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Idalia was expected to intensify rapidly before slamming ashore on Wednesday morning, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC). SURGES UP TO 12 FEET HIGHMost of Florida's 21 million residents, along with many in Georgia and South Carolina, were under hurricane, tropical storm and storm surge warnings and advisories. "I don't panic, I prepare," said Bontrager, 40, who runs six sport and charter fishing boats in Venice along the Gulf Coast near Tampa. From Tuesday through Thursday, Florida's Gulf Coast along with southeastern Georgia and eastern portions of North and South Carolina could face torrential rains of 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm, the hurricane center warned. In some spots, the surge of water could rise 8 to 12 feet (2.5-3.7 m), the hurricane center said.

Persons: Idalia, Ron DeSantis, Irma, Michael, Ian, Milton Bontrager's, Hurricane Idalia, Marco Bello, Anthony Holloway, DeSantis, Guan, Madelin Suarez Morejon, Rich McKay, Dave Sherwood, Brendan O'Brien, Steve Gorman, Swati Verma, David Ljunggren, Joseph Ax, Lincoln, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Hurricane Center, NHC, REUTERS, Federal Emergency Management, CNN, Tampa International, National Guard, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Florida, Florida's Gulf Coast, Miami, Bend, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Tampa, St, Petersburg, Gulf of Mexico, Cuba, Georgia, South Carolina, Sarasota, Venice, Gulf, North, Cedar Key , Florida, Apalachicola Bay ., CUBA, Caribbean, Havana, Pinar del Rio, Atlanta, Guanimar, Chicago, Los Angeles, Bengaluru, Ottawa, West Stockbridge , Massachusetts

Aug 29 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Idalia closed in on Florida's Gulf Coast on Tuesday after skirting past Cuba, headed for a U.S. landfall as a powerful Category 3 storm, prompting authorities to order evacuations of vulnerable shoreline areas. [1/3]People walk on a flooded street as Storm Idalia makes landfall in Cuba, Guanimar, Cuba, August 28, 2023. MOVING TO HIGHER GROUNDEvacuations of barrier islands and other low-lying areas of Florida's Gulf Coast began on Monday. Far to the east of Idalia, Hurricane Franklin, the first major hurricane of the season, meandered in the Atlantic, and was forecast to turn to the northeast over the next two days. The Category 4 storm threatened to bring heavy swells to Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast throughout the week.

Persons: Idalia, Buckle, Ron DeSantis, Irma, Michael, Ian, Guan, Storm Idalia, Alexandre Meneghini, We've, Yadira Alvarez, Shannon Hartsfield, Hartsfield, DeSantis, Hurricane Franklin, Rich McKay, Dave Sherwood, Brendan O'Brien, Steve Gorman, Swati Verma, Lincoln Organizations: U.S, Hurricane Center, NHC, Storm, REUTERS, Authorities, Coast, Hartsfield, Tampa International, National Guard, meandered, U.S ., Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Florida's, Coast, Cuba, Miami, Bend, Florida, Gulf, Mexico, Sarasota, Tampa, Apalachicola Bay, Caribbean, Havana, Guanimar, Pinar del Rio, Florida's Gulf Coast, Georgia, North, South Carolina, Idalia, Hurricane, Bermuda, U.S . East Coast, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ Man pleads guilty to raping Ohio child who sought abortion in neighboring Indiana
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The high court's decision led a judge to reinstate a law in Ohio banning the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy. The child was six weeks and four days pregnant when her doctor tested her, prosecutors said. The decision to seek an abortion in Indiana set off an uproar in that state, leading Indiana's Republican Attorney General to accuse the doctor who performed the abortion of misconduct. The Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization overturning the right to an abortion was issued two days later. The girl was 9 years old when she was raped twice by Fuentes and 10 when she sought care in Indiana, prosecutors said.

