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About 2,800 residents from the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and about 450 residents from the Fort Nelson First Nation were asked to evacuate. Wildfire smoke has been linked to increases in certain cancers and heart-related issues, among other ailments. In 2023, 19 counties in 11 states had days with “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality — given at least a “code purple” alert on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index. Light rain showers were expected overnight Sunday with more rain forecast Monday, “which will help lower fire activity,” a Sunday update from Alberta Wildfire said. Fire restrictions will remain in effect in the area until conditions improve, according to Alberta Wildfire.

Persons: Parker, “, ” Ben Boghean, ” Cliff Chapman, Jaylene, Terry Cavaliere, ” Boghean, Paul, Crews Organizations: CNN, BC Wildfire Service, Northern Rockies Regional, Fort Nelson, Wildfire, Northern Rockies, Fort Nelson First Nation, Environment Canada, Canadian Interagency Fire Centre, Air, Environmental Protection Agency, US, Protection, British Columbia, Alberta, Reuters Residents, Estates, Lake Estates, Fort McMurray, Alberta Wildfire Locations: British Columbia, Fort Nelson, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, Parker, Fort, Canada, Maryland, Alberta, Fort McMurray, Saskatchewan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Minneapolis, St, United States, British, Grande Prairie Forest, TeePee Creek , Alberta, Regional, Wood Buffalo, Lake

☆ These 70 House Democrats and 21 Republicans voted against a bill to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

70 House Democrats voted against it, including the longest-serving Jewish House Democrat. AdvertisementThe House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday designed to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses. The bill sailed through by a 320-91 bipartisan vote, with 70 House Democrats and 21 House Republicans voting against it. In December, Nadler also led 92 House Democrats in voting "present" on a GOP-sponsored resolution that equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism. 13 House Democrats voted against the resolution outright.

Persons: —, Mike Lawler, That's, Jerry Nadler —, Nadler, Hakeem Jeffries, Mike Johnson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Herod, Read, Y0eeOiVfnw —, Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 ( Organizations: Jewish House Democrat, Service, Democrats, Republicans, Lawmakers, Republican Rep, of Education, International Holocaust, Alliance, State, Jewish House, Department of Education, Department, Education, GOP, Interagency, Force, House, Catholic Locations: York, Israel, Georgia

Read previewA container ship crashed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing its collapse into the Patapsco River. Baltimore first responders called the situation a "developing mass casualty event" and a "dire emergency," per The Associated Press. pic.twitter.com/ipoTR2HljY — Harford Co., MD Fire & EMS (@HarforCoFireEMS) March 26, 2024The vessel is the Dali, a Singapore-flagged container ship about 984 feet long, and 157 feet wide, per a listing on VesselFinder. The Dali's owner is listed as Grace Ocean, a Singapore-based firm, and its manager is listed as Synergy Marine, which is also headquartered in Singapore. AdvertisementStaff for Grace Ocean declined to comment on the crash when contacted by Business Insider.

Persons: —, Francis Scott Key, James Wallace, Wallace, Richard Worley, Wes Moore, Pete Buttigieg, Moore, Baltimore Francis Scott Key, ipoTR2HljY —, Dali, Grace Ocean, Barbara Rossi, Claudia Norrgren, it'll Organizations: Service, Baltimore, Associated Press, Business, Sonar, Biden Administration, Volunteer Firefighters, Volunteer Swift Water Team, Team, Unified Command, ipoTR2HljY — Harford Co, Synergy, Shipping, Staff, Grace, Maersk, Dali, University of Oxford, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Port Locations: Baltimore, Patapsco, Maryland, @jmvfc8, Singapore, Danish, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Port, South Korea, Antwerp

