Yahoo News

HOOD RIVER, Ore. (AP) — A teenager who started a major wildfire in the scenic Columbia River Gorge in Oregon has been ordered to pay restitution for at least the next decade, though it’s unlikely the boy will ever cover his nearly $37 million bill.

The Oregonian reports that Hood River County Circuit Judge John A. Olson issued the opinion on Monday, awarding the restitution totaling $36,618,330.24 to cover the costs of firefighting, repair and restoration to the gorge and damage to homes. Victims include the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon Department of Transportation.   Continue reading “Judge: Teen must repay $37M for starting Oregon wildfire”

Mercury News

BESSEMER CITY, N.C. (AP) — A man intentionally rammed a vehicle into a steak and seafood restaurant in North Carolina on Sunday, killing his daughter and daughter-in-law who had been seated at a table inside with other family members, police said.

The vehicle’s driver, Roger Self, was immediately arrested and the preliminary evidence indicates he purposely drove all the way into the Surf and Turf Lodge about noon, authorities said. Jail records show he’s been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his daughter, Katelyn Self, a deputy with the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office, and his daughter-in-law, Amanda Self, a nurse.  Continue reading “Police: Man rams SUV into restaurant, kills daughter, daughter-in-law”

Yahoo News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. trade war with China is “on hold” after the world’s largest economies agreed to drop their tariff threats while they work on a wider trade agreement, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Sunday.

Mnuchin and U.S. President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said the agreement reached by Chinese and American negotiators on Saturday set up a framework for addressing trade imbalances in the future.   Continue reading “U.S., China putting trade war on hold, Treasury’s Mnuchin says”

Update via CBS The suspect in a deadly shooting rampage at a Texas high school Friday morning has been identified as 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis, law enforcement sources tell CBS News.

Chron

SANTA FE, Texas – At least 10 people died Friday morning in gunfire at Santa Fe High school, law enforcement officials confirmed, while at least a dozen others were injured, according to area hospitals.   Continue reading “At least 10 dead in Santa Fe High School; shooter had multiple guns, bombs”

ABC 5

A suspect is in custody after a shooting at Texas’ Santa Fe High School, according to Cris Richardson, the assistant principal.

He told reporters assembled near the school that there was an active shooting, but “that person has been arrested and is secured.”   Continue reading “Report: At least 8 dead after Texas’ Santa Fe High School shooting”

The Blaze – by Aaron Colen

Georgia state Sen. Michael Williams made waves with his “deportation bus” ad, and for several hours, YouTube had taken the video down for violating its hate speech policy before later putting it back up, The Hill reported.

“They are doing everything they can to keep our message from reaching voters with the truth,” Williams said in a statement Wednesday. “They will not silence me nor our movement.”   Continue reading “YouTube removed GOP candidate’s ‘deportation bus’ ad for hate speech — then put it back up”

NPR

If you are reading this, you are likely one of the more than 14 million people who vehemently believe that this audio clip is saying either the word “Yanny” or the word “Laurel.”

If you haven’t heard it yet, take a listen:   Continue reading “‘Yanny’ or ‘Laurel’? Why People Hear Different Things In That Viral Clip”

Yahoo News

An Illinois school resource officer stopped an armed teenager at a high school this morning, according to the local police chief, who applauded the officer for saving “countless” lives.

When the 19-year-old suspect fired several shots this morning near a gym at Dixon High School, the school resource officer reported the incident to authorities and then confronted the gunman, Dixon police chief Steven Howell said at a news conference.  Continue reading “‘Heroic’ resource officer hailed for stopping armed teen at high school, saving lives”

Fox News

REYHANLI, Turkey –  U.S. military equipment and ammunition, sent to Syria as part of a failed Obama administration plan to find and arm moderate forces to defeat ISIS, were instead simply handed over to an Al Qaeda group, according to the man who said he himself brokered the deal.

“I communicated with Al Qaeda’s branch, Al Nusra, to protect and safely escort me and my soldiers for two hours from North Aleppo to West Aleppo,” Maj. Anas Ibrahim Obaid, better known on the battlefield as Abu Zayd, told Fox News from his home in the western Aleppo area. “In exchange, I gave them five pickup trucks and ammunition.”   Continue reading “‘I gave the US trucks and ammunition to Al Qaeda’: The chaotic US effort to arm Syrian rebels”

CNN

Aliso Viejo, California (CNN)The deadly explosion in an Orange County building that killed one woman and injured three others appears to be intentional and is being investigated as a criminal act, a law enforcement source told CNN.

