Fire damages home in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood

A family of six is getting help from the American Red Cross after flames ripped through their Carrick home late Saturday night.

Emergency crews were called the home in the 300 block of Carrick Avenue at 11:55 p.m.

County officials said no one was hurt in the fire.

The American Red Cross said they provided comfort kits and financial assistance to the two adults and four children who lived in the home.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Source: Fire damages home in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood

Two young boys steered their car to safety after their father was fatally shot while driving – CNN

(CNN)A pair of young brothers had to take control of their SUV and steer themselves to safety when their dad was fatally shot Friday night while driving on a Texas freeway.

Their father, a 29-year-old man, had been driving a Toyota Sequoia on Interstate 10 in Houston with his sons, ages 8 and 6, when he was shot just before 11 p.m., Houston Police Department (HPD) Public Information Officer John Cannon told CNN.
The victim’s sons then steered the SUV off the freeway to a strip mall parking lot where one of the children got out of the car and ran to get help, Cannon said.
Their father was pronounced dead at the scene and both boys were unharmed, he added.

Source: Two young boys steered their car to safety after their father was fatally shot while driving – CNN

Utah teacher no longer employed after advocating vaccination and telling students she hates Trump

(Zane Storms) Pictured is a teacher at Lehi High who spouted off to her class about former President Donald Trump and the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2021. Zane Storms, a student in the class, captured the exchange on video.

(Zane Storms) Pictured is a teacher at Lehi High who spouted off to her class about former President Donald Trump and the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2021. Zane Storms, a student in the class, captured the exchange on video.

A teacher is no longer working at a Utah high school after she was recorded sounding off to her students in a profane speech that jumped from former President Donald Trump to the COVID-19 vaccine, climate change and the LGBTQ community.

The video of her sharing her opinions in front of a class at Lehi High School on Tuesday was shared widely on social media. And by Wednesday morning — the second day of the new school year — Alpine School District in Utah County confirmed that she wasn’t employed there any more.

Spokesman David Stephenson said in a statement that he cannot comment on personnel matters and would not say whether the teacher was fired, only that she was not working there now. She had originally been put on leave Tuesday while the district investigated.

“This behavior is inappropriate, not reflective of the professional conduct and decorum we expect of our teachers, and will not be tolerated,” Stephenson said.

Attempts to reach the teacher were unsuccessful. The Salt Lake Tribune has decided not to name her.

The video of her address was posted online by Eric Moutsos, the leader of the conservative Utah Business Revival organization that has protested against pandemic-related health measures. He wrote: “Thank you to the student who filmed this. You’re a hero.”

The Tribune confirmed it with one of three students who captured the footage, Zane Storms. The four-minute clip from Storms begins with the teacher telling her students that she would be “super proud” if they got the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We’ll just keep getting variants over and over and over until people get vaccinated. It’s never going to end,” she said. “It could end in five seconds if people would get vaccinated.”

Some of the students push back. Then the teacher starts talking about Trump.

“I hate Donald Trump,” she said. “I’m going to say. I don’t care what you all think. Trump sucks.”

Harris laughs at, shuts down questions as she says Afghanistan is her highest priority | Washington Examiner

Vice President Kamala Harris chuckled at and cut off a reporter to say that Afghanistan is the administration’s top priority.

Harris, who is currently traveling through South Asia, was asked about the situation in Afghanistan, where the United States and other Western countries have been rapidly working to get their own citizens as well as Afghan refugees out of the country since the Taliban took over.

“Hold on. Hold on. Slow down, everybody,” she said when approached with questions after disembarking from her voyage. “Hahaha. Um, I want to talk about two things. First, Afghanistan — we couldn’t have a higher priority right now.”

The Biden administration, which was slow to address the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan publicly, has sought to protect Americans and Afghan allies from danger after the Taliban quickly and easily rose to power in Afghanistan, the speed of which caught U.S. officials by surprise.

