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  • What we know about the young missionaries and religious leader killed in Haiti

    What we know about the young missionaries and religious leader killed in Haiti

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    The local director of a mission group in Haiti and a missionary couple from the U.S. were attacked and fatally shot by gang members after leaving a youth group activity at a church, a family member told The Associated Press. Thursday’s slayings of Jude Montis, the local director of Missions in Haiti Inc., and Davy and Natalie Lloyd, a young married couple from the U.S., happened in the community of Lizon in northern Port-au-Prince. They were killed as the capital crumbles under the relentless assault of violent gangs that control 80% of the capital city while authorities await the arrival of a police force from Kenya as part of a U.N.-backed deployment aimed at quelling gang violence in the troubled Caribbean country.Here are some things to know about the missionary work that focused on helping the children of Haiti, and the gang attack that took three lives. Missions in Haiti’s website says its goal is “to see the Gospel of Christ make a difference in the lives of Haiti’s young people.”Davy Lloyd’s parents, David and Alicia Lloyd of Oklahoma, started the organization in 2000 with the aim of focusing on the children of Haiti. David and Alicia Lloyd are full-time missionaries in Haiti.”Although the entire nation is steeped in poverty, the children suffer the worst,” they wrote on the website. “Thousands are malnourished, uneducated, and headed for hopeless lives apart from Christ.”Hannah Cornett, Davy’s sister, told The Associated Press that they grew up in Haiti. Davy Lloyd went to the U.S. to attend a Bible college and married Natalie in June 2022. After the wedding, the couple wasted little time moving to Haiti to do humanitarian work.Cornett said Montis, a Haitian, had worked at Missions in Haiti for 20 years. The organization’s efforts include House of Compassion, which provides housing for 36 children — 18 boys and 18 girls, the website said. “All are destined to stay at House of Compassion until they have finished school and are ready to be on their own.”Good Hope Boys’ Home provides a home for 22 boys, the website said. The organization also built a church, a bakery and a school with more than 240 students, the website said. A Facebook posting on the Missions in Haiti page stated that Davy Lloyd, 23, and Natalie Lloyd, 21, along with some children, were leaving a church when gang members in three trucks ambushed them. Davy Lloyd later called his family to tell them that gang members hit him on the head with the barrel of a gun, forced him upstairs, stole their belongings and left him tied up, Cornett said. As people were helping untie Davy Lloyd, another group of armed gunmen showed up, Cornett said.”No one understood what they were doing, not sure what took place but one was shot and killed and now this gang went into full attack mode,” Missions in Haiti’s posting said.The couple and Montis fled to a house connected to the mission.”They tried to take cover in there, but the gang shot up the house,” said Cornett.Ben Baker, Natalie Lloyd’s father and a Republican state representative in Missouri, posted on Facebook on Friday that the bodies of Davy and Natalie Lloyd were safely transported to the U.S. Embassy. Cornett said Montis left behind two children, ages 2 and 6. Montis’ family could not immediately be reached for comment Friday. It’s unclear if he used social media and, if so, whether his profiles are public. Missions in Haiti did not immediately return the AP’s request for comment Friday.Baker wrote on Facebook that his heart was broken “in a thousand pieces.””I’ve never felt this kind of pain,” Baker wrote. “Most of you know my daughter and son-in-law Davy and Natalie Lloyd are full time missionaries in Haiti. They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed. They went to Heaven together. Please pray for my family we desperately need strength. And please pray for the Lloyd family as well. I have no other words for now.”___Associated Press writer Summer Ballentine in Columbia, Missouri, contributed.

    The local director of a mission group in Haiti and a missionary couple from the U.S. were attacked and fatally shot by gang members after leaving a youth group activity at a church, a family member told The Associated Press.

    Thursday’s slayings of Jude Montis, the local director of Missions in Haiti Inc., and Davy and Natalie Lloyd, a young married couple from the U.S., happened in the community of Lizon in northern Port-au-Prince. They were killed as the capital crumbles under the relentless assault of violent gangs that control 80% of the capital city while authorities await the arrival of a police force from Kenya as part of a U.N.-backed deployment aimed at quelling gang violence in the troubled Caribbean country.

    Here are some things to know about the missionary work that focused on helping the children of Haiti, and the gang attack that took three lives.

    Missions in Haiti’s website says its goal is “to see the Gospel of Christ make a difference in the lives of Haiti’s young people.”

    Davy Lloyd’s parents, David and Alicia Lloyd of Oklahoma, started the organization in 2000 with the aim of focusing on the children of Haiti. David and Alicia Lloyd are full-time missionaries in Haiti.

    “Although the entire nation is steeped in poverty, the children suffer the worst,” they wrote on the website. “Thousands are malnourished, uneducated, and headed for hopeless lives apart from Christ.”

    Hannah Cornett, Davy’s sister, told The Associated Press that they grew up in Haiti. Davy Lloyd went to the U.S. to attend a Bible college and married Natalie in June 2022. After the wedding, the couple wasted little time moving to Haiti to do humanitarian work.

    Cornett said Montis, a Haitian, had worked at Missions in Haiti for 20 years.

    The organization’s efforts include House of Compassion, which provides housing for 36 children — 18 boys and 18 girls, the website said. “All are destined to stay at House of Compassion until they have finished school and are ready to be on their own.”

    Good Hope Boys’ Home provides a home for 22 boys, the website said. The organization also built a church, a bakery and a school with more than 240 students, the website said.

    A Facebook posting on the Missions in Haiti page stated that Davy Lloyd, 23, and Natalie Lloyd, 21, along with some children, were leaving a church when gang members in three trucks ambushed them.

    Davy Lloyd later called his family to tell them that gang members hit him on the head with the barrel of a gun, forced him upstairs, stole their belongings and left him tied up, Cornett said.

    As people were helping untie Davy Lloyd, another group of armed gunmen showed up, Cornett said.

    “No one understood what they were doing, not sure what took place but one was shot and killed and now this gang went into full attack mode,” Missions in Haiti’s posting said.

    The couple and Montis fled to a house connected to the mission.

    “They tried to take cover in there, but the gang shot up the house,” said Cornett.

    Ben Baker, Natalie Lloyd’s father and a Republican state representative in Missouri, posted on Facebook on Friday that the bodies of Davy and Natalie Lloyd were safely transported to the U.S. Embassy.

    Cornett said Montis left behind two children, ages 2 and 6.

    Montis’ family could not immediately be reached for comment Friday. It’s unclear if he used social media and, if so, whether his profiles are public. Missions in Haiti did not immediately return the AP’s request for comment Friday.

    Baker wrote on Facebook that his heart was broken “in a thousand pieces.”

    “I’ve never felt this kind of pain,” Baker wrote. “Most of you know my daughter and son-in-law Davy and Natalie Lloyd are full time missionaries in Haiti. They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed. They went to Heaven together. Please pray for my family we desperately need strength. And please pray for the Lloyd family as well. I have no other words for now.”

    ___

    Associated Press writer Summer Ballentine in Columbia, Missouri, contributed.

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  • At least 4 deaths in Houston, official says, as storms bring ‘life-threatening’ flood risk to Texas and Louisiana

    At least 4 deaths in Houston, official says, as storms bring ‘life-threatening’ flood risk to Texas and Louisiana