Persons: impregnating, Gerson Fuentes, Roe, Wade, Fuentes, Judge Julie Lynch, Lynch, rebuking Fuentes, Dan Lenert, Sharon Bernstein, Steve Gorman, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Republican, Jackson Women's Health, Thomson Locations: Ohio, Indiana, Franklin , County , Ohio, United States, Dobbs

☆ Four killed, four wounded in Philadelphia shooting - local media
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 3 (Reuters) - Four people were killed and four others were injured in a shooting on Monday night in Philadelphia, and a suspect was taken into custody, local news media outlets reported, citing police. A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department confirmed to Reuters by email there were "multiple gunshot victims" but said no further details were immediately available. Both the Inquirer and Philadelphia television WPVI, an ABC News affiliate, reported two of the people shot were juveniles, but it was not clear whether they were among the dead. Police said they were still seeking multiple suspects in that shooting. Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jonathan Allen, Steve Gorman, Kim Coghill Organizations: Philadelphia Police Department, Reuters, Philadelphia Inquirer, Inquirer, Philadelphia, ABC News, Police, Thomson Locations: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's, Baltimore , Maryland, New York, Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, July 2 (Reuters) - Thousands of Los Angeles-area hotel workers went on strike on Sunday demanding pay hikes and improved benefits in a region where high housing costs make it difficult for low-wage earners to live close to where they hold jobs, union officials said. Unite Here Local 11, which represents 15,000 workers at more than 60 major hotels in Los Angeles and Orange counties, declared the strike a day after the workers' contract expired. [1/4]People protest in front of Hotel Indigo as unionized hotel workers in Los Angeles and Orange County go on strike, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. July 2, 2023. Los Angeles has been a flashpoint for labor strife on several fronts this year, including the protracted writers strike and a three-day walkout in March by education support staff for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Gabriella Borter in New York; Editing by Mary Milliken and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kurt Petersen, Maria Hernandez, David Swanson, Hernandez, Steve Gorman, Gabriella Borter, Mary Milliken, Josie Kao Organizations: Southern, Hollywood, InterContinental, Hotel, Millennium Biltmore, JW Marriott, Fairmont, Sheraton Universal, Universal, REUTERS, Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Coordinated, Westin Bonaventure, Los Angeles City News Service, Los Angeles Unified School District, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, Los Angeles, Orange, Fairmont Miramar, Santa Monica, Universal City, Laguna Cliffs, Dana Point, Indigo, Orange County, Los Angeles , California, U.S, L.A, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, West, New York

☆ Europe's Euclid space telescope set for launch to explore 'dark universe'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The mission focuses on two foundational components of the dark universe. One is dark matter, the invisible but theoretically influential cosmic scaffolding thought to give shape and texture to the cosmos. Scientists estimate dark energy and dark matter together make up 95% of the cosmos, while ordinary matter that we can see accounts for just 5%. EUROPEAN-LED MISSION[1/2]An artist's concept shows the Euclid space telescope, built by the European Space Agency (ESA) that is set to be launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, in operation, in this undated handout image. "Measuring the shapes and positions of galaxies allows us to infer the properties of dark matter and dark energy," Rhodes said on Friday.

Persons: Euclid, Elon Musk, James Webb, Jason Rhodes, Rhodes, Yannick Mellier, Steve Gorman, William Mallard Organizations: SpaceX, European Space Agency, ESA, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Space Agency, REUTERS, NASA, Euclid, Russian Soyuz, Elon, James Webb Space, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Euclid Consortium, Institut d'Astrophysique de, Thomson Locations: Florida, Cape, U.S, Canada, Japan, Russian, California, Ukraine, Los Angeles, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris

Virgin Galactic leases part of the facility. The flight marked a long-delayed breakthrough for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), finally inaugurating commercial service after nearly 20 years fraught by development setbacks. Virgin Galactic said Unity topped out its flight at an altitude of nearly 52.9 miles (85.1 km). A final crewed test flight to space was conducted with little fanfare five weeks ago. An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