Military and intelligence experts said the Taliban could defeat the Afghan army in a matter of months or years, even though the latter had both greater numbers and nearly two decades of U.S. military training. However, the Taliban were able to capture nearly the entire country during an 11-day offensive.

Source: Harris laughs at, shuts down questions as she says Afghanistan is her highest priority | Washington Examiner

Analysis: Biden’s presidency is under scrutiny as never before over Afghan chaos – CNNPolitics

President Joe Biden is struggling against an intensifying examination of his judgment, competence and even his empathy over the chaotic US exit from Afghanistan. And each attempt the administration makes to quell a furor that’s tarnishing America’s image only provokes more questions about its failures of planning and execution.

Source: Analysis: Biden’s presidency is under scrutiny as never before over Afghan chaos – CNNPolitics

Pittsburgh’s rising wave of gun violence | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

While much of the nation has experienced a dramatic increase in murders and other violent crimes, Pittsburgh has seen a 46% rise in shootings that left people injured and a similar percentage jump in homicides over the same time last year.

Perhaps the most alarming statistic to neighborhood activists is the number of young people dying from bullets: nearly one-third of the city’s 41 homicide victims were teens.

One 15-year-old boy was fatally shot on Brookline’s Creedmoor Avenue after several individuals chased him down, witnesses told reporters. Weeks earlier, a 17-year-old boy was followed from an Allentown convenience store and shot five times.

In April, a teenager was shot and killed in a Hill District apartment stairwell where a group of teens were “play fighting” with a gun, court records state. A 15-year-old was taken into custody in the shooting.

“It’s almost traumatizing to see so many young people dying prematurely, especially African-Americans,” said local anti-violence advocate the Rev. Glenn Grayson, who partners with the city on the Reach Initiative, a violence intervention program.

“We’re losing our future, the gifts and talents that could’ve been major contributions to society.”

Source: Pittsburgh’s rising wave of gun violence | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Man killed in shooting at Fayette Co. apartment complex – WPXI

NORTH UNION TWP, Pa. — State police are investigating a deadly shooting Friday afternoon in North Union Township.

It happened at Meridian Point Apartments on Confer Vista Drive shortly after 12:30 p.m.

According to police, Michael Cole Debeary, 32, was shot during an altercation involving two other men.

Debeary died at the scene.

State Police said the Fayette County district attorney has been consulted as part of the ongoing investigation.

Source: Man killed in shooting at Fayette Co. apartment complex – WPXI

British military: 7 Afghans killed in chaos at Kabul airport

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A panicked crush of people trying to enter Kabul’s international airport killed seven Afghan civilians in the crowds, the British military said Sunday, showing the danger still posed to those trying to flee the Taliban’s takeover of the country.

The deaths come as a new, perceived threat from the Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan has seen U.S. military planes do rapid, diving combat landings at the airport surrounded by Taliban fighters. Other aircraft have shot off flares on takeoff, an effort to confuse possible heat-seeking missiles targeting the planes.

The changes come as the U.S. Embassy issued a new security warning Saturday telling citizens not to travel to the Kabul airport without individual instruction from a U.S. government representative. Officials declined to provide more specifics about the IS threat but described it as significant. They said there have been no confirmed attacks as yet by the militants, who have battled the Taliban in the past.

On Sunday, the British military acknowledged the seven deaths of civilians in the crowds in Kabul. There have been stampedes and crushing injuries in the crowds, especially as Taliban fighters fire into the air to drive away those desperate to get on any flight out of the country.

“Conditions on the ground remain extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to manage the situation as safely and securely as possible,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

On Saturday, British and Western troops in full combat gear tried to control the crowds pressing in. They carried away some who were sweating and pale. With temperatures reaching 34 degree Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit), the soldiers sprayed water from a hose on those gathered or gave them bottled water to pour over their heads.

“Listen sir, you need to calm down,” one soldier told a man laying in the dirt, as another gave him an orange liquid. “Calm down.”