☆ Biden administration discussing using Guantanamo Bay to process possible influx of Haitian migrants
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The Biden administration is discussing using Guantanamo Bay to process Haitian migrants if there is a mass exodus to the US amid worsening conditions in the country, according to a US official. “We are clear-eyed that economic, political, and security instability are key drivers for migrants around the world. A Homeland Security spokesperson said that so far, migration from the Caribbean remains low. The United States returns or repatriates migrants interdicted at sea to The Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti,” the spokesperson added. And we are ready if a mass migration — if we need to deal with a mass migration.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, ”, Ariel Henry, “, Laura Richardson, Rebecca Zimmerman, they’re, Joe Biden, CNN’s Haley Britzky Organizations: CNN, National Security, Homeland Security, DHS, State Department, United Nations, United, Marine, Team, Immigration, Customs, Department of Homeland Security, Defense Department, Congress, Southern Command, Defense for Homeland Defense, US Customs, Border Protection Air, Marine Operations, US Border Patrol, Coast Guard, Border Patrol, Border Protection, House, Republican Locations: Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Haiti, Florida, Guantanamo, Caribbean, United States, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Port, Mexico

☆ Bank Runs Spooked Regulators. Now a Clampdown Is Coming.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Jeanna Smialek | Rob Copeland | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

One year after a series of bank runs threatened the financial system, government officials are preparing to unveil a regulatory response aimed at preventing future meltdowns. After months of floating fixes at conferences and in quiet conversations with bank executives, the Federal Reserve and other regulators could unveil new rules this spring. The interagency clampdown would come on top of another set of proposed and potentially costly regulations that have caused tension between big banks and their regulators. Taken together, the proposed rules could further rankle the industry. The goal of the new policies would be to prevent the kind of crushing problems and bank runs that toppled Silicon Valley Bank and a series of other regional lenders last spring.

Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank Locations: Silicon

☆ China making 'concerted effort' to dominate critical US ports equipment, Biden official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

SUZHOU, CHINA - FEBRUARY 27: A gantry crane hoists vehicles for export at Taicang Port's International Container Terminal on February 27, 2024 in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province of China. Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, told CNBC that Biden's executive order is a wake-up call for the port and supply chain industry. "The bottom line is that today's high-tech cranes can collect data and that is why this executive order is so important," said Seroka. "It's no secret that China has both the capability and the intent to challenge the rules based trade system. The Biden administration has positioned the executive order as part of a "whole government approach" in securing the nation's ports.

Persons: Biden, Christa Brzozowski, ZPMC, Gene Seroka, Brzozowski, Carlos Gimenez, John Vann, Vann, Wayne R, Arguin Jr, Arguin Organizations: Taicang, Getty, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security, Coast Guard, Transportation, Maritime Security, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co, Capitol, CNBC, Cyber Security Operations Center, Guard, White, Resilience, of Commerce, Defense, Coast Guard Cyber Command, US Coast Guard, U.S Locations: SUZHOU, CHINA, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, Capitol, United States, U.S, Republic of China, Shanghai, Beijing, Capitol Hill, of Los Angeles, Los Angeles

So The New York Times asked more than 5,300 people in the U.S. with this heritage how they describe themselves …No Box to Check: When the Census Doesn’t Reflect YouEgyptian, Iranian, Lebanese, Amazigh, Arab, American. In the 2020 census, “Lebanese” and “Egyptian” were offered as examples for the “white” box on the race question. The other categories were “Black or African American,” “American Indian or Alaska Native,” “Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander” and a variety of Asian ancestries. After all, there’s no agreed-upon set of countries or ethnicities that would fall under a Middle Eastern and North African category. The chart shows these responses after the MENA category was added: 69% chose “MENA,” 15% chose “MENA, White,” 3% chose “Another Race,” 5% chose “White” and 8% chose other combinations.