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    At least four people are dead in Houston after hurricane-force winds and torrential rains tore a damaging path through the city Thursday – part of a lashing storm system that is bringing life-threatening flooding and power outages to parts of the South.One person appears to have been killed when a crane was toppled by strong winds and two other deaths were caused by fallen trees, according to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña, citing preliminary information.In addition to the deaths, there has been damage to downtown skyscrapers, Mary Benton, a spokesperson for the Houston mayor’s office, told CNN.Violent storm conditions in Houston have blown out skyscraper windows, partially collapsed a nightclub and ripped a strip of roofing off the downtown Hyatt Regency, showering the hotel lobby with rain and debris, according to witness video.All non-essential workers are urged to stay home Friday and city schools are closed as widespread power outages have darkened the city and disabled traffic lights, Mayor John Whitmire said. Streets are littered with debris, downed trees and power lines, and the downtown area is dusted with glass from broken windows, he added.Major flooding has prompted water rescues in at least one Texas city. As many as 20 drivers had to be helped from rising water in Bryan, about 100 miles northwest of Houston, police said.Power outages left more than 1 million homes and businesses in the dark across the state on Thursday, with the torrential storms pounding an already-soaked South.A rare Level 4 of 4 high risk of excessive rainfall was issued for parts of eastern Texas and western Louisiana by the Weather Prediction Center Thursday. More than 600,000 people live in the high-risk zone.High risk days only happen on 4% of days each year, but account for more than 80% of all flood damage and more than a third of all flood deaths in the United States, according to the WPC. Just three other days have reached this concerning mark this year, including the most recent one nearly three weeks ago.It’s a sign the atmosphere is primed to unload extreme amounts of rain, a phenomenon that is becoming more frequent in a warming world driven by human-caused climate change.In Houston, violent storm conditions partially collapsed a nightclub building and damaged several others. Sheets of rain blew onto roadways and into the city’s Minute Maid Park as the Houston Astros prepared to play the Oakland Athletics.Major flooding has prompted water rescues in at least one city. As many as 20 drivers had to be helped from rising water in Bryan, about 100 miles northwest of Houston, police said.Widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 6 inches are expected from Texas to Georgia through Saturday morning. A few spots caught under multiple torrential storms may pick up 8 inches or more of rain. It’s not out of the question that one or two spots could record close to a foot of rain in about 48 hours.Video below: Strong winds during severe weather in Houston, Texas on ThursdayTexas and Louisiana have been in the bull’s-eye of seemingly unrelenting rounds of torrential, flooding downpours since the start of April. Rainfall in the waterlogged area over the last two weeks is over 600% of what’s typical, according to the WPC.Double-digit rainfall totals between 20 and 30 inches over the region in recent weeks have soaked the ground and left rivers swollen, priming the flood threat to extreme levels.Drenched soils are not expected to soak up any of Thursday’s rainfall, the WPC warned Thursday morning. Widespread flash flooding could begin minutes after heavy rain starts to fall.Flooding ramps up Thursday but threat persists FridayStorms, some severe, rumbled to life Thursday afternoon in parts of Texas and prompted flash flood warnings for multiple cities, including Waco. Powerful, heavy storms will push south and east and reach Louisiana and Mississippi late in the day.Nearly 10 million people are under a tornado watch until 10 p.m. CT Thursday in portions of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana, including Houston and Lake Charles, Louisiana.A large cluster of thunderstorms moving into the region Thursday afternoon brought with it a flash flood threat from the heavy downpours in addition to the severe storm dangers in the strongest cells. A couple of tornadoes could spawn, scattered damaging wind gusts are likely to reach 70 mph and there may be isolated hail up to 2 inches in diameter.More than a million customers across Texas are without electricity as of Thursday evening – including more than 800,000 outages reported in Harris County, where Houston is located, according to PowerOutage.us. Harris County is the third-most populous in the United States.A tornado warning had been issued earlier Thursday evening in Harris County, Texas, including downtown Houston, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Houston with the highest-level “destructive” tag.At around 6:30 p.m., the weather service in Houston noted a “destructive storm” with wind gusts of up to 80 mph was over the metro area, and urged residents to take cover immediately in a post on X.Winds in the city were reported as high as 71 mph, according to the weather service. On the east side of the city, there were reports of winds up to 78 mph.Winds exceeding 74 mph are equivalent to the strength of a Category 1 hurricane.Videos shared with CNN on Thursday showed heavy rainfall and power flashes impacting Houston’s downtown area. The roof of a downtown Hyatt Regency had been partially ripped off, sending rain and debris flowing into the hotel, one witness said. Elsewhere, howling winds could be heard in the city’s Heights neighborhood.Multiple steel power transmission towers have been mangled by the storms, CNN affiliate KPRC reported. Along part of US Route 290, traffic was stopped as firefighters cleared downed lines draped over the roadway.Video below: Shoppers were stuck inside a Houston Costco during severe weather on Thursday Houston Mayor John Whitmire advised residents to stay off the roads.“The mayor and first responders are asking Houstonians to stay off the roads and avoid all unnecessary travel. Many roads are impassible due to downed power lines, debris, and fallen trees,” the mayor’s office said in a statement Thursday evening. “There are significant power outages and reports of damage across the city. We are working with Centerpoint, METRO and other regional partners to keep everyone safe.”Rainfall rates up to 3 inches per hour are possible in the heaviest storms, which could lead to life-threatening flash flooding, according to the WPC. Damaging winds, hail and a couple of tornadoes are also possible.The greatest flooding danger will come as storms train later Thursday. Training storms track through and deluge the same areas over and over, like a train pulling its cars over the same stretch of track.Serious flash flooding is likely in any areas caught under multiple storms unloading 2 to 3 inches of rain per hour. Roadways may quickly become rivers and small streams could easily overflow their banks.More than 35 million people in the South are under a Level 2 of 4 or Level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall Thursday. Many areas may only endure one torrential storm, but even brief downpours will be enough to cause flooding problems given how wet the South has been recently.Soaking storms will shift east on Friday and target more of the Gulf Coast.Significant portions of Mississippi and Alabama are under a Level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall on Friday. A larger area from the Texas/Louisiana border to Georgia and the Florida Panhandle is under a Level 2 of 4 risk.Drenching storms from Thursday night will likely last into Friday morning for parts of the Gulf Coast. An initial round of flash flooding is likely in the first half of Friday before rain starts to taper off in the afternoon.Another bout of heavy rain will develop Friday night and continue into the earliest hours of Saturday morning, working over the same areas hit earlier in the day. These storms could produce rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, and quickly restart or worsen any ongoing flooding.Extremely wet start to the yearThe rain will only add to already extreme rainfall totals in what’s been one of the wettest years to date on record across the Gulf Coast.Some Southeast cities have recorded more than half a foot of rain above what’s typical for the first several months of the year.Several dozen cities from Texas to western Georgia are pacing at a top 5 wettest year to date and at least two cities in eastern Texas are experiencing their wettest year, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center. Dallas is experiencing its third-wettest year to date while Shreveport, Louisiana, is amid its second wettest.Excessive rainfall has largely eliminated dryness and drought conditions along the Gulf Coast, but it hasn’t come without a cost.Earlier this month, nearly 2 feet of rain fell in just five days and sent parts of eastern Texas underwater. Hundreds of people and animals were rescued from flooding as some area rivers rose to levels not reached since Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

    At least four people are dead in Houston after hurricane-force winds and torrential rains tore a damaging path through the city Thursday – part of a lashing storm system that is bringing life-threatening flooding and power outages to parts of the South.

    One person appears to have been killed when a crane was toppled by strong winds and two other deaths were caused by fallen trees, according to Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña, citing preliminary information.

    In addition to the deaths, there has been damage to downtown skyscrapers, Mary Benton, a spokesperson for the Houston mayor’s office, told CNN.

    Violent storm conditions in Houston have blown out skyscraper windows, partially collapsed a nightclub and ripped a strip of roofing off the downtown Hyatt Regency, showering the hotel lobby with rain and debris, according to witness video.

    All non-essential workers are urged to stay home Friday and city schools are closed as widespread power outages have darkened the city and disabled traffic lights, Mayor John Whitmire said. Streets are littered with debris, downed trees and power lines, and the downtown area is dusted with glass from broken windows, he added.

    Major flooding has prompted water rescues in at least one Texas city. As many as 20 drivers had to be helped from rising water in Bryan, about 100 miles northwest of Houston, police said.

    Power outages left more than 1 million homes and businesses in the dark across the state on Thursday, with the torrential storms pounding an already-soaked South.

    A rare Level 4 of 4 high risk of excessive rainfall was issued for parts of eastern Texas and western Louisiana by the Weather Prediction Center Thursday. More than 600,000 people live in the high-risk zone.

    High risk days only happen on 4% of days each year, but account for more than 80% of all flood damage and more than a third of all flood deaths in the United States, according to the WPC. Just three other days have reached this concerning mark this year, including the most recent one nearly three weeks ago.

    It’s a sign the atmosphere is primed to unload extreme amounts of rain, a phenomenon that is becoming more frequent in a warming world driven by human-caused climate change.

    In Houston, violent storm conditions partially collapsed a nightclub building and damaged several others. Sheets of rain blew onto roadways and into the city’s Minute Maid Park as the Houston Astros prepared to play the Oakland Athletics.

    Major flooding has prompted water rescues in at least one city. As many as 20 drivers had to be helped from rising water in Bryan, about 100 miles northwest of Houston, police said.

    Widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 6 inches are expected from Texas to Georgia through Saturday morning. A few spots caught under multiple torrential storms may pick up 8 inches or more of rain. It’s not out of the question that one or two spots could record close to a foot of rain in about 48 hours.

    Video below: Strong winds during severe weather in Houston, Texas on Thursday

    Texas and Louisiana have been in the bull’s-eye of seemingly unrelenting rounds of torrential, flooding downpours since the start of April. Rainfall in the waterlogged area over the last two weeks is over 600% of what’s typical, according to the WPC.

    Double-digit rainfall totals between 20 and 30 inches over the region in recent weeks have soaked the ground and left rivers swollen, priming the flood threat to extreme levels.

    Drenched soils are not expected to soak up any of Thursday’s rainfall, the WPC warned Thursday morning. Widespread flash flooding could begin minutes after heavy rain starts to fall.

    Flooding ramps up Thursday but threat persists Friday

    Storms, some severe, rumbled to life Thursday afternoon in parts of Texas and prompted flash flood warnings for multiple cities, including Waco. Powerful, heavy storms will push south and east and reach Louisiana and Mississippi late in the day.

    Nearly 10 million people are under a tornado watch until 10 p.m. CT Thursday in portions of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana, including Houston and Lake Charles, Louisiana.

    A large cluster of thunderstorms moving into the region Thursday afternoon brought with it a flash flood threat from the heavy downpours in addition to the severe storm dangers in the strongest cells. A couple of tornadoes could spawn, scattered damaging wind gusts are likely to reach 70 mph and there may be isolated hail up to 2 inches in diameter.

    More than a million customers across Texas are without electricity as of Thursday evening – including more than 800,000 outages reported in Harris County, where Houston is located, according to PowerOutage.us. Harris County is the third-most populous in the United States.

    A tornado warning had been issued earlier Thursday evening in Harris County, Texas, including downtown Houston, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Houston with the highest-level “destructive” tag.

    At around 6:30 p.m., the weather service in Houston noted a “destructive storm” with wind gusts of up to 80 mph was over the metro area, and urged residents to take cover immediately in a post on X.

    Winds in the city were reported as high as 71 mph, according to the weather service. On the east side of the city, there were reports of winds up to 78 mph.

    Winds exceeding 74 mph are equivalent to the strength of a Category 1 hurricane.

    Videos shared with CNN on Thursday showed heavy rainfall and power flashes impacting Houston’s downtown area. The roof of a downtown Hyatt Regency had been partially ripped off, sending rain and debris flowing into the hotel, one witness said. Elsewhere, howling winds could be heard in the city’s Heights neighborhood.

    Multiple steel power transmission towers have been mangled by the storms, CNN affiliate KPRC reported. Along part of US Route 290, traffic was stopped as firefighters cleared downed lines draped over the roadway.