It wasn’t immediately clear whether those killed had been physically crushed, suffocated or suffered a fatal heart attack in the crowds. Soldiers covered several corpses in white clothes to hide them from view. Other troops stood atop concrete barriers or shipping containers, trying to calm the crowd. Gunshots occasionally rang out.

Speaking to an Iranian state television channel late Saturday night in a video call, Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem blamed the deaths at the airport on the Americans in what quickly became a combative interview.

“The Americans announced that we would take you to America with us and people gathered at Kabul airport,” Naeem said. “If it was announced right now in any country in the world, would people not go?”

Source: British military: 7 Afghans killed in chaos at Kabul airport

Man charged after refusing to wear mask on Johnstown train, Amtrak police say | WJAC

A Philadelphia man is facing charges for refusing to wear a mask on an Amtrak train in Johnstown, officials say.

According to charging documents, 22-year-old Damier Bingham faces two misdemeanor charges related to disorderly conduct and delaying a train.

The Amtrak Police Department says the incident happened in June when Bingham refused to comply with the Transportation Security Administration’s mask mandate.

According to the federal requirement, Americans must wear masks while on public transportation to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Source: Man charged after refusing to wear mask on Johnstown train, Amtrak police say | WJAC

Police Investigating After Man Shot At Rivers Casino Parking Garage, Suspect Taken Into Custody – CBS Pittsburgh

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A man was arrested following a shooting in the parking garage at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh.

According to police, a man was shot in the leg in the upper levels of the parking garage just before 1:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Source: Police Investigating After Man Shot At Rivers Casino Parking Garage, Suspect Taken Into Custody – CBS Pittsburgh

Joe Biden Unfit to Lead Nation | National Review Opinion

Joe Biden has badly, visibly bungled America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has compounded the problem with his sluggish and dishonest public statements. This has gone so badly that even people and institutions that are normally sympathetic to Biden and his party have noticed. American allies have been appalled, and vocal about it. What is slowly dawning on people is that Biden’s critics were right about him all along. Not since James Buchanan has America had a president who came so prepared by experience for the job, yet had so little clue how to do it. That reality will be shoved from consciousness soon enough by people with a professional stake in not acknowledging it, but a growing number of the American people are likely to remember. So will our allies and enemies around the world.

It was possible, if you did not look too closely, to construct a case on paper over the past year and a half for Joe Biden as an appropriate person to be president of the United States, commander in chief of its armed forces, and leader of the free world. Certainly, Biden did not lack for experience in high, national public office, exposing him to everything a man would need in order to be prepared for the job. He was a senator for 36 years, dating back to the closing days of the Vietnam War. He chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee twice, including during the post–9/11 era when Congress authorized the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He served two terms as vice president. He traveled to war zones and met scores of foreign leaders. Biden was also a man who came up from humble means and was seasoned by personal tragedy. One could characterize his years in office as the record of a public servant who values important institutions, took many mainstream positions, and showed a willingness and ability to work with people across the aisle.

Source: Joe Biden Unfit to Lead Nation | National Review

Afghan resistance fighters take back territory from Taliban

 

The fight for Afghanistan may not be entirely over.

A high-ranking former Afghan government official said Friday that resistance fighters — mainly made of about 300 battle-ready mujahideen members and commanders linked to the Northern Alliance — wrestled three districts in the northeastern Baghlan province out of Taliban control on Friday, killing upwards of 36 Taliban fighters and wounding dozens more.

The local fighters, often referred to as the public uprising forces, are said to have used their own weapons to retake control of Banu, Pol-e-Hesar and De Salah districts in the beleaguered province.

“The advance continues towards Khenjan in North Salang now,” the former official said, noting that locals were quick to remove the Taliban flag in the re-captured regions.

As the Taliban swept to control of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals and big cities last week, culminating by their capture of Kabul on Sunday, local warlords appealed en masse to the central government for air support and heavy weaponry to repel the offensive — to no avail.

