By Andi Babineau, CNN

(CNN) — Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man charged with the murder of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, will appear in a Provo, Utah, courtroom Tuesday as his attorneys resume their questioning of Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray, whose office is prosecuting the case.

This hearing is the second in the defense team’s bid to get the county attorney’s office tossed from the case, citing a conflict of interest.

Robinson’s defense is arguing because the 18-year-old child of one of the prosecutors was present when Kirk was killed during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University in September, a conflict of interest exists. The defense says the entire office should be removed because “no effort was made to shield their prosecution of this case from his conflict,” according to the motion to disqualify filed in December.

The county attorney’s office has repeatedly denied having a conflict of interest because the 18-year-old, a student at UVU, “did not see Charlie get shot,” and “did not see anyone (in the crowd or elsewhere) with a gun,” court documents show.

The office contends the 18-year-old will not be called as a witness in the case because their knowledge of the incident, despite being present, “is based entirely on hearsay.”

Does the 18-year-old’s presence qualify as a conflict of interest? Here’s what legal experts say.

What constitutes a conflict of interest?

Robinson’s defense cited Utah’s Code of Judicial Administration in their filing, which states attorneys can’t be involved in cases with “a concurrent conflict of interest,” which may include “a personal interest of the lawyer.”

But conflict of interest arguments are rarely accepted by the courts, according to Paul Cassell, a criminal law professor with the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law.

“There’s a presumption of good faith for prosecutors, and more broadly the government, and without some clear showing that there is reason to doubt the fairness of the proceedings, generally the proceedings will move forward,” Cassell said. “The chances of this prevailing based on other similar claims that have been presented are very, very low.”

Still, CNN Legal Analyst Joey Jackson says the court will weigh whether the parties “are making decisions predicated upon the merits, the facts, the law, and the circumstances only, and that there are no outside influences that are going to impact the judgments that are being made.”

The defense estimated some 3,000 people were present at the event in their filing and attached declarations from five witnesses, some of whom described the scene as “pure panic” and “chaotic” in their accounts, with one disclosing, “I thought I was about to die.”

The county attorney’s office, in its opposition to the disqualification motion, said comparing the defense’s witness statements to that of the prosecutor’s child shows “just how unnecessary (the child’s potential testimony) is in the case.”

“It’s ultimately going to turn on, how did the (adult child) witnessing that impact, impair, affect the decision, if at all,” Jackson said. “The issue before the court is whether an actual conflict – not a perceived conflict – has been presented and can be established based upon the chain of events.”

If the judge does agree there is a conflict of interest, Cassell said the response would more likely be “disqualifying a person who has been tainted by a particular conflict,” rather than an entire office.

To disqualify the full office would be a serious step, according to Cassell, because the Utah

By Gawon Bae, CNN

Seoul (CNN) — “We’re goin’ up, up, up, it’s our moment,” proclaim virtual girl band Huntr/x in their hit song “Golden.” And the lyrics couldn’t have been more apt as the song from Netflix megahit “Kpop Demon Hunters” made history on Sunday by claiming K-Pop’s first-ever Grammy.

“Golden” was already a global chart-dominating force, but taking home the Best Song Written for Visual Media award in Los Angeles is a milestone moment for K-pop – a genre that despite its growing influence on Western pop culture has long been considered niche.

“It does feel so miraculous in some ways. And destined in other ways … We’re just trying to process it all,” said Audrey Nuna, who lends her voice to a member of Huntr/x in the film.

The Grammy itself went to the songwriters of “Golden” EJAE, Park Hong Jun, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Seo Jeong Hoon and Mark Sonnenblick. And is the first win for any Korean songwriters, or producers.

Accepting the award, Seo Jeong Hoon, who goes by the name 24, paid tribute to his mentor Park Hong Jun – known as Teddy – who he called “the pioneer of K-pop.”

It was only in 2021 that a K-pop act first earned a Grammy nomination – that was superband BTS, who have been nominated five times but have never won.

This year, songs released by K-pop – or K-pop-adjacent – artists received nominations in five categories, though only “Golden” took away a prize.

In recent years the genre has gained huge global fandom as more groups – like Blackpink and Twice – broke into the US charts, went on world tours, and collaborated with big American artists.

And the genre’s influence was evident throughout Sunday’s Grammys broadcast. The awards kicked off with Blackpink’s Rose singing the chart-topping collaboration “APT” with Bruno Mars, as stars in the audience sang along.

Later, a multinational K-pop girl group KATSEYE grasped the stage with its “Gnarly” performance. Both were nominated for number of categories but were short of winning an award.

While the win for “Golden” is historic, K-pop fans questioned if the song really fits the genre.

“Not to say they didn’t deserve it (because they did). But I still don’t understand which part of Golden was Kpop. It was a 100% English song, in an English animation, for an English speaking audience. The only thing “K” about it were the singers,” one wrote on X after the award was announced.

Areum Jeong, assistant professor of Korean Studies at Arizona State University, told the Associated Press that songs like “APT” and KATSEYE’s “Gabriela” – also Grammys nominees – “seem less K-pop than other K-pop songs that could have been nominated over the years.”

She said the nominations strike her more as “a de-territorialized, hybrid idea of K-pop,” rather than a recognition of K-pop.

The number of K-pop nominations for Grammys in 2026 “tells you that K-pop is not considered as something niche anymore,” Mathieu Berbiguier, a visiting assistant professor in Korean Studies at Carnegie Mellon University, told Associated Press.

“Now, when we think about pop music in general, we also think of K-pop as part of it,” he said.