Persons: Richard Branson, Joe, Branson, Burt Rutan, Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk's, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Bezos, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Virgin, REUTERS, Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, VSS Unity, America, Galactic, Virgin Galactic Holding Inc, . Virgin, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Italian Air Force, International Space, Air Force, Unity, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, U.S, Italy, Mexico, Italian, Los Angeles

The flight marks a decisive moment for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), the space tourism venture founded by British billionaire Richard Branson in 2004, as it inaugurates commercial service following several years fraught with development setbacks. Rounding out the crew was their Virgin Galactic trainer, Colin Bennett, the company's lead "astronaut instructor," and Unity's two pilots, Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile. A final crewed test flight to space was conducted with little fanfare five weeks ago. Virgin Galactic has said it has already booked a backlog of some 800 customers, charging from $250,000 to $450,000 per seat, and envisions eventually building a large enough fleet to accommodate 400 flights annually. An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

Persons: Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk's, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Branson, Bezos, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham Organizations: Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, Italy, Virgin Galactic Holding Inc, Virgin, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Italian Air Force, VSS Unity, International Space, Air Force, America, Unity, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, Italy, British, Italian, Los Angeles

Virgin Galactic leases part of the facility. The flight marked a long-delayed breakthrough for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), finally inaugurating commercial service after nearly 20 years of fraught by development setbacks. Rounding out the crew was their Virgin Galactic trainer, Colin Bennett, the company's lead "astronaut instructor," and Unity's two pilots, Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile. Virgin Galactic said Unity topped out its flight at an altitude of nearly 52.9 miles (85.1 km). An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

OTTAWA, June 28 (Reuters) - Debris from the tourist submersible destroyed in an implosion that killed the five people aboard were recovered along with presumed human remains and brought ashore on Wednesday for examination, the U.S. Coast Guard said. U.S. medical professionals also "will conduct a formal analysis of presumed human remains that have been carefully recovered within the wreckage at the site of the incident," the Coast Guard statement added. Footage also showed a shattered piece of the Titan's hull and machinery with dangling wires being taken off the ship at St. John's, where the expedition to the Titanic had begun. [1/6]A view of the Horizon Arctic ship, as salvaged pieces of the Titan submersible from OceanGate Expeditions are returned, in St. John's harbour, Newfoundland, Canada June 28, 2023. Among the dead was Stockton Rush, the submersible pilot and CEO of U.S.-based OceanGate Expeditions, which owned and operated the Titan.

Persons: David Hiscock, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, OceanGate, Ismail Shakil, Steve Gorman, Deepa Babington, Leslie Adler Organizations: OTTAWA, U.S . Coast Guard, Canadian, Coast Guard, Guard, Canadian Broadcast Corp, OceanGate Expeditions, REUTERS, Canada's Transportation, Stockton Rush, Expeditions, Thomson Locations: St, John's, Newfoundland, Canada, U.S, North, British, Ottawa, Los Angeles

The flight, dubbed Galactic 01, comes two years after Branson himself rode along with five other Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc (SPCE.N) personnel for the company's first fully crewed test spaceflight of its rocket plane, VSS Unity. Back then, Virgin Galactic officials said they expected to begin regular commercial operations in 2022 following additional test flights. Virgin Galactic had projected booking its first 1,000 paying customers, charging about $250,000 per seat, by the time commercial service opened. An earlier prototype of Virgin Galactic's rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. Billionaire rival Jeff Bezos, whose astro-tourist venture Blue Origin has already flown several commercial passenger flights, has disparaged Virgin Galactic as falling short of a true spaceflight experience.