Source: Afghan resistance fighters take back territory from Taliban

GM recalling another 70,000 Bolt electric cars – CNN

(CNN Business)General Motors is recalling another 73,000 Bolt EV and EUV electric vehicles in the United States and Canada for a problem that could cause the vehicles to catch fire.

GM had earlier announced that the recall would cost $800 million, but that was before the recall was expanded to cover all remaining Bolt vehicles. The recall is now expected to cost an additional $1 billion.
The recall comes after GM had previously recalled about 70,000 Bolt vehicles for the same potential problem. The recall now covers Bolt EV and EUVs from 2017 to 2022.
The recalled Bolt vehicles can catch fire after being charged due to a manufacturing defect, the company said. Until the batteries in the recalled vehicles can be checked and replaced, if necessary, GM recommends the vehicles be set to charge to only 90%. Owners should also charge their vehicles more frequently and avoid allowing the battery to be depleted to less than about 70 miles of driving range. The vehicles should also be parked outdoors right after charging and should not be charged indoors.
GM now says it is pursuing reimbursements from Korean battery manufacturer LG, the company that made the batteries that, GM said, are the cause of the problem.
LG did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
GM had previously said that the problem with the Bolt batteries was caused by two rare battery manufacturing errors in model years 2017 to 2019 vehicles, and that more recent models did not undergo the same battery manufacturing process and so were not included in the recall. Now, though, GM is recalling 9,335 more model year 2019 Bolt EVs and another 63,683 model year 2020 through 2022 Bolt EV and Bolt EUV models. The Bolt EUV is a taller crossover SUV version of the Bolt EV.

Source: GM recalling another 70,000 Bolt electric cars – CNN

Rashida Tlaib discloses thousands of dollars in rental income, despite co-sponsoring ‘cancel rent’ bill | Fox News

Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s annual financial disclosure shows that she made thousands of dollars in rental income last year, despite being a co-sponsor of a bill to cancel rent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tlaib joined fellow “Squad” Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and other progressives in April 2020 to co-sponsor Rep. Ilhan Omar’s, D-Minn., bill to “institute a nationwide cancellation of rents and home mortgage payments through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.”

She tweeted during the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 that there should be a “moratorium” on mortgage and rent payments to “combat this public health crisis.”

“I’m joining Rep. @IlhanOmar and fellow colleagues for a press conference on the Rent & Mortgage Cancellation Act,” Tlaib tweeted earlier this year amid the re-introduction of the bill. “Our residents need help during this ongoing pandemic & this legislation seeks to provide that help to ensure our neighbors have the housing they need.”

Source: Rashida Tlaib discloses thousands of dollars in rental income, despite co-sponsoring ‘cancel rent’ bill | Fox News

Giant Eagle to hold in-store job fair to fill more than 1,000 jobs in Pittsburgh area – WPXI

PITTSBURGH — Giant Eagle is looking to hire more than 1,000 people across the Pittsburgh area.

To fill those positions, the company will host an in-store job fair at all of its supermarket locations.

During the job fair, candidates will meet with recruiters and could possibly get job offers the same day.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WPXI apps for alerts as news breaks]

Those interested in taking part in the job fair are encouraged to wear a mask or face covering.

Giant Eagle offers benefits like flexible scheduling, competitive wages, weekly pay, advancement opportunities, and paid time off.

Candidates who are interested should submit their applications in advance on Giant Eagle’s website to expedite the in-person interview process.

Source: Giant Eagle to hold in-store job fair to fill more than 1,000 jobs in Pittsburgh area – WPXI

Intoxicated couple with drugs arrested at Cambria County Dollar General

CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — An Indiana County couple face charges after they showed up intoxicated at the Carrolltown Dollar General with heroin and several other drugs on them, according to state police at Ebensburg.