    Video below: Shoppers were stuck inside a Houston Costco during severe weather on Thursday

    Houston Mayor John Whitmire advised residents to stay off the roads.

    “The mayor and first responders are asking Houstonians to stay off the roads and avoid all unnecessary travel. Many roads are impassible due to downed power lines, debris, and fallen trees,” the mayor’s office said in a statement Thursday evening. “There are significant power outages and reports of damage across the city. We are working with Centerpoint, METRO and other regional partners to keep everyone safe.”

    Rainfall rates up to 3 inches per hour are possible in the heaviest storms, which could lead to life-threatening flash flooding, according to the WPC. Damaging winds, hail and a couple of tornadoes are also possible.

    The greatest flooding danger will come as storms train later Thursday. Training storms track through and deluge the same areas over and over, like a train pulling its cars over the same stretch of track.

    Serious flash flooding is likely in any areas caught under multiple storms unloading 2 to 3 inches of rain per hour. Roadways may quickly become rivers and small streams could easily overflow their banks.

    More than 35 million people in the South are under a Level 2 of 4 or Level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall Thursday. Many areas may only endure one torrential storm, but even brief downpours will be enough to cause flooding problems given how wet the South has been recently.

    Soaking storms will shift east on Friday and target more of the Gulf Coast.

    Significant portions of Mississippi and Alabama are under a Level 3 of 4 risk of excessive rainfall on Friday. A larger area from the Texas/Louisiana border to Georgia and the Florida Panhandle is under a Level 2 of 4 risk.

    Drenching storms from Thursday night will likely last into Friday morning for parts of the Gulf Coast. An initial round of flash flooding is likely in the first half of Friday before rain starts to taper off in the afternoon.

    Another bout of heavy rain will develop Friday night and continue into the earliest hours of Saturday morning, working over the same areas hit earlier in the day. These storms could produce rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, and quickly restart or worsen any ongoing flooding.

    Extremely wet start to the year

    The rain will only add to already extreme rainfall totals in what’s been one of the wettest years to date on record across the Gulf Coast.

    Some Southeast cities have recorded more than half a foot of rain above what’s typical for the first several months of the year.

    Several dozen cities from Texas to western Georgia are pacing at a top 5 wettest year to date and at least two cities in eastern Texas are experiencing their wettest year, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center. Dallas is experiencing its third-wettest year to date while Shreveport, Louisiana, is amid its second wettest.

    Excessive rainfall has largely eliminated dryness and drought conditions along the Gulf Coast, but it hasn’t come without a cost.

    Earlier this month, nearly 2 feet of rain fell in just five days and sent parts of eastern Texas underwater. Hundreds of people and animals were rescued from flooding as some area rivers rose to levels not reached since Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

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  • Houston police chief retires after questions about 260,000-plus suspended investigations

    Houston police chief retires after questions about 260,000-plus suspended investigations

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    Houston’s police chief unexpectedly retired from the force Tuesday night amid questions about a department policy that allowed hundreds of thousands of cases to be suspended, including sexual abuse cases, according to the mayor’s office.Troy Finner had served as the chief of the Houston Police Department since 2021, capping off a 34-year career with the department.”I consider Troy Finner a friend. It was tough to accept his retirement, but it was in the best interest of Houstonians,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in an impromptu news conference Wednesday.The retirement announcement came hours after an internal email obtained by CNN affiliate KHOU showed Finner referring to an investigation being suspended due to “lack of personnel,” in 2018, three years before he had said he was aware of the policy. Finner was executive assistant chief over patrol operations at the time the email was written.At a February news conference, Finner said he didn’t know about the practice until 2021, the year he became chief, when he ordered the department’s Special Victims Division to stop using the “lack of personnel” code to suspended investigations.Finner said in April the police department had made progress reviewing about 264,000 investigations that were suspended since 2016 citing only lack of personnel. More than 4,000 of those cases involved allegations of adult sex crimes. An independent review committee is also investigating.In a statement issued Tuesday night after the KHOU report aired, Finner said, “I have always been truthful and have never set out to mislead anyone about anything, including this investigation.”The outgoing chief said he did not know about the “suspended lack of personnel” codes used by Houston police at the time, despite it being mentioned in the email.Finner’s statement promised he would “address the media and the public” once the investigation was complete. The mayor informed the city council of Finner’s retirement later that night.Larry Satterwhite was appointed acting police chief by Whitmire Wednesday. Satterwhite served as executive assistant chief under Finner. The mayor declined to say whether he had asked for Finner’s retirement.”It was affecting operations at HPD. That’s the bottom line,” Whitmire told reporters Wednesday. “I dealt with it because it was a distraction to the mission of the men and women in HPD.”Finner did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN.As of Wednesday afternoon, the police department had not officially announced the change of leadership.

    Houston’s police chief unexpectedly retired from the force Tuesday night amid questions about a department policy that allowed hundreds of thousands of cases to be suspended, including sexual abuse cases, according to the mayor’s office.

    Troy Finner had served as the chief of the Houston Police Department since 2021, capping off a 34-year career with the department.

    “I consider Troy Finner a friend. It was tough to accept his retirement, but it was in the best interest of Houstonians,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in an impromptu news conference Wednesday.

    The retirement announcement came hours after an internal email obtained by CNN affiliate KHOU showed Finner referring to an investigation being suspended due to “lack of personnel,” in 2018, three years before he had said he was aware of the policy.

    Finner was executive assistant chief over patrol operations at the time the email was written.

    At a February news conference, Finner said he didn’t know about the practice until 2021, the year he became chief, when he ordered the department’s Special Victims Division to stop using the “lack of personnel” code to suspended investigations.

    Finner said in April the police department had made progress reviewing about 264,000 investigations that were suspended since 2016 citing only lack of personnel. More than 4,000 of those cases involved allegations of adult sex crimes. An independent review committee is also investigating.

    In a statement issued Tuesday night after the KHOU report aired, Finner said, “I have always been truthful and have never set out to mislead anyone about anything, including this investigation.”

    The outgoing chief said he did not know about the “suspended lack of personnel” codes used by Houston police at the time, despite it being mentioned in the email.

    Finner’s statement promised he would “address the media and the public” once the investigation was complete. The mayor informed the city council of Finner’s retirement later that night.

    Larry Satterwhite was appointed acting police chief by Whitmire Wednesday. Satterwhite served as executive assistant chief under Finner. The mayor declined to say whether he had asked for Finner’s retirement.

    “It was affecting operations at HPD. That’s the bottom line,” Whitmire told reporters Wednesday. “I dealt with it because it was a distraction to the mission of the men and women in HPD.”

    Finner did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN.

    As of Wednesday afternoon, the police department had not officially announced the change of leadership.

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  • 2 skiers killed after being caught in Utah avalanche following late spring snowstorms, sheriff says

    2 skiers killed after being caught in Utah avalanche following late spring snowstorms, sheriff says

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    Two skiers were killed and one was rescued after an avalanche Thursday in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City that occurred after several days of spring snowstorms, authorities said. Video above: Skiing safety tips during avalancheA rescue team responded just after 10 a.m. to an avalanche reported near Lone Peak in the Wasatch Range southeast of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said.One of the skiers, who was able to dig himself out of the snow, had been rescued by midday and was taken to the hospital, Rivera said. A rescue team in a helicopter flew over the area and confirmed the other two men were deceased, Rivera said. They are two men, ages 23 and 32. Their names have not been released.Conditions were not safe enough to allow for a recovery on Thursday, and crews planned to go out Friday morning, weather permitting, Rivera said.Rivera said she believed the man who was rescued was the one who called for help. Officers were speaking with him at the hospital to get more information about what happened, the sheriff said.The skiers hiked into the area Thursday morning, she said.Craig Gordon with the Utah Avalanche Center said about 2.5 feet (76 centimeters) of heavy, wet snow fell in the area in the past three days.The skiers would have had to have been very experienced to even be in the “very serious terrain,” he said.

    SANDY, Utah —

    Two skiers were killed and one was rescued after an avalanche Thursday in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City that occurred after several days of spring snowstorms, authorities said.

    Video above: Skiing safety tips during avalanche

    A rescue team responded just after 10 a.m. to an avalanche reported near Lone Peak in the Wasatch Range southeast of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said.

    One of the skiers, who was able to dig himself out of the snow, had been rescued by midday and was taken to the hospital, Rivera said.

    A rescue team in a helicopter flew over the area and confirmed the other two men were deceased, Rivera said. They are two men, ages 23 and 32. Their names have not been released.

    Conditions were not safe enough to allow for a recovery on Thursday, and crews planned to go out Friday morning, weather permitting, Rivera said.

    Rivera said she believed the man who was rescued was the one who called for help. Officers were speaking with him at the hospital to get more information about what happened, the sheriff said.

    The skiers hiked into the area Thursday morning, she said.

    Craig Gordon with the Utah Avalanche Center said about 2.5 feet (76 centimeters) of heavy, wet snow fell in the area in the past three days.

    The skiers would have had to have been very experienced to even be in the “very serious terrain,” he said.