Persons: Brown, New York Times callout, Biden, ”, —, “, ” Martin Zebari, ” Samera Hadi, ” Imene Said Kouidri, ’ ” Faisal Ali, ” Joseph Hallock, Maya Berry, there’s, Margo J, Anderson, “ You’re, Tiffany Kindratt, ” Khelil, ‘, Dusty Haddad, “ White, Jeffrey S, ” Nadine Naber, Naber, I’m, ” Ceylan Swenson, ” Blake Bachara, ” Amin Younes, We’re, ” Rita Obeid, Barack Obama, It’s, ” Thomas Simsarian Dolan, ” Gabrielle Barbara Guliana, Christina Boufarah, I’ve, ” Michele Magar, ” Soufiane, ” Azita, Moustafa, ” Nawar Organizations: U.S ., New York Times, Arab, Israel, American Community, Management, Federal, Arab American Institute, University of Wisconsin, Census Bureau, Survey, North, Cornell University, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, University of Texas, The Times, Times, Pew Research, University of Illinois, Bureau, West Virginian Locations: Eastern, Sudanese, Southwest, U.S, East, North Africa, United States, Michigan, Gaza, Europe, Lebanese, Alaska, American, MENA, Milwaukee, —, Arlington, America, White, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Lebanon, Iran, N.Y.C, Israel, Turkey, Southwest Asia, Afghanistan, Armenia, West, I’m

☆ More than 400 personnel take part in Ukraine aid oversight, US watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —More than 400 personnel take part in the oversight of Ukraine aid, according to a new report from a US government watchdog, underscoring the massive effort to manage billions of dollars in US assistance. In total, the report said there are more than 400 personnel working across the US, Germany, Ukraine and Europe to audit and evaluate US assistance to Ukraine. The report comes as some Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have demanded more oversight over Ukraine aid before they agree to any additional funding. The State Department watchdog has more than 100 staff members working on Ukraine oversight, three of whom are in Kyiv. The USAID watchdog has another 80 personnel working on Ukraine.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, – Organizations: CNN, Defense Department, State Department, United States Agency for International, Representatives, Ukrainian, Operation Atlantic, NATO, The Defense Department Office, The State Department, USAID, Ukraine – Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Ukrainian, Germany, Russia, Crimea, Kyiv, Romania, North Korea, Iran

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — A man whose family's gender reveal ceremony sparked a Southern California wildfire that killed a firefighter in 2020 has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, prosecutors said Friday. A smoke-generating pyrotechnic device was set off in a field and quickly ignited dry grass on a scorching day. On Friday, the San Bernardino County district attorney announced that Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. had pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of recklessly causing a fire to an inhabited structure. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesAngelina Jimenez pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of recklessly causing fire to property of another. Flames blackened nearly 36 square miles (92 square kilometers) of land in San Bernardino and Riverside counties before the blaze was contained on Nov. 16, 2020.

Persons: Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr, Angelina Jimenez, Charles Morton, Morton, Jason Anderson, “ Organizations: BERNARDINO, Calif, El, Big Bear Interagency, U.S . Forest Service, San, San Bernardino National Locations: Southern California, El Dorado, El, Ranch, Yucaipa, San Bernardino Mountains, Los Angeles, San Bernardino County, San Bernardino, Riverside, California

☆ Fulton County government outage: Cyberattack brings down phones, court site and tax systems
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Alta Spells | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An ongoing cyberattack against Georgia’s Fulton County, which includes parts of Atlanta, has brought some of the government’s systems to a standstill, halting access to court filings, tax processing and other services. The office of the county’s District Attorney Fani Willis lost access to its phones, internet and the court system website, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. The communication, court and tax systems have all been brought down, said Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts in a news briefing Monday. A source with first-hand knowledge in Fulton County told CNN the internet and Odyssey court access are down as well. “We at Fulton County take cybersecurity seriously and we place a high priority on the protection of sensitive information,” Pitts said.

Persons: Fani Willis, Willis, Donald Trump, Robb Pitts, Pitts, ” Pitts, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Georgia’s, county’s Department of Information Technology, FBI, Fulton, IT, The Atlanta, Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Locations: Georgia’s Fulton County, Atlanta, county’s, Fulton County, Baltimore, New Mexico’s, Albuquerque, US

CNN —It was supposed to be a routine court appearance this week for Nicholas Rossi, who is facing a rape charge in Utah. After he was arrested in 2021 in Scotland, Rossi described himself as an Irish orphan who had never visited the United States. He denied being a rape suspect and gave his name as "Arthur Knight Brown." In Scotland, Rossi often appeared in court via video, saying he was not well enough to attend in person. “He appears today as Arthur Knight but has previously been identified by medical professionals and civilians as Nicholas Rossi,” the prosecutor told the court.