Persons: Richard Branson, Joe Skipper, Branson, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Branson's, Jeff Bezos, Virgin, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham Organizations: Virgin, Unity, REUTERS, Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc, VSS, Galactic, SpaceX, Origin, Italian Air Force, International Space, Air Force, . Air Force, America, Corporate, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, U.S, Italy, Mexico, Italian, Branson, Bezos, Los Angeles

☆ British actor Julian Sands confirmed dead, months after vanishing in California mountains
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The manner of his death remained under investigation, awaiting further test results, the department said in an statement. The large, slopping area below the crest of Mount Baldy is a popular destination for skiers, climbers and backpackers. But authorities warned then that heavy snow from weeks of winter storms had made the area treacherous for outdoor recreation. Several subsequent searches came up empty-handed, including a major sweep conducted days before Sands' remains were ultimately found in the Mount Baldy wilderness area, according to the sheriff's department. Cellphone signals detected on Sunday, Jan. 15, had showed Sands headed toward the ridge of Mount Baldy, apparently the last indication he was still on the move, the sheriff's department reported then.

Persons: Julian Sands, David W Cerny, Sands, Mount, Julian, Rob Lowe's, Helena Bonham Carter, Satan, Helena, Harold Pinter, John Keats, Percy Shelley, Oscar, Jodie Foster, Arianna Huffington, Evgenia, Sarah Harvey, Steve Gorman, Dan Whitcomb, Tim Ahmann, Diane Craft, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, San, Guardian, Lord Wandsworth College, Oxford, Academy, Thomson Locations: Boletice, Czech Republic, Southern California, San Bernardino County, Baldy, San Gabriel, Los Angeles, Mount Baldy, Sands, England, Hampshire, Cambodia, California, Italy, Las Vegas

LOS ANGELES, June 23 (Reuters) - Film and television directors voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three-year labor contract with major Hollywood studios on Friday, averting a second work stoppage that would have added to upheaval caused by an ongoing writers' strike. The DGA represents 19,000 directors, assistant directors and others who work on film and TV productions. During the last WGA strike in 2007 and 2008, a studio deal with the DGA prompted writers to head back to the bargaining table. Striking writers have insisted that the directors' latest deal will not influence their position this time. Hollywood actors, meanwhile, are in the middle of their own labor talks with studios.

Persons: Lisa Richwine, Steve Gorman, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Hollywood, of America, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt Disney Co, Netflix Inc, Guild of America, WGA, DGA, SAG, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, Los Angeles

He told reporters on Thursday the debris was consistent with "a catastrophic implosion of the vehicle." British Titanic explorer Dik Barton paid tribute to the work of his friend Nargeolet but noted issues raised with the design and maintenance of the craft. "Everyone's wise after the event, but as we're hearing before, unfortunately there were many red flags flying here," he said. He said sonar buoys used in the water for more than three days had not detected an implosion. The Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg on its first voyage, killing more than 1,500 people aboard.

Persons: moviemaker Cameron, John Mauger, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, OceanGate, Dawood, Shahzada, Suleman Dawood, Dik Barton, Nargeolet, OceanGate's, Guard's Mauger, Moviemaker James Cameron, we've, Cameron, Stefan Williams, Michael Guillen, Joseph Ax, Steve Gorman, Charlotte Greefield, Edmund Blair, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Titan, U.S . Coast Guard, Stockton Rush, OceanGate Expeditions, British Asian Trust, University of Strathclyde, U.S . Navy, Navy, Wall Street, British, Reuters, University of Sydney, Thomson Locations: North Atlantic, North, U.S, Scotland, British, Greece, Canada, France, Britain, submersibles, Cape Cod , Massachusetts, St, John's, Newfoundland

The minivan-sized submersible Titan, operated by U.S.-based OceanGate Expeditions, began its descent at 8 a.m. (1200 GMT) on Sunday. The Titan set off with 96 hours of air, according to the company, meaning its oxygen tanks would likely be depleted some time on Thursday morning. "When you're in the middle of a search-and-rescue case, you always have hope," Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick said at a press conference on Wednesday. Titanic expert Tim Maltin said it would be "almost impossible to effect a sub-to-sub rescue" on the seabed. The robot could also help hook the sub to a surface ship capable of lifting it, the operator said.