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  • Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study

    Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study

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    Eating ultraprocessed foods is associated with an early risk of death, according to a 30-year study — but different foods have different impacts.Ultraprocessed foods are those that contain ingredients “never or rarely used in kitchens, or classes of additives whose function is to make the final product palatable or more appealing,” according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.Those ingredients — found in things such as sodas, chips, packaged soups, nuggets and ice cream — can include preservatives against mold or bacteria, artificial coloring, emulsifiers to stop separation, and added or altered sugar, salt and fats to make food more appealing.Processed meats and sugary foods and drinks aren’t correlated with the same risks as ultraprocessed whole grains, for example, said lead study author Dr. Mingyang Song, associate professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health.The study analyzed data from more than 100,000 health professionals in the United States with no history of cancer, cardiovascular disease or diabetes. From 1986 to 2018, the participants provided information on their health and lifestyle habits every two years.Every four years, they completed a detailed food questionnaire.The group eating the least ultraprocessed food ate about three servings a day on average, while the highest averaged seven servings a day, according to the study published Wednesday in The BMJ journal.Those who ate the most had a 4% higher risk of deaths by any cause, including a 9% increased risk of neurodegenerative deaths, the data showed.Song described the correlation as “moderate,” noting that the connection was not equally strong among all kinds of ultraprocessed foods.“The positive association is mainly driven by a few subgroups including processed meat and sugar sweetened or artificially sweetened beverages,” he said.Findings in this study were consistent with hundreds of others in the field, but what makes this one unique is its parsing out of different subgroups within the ultraprocessed food category, said Dr. Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard professor emerita of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University.Do we need to get rid of all ultraprocessed foods?Song wouldn’t necessarily advise a complete rejection of all ultraprocessed foods because it is a diverse category, he said.“Cereals, whole grain breads, for example, they are also considered ultraprocessed food, but they contain various beneficial nutrients like fiber, vitamins and minerals,” he said. “On the other hand, I do think people should try to avoid or limit the consumption of certain ultraprocessed foods, such as processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages and also potentially artificially sweetened beverages.”There are also more questions that need to be answered when it comes to ultraprocessed foods. First, the recent study is strong because of the length of time covered, but it is an observational study. That means that while researchers can observe a correlation, they can’t say that the foods were the cause of the deaths, said Dr. Peter Wilde, emeritus fellow at Quadram Institute Bioscience in the United Kingdom.Researchers also need to look more at the components of ultraprocessed foods that might be affecting health — whether they be food additives, emulsifiers or flavors — to advise governments and institutions on how to regulate foods, Song said.Overall diet matters mostResearchers also found that the most important factor to reducing risk of death is the quality of a person’s overall diet, Song said.“If people maintain a generally healthy diet, I don’t think they need to be like scared or be freaked out,” he said. “The overall dietary pattern is still the predominant factor determining the health outcomes.”A healthy diet is varied, with as many colorful fruits and vegetables and whole grains as possible, Wilde said.“If you are worried about food additives, then choose foods that have low levels of additives,” he said in an email. “Just be mindful of the nutritional content of (the ultraprocessed foods) that you do choose to consume.” It is also important to recognize that foods need to be eaten in balance. Fruit juice contains beneficial vitamins, minerals and antioxidants when consumed in moderation, but too much will have high levels of sugar that may override their benefits, Wilde said.“This is not black and white,” he said. “A particular food is not either good or bad, it will contain elements of both, and the balance between the two may depend on how much you eat.”

    Eating ultraprocessed foods is associated with an early risk of death, according to a 30-year study — but different foods have different impacts.

    Ultraprocessed foods are those that contain ingredients “never or rarely used in kitchens, or classes of additives whose function is to make the final product palatable or more appealing,” according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

    Those ingredients — found in things such as sodas, chips, packaged soups, nuggets and ice cream — can include preservatives against mold or bacteria, artificial coloring, emulsifiers to stop separation, and added or altered sugar, salt and fats to make food more appealing.

    Processed meats and sugary foods and drinks aren’t correlated with the same risks as ultraprocessed whole grains, for example, said lead study author Dr. Mingyang Song, associate professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health.

    The study analyzed data from more than 100,000 health professionals in the United States with no history of cancer, cardiovascular disease or diabetes. From 1986 to 2018, the participants provided information on their health and lifestyle habits every two years.

    Every four years, they completed a detailed food questionnaire.

    The group eating the least ultraprocessed food ate about three servings a day on average, while the highest averaged seven servings a day, according to the study published Wednesday in The BMJ journal.

    Those who ate the most had a 4% higher risk of deaths by any cause, including a 9% increased risk of neurodegenerative deaths, the data showed.

    Song described the correlation as “moderate,” noting that the connection was not equally strong among all kinds of ultraprocessed foods.

    “The positive association is mainly driven by a few subgroups including processed meat and sugar sweetened or artificially sweetened beverages,” he said.

    Findings in this study were consistent with hundreds of others in the field, but what makes this one unique is its parsing out of different subgroups within the ultraprocessed food category, said Dr. Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard professor emerita of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University.

    Do we need to get rid of all ultraprocessed foods?

    Song wouldn’t necessarily advise a complete rejection of all ultraprocessed foods because it is a diverse category, he said.

    “Cereals, whole grain breads, for example, they are also considered ultraprocessed food, but they contain various beneficial nutrients like fiber, vitamins and minerals,” he said. “On the other hand, I do think people should try to avoid or limit the consumption of certain ultraprocessed foods, such as processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages and also potentially artificially sweetened beverages.”

    There are also more questions that need to be answered when it comes to ultraprocessed foods.

    First, the recent study is strong because of the length of time covered, but it is an observational study. That means that while researchers can observe a correlation, they can’t say that the foods were the cause of the deaths, said Dr. Peter Wilde, emeritus fellow at Quadram Institute Bioscience in the United Kingdom.

    Researchers also need to look more at the components of ultraprocessed foods that might be affecting health — whether they be food additives, emulsifiers or flavors — to advise governments and institutions on how to regulate foods, Song said.

    Overall diet matters most

    Researchers also found that the most important factor to reducing risk of death is the quality of a person’s overall diet, Song said.

    “If people maintain a generally healthy diet, I don’t think they need to be like scared or be freaked out,” he said. “The overall dietary pattern is still the predominant factor determining the health outcomes.”

    A healthy diet is varied, with as many colorful fruits and vegetables and whole grains as possible, Wilde said.

    “If you are worried about food additives, then choose foods that have low levels of additives,” he said in an email. “Just be mindful of the nutritional content of (the ultraprocessed foods) that you do choose to consume.”

    It is also important to recognize that foods need to be eaten in balance. Fruit juice contains beneficial vitamins, minerals and antioxidants when consumed in moderation, but too much will have high levels of sugar that may override their benefits, Wilde said.

    “This is not black and white,” he said. “A particular food is not either good or bad, it will contain elements of both, and the balance between the two may depend on how much you eat.”

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  • Ex-interpreter for MLB star Shohei Ohtani pleads guilty in sports betting case

    Ex-interpreter for MLB star Shohei Ohtani pleads guilty in sports betting case

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    Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, pleads guilty in sports betting case

    The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud Wednesday in a sports betting case where prosecutors allege he stole $16 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts.The scandal surrounding Ippei Mizuhara shocked baseball fans from the U.S. to Japan when the news broke in March. He was initially charged with one count of bank fraud, which carries a potential 30-year prison sentence.Mizuhara exploited his personal and professional relationship with Ohtani to plunder millions from the two-way player’s account for years, at times impersonating Ohtani to bankers, prosecutors said. Mizuhara’s winning bets totaled over $142 million, which he deposited in his own bank account and not Ohtani’s. But his losing bets were around $183 million, a net loss of nearly $41 million. He did not wager on baseball.There was no evidence that Ohtani was involved in or aware of Mizuhara’s gambling, and the player is cooperating with investigators, authorities said.

    LOS ANGELES —

    The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud Wednesday in a sports betting case where prosecutors allege he stole $16 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts.

    The scandal surrounding Ippei Mizuhara shocked baseball fans from the U.S. to Japan when the news broke in March. He was initially charged with one count of bank fraud, which carries a potential 30-year prison sentence.

    Mizuhara exploited his personal and professional relationship with Ohtani to plunder millions from the two-way player’s account for years, at times impersonating Ohtani to bankers, prosecutors said. Mizuhara’s winning bets totaled over $142 million, which he deposited in his own bank account and not Ohtani’s. But his losing bets were around $183 million, a net loss of nearly $41 million. He did not wager on baseball.

    There was no evidence that Ohtani was involved in or aware of Mizuhara’s gambling, and the player is cooperating with investigators, authorities said.

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  • ‘Game of Thrones’ actor Ian Gelder dies at 74 months after cancer diagnosis

    ‘Game of Thrones’ actor Ian Gelder dies at 74 months after cancer diagnosis

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    British actor Ian Gelder, widely known for his role in “Game of Thrones,” has died, according to a social media post from his husband. He was 74 years old.Ben Daniels, Gelder’s husband, said on Instagram Tuesday that Gelder, who portrayed Kevan Lannister in the award-winning drama, had been battling cancer for months.”It is with huge huge sadness and a heavy heart broken into a million pieces that I’m leaving this post to announce the passing of my darling husband and life partner Ian Gelder,” Daniel wrote. “Ian was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December and yesterday he passed at 13.07. I’d stopped all work to be his carer but neither of us had any idea that it would all be so fast.” Daniels and Gelder were together for more than 30 years.”I honestly don’t know what I’ll do without him by my side. He coped with his dreadful illness with such bravery, with no self pity. Ever. He was remarkable and will be so missed,” Daniels added.Gelder’s agency also confirmed the actor’s death to PEOPLE and on X, formerly known as Twitter.”It was a pleasure to represent Ian Gelder for the latter part of his career. The world will be a lesser place without him in it,” DPA Management said. “Ian was such a lovely person and a wonderful actor.”Gelder was also known for numerous stage roles and the BBC show “Torchwood: Children of Earth.”

    British actor Ian Gelder, widely known for his role in “Game of Thrones,” has died, according to a social media post from his husband. He was 74 years old.

    Ben Daniels, Gelder’s husband, said on Instagram Tuesday that Gelder, who portrayed Kevan Lannister in the award-winning drama, had been battling cancer for months.

