Death toll in Northern California wildfire zone rises to 4
Authorities say two more bodies have been found within the burn zone of a huge Northern California wildfire, raising the death toll to four in the state’s largest blaze of the year. The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office says in a statement that search teams discovered the bodies Monday at separate residences along State Route 96. Two bodies were also found Sunday inside a charred vehicle in the driveway of a home near the tiny unincorporated community of Klamath River. More than 100 homes, sheds and other buildings have burned in the McKinney Fire since it erupted last Friday.
Justice Dept. sues Idaho over its abortion restrictions
The Biden administration sued Idaho on Tuesday over a strict state abortion law set to take effect this month that the Justice Department said would inhibit emergency room doctors from performing abortions that are necessary to stabilize the health of women facing medical emergencies. The lawsuit is the first the Biden administration has filed to protect access to abortion since the Supreme Court ruling in late June that ended the constitutional right to terminate pregnancies. The lawsuit argues that a federal law, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, bars states from imposing restrictions that would prevent emergency room doctors from treating those women.
Kansas voters protect abortion rights, block path to ban
Kansas voters have protected abortion rights by rejecting a measure that would have allowed the Republican-controlled Legislature to tighten abortion restrictions or ban it outright. The vote Tuesday was the first test of voters’ feelings about abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in late June. Voters rejected a change in the Kansas Constitution to ensure that it does not grant a right to an abortion so that legislators could regulate it as they see fit. The measure was a response to a 2019 state Supreme Court decision protecting abortion rights. Supporters of the change would not say whether they would pursue a ban, while opponents predicted one would be coming if the measure had passed.
Congress passes bill to include officer suicides in benefits
Congress has approved bipartisan legislation that would extend a benefits program for the families of public safety officers who are killed in the line of duty to officers who die by suicide as a result of a traumatic event on the job, including those who took their own lives after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The legislation, which would also allow officers to seek disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder, passed the Senate by unanimous consent on Monday. That cleared the legislation, which passed the House in May by a lopsided margin, for President Joe Biden, who was expected to sign it.
80-year-old store owner shoots attempted robbery suspect
A man armed with a rifle was shot by a quick-acting convenience store owner who pulled a shotgun out from behind the counter and opened fire during an attempted robbery in Southern California. The faceoff was recorded by surveillance cameras at the convenience store around 2:45 a.m. Sunday in Norco, a city that bills itself as “Horsetown USA.” Video aired by KCBS-TV shows the owner grabbing a shotgun and firing one round from behind the counter. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department says the owner was legally armed and praised his actions. One suspect was injured and three others have been taken into custody.
In Ukraine, devastation spreads as Russia regroups for new offensive
A month after seizing full control of the Luhansk region, the easternmost part of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces are regrouping for an expected push to conquer what they do not already hold of the neighboring Donetsk region. The Ukrainian military said Tuesday that it had repelled multiple attempts by the Russians to advance on the city of Bakhmut, in Donetsk. In the south, Ukrainian forces have driven the Russians back and are expected to make a major push to retake the strategic city of Kherson. But Ukraine’s determination to defend itself has come at a frightful cost: Tens of thousands of Ukrainians are estimated to have been killed, with many more wounded.
Brittney Griner back in Russian court on cannabis charge
American basketball star Brittney Griner is back in court for her trial for cannabis possession amid U.S. diplomatic efforts to secure her release. The WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist returned to court on Tuesday, a month after her trial began. She could face 10 years in prison if convicted. As her trial has progressed, the Biden administration has faced growing public pressure to get her released. In an extraordinary move, Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week spoke to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, urging him to accept a deal under which Griner and Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia on an espionage conviction, would go free.
US seeks possession of Venezuelan 747 grounded in Argentina
The U.S. Justice Department says it is seeking possession of a Venezuelan cargo jet that has been grounded in Argentina since early June because it was previously owned by an Iranian airline that allegedly has ties to terror groups. The request to Argentina on Tuesday came a day after an Argentine judge allowed 12 of the 19 crewmembers of the plane to leave the country as authorities continue to investigate possible terror ties of those traveling in the Boeing 747. The remaining four Iranians and three Venezuelans are required to stay in Argentina. The case has raised attention in several South American countries amid allegations t\the plane was a cover for Iranian intelligence operations in the region. Iran and Venezuela vehemently deny those claims.
By wire sources