Persons: Jamie Frederick, Frederick, Atalante, Victor, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, Sean Leet, Leet, Tim Maltin, OceanGate's, Steve Gorman, Joseph Ax, Tim McLaughlin, Rami Ayyub, Tyler Clifford, Louise Dalmasso, Daniel Trotta, Brad Brooks, Ariba Shahid, Paul Thomasch, Nick Zieminski, Sandra Maler, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Co, U.S, Expeditions, Atlantic, U.S . Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Guard, U.S . Navy, Stockton Rush, Horizon Maritime Services, Thomson Locations: Canada, France, U.S, Cape Cod , Massachusetts, St, John's, Newfoundland, French

[1/2] The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of the sunken Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, dives in an undated photograph. Robotic undersea search operations were diverted to the area where the sounds seemed to originate, but there was still no tangible sign of the missing vessel, the Coast Guard said on Twitter. ROBOTIC SEARCH REDIRECTEDThe search effort included Lockheed P-3 Orion turboprop airplanes designed with sub-surface surveillance gear to detect submarines, Frederick said. The Coast Guard did not detail the nature or extent of the sounds. Titanic expert Tim Matlin said it would be "almost impossible to effect a sub-to-sub rescue" on the seabed.

Persons: Jamie Frederick, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, Frederick said, Canada's, Stone, Alistair Greig, Tim Matlin, Steve Gorman, Joseph Ax, Brendan O'Brien, Natalie Thomas, Aiden Nulty, Kanishka Singh, Ismail Shakil, Steve Scherer, Steve Holland, Daniel Trotta, Brad Brooks, Ariba Shahid, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: OceanGate Expeditions, U.S . Coast Guard, Canadian, Coast Guard, Twitter, U.S, Expeditions, British, Reuters, U.S . Navy, Atlantic, Stockton Rush, Authorities, Lockheed, Orion, CNN, Stone, University College London, Thomson Locations: Newfoundland, Canada, France, U.S, Connecticut, Cape Cod , Massachusetts, St, John's, French

☆ Saturn's icy moon Enceladus harbors essential elements for life
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The discovery was based on data collected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, the first to orbit Saturn, during its 13-year landmark exploration of the gaseous giant planet, its rings and its moons from 2004 to 2017. The same team previously confirmed that Enceladus' ice grains contain a rich assortment of minerals and complex organic compounds, including the ingredients for amino acids, associated with life as scientists know it. Another is Jupiter's larger moon Europa, which also is believed to harbor a global ocean of liquid water beneath its icy surface. "This key ingredient could be abundant enough to potentially support life in Enceladus' ocean," said co-investigator Christopher Glein, a planetary scientist at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. "Whether life could have originated in Enceladus' ocean remains an open question," Glein said.

Persons: NASA's Cassini, Read, Frank Postberg, Cassini, Christopher Glein, Glein, Steve Gorman, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: NASA's, Nature, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, Free University, Southwest Research Institute, Thomson Locations: German, Los Angeles, Berlin, Europe, Japan, San Antonio , Texas

☆ Pat Sajak to retire from record TV stint as 'Wheel of Fortune' host
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We’re thrilled to have him remaining close to the Wheel of Fortune family!” she said. "Wheel of Fortune" originally aired as an NBC network program on daytime television in 1975, with Chuck Woolery as host. While "The Price is Right" holds the record as the longest continuously running game show on American television, "Wheel of Fortune" has the longest unbroken run of any syndicated U.S. game show. Sajak left the NBC evening edition of "Wheel" when his own short-lived late-night talk show premiered on CBS. Meanwhile, Sajak was replaced on NBC's "Wheel" by Rolf Benirschke, who was in turn succeeded by Bob Goen when the network program moved to CBS, then briefly back to NBC.