    “It is with huge huge sadness and a heavy heart broken into a million pieces that I’m leaving this post to announce the passing of my darling husband and life partner Ian Gelder,” Daniel wrote. “Ian was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December and yesterday he passed at 13.07. I’d stopped all work to be his carer but neither of us had any idea that it would all be so fast.”

    Daniels and Gelder were together for more than 30 years.

    “I honestly don’t know what I’ll do without him by my side. He coped with his dreadful illness with such bravery, with no self pity. Ever. He was remarkable and will be so missed,” Daniels added.

    Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for SOLT

    Ian Gelder

    Gelder’s agency also confirmed the actor’s death to PEOPLE and on X, formerly known as Twitter.

    “It was a pleasure to represent Ian Gelder for the latter part of his career. The world will be a lesser place without him in it,” DPA Management said. “Ian was such a lovely person and a wonderful actor.”

    Gelder was also known for numerous stage roles and the BBC show “Torchwood: Children of Earth.”

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  • US paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says

    US paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says

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    US paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says


    ZEKE MILLER and AAMER MADHANI

    The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S., a senior administration official said Tuesday. The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, with the focus of U.S. concern being the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban setting. More than 1 million civilians are sheltering in Rafah after evacuating other parts of Gaza amid Israel’s war on Hamas, which came after the militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7.President Joe Biden’s administration in April began reviewing future transfers of military assistance to Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government appeared to move closer toward an invasion of Rafah, despite months of opposition from the White House. The official said the decision to pause the shipment was made last week and no final decision had been made yet on whether to proceed with the shipment at a later date.The State Department is separately considering whether to approve the continued transfer of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, which place precision guidance systems onto bombs, to Israel, but the review didn’t pertain to imminent shipments.

    WASHINGTON —

    The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S., a senior administration official said Tuesday.

    The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, with the focus of U.S. concern being the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban setting. More than 1 million civilians are sheltering in Rafah after evacuating other parts of Gaza amid Israel’s war on Hamas, which came after the militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

    President Joe Biden’s administration in April began reviewing future transfers of military assistance to Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government appeared to move closer toward an invasion of Rafah, despite months of opposition from the White House. The official said the decision to pause the shipment was made last week and no final decision had been made yet on whether to proceed with the shipment at a later date.

    The State Department is separately considering whether to approve the continued transfer of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, which place precision guidance systems onto bombs, to Israel, but the review didn’t pertain to imminent shipments.

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  • Hundreds rescued from flooding in Texas as waters continue rising in Houston

    Hundreds rescued from flooding in Texas as waters continue rising in Houston

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    High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing more than 400 people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water. Others prepared to evacuate their property.A wide region was swamped from Houston to rural East Texas, where game wardens rode airboats through waist-high waters rescuing both people and pets who did not evacuate in time. One crew brought a family and three dogs aboard as rising waters surrounded their cars and home.A flood watch was in effect through Sunday afternoon, as forecasters predicted additional rainfall Saturday night and the likelihood of major flooding.”It’s going to keep rising this way,” said Miguel Flores Jr., of the northeast Houston neighborhood of Kingwood. “We don’t know how much more. We’re just preparing for the worst.”Husband and wife Aron Brown, 45, and Jamie Brown, 41, were two of the many residents who drove or walked to watch the rising waters near a flooded intersection close to the San Jacinto River. Nearby restaurants and a gas station were beginning to flood.Water could be seen flowing into parts of the couple’s subdivision, but Aron Brown said he wasn’t worried because their home is at a higher elevation than others in the neighborhood.Brown, who had driven from his home in a golf cart, said the flooding wasn’t as bad as Hurricane Harvey in 2017. He pointed to nearby power lines and said that flooding during Harvey had reached the top of the lines.RESIDENTS IN LOW-LYING AREAS ASKED TO EVACUATEFriday’s fierce storms forced numerous high-water rescues, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes. Officials redoubled urgent instructions for residents in low-lying areas to evacuate, warning the worst was still to come.“A lull in heavy rain is expected through (Saturday) evening,” according to the National Weather Service. “The next round of heavy rainfall is expected late (Saturday) into Sunday.”Up to 3 inches of additional rain was expected, with up to 5 inches possible in isolated areas.Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said more rain was expected Sunday, and if it’s a lot, it could be problematic. Hidalgo is the top elected official in the nation’s third-largest county.ONGOING RAIN HAS LEFT PARTS OF TEXAS DRENCHED, RESIDENTS TRAPPEDMost weekends Flores’ father, Miguel Flores Sr., is mowing his huge backyard on a 2.5-acre (1-hectare) lot behind his home in Kingwood. But on Saturday, he and his family were loading several vehicles with clothes, small appliances and other items.Water from the San Jacinto River had already swallowed his backyard and was continuing to rise — what was about 1 foot high in the yard Friday measured about 4 feet the following day.“It’s sad, but what can I do,” Flores said. He added that he has flood insurance.For weeks, drenching rains in Texas and parts of Louisiana have filled reservoirs and saturated the ground. Floodwaters partially submerged cars and roads this week across parts of southeastern Texas, north of Houston, reaching the roofs of some homes.More than 21 inches fell over a five-day period through Friday in Liberty County near the city of Splendora, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Houston, according to the National Weather Service.Hidalgo said Saturday that 178 people and 122 pets have been rescued so far in the county. Scores of rescues took place in neighboring Montgomery County. In Polk County, about 100 miles northeast of Houston, officials said they have done over 100 water rescues in the past few days.HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE MOST FLOOD-PRONE METRO AREAS IN THE USAuthorities in Houston have not reported any deaths or injuries. The city of more than 2 million people is one of the most flood-prone metro areas in the country and has long experience dealing with devastating weather.Hurricane Harvey in 2017 dumped historic rainfall that flooded thousands of homes and resulted in more than 60,000 rescues by government rescue personnel across Harris County.Of particular concern was an area along the San Jacinto River, which was expected to continue rising as more rain falls and officials release water from a full reservoir. Hidalgo issued a mandatory evacuation order on Thursday for people living along portions of the river.The weather service reported that the river was at nearly 74 feet late Saturday morning after reaching nearly 78 feet. The rapidly changing forecast said the river was expected to fall to near flood stage of 58 feet by Thursday.Most of Houston’s city limits were not heavily impacted by the weather. Officials said the area received about four months’ worth of rain in about a week’s time.The greater Houston area covers about 10,000 square miles — a footprint slightly bigger than New Jersey. It is crisscrossed by about 1,700 miles of channels, creeks and bayous that drain into the Gulf of Mexico, about 50 miles southeast of downtown.The system of bayous and reservoirs was built to drain heavy rains, but the engineering initially designed nearly 100 years ago has struggled to keep up with the city’s growth and bigger storms. ___Associated Press reporters Ken Miller in Edmond, Oklahoma, Jim Vertuno in Austin, and Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, contributed to this report.

    HOUSTON —

    High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing more than 400 people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water. Others prepared to evacuate their property.

    A wide region was swamped from Houston to rural East Texas, where game wardens rode airboats through waist-high waters rescuing both people and pets who did not evacuate in time. One crew brought a family and three dogs aboard as rising waters surrounded their cars and home.

    A flood watch was in effect through Sunday afternoon, as forecasters predicted additional rainfall Saturday night and the likelihood of major flooding.

    “It’s going to keep rising this way,” said Miguel Flores Jr., of the northeast Houston neighborhood of Kingwood. “We don’t know how much more. We’re just preparing for the worst.”

    Husband and wife Aron Brown, 45, and Jamie Brown, 41, were two of the many residents who drove or walked to watch the rising waters near a flooded intersection close to the San Jacinto River. Nearby restaurants and a gas station were beginning to flood.

    Water could be seen flowing into parts of the couple’s subdivision, but Aron Brown said he wasn’t worried because their home is at a higher elevation than others in the neighborhood.

    Brown, who had driven from his home in a golf cart, said the flooding wasn’t as bad as Hurricane Harvey in 2017. He pointed to nearby power lines and said that flooding during Harvey had reached the top of the lines.

    RESIDENTS IN LOW-LYING AREAS ASKED TO EVACUATE

    Friday’s fierce storms forced numerous high-water rescues, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes. Officials redoubled urgent instructions for residents in low-lying areas to evacuate, warning the worst was still to come.

    “A lull in heavy rain is expected through (Saturday) evening,” according to the National Weather Service. “The next round of heavy rainfall is expected late (Saturday) into Sunday.”

    Up to 3 inches of additional rain was expected, with up to 5 inches possible in isolated areas.

    Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said more rain was expected Sunday, and if it’s a lot, it could be problematic. Hidalgo is the top elected official in the nation’s third-largest county.

    ONGOING RAIN HAS LEFT PARTS OF TEXAS DRENCHED, RESIDENTS TRAPPED

    Most weekends Flores’ father, Miguel Flores Sr., is mowing his huge backyard on a 2.5-acre (1-hectare) lot behind his home in Kingwood. But on Saturday, he and his family were loading several vehicles with clothes, small appliances and other items.

    Water from the San Jacinto River had already swallowed his backyard and was continuing to rise — what was about 1 foot high in the yard Friday measured about 4 feet the following day.

    “It’s sad, but what can I do,” Flores said. He added that he has flood insurance.

    For weeks, drenching rains in Texas and parts of Louisiana have filled reservoirs and saturated the ground. Floodwaters partially submerged cars and roads this week across parts of southeastern Texas, north of Houston, reaching the roofs of some homes.

    More than 21 inches fell over a five-day period through Friday in Liberty County near the city of Splendora, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Houston, according to the National Weather Service.