On Aug. 10, employees at Dollar General called the cops on 33-year-old Kathryn Hoover and 41-year-old Jessey Borruto, saying that Borruto wasn’t wearing shoes and refused to leave, and Hoover was in the bathroom for over an hour.

Once police arrived and escorted them out, Hoover kept giving police false names before finally identifying herself. It turns out, Hoover was wanted by the Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, police note.

Police report they asked Hoover if she had anything on her, and she pulled out an orange pill bottle with several pills and stamp bags. She also had additional stamp bags with “Taylor Gang” printed on them, and she admitted to police that they were heroin.

Source: Intoxicated couple with drugs arrested at Cambria County Dollar General

Democrats Attempt to Circumvent Supreme Court Rulings with New Voting Bill: Opinion

House Democrats who failed in their first attempt to secure federal control of elections across America have introduced new legislation they hope to pass this fall.

The bill would restore pieces of the 1965 Voting Rights Act the Supreme Court has already struck down, according to the Washington Examiner.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats must pass new legislation because neither diabolical red states nor the Supreme Court can be trusted, according to a news release on her website.

AUGUST 17, 2021
PRESS RELEASE

San Francisco – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement upon the introduction of H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021:

“The House today is taking a momentous step to secure the sacred right to vote for generations to come.  With the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, proudly introduced today by Congresswoman Terri Sewell alongside Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, Democrats are fighting back against an anti-democratic tide, protecting access to the ballot box for every American and carrying on the cause to which our beloved John Lewis devoted his entire life.

“A brazen, partisan campaign of voter suppression silences voters of color across the nation and threatens to erode our democracy.  Further, the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision in Shelby v. Holder opened the floodgates of voter suppression, allowing states with dark histories of bigotry and discrimination to pass hundreds of laws designed to keep communities of color from the ballot box.  This year alone, eighteen states have enacted thirty dangerous voter suppression laws, while the Court has continued its assault on the Voting Rights Act with its shameful decision in Brnovich v. DNC.

“As confirmed in a recent House report, Congress has not only an ironclad Constitutional mandate, but a moral responsibility to enact H.R. 4 to combat destructive and discriminatory voter suppression.  In doing so, we live up to the powerful legacy of this bill’s late namesake, Congressman Lewis: a titan of the Civil Rights Movement and a courageous champion for voting rights.

“With the attack on the franchise escalating and states beginning the process of redistricting, we must act.  When the House returns on August 23rd, Democrats plan to pass H.R. 4 – and we hope it can secure the bipartisan support this vital legislation deserves.  We must also enact H.R. 1, the For The People Act, to ensure that every American has a say in the destiny of our democracy.

Source: Democrats Attempt to Circumvent Supreme Court Rulings with New Voting Bill

Man Shot Multiple Times In Clairton On Halcomb Avenue – CBS Pittsburgh

 

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

CLAIRTON, Pa. (KDKA) — Police are investigating a shooting in Clairton.

The Allegheny County Police Department said officials were notified of a shooting on Thursday in the 400 block of Halcomb Avenue.

First responders found a man who was shot multiple times. He was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive.

FDA links hundreds of dog deaths and severe illnesses to recalled pet food

The manufacturer behind dozens of popular pet food brands is recalling products amid safety problems.

The FDA has issued a statement confirming that 130 pets have died and hundreds more have fallen ill after eating food produced by Midwestern Pet Foods.

For Immediate Release:

The following quote is attributed to Steven M. Solomon, M.P.H., D.V.M., director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine

“The FDA is dedicated to taking all steps possible to help pet owners have confidence that the food they buy for their animal companions is safe and wholesome. We are issuing this corporate-wide warning letter because inspections of Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc.’s manufacturing plants revealed evidence of violations, which were shared across multiple plants and were associated with the illness or death of hundreds of pets who had eaten the company’s dry dog food. Samples of dog food were found to contain high levels of aflatoxin. It is imperative that manufacturers and distributors of pet foods understand their responsibility to comply with all requirements of federal law and FDA regulations and, when applicable, to implement a robust hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls program. We’ll continue to hold companies accountable and protect animal health as a core element of the FDA’s public health mission.”