Persons: Pat Sajak, Sajak, I've, It's, Suzanne Prete, We’re, Vanna White, White, Merv Griffin, Chuck Woolery, Bob Barker, Alex Trebek, Rolf Benirschke, Bob Goen, Steve Gorman, Robert Birsel Organizations: American, Twitter, Sony Pictures Television, NBC, CBS, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, Los Angeles

☆ First woman to serve as New York City's top cop announces surprise resignation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, June 12 (Reuters) - New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, the first woman to lead the nation's largest police department, on Monday said she is resigning after serving 18 months in the post. Mayor Eric Adams, himself a former New York police captain, appointed Sewell as the city's 45th police commissioner when he took office in January 2022. Raised in the New York borough of Queens, Sewell succeeded Dermot Shea, who was appointed the city's top cop in 2019 by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio. Adams credited Sewell with playing "a leading role in this administration's tireless work to make New York City safer." Neither Sewell nor the mayor made clear the effective date of her resignation or made mention of a replacement.

Persons: Keechant Sewell, Sewell, Eric Adams, Dermot Shea, Bill de Blasio, Adams, Patrick Lynch, Lynch, Jonathan Allen, Steve Gorman, Jamie Freed Organizations: YORK, New York, New York City Police, WABC, New York Police Department, NYPD, Twitter, Police Benevolent Association, Thomson Locations: New, New York City, New York, Nassau County , New York, Queens, Los Angeles

☆ Controlled burn and downed power line sparked Colorado's costliest wildfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Keith Coffman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A statue stands amidst the remains of homes destroyed by the Marshall Fire in Louisville, Colorado, U.S. December 31, 2021. REUTERS/Alyson McClaran/File PhotoDENVER, June 8 (Reuters) - Colorado's costliest wildfire on record started from fierce winds that damaged power lines and unearthed smoldering embers from a controlled burn days earlier, sparking two blazes that merged into a deadly conflagration, authorities said on Thursday. The sheriff's report was released as a group of two dozen homeowners and community members filed a lawsuit against Xcel Energy, the utility whose wind-damaged power lines the sheriff's office cited as having contributed to the deadly fire. Both the sheriff's office and local prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence of criminal conduct in connection with the blaze and determined that charges would be filed, the sheriff's statement said. Reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; Editing by Steve Gorman and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alyson McClaran, Investigators, Marshall, Biden, Keith Coffman, Steve Gorman, Michael Perry Organizations: Marshall Fire, REUTERS, DENVER, Sheriff's, Xcel Energy, Energy, Thomson Locations: Louisville , Colorado, U.S, Boulder, Boulder County, Denver, Colorado

☆ Hollywood actor becomes latest arrested in Jan 6 Capitol assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, June 7 (Reuters) - A Hollywood actor who has appeared on such TV shows as "Arrested Development" and the cartoon hit "Bob's Burgers," was arrested on Wednesday for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021, that sought to keep Donald Trump in the White House. Johnston surrendered on Wednesday to the FBI field office in Los Angeles, where he is a resident, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. Johnston has appeared in dozens of films and television shows, often portraying law enforcement officers, including recurring roles as a cop on the comedies "The Sarah Silverman Program" and "Arrested Development." He was banned from the show in 2021 after he was identified as having participated in the Jan. 6 mob, according to the Daily Beast. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jay Johnston, Joe Biden's, Johnston, sleuths, Trump, Sarah Silverman, Jimmy Pesto, Steve Gorman, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: U.S, Capitol, District of Columbia, FBI, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S . Capitol Police, NBC News, Electoral, Republican, Fox, Daily Beast, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, District, Los Angeles, U.S