But the source also cautioned that it’s early in the investigation.

Continue reading “Explosion at California medical facility appears to be intentional act, source says”

Yahoo News

WASHINGTON – A mere 72 hours after the Chinese government agreed to put a half-billion dollars into an Indonesian project that will personally enrich Donald Trump, the president ordered a bailout for a Chinese-government-owned cellphone maker.

“President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast,” Trump announced on Twitter Sunday morning. “Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!”   Continue reading “Trump Orders Help For Chinese Phone-Maker After China Approves Money For Trump Project”

ABC 6 News

There are new restrictions on which types of animals are permitted on American Airlines flights.

Insects, goats and hedgehogs cannot be brought on planes as emotional support animals.

Miniature horses are still OK, as long as they have been properly trained as service animals.   Continue reading “American Airlines: No hedgehogs, goats; mini horses are OK”

CNN

North Korea says the US should carefully consider the fate of the North Korea-US summit, in view of what it calls “provocative military disturbances with South Korea,” North Korea’s state news agency reported early Wednesday local time.

The warning comes as KCNA reported North Korea has suspended talks with South Korea because of a joint military drill conducted by South Korea and the US.
Continue reading “North Korea warns US as it suspends South Korea talks over military drills”

Yahoo News

Whoever had the over on DraftKings‘ boss Jason Robins and FanDuel chief executive Matt King being given a potential billion dollar windfall by the Supreme Court’s decision to allows sports betting should head to the cashier’s cage.

In a six-to-three decision (Justice Breyer was a partial dissent), Supreme Court Justices struck down a federal law that had banned gambling on sporting events in most states.   Continue reading “Supreme Court allows states to legalize sports betting, opening floodgates for online gambling profits”

BBC News

China has welcomed a pledge from Donald Trump to help save ZTE, one of China’s biggest telecoms companies.

The firm has suspended operations after the US last month banned American companies from selling it components. ZTE had admitted to making illegal shipments to Iran and North Korea.   Continue reading “Trump seeks to save Chinese jobs at ZTE ahead of trade talks”

Yahoo News

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli fire killed at least 18 Palestinians during mass protests along the Gaza border on Monday, in a violent burst of bloodshed that cast a cloud over Israel’s festive inauguration of the new U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem.

It was the deadliest single day of protests since the Palestinians began staging weekly border demonstrations on March 30 in an attempt to break an Israeli-Egyptian blockade. Protesters set tires on fire, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the air, while the Israeli military accused protesters of trying to break through the border fence and plant a bomb, and said troops had come under fire.   Continue reading “Deadly Gaza protests cloud US Embassy opening in Jerusalem”

ABC 13

BEAUMONT, Texas (KTRK) — The FBI and local law enforcement are investigating a package bomb explosion at a church in Beaumont.

According to the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, a package exploded outside the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church sometime between the end of worship Wednesday evening and the beginning of school Thursday morning.   Continue reading “Authorities continue investigating explosive device outside Episcopal church in Beaumont”

New Jersey 101.5 – by Michael Symons

NEWARK – Undocumented immigrants raised in New Jersey can now apply for state financial aid programs to attend New Jersey colleges.

The law was signed Wednesday and takes effect starting with the fall semester, and the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application was immediately posted on the state Higher Education Student Assistance Authority website. (Click here.)

Continue reading “NJ Already Taking Financial Aid Applications from Undocumented”

Yahoo News

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (AP) — Staging a made-for-TV, still-of-the-night arrival ceremony, President Donald Trump welcomed home three Americans freed by North Korea and declared their release a sign of promise toward his goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

Speaking early Thursday on an air base tarmac with the former detainees by his side, Trump called it a “great honor” to welcome the men to the U.S., but said “the true honor is going to be if we have a victory in getting rid of nuclear weapons.”   Continue reading “Trump gives freed Americans flag-waving, wee-hours welcome”

Campus Reform – by Hannah Scherlacher

Rutgers University recently debuted a program to teach students and staff about the illegal immigrant community, and at least one administrator wants to make the workshop mandatory.

The “DREAM Zone” program, a three-hour interactive event that originated at New York University, expanded to Rutgers in April, according to The Daily Targum.   Continue reading “Rutgers trains students to empathize with illegal immigrants”