    Hidalgo said Saturday that 178 people and 122 pets have been rescued so far in the county. Scores of rescues took place in neighboring Montgomery County. In Polk County, about 100 miles northeast of Houston, officials said they have done over 100 water rescues in the past few days.

    HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE MOST FLOOD-PRONE METRO AREAS IN THE US

    Authorities in Houston have not reported any deaths or injuries. The city of more than 2 million people is one of the most flood-prone metro areas in the country and has long experience dealing with devastating weather.

    Hurricane Harvey in 2017 dumped historic rainfall that flooded thousands of homes and resulted in more than 60,000 rescues by government rescue personnel across Harris County.

    Of particular concern was an area along the San Jacinto River, which was expected to continue rising as more rain falls and officials release water from a full reservoir. Hidalgo issued a mandatory evacuation order on Thursday for people living along portions of the river.

    The weather service reported that the river was at nearly 74 feet late Saturday morning after reaching nearly 78 feet. The rapidly changing forecast said the river was expected to fall to near flood stage of 58 feet by Thursday.

    Most of Houston’s city limits were not heavily impacted by the weather. Officials said the area received about four months’ worth of rain in about a week’s time.

    The greater Houston area covers about 10,000 square miles — a footprint slightly bigger than New Jersey. It is crisscrossed by about 1,700 miles of channels, creeks and bayous that drain into the Gulf of Mexico, about 50 miles southeast of downtown.

    The system of bayous and reservoirs was built to drain heavy rains, but the engineering initially designed nearly 100 years ago has struggled to keep up with the city’s growth and bigger storms.

    ___

    Associated Press reporters Ken Miller in Edmond, Oklahoma, Jim Vertuno in Austin, and Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, contributed to this report.

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  • 3 bodies recovered likely those of 2 Australians and American who went missing, prosecutors say

    3 bodies recovered likely those of 2 Australians and American who went missing, prosecutors say

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    Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.While there has not yet been confirmation based on forensic examination, physical characteristics — including hair — means there is a high likelihood that the bodies are those of the three tourists, local TV network Milenio reported, citing chief state prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez.“It is presumed that (the bodies) are the ones being investigated,” an employee of the state prosecutors’ office who was not authorized to be quoted by name told The Associated Press.“A fourth body was located. It is not related to the three foreigners. The fourth body had been there for a long time,” the official added.The site where the bodies were discovered near the township of Santo Tomás was near the remote seaside area where the missing men’s tents and truck were found Thursday on a remote stretch of coast.The men — identified by family members as brothers Jake and Callum Robinson from Australia and American Jack Carter Rhoad — went missing Saturday. They did not show up at their planned accommodations over the weekend.The U.S. State Department said: “We are aware of those reports (of bodies) and are closely monitoring the situation. At this time we have no further comment.”Baja California prosecutors had said Thursday that they were questioning three people in the case. On Friday, the office said the three had been arrested and charged with a crime equivalent to kidnapping. It was unclear if they might face more charges.María Elena Andrade Ramírez, the chief state prosecutor, said evidence found along with the abandoned tents was linked to the three people being questioned about the missing foreigners.

    Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.

    While there has not yet been confirmation based on forensic examination, physical characteristics — including hair — means there is a high likelihood that the bodies are those of the three tourists, local TV network Milenio reported, citing chief state prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez.

    “It is presumed that (the bodies) are the ones being investigated,” an employee of the state prosecutors’ office who was not authorized to be quoted by name told The Associated Press.

    “A fourth body was located. It is not related to the three foreigners. The fourth body had been there for a long time,” the official added.

    The site where the bodies were discovered near the township of Santo Tomás was near the remote seaside area where the missing men’s tents and truck were found Thursday on a remote stretch of coast.

    The men — identified by family members as brothers Jake and Callum Robinson from Australia and American Jack Carter Rhoad — went missing Saturday. They did not show up at their planned accommodations over the weekend.

    The U.S. State Department said: “We are aware of those reports (of bodies) and are closely monitoring the situation. At this time we have no further comment.”

    Baja California prosecutors had said Thursday that they were questioning three people in the case. On Friday, the office said the three had been arrested and charged with a crime equivalent to kidnapping. It was unclear if they might face more charges.

    María Elena Andrade Ramírez, the chief state prosecutor, said evidence found along with the abandoned tents was linked to the three people being questioned about the missing foreigners.

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  • News anchor Poppy Harlow announces departure from CNN

    News anchor Poppy Harlow announces departure from CNN

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    Anchor Poppy Harlow is leaving CNN, according to the network.Harlow, who joined CNN in 2008 and most recently co-hosted “CNN This Morning,” announced her parting from the cable news giant in an email to colleagues.She called her time at CNN “a gift.””I have been inspired by you and learned so much from you – who are (and will remain) dear friends,” Harlow wrote. “This place has shaped me as a leader, taught me resilience, shown me the value of perspective and how to make hard decisions.”At CNN, Harlow reported on the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and the 2015 Paris terror attacks, among other stories.”I got to experience what makes this country great,” Harlow wrote in her email. “I sat with people in their best moments and in their hardest. They taught me about the human condition and what binds us.”Earlier this year, CNN announced changes to the time slot for “CNN This Morning” and moved it to Washington.CNN Chief Executive Mark Thompson lauded Harlow’s time at the network.”Poppy is a unique talent who combines formidable reporting and interviewing prowess with a human touch that audiences have always responded to,” Thompson said.Harlow previously worked as an anchor for the Forbes Video Network and was an anchor and reporter for NY1 News, according to her bio on CNN’s website.She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia University and a master’s degree in Studies of Law from Yale Law School.

    ATLANTA —

    Anchor Poppy Harlow is leaving CNN, according to the network.

    Harlow, who joined CNN in 2008 and most recently co-hosted “CNN This Morning,” announced her parting from the cable news giant in an email to colleagues.

    She called her time at CNN “a gift.”

    “I have been inspired by you and learned so much from you – who are (and will remain) dear friends,” Harlow wrote. “This place has shaped me as a leader, taught me resilience, shown me the value of perspective and how to make hard decisions.”

    At CNN, Harlow reported on the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and the 2015 Paris terror attacks, among other stories.

    “I got to experience what makes this country great,” Harlow wrote in her email. “I sat with people in their best moments and in their hardest. They taught me about the human condition and what binds us.”

    Earlier this year, CNN announced changes to the time slot for “CNN This Morning” and moved it to Washington.

    CNN Chief Executive Mark Thompson lauded Harlow’s time at the network.

    “Poppy is a unique talent who combines formidable reporting and interviewing prowess with a human touch that audiences have always responded to,” Thompson said.

    Harlow previously worked as an anchor for the Forbes Video Network and was an anchor and reporter for NY1 News, according to her bio on CNN’s website.

    She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia University and a master’s degree in Studies of Law from Yale Law School.

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  • The House passes billions in aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle. Next is the Senate

    The House passes billions in aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle. Next is the Senate

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    The House swiftly approved $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies in a rare Saturday session as Democrats and Republicans banded together after months of hard-right resistance over renewed American support for repelling Russia’s invasion.With an overwhelming vote, the $61 billion in aid for Ukraine passed in a matter of minutes, a strong showing as American lawmakers race to deliver a fresh round of U.S. support to the war-torn ally. Many Democrats cheered on the House floor and waved blue-and-yellow flags of Ukraine.Aid to Israel and the other allies also won approval by healthy margins, as did a measure to clamp down on the popular platform TikTok, with unique coalitions forming to push the separate bills forward. The whole package will go to the Senate, which could pass it as soon as Tuesday. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.“We did our work here, and I think history will judge it well,” said a weary Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who risked his own job to marshal the package to passage.Biden, in a statement, thanked Johnson, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and the bipartisan coalition of lawmakers “who voted to put our national security first.”“I urge the Senate to quickly send this package to my desk so that I can sign it into law and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs,” the president said.President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said he was “grateful” to both parties in the House and “personally Speaker Mike Johnson for the decision that keeps history on the right track,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.“Thank you, America!” he said.Video below: Speaker Johnson holds press conference after House passes Ukraine, Israel aid packagesThe scene in Congress was a striking display of action after months of dysfunction and stalemate fueled by Republicans, who hold the majority but are deeply split over foreign aid, particularly for Ukraine. Johnson relied on Democrats to ensure the military and humanitarian funding — the first major package for Ukraine since December 2022 — won approval.The morning opened with a somber and serious debate and an unusual sense of purpose as Republican and Democratic leaders united to urge quick approval, saying that would ensure the United States supported its allies and remained a leader on the world stage. The House’s visitor galleries were crowded with onlookers.“The eyes of the world are upon us, and history will judge what we do here and now,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs CommitteePassage through the House cleared away the biggest hurdle to Biden’s funding request, first made in October as Ukraine’s military supplies began to run low.The GOP-controlled House struggled for months over what to do, first demanding that any assistance for Ukraine be tied to policy changes at the U.S.-Mexico border, only to immediately reject a bipartisan Senate offer along those very lines.Reaching an endgame has been an excruciating lift for Johnson that has tested both his resolve and his support among Republicans, with a small but growing number now openly urging his removal from the speaker’s office. Yet congressional leaders cast the votes as a turning point in history — an urgent sacrifice as U.S. allies are beleaguered by wars and threats from continental Europe to the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific.“Sometimes when you are living history, as we are today, you don’t understand the significance of the actions of the votes that we make on this House floor, of the effect that it will have down the road,” said New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “This is a historic moment.”Opponents, particularly the hard-right Republicans from Johnson’s majority, argued that the U.S. should focus on the home front, addressing domestic border security and the nation’s rising debt load, and they warned against spending more money, which largely flows to American defense manufacturers, to produce weaponry used overseas.Still, Congress has seen a stream of world leaders visit in recent months, from Zelenskyy to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, all but pleading with lawmakers to approve the aid. Globally, the delay left many questioning America’s commitment to its allies.At stake has been one of Biden’s top foreign policy priorities — halting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s advance in Europe. After engaging in quiet talks with Johnson, the president quickly endorsed Johnson’s plan, paving the way for Democrats to give their rare support to clear the procedural hurdles needed for a final vote.“We have a responsibility, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans to defend democracy wherever it is at risk,” Jeffries said during the debate.While aid for Ukraine failed to win a majority of Republicans, several dozen progressive Democrats voted against the bill aiding Israel as they demanded an end to the bombardment of Gaza that has killed thousands of civilians. A group of roughly 20 hard-right Republicans voted against every portion of the aid package, including for allies like Israel and Taiwan that have traditionally enjoyed support from the GOP.At the same time, Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has loomed large over the fight, weighing in from afar via social media statements and direct phone calls with lawmakers as he tilts the GOP to a more isolationist stance with his “America First” brand of politics.Ukraine’s defense once enjoyed robust, bipartisan support in Congress, but as the war enters its third year, a majority of Republicans opposed further aid. Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., offered an amendment to zero out the money, but it was rejected.The ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus has derided the legislation as the “America Last” foreign wars package and urged lawmakers to defy Republican leadership and oppose it because the bills did not include border security measures.Johnson’s hold on the speaker’s gavel has also grown more tenuous in recent days as three Republicans, led by Greene, supported a “motion to vacate” that can lead to a vote on removing the speaker. Egged on by far-right personalities, she is also being joined by a growing number of lawmakers including Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who is urging Johnson to voluntarily step aside.The package included several Republican priorities that Democrats endorsed, or at least are willing to accept. Those include proposals that allow the U.S. to seize frozen Russian central bank assets to rebuild Ukraine; impose sanctions on Iran, Russia, China and criminal organizations that traffic fentanyl; and legislation to require the China-based owner of the popular video app TikTok to sell its stake within a year or face a ban in the United States.Still, the all-out push to get the bills through Congress is a reflection not only of politics, but realities on the ground in Ukraine. Top lawmakers on national security committees, who are privy to classified briefings, have grown gravely concerned about the tide of the war as Russia pummels Ukrainian forces beset by a shortage of troops and ammunition.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced the Senate would begin procedural votes on the package Tuesday, saying, “Our allies across the world have been waiting for this moment.”Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, as he prepared to overcome objections from his right flank next week, said, “The task before us is urgent. It is once again the Senate’s turn to make history.”