Persons: Nicholas Rossi, Rossi, ”, Arthur Knight Brown, Rossi “, ” Rossi, Nicholas Alahverdian, Scotland ater, He’s, Weeks, “, David Leavitt, ” He’s, Norman McFadyen, coronavirus, McFadyen, ” Nicholas Rossi, Jeff J Mitchell, ” Leavitt, —, Nicholas Brown, Arthur Winston Brown, Arthur Knight, That’s, Rossi’s Organizations: CNN, Scotland, Alahverdian, Rhode, Police, FBI, Providence Journal, Interpol, Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Edinburgh Locations: Utah, Scotland, United States, Ireland, Orem, Salt Lake City, He’s, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake, Ohio, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Dublin, Europe, Rhode, Eastern Europe, Rhode Island, Glasgow, Edinburgh

☆ With crises brewing around the world, the US's diplomatic 'special agents' are sharpening old skills and learning some new ones
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The State Department relies on its Diplomatic Security Service to protect diplomats around the world. To protect those diplomats, the State Department relies on a little-known but highly capable agency — the Diplomatic Security Service. US State DepartmentAs the State Department's law-enforcement and security arm, the Diplomatic Security Service has been protecting US diplomats at home and abroad since 1916. "Through the council, the State Department can exchange information in real-time with hundreds of private businesses, faith-based organizations, and other US entities," a State Department spokesperson told Insider. Diplomatic Security ServiceFollowing a string of high-profile cyberattacks against government agencies and private businesses, US national-security officials are increasingly focused on cybersecurity.

Persons: —, Anatolii Organizations: Diplomatic Security Service, DSS, Service, UN, Assembly, US State Department As, State, State Department, Mobile Security, Mobile, Foreign Affairs Security Training Center, US Department of State Regional, US, Overseas Security Advisory Council, Publishing, Getty, Operations Command, Foreign Affairs Counter, APEC, Diplomatic Security, State Department's, Department of Homeland Security, Management, Budget Locations: Ukraine, China, Taiwan, State, Virginia, Kyiv, Russia, San Francisco

☆ Issues over TikTok still unresolved, US Treasury Secretary Yellen says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen attends a press conference after a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, ahead of a U.S.-hosted APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The United States has concerns about issues over privacy and social media, and the matter involving TikTok is not yet resolved, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told CNBC in an interview on Monday. "We do have concerns around the potential issues with privacy and social media," she said, adding that she cannot discuss TikTok specifically. "This wasn't an explicit matter of discussion" between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping when they met last week, Yellen told CNBC. She said she discussed Chinese investments in the United States with her Chinese counterpart during their own meeting, including the process involving the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

Persons: Janet Yellen, Lifeng, Carlos Barria, Yellen, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, Toby Chopra, Doina Organizations: Treasury, APEC, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, United, CNBC, Foreign Investment, Department of Treasury, Thomson Locations: U.S, Asia, San Francisco , California, United States, Washington, Beijing

☆ March for Israel: Security in Washington, DC, increased for tens of thousands of expected demonstrators
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Holly Yan | Lauren Mascarenhas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Department of Homeland Security has determined the event will require “extensive federal interagency support,” according to law enforcement sources. American support for Israel is critical, said Eric D. Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America. “Israel must eliminate the terrorist threat on its border and restore safety and security to its people,” Fingerhut added. But Israel has agreed to four-hour, daily pauses in military operations in Gaza to allow for evacuations. The website for the “March for Israel” event says organizers have been in touch with law enforcement in the lead-up to the rally and have “retained the services of additional security assets based on recommendations of law enforcement and our security advisors.”

