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☆ Northern California Wildfire Slows, Allowing Some Residents to Return Home
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Jonathan Wolfe | More About Jonathan Wolfe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A destructive wildfire that engulfed buildings and forced 29,000 people to evacuate the area near Oroville in Butte County, California, is showing signs of slowing, officials said. Fire crews battled flames overnight, and on Thursday morning, the spread of the blaze, named the Thompson fire, remained relatively stable, at around 3,500 acres burned. The fierce winds that initially drove the fire weakened through the night, and officials said they planned to repopulate some areas today that were previously under evacuation orders. “Overall, things are looking pretty good,” said Kevin Colburn, a spokesman for Cal Fire. “The fire is not doing what it was doing on the first day.

Persons: Thompson, “, ”, Kevin Colburn Organizations: Fire, Cal Fire Locations: Oroville, Butte County , California

The Los Angeles Police Department removed a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California early Sunday morning, pushing several dozen people out of the campus gates in the latest crackdown on student protesters there. The encampment had sprouted up nearly two weeks ago in Alumni Park, a central quad on U.S.C.’s campus in Los Angeles. Los Angeles police said on Sunday morning that they had made no arrests while clearing the encampment for the second time. The university cited security concerns, but the valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, said she believed she was being silenced. On Sunday, police officers in riot gear entered the campus before dawn, pushing about 25 protesters out of the campus’s metal gates.

Persons: Asna Tabassum Organizations: Los Angeles Police Department, University of Southern, Sunday Locations: University of Southern California, ’, Los Angeles

After weeks of tumult at the University of Southern California, administrators have announced updated commencement plans, with increased security and modified festivities. The plans are in lieu of the university’s main graduation ceremony, which the school had canceled, citing security concerns. The university said it would host a “Trojan Family Graduate Celebration” on Thursday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the famed venue where its football team plays home games. More than 100 school-specific graduations and smaller receptions are set to take place on campus as planned, but with tighter access. For scheduling reasons, the university will be able to use only a portion of the stadium, so each graduate will receive up to six tickets.

Persons: ” Organizations: University of Southern, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, team Locations: University of Southern California

Local news footage and social media images showed scenes of chaos: Members of the clashing groups threw punches and wrestled each other to the ground. At about 3:30 a.m., officers wedged themselves between the groups, and the violence began to de-escalate. As the campus awoke early Wednesday, students and other curious onlookers leaned against the barricades at the encampment, silently taking videos or snapping photos. A police helicopter continued to hover overhead, and a large Palestinian flag at the center of the camp swayed in the wind. Detritus from a night of chaos — trash, broken pieces of wood, trampled clothing — speckled the ground.

Persons: counterprotesters, ”, Ms, Salem, “, Michael Nasir, Sergio Garcia Organizations: California, Patrol

☆ Israel Resumed its Gaza Offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Jonathan Wolfe | More About Jonathan Wolfe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Israel resumed its Gaza offensiveA weeklong cease-fire in the Gaza Strip collapsed this morning, with both Israel and Hamas blaming the other for the breakdown of the fragile truce. Shortly before the cease-fire expired at 7 a.m. local time, Israel said it had intercepted a projectile fired from Gaza. Since the resumption of fighting, the Israeli military said it had launched 200 strikes. Ultimately the two sides failed to overcome disagreements, including about how to define soldiers versus civilians and how many Palestinian prisoners Israel would release for its hostages, officials from Israel and Hamas said. But Israeli officials expressed determination to carry on with their campaign to eradicate Hamas.

Persons: Israel Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ Biden Declares Disaster for Maui
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Jonathan Wolfe | More About Jonathan Wolfe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Biden declares disaster for MauiPresident Biden issued a major disaster declaration for Maui as evacuation centers filled and tourists fled from the island in the wake of a fast-moving wildfire. The death toll climbed to 36, and hundreds of buildings were damaged in the tourist town of Lahaina and elsewhere on the western coast. Tad Craig, a wedding photographer who saw the wildfire on Tuesday in Lahaina, said gas tanks were exploding and smoke was blowing sideways. The fire, which officials said had been largely contained, prompted officials to evacuate 11,000 tourists from Maui, whose economy relies on tourism. Officials have strongly discouraged people from traveling to the island, one of America’s most beloved tourist destinations, while the crisis continues.

Persons: Biden, Tad Craig, ” Organizations: Maui, Flames, U.S . Coast Guard, Officials Locations: Maui, Lahaina

☆ U.S. Restricts Investment in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Jonathan Wolfe | More About Jonathan Wolfe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. restricts investment in ChinaPresident Biden escalated his confrontation with China today by banning American investments in key Chinese tech industries that could enhance Beijing’s military and surveillance capabilities. The proposed rules would apply to U.S. private equity and venture capital firms investing in quantum computing, artificial intelligence and advanced semiconductors. U.S. firms investing in a broader range of Chinese industries would also be required to report their activity. At the same time, it has pushed to develop suppliers outside China, and ramped up restrictions on selling the country technologies like semiconductors for advanced computing. But venture capital and private equity firms have continued to seek out lucrative opportunities for partnerships as a way to gain access to China’s vibrant tech industry.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Investments, U.S Locations: China

The fourth criminal case against Donald Trump is likely to intensify next week, when Fani Willis, the district attorney in Fulton County, Ga., is expected to take her election interference case to a grand jury. Willis has focused her investigation on the weeks after Trump lost the 2020 election, looking into calls that Trump made to pressure local officials, a plan by Trump allies to create a slate of bogus electors and the harassment of local election workers. One big question is how broad the indictments will be, according to our colleague Richard Fausset, who is based in Atlanta. The federal Jan. 6 case, whose indictments were announced last week, was a “very narrowly focused indictment,” Richard told us. “In Georgia, there is the possibility that this will be a multi-defendant indictment that would take in a wide rage of actors who would be accused of violating numerous state crimes in their effort to overturn the election.”

Persons: Donald Trump, Fani Willis, Willis, Trump, Richard Fausset, ” Richard, “, ” Organizations: Trump Locations: Fulton County ,, Atlanta, Georgia

Ron DeSantis of Florida plainly stated that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, in an apparent change in strategy that may put him at odds with much of the Republican base. “Of course he lost,” DeSantis said in an interview with NBC News on Sunday. “Joe Biden’s the president.”DeSantis, who is polling well behind Trump, for years has dodged questions about whether he believed the election was stolen. The governor’s blunt stance may be a sign that Trump’s legal problems have sent his Republican competitors looking for some way to take advantage. While none of them are openly attacking Trump, they are trying to press on his weaknesses — acknowledging reality and defying the denial espoused by him and many Republicans.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, ” DeSantis, “ Joe Biden’s, Trump Organizations: Republican, NBC News, Trump Locations: Florida

Employers across the U.S. added 187,000 jobs in July, and the unemployment rate sank to a near record low of 3.5 percent, new data showed today. Most people who want to work can find jobs, according to the report. But the pace of hiring has slowed over the last two months, a sign that the economy is cooling as the Federal Reserve battles inflation. Health care and leisure and hospitality added many of the new jobs, while most other industries — including manufacturing, transportation and warehousing — were flat to negative on job growth. “While we never want to read too much into any one jobs report, the trend over the past few months is pretty clear: We’re getting back to something approaching normal,” our colleague Lydia DePillis said.

Persons: Lydia DePillis Organizations: Federal Locations: U.S

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