    WASHINGTON —

    The House swiftly approved $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies in a rare Saturday session as Democrats and Republicans banded together after months of hard-right resistance over renewed American support for repelling Russia’s invasion.

    With an overwhelming vote, the $61 billion in aid for Ukraine passed in a matter of minutes, a strong showing as American lawmakers race to deliver a fresh round of U.S. support to the war-torn ally. Many Democrats cheered on the House floor and waved blue-and-yellow flags of Ukraine.

    Aid to Israel and the other allies also won approval by healthy margins, as did a measure to clamp down on the popular platform TikTok, with unique coalitions forming to push the separate bills forward. The whole package will go to the Senate, which could pass it as soon as Tuesday. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.

    “We did our work here, and I think history will judge it well,” said a weary Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who risked his own job to marshal the package to passage.

    Biden, in a statement, thanked Johnson, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and the bipartisan coalition of lawmakers “who voted to put our national security first.”

    “I urge the Senate to quickly send this package to my desk so that I can sign it into law and we can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs,” the president said.

    President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said he was “grateful” to both parties in the House and “personally Speaker Mike Johnson for the decision that keeps history on the right track,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.

    “Thank you, America!” he said.

    Video below: Speaker Johnson holds press conference after House passes Ukraine, Israel aid packages

    The scene in Congress was a striking display of action after months of dysfunction and stalemate fueled by Republicans, who hold the majority but are deeply split over foreign aid, particularly for Ukraine. Johnson relied on Democrats to ensure the military and humanitarian funding — the first major package for Ukraine since December 2022 — won approval.

    The morning opened with a somber and serious debate and an unusual sense of purpose as Republican and Democratic leaders united to urge quick approval, saying that would ensure the United States supported its allies and remained a leader on the world stage. The House’s visitor galleries were crowded with onlookers.

    “The eyes of the world are upon us, and history will judge what we do here and now,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee

    Passage through the House cleared away the biggest hurdle to Biden’s funding request, first made in October as Ukraine’s military supplies began to run low.

    The GOP-controlled House struggled for months over what to do, first demanding that any assistance for Ukraine be tied to policy changes at the U.S.-Mexico border, only to immediately reject a bipartisan Senate offer along those very lines.

    Reaching an endgame has been an excruciating lift for Johnson that has tested both his resolve and his support among Republicans, with a small but growing number now openly urging his removal from the speaker’s office. Yet congressional leaders cast the votes as a turning point in history — an urgent sacrifice as U.S. allies are beleaguered by wars and threats from continental Europe to the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific.

    “Sometimes when you are living history, as we are today, you don’t understand the significance of the actions of the votes that we make on this House floor, of the effect that it will have down the road,” said New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “This is a historic moment.”

    Opponents, particularly the hard-right Republicans from Johnson’s majority, argued that the U.S. should focus on the home front, addressing domestic border security and the nation’s rising debt load, and they warned against spending more money, which largely flows to American defense manufacturers, to produce weaponry used overseas.

    Still, Congress has seen a stream of world leaders visit in recent months, from Zelenskyy to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, all but pleading with lawmakers to approve the aid. Globally, the delay left many questioning America’s commitment to its allies.

    At stake has been one of Biden’s top foreign policy priorities — halting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s advance in Europe. After engaging in quiet talks with Johnson, the president quickly endorsed Johnson’s plan, paving the way for Democrats to give their rare support to clear the procedural hurdles needed for a final vote.

    “We have a responsibility, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans to defend democracy wherever it is at risk,” Jeffries said during the debate.

    While aid for Ukraine failed to win a majority of Republicans, several dozen progressive Democrats voted against the bill aiding Israel as they demanded an end to the bombardment of Gaza that has killed thousands of civilians. A group of roughly 20 hard-right Republicans voted against every portion of the aid package, including for allies like Israel and Taiwan that have traditionally enjoyed support from the GOP.

    At the same time, Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has loomed large over the fight, weighing in from afar via social media statements and direct phone calls with lawmakers as he tilts the GOP to a more isolationist stance with his “America First” brand of politics.

    Ukraine’s defense once enjoyed robust, bipartisan support in Congress, but as the war enters its third year, a majority of Republicans opposed further aid. Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., offered an amendment to zero out the money, but it was rejected.

    The ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus has derided the legislation as the “America Last” foreign wars package and urged lawmakers to defy Republican leadership and oppose it because the bills did not include border security measures.

    Johnson’s hold on the speaker’s gavel has also grown more tenuous in recent days as three Republicans, led by Greene, supported a “motion to vacate” that can lead to a vote on removing the speaker. Egged on by far-right personalities, she is also being joined by a growing number of lawmakers including Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who is urging Johnson to voluntarily step aside.

    The package included several Republican priorities that Democrats endorsed, or at least are willing to accept. Those include proposals that allow the U.S. to seize frozen Russian central bank assets to rebuild Ukraine; impose sanctions on Iran, Russia, China and criminal organizations that traffic fentanyl; and legislation to require the China-based owner of the popular video app TikTok to sell its stake within a year or face a ban in the United States.

    Still, the all-out push to get the bills through Congress is a reflection not only of politics, but realities on the ground in Ukraine. Top lawmakers on national security committees, who are privy to classified briefings, have grown gravely concerned about the tide of the war as Russia pummels Ukrainian forces beset by a shortage of troops and ammunition.

    Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced the Senate would begin procedural votes on the package Tuesday, saying, “Our allies across the world have been waiting for this moment.”

    Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, as he prepared to overcome objections from his right flank next week, said, “The task before us is urgent. It is once again the Senate’s turn to make history.”

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  • Mother speaks out after receiving threatening scam messages

    Mother speaks out after receiving threatening scam messages

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    A mother in South Carolina is warning others after getting a series of threatening messages. Elizabeth Sebring said last week that she started getting the messages after losing her iPhone and getting a new one. Sebring said the messages came in the form of texts and videos, one of which shows a man waving a gun. The texts contained information about her family, her name, address, and threats to physically harm her and her family. The person also stated the personal information would be released to the black market if she didn’t erase the lost device from her Apple account and all tracking abilities on the old phone.”It was very threatening and very concerning because it was a video they sent of a man holding a gun, and I have two young children,” Sebring said. “Some of the things they said they would do to us, it was just vulgar. It was just bad.”Sebring said she eventually discovered online forums where other people who almost fell victim to the same exact scam posted similar messages received from scammers. Sebring said she wants people to be aware, especially those who are older in age, to help them avoid falling victim to this scam if it happens to them.

    A mother in South Carolina is warning others after getting a series of threatening messages.

    Elizabeth Sebring said last week that she started getting the messages after losing her iPhone and getting a new one.

    Sebring said the messages came in the form of texts and videos, one of which shows a man waving a gun.

    The texts contained information about her family, her name, address, and threats to physically harm her and her family. The person also stated the personal information would be released to the black market if she didn’t erase the lost device from her Apple account and all tracking abilities on the old phone.

    “It was very threatening and very concerning because it was a video they sent of a man holding a gun, and I have two young children,” Sebring said. “Some of the things they said they would do to us, it was just vulgar. It was just bad.”

    Sebring said she eventually discovered online forums where other people who almost fell victim to the same exact scam posted similar messages received from scammers.