Persons: Muriel Bowser, Eric D, Fingerhut, “, ” Fingerhut, Israel, ” Organizations: CNN, Israel, Department of Homeland Security, US Capitol Police, DC, National Guard, Jewish Federations of North, Conference, Major, Jewish Organizations, Jewish Federations of, Hamas, Palestinian Ministry of Health, UNICEF, Freedom Locations: Washington ,, Israel, Jewish Federations of North America, “ Israel, Gaza, Ramallah, Washington

☆ How the GOP muzzled the quiet coalition that fought foreign propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Kevin Collier | Ken Dilanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

A once-robust alliance of federal agencies, tech companies, election officials and researchers that worked together to thwart foreign propaganda and disinformation has fragmented after years of sustained Republican attacks. The most recent setback came when the FBI put an indefinite hold on most briefings to social media companies about Russian, Iranian and Chinese influence campaigns. "We're having some interaction with social media companies," Wray said. "The symbiotic relationship between the government and the social media companies has definitely been fractured." Tech companies are still sharing their findings with each other, a Meta spokesperson told NBC News.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Wray, Sen, Mitt Romney, they're, Mark Warner, Warner, Hillary Clinton's, Barack, CISA, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Hunter, Mark Zuckerburg, Hunter Biden, didn't, Biden, Nina Jankowicz, Jankowicz, Jen, Jim Jordan, Kara Swisher, we're, Elon Musk, wasn't Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, GOP, FBI, Force, NBC News, Senate Homeland Security Committee, Justice Department, Committee, Republican, Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Microsoft, Senate Intelligence, Kremlin, Internet Research Agency, Facebook, Twitter, National Security Agency, Democrats, New, Digital, Republicans, Homeland Security, Wired, Rep, Tech Locations: Washington ,, Silicon Valley, R, Utah, Russia, Iran, China, U.S, Illinois, CISA, New York, Missouri, Louisiana, Ohio, Israel

☆ White House works on new measures to counter Islamophobia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The launch of the anti-Islamophobia effort has been expected for months. "Today's announcement is the latest step... to establish an interagency group to increase and better coordinate U.S. government efforts to counter Islamophobia, antisemitism, and related forms of bias and discrimination within the United States," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. Thirty-seven percent said they now identify as Democrats, 32% as Republicans and 31% as independents. The poll is the latest evidence that Biden's campaign for a second term in office is rapidly losing Muslim and Arab American support over his staunch support of Israel. Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Rod NickelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Donald Trump, Jarrett Renshaw, Rod Nickel Organizations: Recreation Center, Wadea, Hamas, Domestic, Council, National Security Council, Arab American Institute, Republican, Israel, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Illinois, American

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war news
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Adam Renton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

As the Biden administration continues its work to support Israel and move military assets into the region, US officials across the government are furiously working behind the scenes to piece together an accurate picture on the ground. Further complicating the situation, US officials say, is that Hamas consists of numerous and often competing subgroups and militias that all operate in Gaza. Before the US can put together a plan to recover hostages, officials first have to figure out which of those Hamas sub-groups may be holding them, and for what reason. Here's what is happening: The US is working closely with Israel, with FBI and Pentagon personnel on the ground in Israel providing support to Israeli special operators. These include members of the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group, which has extensive experience in helping to resolve hostage incidents, including in war zones from Afghanistan to Iraq and across the Middle East.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden, Read Organizations: CNN, White, FBI, Pentagon, State Department, National Security Council Locations: Gaza, Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq

Flags of China and U.S. are displayed on a printed circuit board with semiconductor chips, in this illustration picture taken February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. rule that restricts shipments of certain advanced chips to China has been revised and is under final review, according to a government posting, suggesting that further curbs on chips that can be used for artificial intelligence are coming soon. Reuters exclusively reported last week that U.S. officials had warned China to expect rules restricting shipments of semiconductor equipment and advanced AI chips to China to be updated this month. The rule restricting exports of chipmaking equipment was posted for review last week, Reuters reported on Oct. 5. The regulation on controls on high-end chips, advanced computing integrated circuits (ICs), and supercomputing was received for review on Oct. 10, according to the Office of Management and Budget website.

