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Judge Dismisses Third-Degree Murder Charge in George Floyd Killing The judge upheld the more serious charge of second-degree murder against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was captured on video kneeling on Mr. Floyd’s neck. A bystander’s video filmed on May 25 showed a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. Mr. Floyd’s death touched off worldwide protests. Credit... Darnella Frazier, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A judge has dropped a third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd on May 25 by kneeling on his neck for more than eight minutes. Judge Peter Cahill upheld a more serious charge of second-degree murder as well as a second-degree manslaughter charge against Mr. Chauvin, 44, who  was released on $1 million bail  this month. The ruling, which was  issued on Wednesday  in Hennepin County, Minn., came in respo

The diabolical ironclad beetle can survive getting run over by a car. Scientists now know how. The diabolical ironclad beetle, a desert bug native to California, can withstand nearly 40,000 times its body weight. That means it can be run over by a car — and live to tell the tale.  A study published Wednesday in the journal Nature has pinpointed the factor that makes it so durable: Its exoskeleton, and in particular, its elytra, or the forewings that cover the beetle's wings. "The ironclad is a terrestrial beetle, so it's not lightweight and fast but built more like a little tank," David Kisailus, the principal investigator and a materials science and engineering professor at the University of California, Irvine, said in a statement. "It can't fly away, so it just stays put and lets its specially designed armor take the abuse until the predator gives up." Cicadas and Palo Verde beetles? Harmless.  But these Arizona bugs and reptiles can hurt you. In beetl

Jeffrey Epstein Update: Read The Deposition That Ghislaine Maxwell Fought To Hide Enlarge this image Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, shown here in 2005, allegedly ran a sex-trafficking operation together. in a 2016 deposition, Maxwell repeatedly denied "recruiting" girls for Epstein or taking part in orgies and other activities.  Patrick McMullan via Getty Images  hide caption toggle caption Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, shown here in 2005, allegedly ran a sex-trafficking operation together. in a 2016 deposition, Maxwell repeatedly denied "recruiting" girls for Epstein or taking part in orgies and other activities. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Updated at 4:27 p.m. ET Ghislaine Maxwell's answers to questions about the sex-trafficking operation she allegedly ran with the late Jeffrey Epstein were made public Thursday as a federal court released Maxwell's 2016 deposition. The transcript is more than   400 p