In Other Brews…
Former One Direction star Liam Payne tragically died Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Police responded to reports of an aggressive man, believed to be under the influence, before the fatal incident. The 31-year-old’s death sparked an outpouring of tributes from fans, some of whom gathered outside the CasaSur hotel to sing his songs.
Israel has killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Three Hamas militants were killed in a “heavy gun battle” in Gaza Wednesday, one of whom was tentatively identified as Sinwar, the architect of October 7. Israel then used dental records and fingerprints it had on file from Sinwar’s time in an Israeli prison (he was released in a 2011 prisoner swap) to confirm.
Prosecutors are reviewing new evidence in the case of the Menendez brothers, who were sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of fatally shooting their parents 28 years ago. The 53-and-56-year-old men’s family rallied at an LA courthouse to advocate for their release; a Netflix series has public opinion on the brothers’ side, and they’re “cautiously optimistic” about re-sentencing.
The NFL has unanimously approved Tom Brady’s bid to buy a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders… which means the GOAT-quarterback-turned-Fox-announcer is committed to retirement for real (players can’t be owners). The team, which has been haunted by Brady since the Patriots’ win in 2002’s famous “Tuck Rule” game, hopes he’ll help choose and mentor future QBs.
Italy has expanded its opposition to surrogacy. After a seven-hour debate, the Senate voted 84-58 to officially criminalize Italian citizens leaving the country to have children through a surrogate; violators face up to two years in prison. The Vatican has strongly opposed surrogacy in Italy and abroad; same-sex advocates have criticized any ban on surrogacy as "discriminatory."