Source: FDA links hundreds of dog deaths and severe illnesses to recalled pet food

Joe Biden & Afghanistan: Something Is Wrong with the President | National Review

Biden’s latest interview, insistence that he was incorrectly briefed, and low profile amid the Afghanistan crisis all raise troubling questions.

After making no public appearances for four days — during a major foreign crisis — President Biden read a 20-minute speech off a teleprompter on Monday afternoon and took no questions. He immediately returned to Camp David. He had no events on his schedule Tuesday. On Wednesday, he gave another 20-minute speech about vaccine boosters off a teleprompter from Camp David, and again took no questions. Also on Wednesday, the president sat for an on-camera interview with George Stephanopoulos that did not go well. According to the White House public records, Biden has had two phone conversations with foreign leaders in the past ten days — one with Boris Johnson and one with Angela Merkel.

As of this writing, Biden has no public events on his schedule for today. He is scheduled to receive the president’s daily briefing from the intelligence community and meet with his national-security team. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, he is scheduled to return to his house in Delaware today.

This is a highly unusual schedule for a president during a foreign-policy crisis. Yes, a president can perform his job anywhere, whether it’s Camp David or his own private residence.

Biden began the interview by insisting that the intelligence community had given him unclear and excessively optimistic answers about the state of the Afghan military and government:

STEPHANOPOULOS: Back in July, you said a Taliban takeover was highly unlikely. Was the intelligence wrong, or did you downplay it?

BIDEN: I think — there was no consensus. If you go back and look at the intelligence reports, they said that it’s more likely to be sometime by the end of the year.

The first problem is that there is no way to square what Biden said yesterday with his July 8 declaration that the intelligence community had not stated that the Afghan government would likely collapse:

Q: Mr. President, thank you very much. Your own intelligence community has assessed that the Afghan government will likely collapse.

THE PRESIDENT: That is not true.

Q: Is it — can you please clarify what they have told you about whether that will happen or not?

THE PRESIDENT: That is not true. They did not — they didn’t — did not reach that conclusion.

Then during the Stephanopoulos interview, Biden insisted that he himself had predicted that the Afghan government would collapse by the end of the year:

STEPHANOPOULOS: But you know that Senator McConnell, others say this was not only predictable, it was predicted, including by him, based on intelligence briefings he was getting.

BIDEN: What — what did he say was predicted?

STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator McConnell said it was predictable that the Taliban was gonna take over.

BIDEN: Well, by the end of the year, I said that’s that was — that was a real possibility. But no one said it was gonna take over then when it was bein’ asked.

The president either does not remember what he said on July 8, or he is simply trying to gaslight everyone into believing that he did warn of the Afghan government’s collapsing.

This morning, Douglas London, a former CIA counterterrorism chief and former member of Biden’s counterterrorism working group, writes that the president is lying: “Ultimately, it was assessed, Afghan forces might capitulate within days under the circumstances we witnessed, in projections highlighted to Trump officials and future Biden officials alike.”

Biden not only dodged questions — we’re used to politicians doing that — he offered a barely coherent word salad in some responses:

STEPHANOPOULOS: So when you look at what’s happened over the last week, was it a failure of intelligence, planning, execution or judgment?

BIDEN: Look, I don’t think it was a fa– look, it was a simple choice, George. When the– when the Taliban — let me back — put it another way. When you had the government of Afghanistan, the leader of that government get in a plane and taking off and going to another country, when you saw the significant collapse of the ta– of the– Afghan troops we had trained — up to 300,000 of them just leaving their equipment and taking off, that was — you know, I’m not– this — that — that’s what happened. That’s simply what happened.