Persons: Florence Lo, Karen Freifeld, Alexandra Alper, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, U.S . Department of Commerce, supercomputing, Management, Export, OMB, of State , Defense, Commerce, Energy, Thomson Locations: China, U.S

☆ California may build solar panels alongside highways to power homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gavin Newsom on Saturday gave the greenlight for the state's transportation and energy officials to figure out how to install solar panels, battery storage and other renewable energy sites along highways. According to the state's Department of Transportation, California has 250 state highways containing more than 15,000 miles of road. The empty land alongside those roads could be used to generate one gigawatt of potential solar energy, which could power over 270,000 California homes, according to a joint report from Environment California, a nonprofit backer of SB 49, and highway solar advocate The Ray. In 2008, Oregon became the first state to develop a solar highway project, which now has nearly 600 solar panels. Using empty space along highways to install clean energy sites would help alleviate pressure on the state's deserts where many solar panels are currently housed.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Ray, Sen, Josh Becker Organizations: Port, Los Angeles , California ., Los Angeles , California . California Gov, Saturday, Department of Transportation, state's Department of Transportation Locations: Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro, Los Angeles , California, Los Angeles , California . California, state's Department of Transportation , California, California, Environment California, Oregon

WASHINGTON/SEOUL, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Private Travis King, the U.S. soldier who ran into North Korea in July, is in U.S. custody and heading home after being expelled by North Korea into China, the United States said on Wednesday. For its part, North Korea appears to have treated his case as one of illegal immigration. North Korea's KCNA state news agency said King told Pyongyang he entered North Korea illegally because he was disillusioned about unequal U.S. Last month, it said that he wanted refuge in North Korea or elsewhere because of maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. army. KING IN 'GOOD HEALTH'The Swedish government, which represents U.S. interests in North Korea because Washington has no diplomatic presence in the country, retrieved King in North Korea and brought him to China.

Persons: Travis King, King, KCNA, Matthew Miller, Nicholas Burns, Miller, Kim Hong, Jonathan Franks, Claudine Gates, Gates, Myron Gates, Fort Sam Houston, Brittney Griner, Hyonhee Shin, hyang Choi, Phil Stewart, Susan Heavey, Trevor Hunnicutt, Doina, Idrees Ali, Daphne Psaledakis Michael Martina, Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Brendan O'Brien, Johan Ahlander, Philippa Fletcher, Sharon Singleton, Bill Berkrot, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis, William Maclean, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: North, The State Department, ., China . State Department, U.S, Osan Air Force Base, King, REUTERS, United States Army, ABC News, South Korean, Brooke Army Medical Center, Base San, Fort, Russia, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, SEOUL, U.S, North Korea, China, United States, Washington, Pyongyang, Swedish, Beijing, Dandong, Shenyang, South Korea, Sweden, Gijungdong, Panmunjom, Texas, Base San Antonio, Seoul, Chicago, Stockholm

Tina Kotek said Tuesday she has directed state police to launch new strategies aimed at disrupting the fentanyl supply chain and holding sellers of the frequently deadly drug accountable. Kotek said in a statement that she made the announcement at a Tuesday meeting of her task force created to revitalize downtown Portland. “I want all Oregonians to know that the state is moving forward with several new fentanyl strategic enforcement and disruption strategies,” Kotek's statement said. So far this year, the Oregon State Patrol has seized nearly 233,000 fentanyl pills and 62 pounds of powder, the statement said. Illegally made fentanyl is often added to other drugs, including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, to increase its potency.

Persons: Tina Kotek, Kotek, General Merrick Garland Organizations: —, Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon State Patrol, Washington , D.C, U.S . Justice Locations: SALEM, Ore, — Oregon, Portland, “, U.S, Washington ,

☆ Inside the crucial final hours as American diplomats tackled last minute obstacles to bring five Americans imprisoned in Iran home
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Senior State Department officials spoke to CNN about what happened on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive details. The Iranians even threatened not to include all five of the Americans in the release unless the US did more, the officials told CNN. “We held our line and the Iranians backed down and we made it work,” a senior State Department official said. But the Qatari officials, in a smooth diplomatic maneuver, countered that they would be offended if everyone did not eat while on board the Qatari plane and an agonizing final delay was avoided. ET, the US plane carrying the seven Americans, Carstens, Paley and other US officials departed Doha en route to the US.

