WHILE DEFENDING CITY'S REPARATIONS TASK FORCE

As the committee members are considering other sources to create revenue, members discussed on Feb. 6 a municipal tax on Delta 8 products. Alderman Krissie Harris recognized that the tax would not significantly increase revenue, though it would "help keep moving that number forward" in the reparations process, The Daily Northwestern reported.

"It’s really important for people to understand we pay as we have the money, and it’s not that we’re withholding from paying everyone," Harris said. "It’s just we have to accumulate the funds to make sure we can pay."

So far, 137 Evanston residents have received reparations payments totaling $3.47 million, and more are expected by year’s end, reaching 171 recipients with about $4 million allocated to direct descendants.

Evanston's City Attorney Alexandria Ruggie wrote in a city memo that the city has the ability to tax Delta 8 products as a "home rule unit."

"A question has arisen as to whether the City may tax Delta 8 products in the City," Ruggie said.

"Additionally, Delta 8 products are generally quite cheap, so any tax revenue generated from Delta 8 sales would likely be relatively small, accompanied by minimal impact on the purchase of these products," she wrote.

She added that, "Lawmakers and cannabis industry representatives have long asserted that unregulated THC products like Delta 8 can be more potent than regulated marijuana, and therefore, dangerous to consumers."

Ruggie told The Daily Northwestern that Delta-8 THC products are sold in Evanston, but not included in the Illinois Cannabis Tax Regulation Act.

MARYLAND CHURCH TO ISSUE REPARATIONS GRANTS TO 'BUILD UP BLACK COMMUNITIES' DUE TO ‘SYSTEMIC RACISM'

Ingram told Fox News Digital that taxing Delta-8 THC products is concerning, considering that it's unregulated. "Delta- 8 is basically an unregulated, hemp-derived intoxicant," she said. "We always say before we talk about taxing Delta- 8, we need to talk about protecting consumers."

The Cannabis Business Association of Illinois sent Fox News Digital a letter it penned to the chair of the Committee on License and Consumer Protection, Debra Silverstein, showing support of an ordinance that would prohibit "the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products within the City of Chicago."

In response to the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois’ concerns and the future of funding for the reparations program in general, a spokesperson for the City of Evanston told Fox News Digital that the city cannot comment "due to litigation."

Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, told Fox News Digital earlier this month it filed a lawsuit against Evanston, to stop the city from paying Black residents reparations.

The $25,000 payments to Evanston residents are intended to cover housing expenses. The city committed to focus on housing because the issue is "the strongest case for reparations." 

"There is sufficient evidence showing the City’s part in housing discrimination as a result of early City zoning ordinances in place between 1919 and 1969, when the City banned housing discrimination," the city explained.

Reparations can take many forms but broadly refer to payments or other compensation to the descendants of Black Americans affected by slavery or past discriminatory government policies.

In July 2019, Evanston’s Equity and Empowerment Commission held community meetings to gather feedback from community members on what reparations would look like. In addition to housing, the community members identified four other priorities including, economic development, education, finances, and "history/culture."

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Amazon shelves Blue Jay warehouse robot

Amazon made a lot of noise last October when it unveiled Blue Jay, a multi-armed warehouse robot built to speed up same-day deliveries. Just months later, the company quietly ended the program.

The robot's core technology will live on in other projects. Still, Blue Jay itself is done.

That sudden shift raises an important question. If one of the world's most advanced logistics companies cannot make a high-profile robot work at scale, what does that say about the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in the real world?

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ROBOTS LEARN 1,000 TASKS IN ONE DAY FROM A SINGLE DEMO

Blue Jay was not a simple conveyor belt upgrade. It was a ceiling-mounted system designed to recognize and sort multiple packages at once. Using AI-powered perception models, the robot could:

Amazon said it developed the system in under a year. That pace alone was impressive. The goal was clear: move more packages faster while reducing strain on workers in same-day fulfillment centers. On paper, that sounds like a win for everyone.

Despite the hype, Blue Jay faced steep engineering and cost challenges. First, the robot was mounted to the ceiling. That design required complex installation and tight integration into Amazon's Local Vending Machine warehouses. Those facilities operate as massive, single structures with automation baked into the building itself.

There was little room to reconfigure hardware once installed. That rigidity likely became a liability. In software, AI can pivot overnight with a code update. In the physical world, changing course means retooling steel beams, motors and entire layouts. That takes time and serious money. Several employees who worked on Blue Jay have already moved to other robotics projects.

The company reportedly continues to experiment and improve its warehouse systems. The technology behind Blue Jay will, in fact, inform future designs. In other words, the robot failed. The ideas did not.

WAYMO’S CHEAPER ROBOTAXI TECH COULD HELP EXPAND RIDES FAST

Amazon's next move centers on a new warehouse architecture called Orbital. Unlike the older Local Vending Machine model, Orbital is modular. It can be built from smaller units and deployed faster in different layouts.

That flexibility matters. Retail is fragmenting. Customers expect same-day delivery from urban hubs, local stores and even grocery locations. Orbital could allow Amazon to place micro-fulfillment centers behind retail stores, including Whole Foods locations. That would help it compete more directly with Walmart, which already has a strong grocery footprint.

Alongside Orbital, Amazon is developing a new robotics system called Flex Cell. Unlike Blue Jay's ceiling mount, Flex Cell is expected to sit on the floor.

That small design change signals something bigger. Amazon appears to be moving from massive centralized automation to smaller, adaptable systems built for the unpredictable realities of local retail.

If you order from Amazon regularly, you might wonder whether this affects you. In the short term, probably not. Your packages will still show up. Same-day and next-day delivery remain core priorities. However, the long-term story is more interesting. Amazon's robotics strategy shapes how fast your order arrives, how much you pay and how local warehouses operate in your community.

If Orbital works, you could see:

If it struggles, same-day expansion could slow or become more expensive. That tension reflects a broader truth about AI. Writing code is one thing. Teaching a robot to lift boxes in a real warehouse without breaking down is another.

AI TRUCK SYSTEM MATCHES TOP HUMAN DRIVERS IN MASSIVE SAFETY SHOWDOWN WITH PERFECT SCORES

Blue Jay highlights a growing divide in the tech world. AI in software is moving at lightning speed. Chatbots, image tools and predictive systems evolve weekly.

Hardware is different. Robots must deal with gravity, friction, heat and unpredictable human environments. Every mistake has a physical cost.

Amazon's course correction shows that even tech giants hit limits when translating AI breakthroughs into moving metal. That does not mean automation is slowing down. It means the path is bumpier than the headlines suggest.

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Amazon shelving Blue Jay is not a retreat from robotics. It is a recalibration. The company is betting that modular, flexible systems will win over massive, tightly integrated machines. That shift could define the next era of e-commerce logistics. For you, the promise remains the same: faster delivery, better availability and more local convenience. But behind that promise is a complicated dance between AI ambition and real-world constraints.

If even Amazon struggles to make advanced robots work at scale, how much of the AI revolution is still more vision than reality? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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