Stephanopolous continued, “We’ve all seen the pictures. We’ve seen those hundreds of people packed in a C-17. We’ve seen Afghans falling-”

“That was four days ago, five days ago!” Biden interjected. It was two days ago, but that’s not really what is important; what is spectacularly odd is that Biden is reacting as if he thinks Stephanopolous was bringing up irrelevant ancient history.

Perhaps most unsettling was President Biden’s insistence that nothing could have been done any differently, and that none of the horrors we are witnessing could have been prevented.

Source: Joe Biden & Afghanistan: Something Is Wrong with the President | National Review

Capitol Police Investigate ‘Bomb Threat’ Near Library of Congress – The New York Times

The police closed off several streets and sent alerts to congressional staff members, prompting evacuations.

WASHINGTON — A man who claimed to have a bomb in a pickup truck outside the Library of Congress surrendered to the police on Thursday, after hours of negotiations and evacuations of several government buildings in the area.

The man surrendered peacefully, according to a law enforcement official.

The man drove a black pickup onto the sidewalk of the Library of Congress at about 9:15 Thursday morning, and the police responded to a disturbance call, Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Capitol Police said in a news conference.

When the police arrived, the man said he had a bomb and one of the officers observed what appeared to be a detonator in his hand, Chief Manger said.

The police spent hours negotiating with the man, he said. It was unclear whether the man did actually have explosives.

“We don’t know what his motives are at this time,” Chief Manger said. He confirmed that some of those negotiations had been streamed live on social media.

“We’re trying to get as much information as we can to try to find a way to peacefully resolve this,” he said. Chief Manger declined to describe the conversation between the man and the negotiators.

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The man, whom officials identified as a resident of Grover, N.C., named Floyd Ray Roseberry, about 50 years old, was making anti-government statements, according to a law enforcement official.

A spokesman for Facebook confirmed that the company had taken down a post with a video broadcast from man in the truck. In the rambling video, he addresses President Biden, demanding to speak with him or a representative, and sometimes shows a metal object in his lap. He describes himself as “a patriot” and expresses grievances with Democrats. He repeatedly says he does not want to die or hurt anyone but warns that the device will explode if the police fire at him, though the man offered no evidence to support that.

Source: Capitol Police Investigate ‘Bomb Threat’ Near Library of Congress – The New York Times

2 women dead after shooting at Indiana factory: Sheriff’s office – ABC News

The two people shot dead Wednesday at an NHK factory in Frankfort, Indiana, were employees of the company — a grandmother and granddaughter who were arriving for their shift, according to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office.

The alleged suspect, 26-year-old Gary C. Ferrell, was an employee at the factory is in custody, authorities said.

The shooting took place in the parking lot of NHK Seating of America in Frankfurt, Indiana. The plant manufactures seats and seating parts for a Subaru plant in nearby Lafayette.

“Please avoid the area of our new NHK,” the sheriff’s office wrote shortly after the incident began. “This is an active scene.”

ABC News’ Will Gretsky contributed to this report.

Source: 2 women dead after shooting at Indiana factory: Sheriff’s office – ABC News

Bodybuilder charged in Jan. 6 Capitol riot – YouTube

More than seven months after a mob of pro-Trump rioters attacked the Capitol building, authorities have identified and arrested a high-profile suspect who was photographed dragging a police officer down a set of stairs during the siege.

Logan Barnhart, a 40-year-old Michigan bodybuilder, faces multiple charges, including assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, according to the FBI.

HuffPost, which first reported Barnhart’s arrest, said Barnhart became a “white whale” for online internet sleuths searching for information on unidentified insurrectionists in the aftermath of the attack. The “Sedition Hunters” community gave Barnhart the nickname “CatSweat” because he is alleged to have worn a Caterpillar brand sweatshirt to the Capitol on January 6.