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By Gawon Bae, CNN

Seoul (CNN) — “We’re goin’ up, up, up, it’s our moment,” proclaim virtual girl band Huntr/x in their hit song “Golden.” And the lyrics couldn’t have been more apt as the song from Netflix megahit “Kpop Demon Hunters” made history on Sunday by claiming K-Pop’s first-ever Grammy.

“Golden” was already a global chart-dominating force, but taking home the Best Song Written for Visual Media award in Los Angeles is a milestone moment for K-pop – a genre that despite its growing influence on Western pop culture has long been considered niche.

“It does feel so miraculous in some ways. And destined in other ways … We’re just trying to process it all,” said Audrey Nuna, who lends her voice to a member of Huntr/x in the film.

The Grammy itself went to the songwriters of “Golden” EJAE, Park Hong Jun, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Seo Jeong Hoon and Mark Sonnenblick. And is the first win for any Korean songwriters, or producers.

Accepting the award, Seo Jeong Hoon, who goes by the name 24, paid tribute to his mentor Park Hong Jun – known as Teddy – who he called “the pioneer of K-pop.”

It was only in 2021 that a K-pop act first earned a Grammy nomination – that was superband BTS, who have been nominated five times but have never won.

This year, songs released by K-pop – or K-pop-adjacent – artists received nominations in five categories, though only “Golden” took away a prize.

In recent years the genre has gained huge global fandom as more groups – like Blackpink and Twice – broke into the US charts, went on world tours, and collaborated with big American artists.

And the genre’s influence was evident throughout Sunday’s Grammys broadcast. The awards kicked off with Blackpink’s Rose singing the chart-topping collaboration “APT” with Bruno Mars, as stars in the audience sang along.

Later, a multinational K-pop girl group KATSEYE grasped the stage with its “Gnarly” performance. Both were nominated for number of categories but were short of winning an award.

While the win for “Golden” is historic, K-pop fans questioned if the song really fits the genre.

“Not to say they didn’t deserve it (because they did). But I still don’t understand which part of Golden was Kpop. It was a 100% English song, in an English animation, for an English speaking audience. The only thing “K” about it were the singers,” one wrote on X after the award was announced.

Areum Jeong, assistant professor of Korean Studies at Arizona State University, told the Associated Press that songs like “APT” and KATSEYE’s “Gabriela” – also Grammys nominees – “seem less K-pop than other K-pop songs that could have been nominated over the years.”

She said the n

By Sophia Peyser, Danya Gainor, CNN

(CNN) — The teenagers’ names are Sam and Ben, but to the federal immigration agents they interact with daily, the two boys wielding cell phones and taking down plate numbers are a duo known as “the brothers.”

The 16- and 17-year-old Chicago siblings said they have earned an array of nicknames since becoming dedicated witnesses documenting the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz — the turbocharged immigration crackdown that swept through Windy City neighborhoods starting in September.

Now, the boys are trailing agents in Minneapolis, following the epicenter of immigration enforcement in the US as it’s shifted north to the Twin Cities. They are part of a ballooning wave of observers across the North Star State, where tensions have soared during encounters between thousands of federal agents and protesters — unwavering and furious — in the wake of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Sam and Ben Luhmann are trained ICE watchers, documenting federal immigration agents’ actions with cell phone video and quickly warning of agents’ locations with whistles and car horns. Their efforts are reflective of a growing movement across the country as thousands of parents, teachers, clergy members and community organizers have sought training on what they can legally do when they see an immigration arrest.

The Trump administration, however, has criticized bystanders recording immigration officials during enforcement operations. In July, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said “violence” against the agents includes “videotaping (ICE officers) where they’re at when they’re out on operations, encouraging other people to come and to throw things, rocks, bottles.”

Critics of the immigration crackdown say observers are necessary, given what they describe as dangerous tactics by federal agents that put people at risk. Trump administration officials counter that they are taking necessary steps to keep Americans safe and said ICE officers are facing a significant increase in assaults. Federal officials also said officers are exercising restraint despite facing threats and attacks.

The brothers now couch surf between family members’ homes and Airbnbs, intent on documenting what some describe as the unprecedented aggressiveness of Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.

“(Federal agents are) constantly pushing people and beating them up, kneeing them in the face when they’re down on the ground, or shoving their head into ice or pavement so that they’re scraped up,” Ben said.

The homeschooled boys spend their days in south Minneapolis following suspected federal vehicles in their silver 2018 Toyota Corolla, writing down license plate numbers and sending immigration agents’ locations in group chats with other observers.

When the agents stop, so do the brothers, jumping out into frigid temperatures to film

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - Vacant storefronts in downtown Santa Barbara are going to look a little more beautiful, until new tenants come in.

The new plan is already adding a fresh look in many areas.
It's a collaboration between the Santa Barbara Downtown Business Improvement District, the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative and the Department of Arts and Culture.
The art will disguise empty locations that can have a negative look to the historic image in the downtown area.

Santa Barbara Downtown Improvement District Executive Director Robin Elander said, "This is really an opportunity for us to show the sense of pride visibly our organization has for downtown but the sense of pride our community already has for downtown but to showcase that in an artistic way."

Already one of the businesses on State Street near Haley Street is covered up with a floral design along with one on State St. at Victoria where Starbucks closed.
Several more are going up in the next week.
The work was created by local artists who submitted their designs and are named on the images.
The winners were given a $250 dollar honorarium.

The post Vacant Storefronts Get an Artistic Beautification in Santa Barbara appeared first on News Channel 3-12.