Persons: Iran Abram Paley, Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, “, ”, didn’t, “ They’re, “ We’ve, “ couldn’t, Morad, Emad Shargi, Effie, Vida, Siamak, Karim Jaafar, Carstens, Paley, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Joe Biden, ” Shargi Organizations: CNN, Senior State Department, Hostage Affairs, Qatari, Swiss, State Department, Central Bank, Doha International Airport, Getty, Defense, “ CNN Locations: United States, Iran, Tehran, Doha, South Korea, Qatar, Emad Sharqi, AFP, Washington, DC, Fort Belvoir , Virginia, PISA, Fort Belvoir

☆ US wildland firefighter pay threatened by Republican feud in Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Firefighters cannot be held hostage to congressional infighting," said Lucas Mayfield, president of the advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. More than 10 million acres were affected in 2015 and 2017. Last year, the cost of suppressing wildfires across 7.6 million acres surpassed $3.5 billion, according to the center. "Now is not the time ... to be engaging in this kind of the political gamesmanship around something as important as the livelihood of our wildland firefighters," he told Reuters. Neguse and Senator Kyrsten Sinema, an independent from Arizona, have introduced legislation in their respective chambers that would avoid the pay cliff and authorize future pay increases for wildland firefighters.

Persons: Matthew A, Foster, Handout, Mike Simpson, Joe Biden, Lucas Mayfield, Mayfield, Joe Neguse, Kyrsten Sinema, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Alistair Bell Organizations: Force, U.S . Army National Guard, Staff, REUTERS, Rights, Interagency Fire, Idaho Republican, Reuters, Republicans, Democrats, Democratic, Biden, Grassroots, Firefighters, Republican, National Interagency Fire Center, Colorado Democrat, House, Thomson Locations: Lahaina , Hawaii, U.S, Washington, West, British Columbia, Idaho, United States, Neguse, Arizona

REUTERS/Dan Riedlhuber/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - The fires that tore through the Canadian province of Quebec between May and July were made at least twice as likely by climate change, scientists said on Tuesday. Climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, also made the fires as much as 50% more intense, according to the analysis by World Weather Attribution group, a global team of scientists that examines the role played by climate change in extreme weather. "Climate change is greatly increasing the flammability of the fuel available for wildfires – this means that a single spark, regardless of its source, can rapidly turn into a blazing inferno," said Yan Boulanger, a research scientist at Natural Resources Canada. Scientists reviewed weather data, including temperature, windspeed, humidity, and precipitation, and used computer models to assess how climate change had altered fire weather this year, comparing it to preindustrial climate. The Quebec fires are just one sliver of what has been the country's worst wildfire season on record.

Persons: Dan Riedlhuber, Yan Boulanger, Philippe Gachon, Gloria Dickie, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Natural Resources, University of Quebec, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Thomson Locations: Okanagan Lake, West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, Canadian, Quebec, Natural Resources Canada, Montreal, Yellowknife, Territories, London

☆ Spreading State Restrictions on China Show Depths of Distrust in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Alan Rappeport | More About Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

They are likely to pose another challenge for the administration, which has dispatched several top officials to China in recent weeks to try to stabilize economic ties. But while Washington may see a relationship with China as a necessary evil, officials at the state and local levels appear determined to try to sever their economic relationship with America’s third-largest trading partner. “The shift that we have seen to the states is relatively recent, but it’s gaining strength.”One of the biggest targets has been Chinese landownership, despite the fact that China owns less than 400,000 acres in the United States, according to the Agriculture Department. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a powerful interagency group known as CFIUS that can halt international business transactions, reviewed the proposal but ultimately decided that it did not have the jurisdiction to block the plan. However, the Air Force, citing the mill’s proximity to a U.S. military base, said this year that China’s involvement was a national security risk, and local officials scuttled the project.

Persons: ”, Mario Mancuso, Kirkland & Ellis Organizations: Kirkland &, Agriculture Department, Fufeng USA, Foreign Investment, Air Force Locations: China, United States, Washington, American, Grand Forks, N.D, U.S

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