[1/3] Law enforcement officers investigate at the scene after a gunman opened fire in a park as high school graduates and their families emerged from a theater where commencement exercises had just concluded, in Richmond, Virginia, U.S. June 6, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Clark... Read moreJune 6 (Reuters) - A man armed with four handguns killed two people and wounded five others when he fired into a crowd outside a high school graduation ceremony in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday, police said. Edwards called the shooter's behavior "disgusting and cowardly," since his dispute appeared to be with just one person. The United States has grown accustomed to mass shootings in public places such as schools, shopping centers and churches. Reporting by Daniel Trotta and Steve Gorman; Editing by Tom Hogue and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Clark, Read, Rick Edwards, Edwards, It's, Daniel Trotta, Steve Gorman, Tom Hogue Organizations: Police, Huguenot, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond Police, Thomson Locations: Richmond , Virginia, U.S, United States, Lincoln

June 5 (Reuters) - The mother of a 6-year-old Virginia boy who shot and wounded his elementary school teacher was charged on Monday with two U.S. firearms felonies, and her lawyer said she will plead guilty to both offenses under a deal with federal prosecutors. She is accused of concealing in a federal firearms transaction form that she was an unlawful user of marijuana, court records show. The federal firearms counts are in addition to state charges on which Taylor was already indicted in connection with the Jan. 6 shooting of her son's first-grade teacher, Abigail Zwerner, at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. Another school staffer rushed into the classroom and restrained the boy while Zwerner ushered the rest of the students from the classroom to safety, police said. Zwerner has said the boy had been previously removed from school for violent behavior.

Persons: Deja Taylor, Taylor, Abigail Zwerner, James Ellenson, Ellenson, Zwerner, Steve Gorman, Leslie Adler Organizations: Richneck Elementary School, ABC, Thomson Locations: Virginia, Newport News , Virginia, Los Angeles

[1/7] Dev Shah, 14, reacts after winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition in National Harbor, Maryland U.S., June 1, 2023. REUTERS/Leah MillisJune 1 (Reuters) - Dev Shah, a 14-year-old boy from Largo, Florida, won the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, nailing the word "psammophile," meaning an organism that thrives in sandy soils, in the 15th round of the contest's finals. Shah, a student at Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School, had correctly, and swiftly, spelled "bathypitotmeter" in the 14th round, but under spelling bee rules needed to land one more word to be declared winner. Shah, who was crowned champion in a hail of confetti before being joined on stage by his parents and other relatives, takes home $50,000 cash from E.W. Dev, whose hobbies include reading, tennis, playing the cello and solving math problems, tied for 51st place in the 2019 edition of the spelling bee, and tied for 76th place in 2021.

Persons: Dev Shah, Leah Millis, Charlotte Walsh, Shah, Webster, The Merriam, Dev, Harini Logan, Brendan O'Brien, Steve Gorman, Matthew Lewis, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Scripps, Spelling, National Harbor , Maryland U.S, REUTERS, Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School, Scripps Co, Encyclopedia, The, Webster, ION, ESPN, Thomson Locations: National Harbor , Maryland, Largo , Florida, Arlington , Virginia, Encyclopedia Britannica, Merriam, Washington ,, San Antonio , Texas, Chicago, Los Angeles

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) - A NASA panel formed last year to study what the government calls "unidentified aerial phenomena," commonly termed UFOs, was due to hold its first public meeting on Wednesday, ahead of a report expected in coming weeks. The focus of Wednesday's four-hour public session "is to hold final deliberations before the agency's independent study team publishes a report this summer," NASA said in announcing the meeting. The panel represents the first such inquiry ever conducted under the auspices of the U.S. space agency for a subject the government once consigned to the exclusive and secretive purview of military and national security officials. The NASA study is separate from a newly formalized Pentagon-based investigation of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs, documented in recent years by military aviators and analyzed by U.S. defense and intelligence officials. "There is no evidence UAPs are extraterrestrial in origin," NASA said in announcing the panel's formation last June.

Persons: Joey Roulette, Steve Gorman, Robert Birsel Organizations: NASA, U.S, Pentagon, UAP, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington, Los Angeles

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