The FBI had been referring to the suspect, who was wanted for assaulting officers, as Capitol suspect 128-AFO. According to HuffPost, the outlet identified Barnhart months ago thanks to the work of “citizen sleuths,” but refrained from publishing his name because of his violent history, which includes rioting charges from his teenage years.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/bodybuilder-photographed-dragging-officer-during-capitol-riot-arrested-2021-8

Pence claims Biden broke Trump administration’s deal with Taliban

Former Vice President Mike Pence claimed Tuesday that President Joe Biden reneged on the cease-fire deal his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, agreed with the Taliban in February 2020, setting the stage for what Pence called “a foreign-policy humiliation unlike anything our country has endured since the Iran hostage crisis.”

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Pence claimed that by the time the 45th president left office, “the Afghan government and the Taliban each controlled their respective territories, neither was mounting major offensives, and America had only 2,500 U.S. troops in the country—the smallest military presence since the war began in 2001.”

The key provisions of the agreement — described as “foolhardy” in the pages of The Post by Rich Lowry last month — included the US withdrawing all combat forces from Afghanistan by May of this year, the Taliban denying safe haven to terror groups, the release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1,000 Afghan security forces held by the Taliban, and the beginning of comprehensive peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Western-backed Afghan government.

In Tuesday’s op-ed, Pence credited the agreement with the fact that the US “has not suffered a single combat casualty” in Afghanistan in 18 months.

Source: Pence claims Biden broke Trump administration’s deal with Taliban

Early Voting in Newsom Recall Election Underway – YouTube

The 2021 California gubernatorial recall election is an upcoming special election on whether to recall Governor Gavin Newsom, scheduled to be held in-person on September 14, 2021, with every voter set to receive a ballot at their address for the option to vote by mail, beginning August 16, 2021.[1][2]

Before this election, the only other gubernatorial recall attempt in California that qualified for a general vote happened in 2003, which resulted in Gray Davis being replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger.[3][4] The recall election will be the fourth gubernatorial recall election ever held in the United States.[5] This election is the result of one of at least 54 attempts in California’s history to remove an elected governor from office and one of six efforts to remove Newsom.[3][4] Every California governor since 1960 has faced some form of recall attempt.[6]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_California_gubernatorial_recall_election

Dog Food Recall 2021: Simply Nourish Dog Food Recalled From PetSmart – Thrillist

Wet Noses Natural Dog Treat Company announced a recall of 51,000 packages of Simply Nourish frozen dog food sold at select PetSmart locations nationwide. The issue is elevated levels of vitamin D. The notice, shared by the FDA, says that “dogs ingesting elevated levels of vitamin D may exhibit symptoms such as vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss.” Needless to say, you don’t want to take the risk and feed this to your pup.

Additionally, the recall states, consuming elevated levels of vitamin D “over a long period of time can lead to serious health issues in dogs including renal dysfunction.” If your dog has eaten the recalled food and exhibits these symptoms, you should contact your vet.

Here’s a look at the specific products that are part of the recall. All were sold in two-pound and four-and-a-half-pound packages. You can find more details about the products on the FDA website.

  • Simply Nourish Frozen Chicken & Veggies
  • Simply Nourish Beef & Barley
  • Simply Nourish Turkey & Sweet Potato
  • Simply Nourish Pork & Veggies

You can return the packages to the place of purchase for a refund.

Source: Dog Food Recall 2021: Simply Nourish Dog Food Recalled From PetSmart – Thrillist

Thousands of holidaymakers and locals evacuated as ‘huge’ wildfire rages around St Tropez | Daily Mail Online

Thousands have been evacuated from their homes on the French Riviera after huge wildfires broke out in St Tropez, as firefighters battled to control the blaze.

BBC news presenter Geeta Guru-Murthy and her husband Philip Collins had to abandon their burning villa and their car as they escaped the raging fires bringing horror to holidaymakers.

As many as 6,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and holiday sites while others were locked down in a holiday centre for Air France employees.

Source: Thousands of holidaymakers and locals evacuated as ‘huge’ wildfire rages around St Tropez | Daily Mail Online

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