    Sebring said she wants people to be aware, especially those who are older in age, to help them avoid falling victim to this scam if it happens to them.

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  • TikTok is in the hot seat once again in Washington

    TikTok is in the hot seat once again in Washington

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    TikTok is again facing an imminent threat from Congress.On Wednesday, House Republicans added a hot-button bill that could lead to a nationwide TikTok ban to a wide-ranging foreign aid package intended to help Israel and Ukraine.House Speaker Mike Johnson aims to hold a vote on the aid package as early as Saturday. If approved, it could fast-track what has become the most serious risk to TikTok’s US business since former President Donald Trump first proposed a ban of the popular app in 2020.An earlier version of the TikTok bill sailed through the House in March, but it has become bogged down in the Senate. By including it in the aid package, House Republicans hope to force the Senate to a quick vote on a measure supporters say is necessary to protect Americans’ personal data from the Chinese government.Opponents, including TikTok and a range of civil society groups, have argued the bill risks violating TikTok users’ First Amendment rights.In pressuring Senate colleagues to approve the TikTok bill alongside military equipment for Ukraine, House Republicans are angling to avoid the lengthy regular process that could delay a Senate vote on the app, which has 175 million U.S. users. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the House TikTok bill if it reaches his desk.The latest version of the TikTok bill contains some updates. For example, it sets out a nine-month timeframe for the app’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, to sell the social media company. If it misses the deadline, TikTok would be banned from U.S. app stores.That proposed time limit is longer than the roughly six months proposed in previous legislation. The new bill would also give the president the option to extend the deadline by another 90 days if he determines there’s been progress toward a sale.The changes appear aimed at addressing concerns by some senators that the original six-month deadline was too short. Whether the revisions are enough to gain Senate approval, however, remains unclear, as some leading senators have signaled desires for a slower approach to a TikTok bill.One key senator who was doubtful of the initial House TikTok bill appeared satisfied.”I’m very happy that Speaker Johnson and House leaders incorporated my recommendation to extend the ByteDance divestment period from six months to a year,” said Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, in a statement. “As I’ve said, extending the divestment period is necessary to ensure there is enough time for a new buyer to get a deal done. I support this updated legislation.”For years, U.S. policymakers have expressed fears that TikTok’s links to China through its parent company could allow the Chinese government unauthorized access to TikTok’s US user data. That information could potentially help the Chinese government identify intelligence targets or facilitate disinformation campaigns, they have said. Some other countries such as India have already banned TikTok.TikTok has pushed back strongly against those claims, saying there is no evidence the Chinese government has accessed U.S. user data to date and that the company has taken steps to insulate Americans’ personal information. That includes Project Texas, an initiative that involved moving TikTok’s U.S. user data onto servers controlled and overseen by Oracle, the US technology giant.Some policy experts say a more comprehensive way to deal with TikTok’s potential national security risks would be for Congress to pass a national privacy law that regulates how all businesses and organizations can handle Americans’ personal information.This month, Cantwell and her Republican counterpart in the House, Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, unveiled a proposal that could do just that, breaking a yearslong deadlock over key issues including the scope and reach of a unified, national data privacy standard.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

    TikTok is again facing an imminent threat from Congress.

    On Wednesday, House Republicans added a hot-button bill that could lead to a nationwide TikTok ban to a wide-ranging foreign aid package intended to help Israel and Ukraine.

    House Speaker Mike Johnson aims to hold a vote on the aid package as early as Saturday. If approved, it could fast-track what has become the most serious risk to TikTok’s US business since former President Donald Trump first proposed a ban of the popular app in 2020.

    An earlier version of the TikTok bill sailed through the House in March, but it has become bogged down in the Senate. By including it in the aid package, House Republicans hope to force the Senate to a quick vote on a measure supporters say is necessary to protect Americans’ personal data from the Chinese government.

    Opponents, including TikTok and a range of civil society groups, have argued the bill risks violating TikTok users’ First Amendment rights.

    In pressuring Senate colleagues to approve the TikTok bill alongside military equipment for Ukraine, House Republicans are angling to avoid the lengthy regular process that could delay a Senate vote on the app, which has 175 million U.S. users. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the House TikTok bill if it reaches his desk.

    The latest version of the TikTok bill contains some updates. For example, it sets out a nine-month timeframe for the app’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, to sell the social media company. If it misses the deadline, TikTok would be banned from U.S. app stores.

    That proposed time limit is longer than the roughly six months proposed in previous legislation. The new bill would also give the president the option to extend the deadline by another 90 days if he determines there’s been progress toward a sale.

    The changes appear aimed at addressing concerns by some senators that the original six-month deadline was too short. Whether the revisions are enough to gain Senate approval, however, remains unclear, as some leading senators have signaled desires for a slower approach to a TikTok bill.

    One key senator who was doubtful of the initial House TikTok bill appeared satisfied.

    “I’m very happy that Speaker Johnson and House leaders incorporated my recommendation to extend the ByteDance divestment period from six months to a year,” said Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, in a statement. “As I’ve said, extending the divestment period is necessary to ensure there is enough time for a new buyer to get a deal done. I support this updated legislation.”

    For years, U.S. policymakers have expressed fears that TikTok’s links to China through its parent company could allow the Chinese government unauthorized access to TikTok’s US user data. That information could potentially help the Chinese government identify intelligence targets or facilitate disinformation campaigns, they have said. Some other countries such as India have already banned TikTok.

    TikTok has pushed back strongly against those claims, saying there is no evidence the Chinese government has accessed U.S. user data to date and that the company has taken steps to insulate Americans’ personal information. That includes Project Texas, an initiative that involved moving TikTok’s U.S. user data onto servers controlled and overseen by Oracle, the US technology giant.

    Some policy experts say a more comprehensive way to deal with TikTok’s potential national security risks would be for Congress to pass a national privacy law that regulates how all businesses and organizations can handle Americans’ personal information.

    This month, Cantwell and her Republican counterpart in the House, Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, unveiled a proposal that could do just that, breaking a yearslong deadlock over key issues including the scope and reach of a unified, national data privacy standard.

    The-CNN-Wire
    ™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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  • Israel carried out strike inside Iran, as explosions reported near military base

    Israel carried out strike inside Iran, as explosions reported near military base

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    Israel has carried out a military strike inside Iran, a U.S. official told CNN Friday, a potentially dangerous escalation in a fast widening Middle East conflict that Iranian government officials have so far sought to play down.The United States was given advance notification Thursday of an intended Israeli strike in the coming days, but did not endorse the response, a second senior U.S. official said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken later confirmed the U.S. “has not been involved in any offensive operations,” but was focusing on Israel’s defense and de-escalation.Iran’s air defense systems were activated in the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz after three explosions were heard close to a major military airbase near Isfahan, state media reported early Friday morning.Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s army, said the explosions in the sky above Isfahan were related to anti-aircraft systems shooting at what he called a suspicious object, which did not cause any damage, Iranian state news IRNA reported. Other Iranian officials said air defenses intercepted three drones and there were no reports of a missile attack.Iran has not identified the source of the strike.Multiple state-aligned news agencies reported that sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program were secure and the attack appeared to be limited in scope.Iranian media appeared to further minimize the scale of the attack on Friday, broadcasting calm scenes from Isfahan showing residents walking through parks and visiting landmarks. Traffic was reported as normal and the airport was also reported to have reopened after flights were briefly canceled or suspended early Friday.Reports of Friday’s strike came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”“If the Israeli regime commits the grave error once again our response will be decisive, definitive and regretful for them,” he added, noting that this warning had been communicated to the White House via the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.Tensions across the Middle East remain on a knife edge, following Iran’s unprecedented direct strike against Israel late Saturday. The attack, during which Iran launched more than 300 drones and cruise missiles toward Israel, came in response to a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on April 1, which killed a top commander, and several others.Separately, “material losses” were reported in southern Syria after an Israeli strike, targeted “our air defense sites in the southern region,” Syrian state media SANA reported Friday citing a military source. The Israeli military said that it does not comment on reports in foreign media.The Israeli military said it was unable to provide a comment on Friday, when asked by CNN about reports of explosions in Iran.At the end of a three-day meeting in Capri, Italy, the Group of Seven (G7) nations urged all parties in the region to “prevent further escalation.” Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also warned the strikes risk “dragging the region into further conflict,” adding that the “Israeli-Iranian retaliations must end.”Iran warned of ‘maximum’ response hours earlierIsrael’s action in Iran is the latest escalatory move in a region that has been rocked by Israel’s devastating war in Gaza following Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 attack. That attack killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw more than 200 others taken hostage.Israel’s bombardment and siege of Gaza has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials, caused widespread destruction of the enclave and sparked a humanitarian crisis where more than 1 million people face ‘catastrophic’ levels of hunger.Prior to Friday’s Israeli strike, the U.S. expectation was the country would not target Iran’s civilian or nuclear facilities, the senior U.S. official told CNN.CNN has previously reported that Israel told the U.S. its response to the weekend attacks would be limited in scope. U.S. intelligence had suggested Israel was weighing a narrow and limited strike inside Iran because they feel like they have to respond with a kinetic action of some kind given the unprecedented scale of the Iranian attackThe range of targets was “never specified in precise terms but nuclear and civilian locations were clearly not in that category,” the senior official added.Calls for restraintIsrael’s Western allies have both rallied to its defense in the wake of Iran’s attack Saturday, while also urging restraint.President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he should consider Iran’s strikes a win, since they had been largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israel’s ability to defend itself.Biden had already made clear to Netanyahu that the U.S. would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran in response, a senior administration previously told CNN.Benny Gantz, a key member of Israel’s war cabinet, had pushed for a swift response to the attack, two Israeli officials told CNN, arguing that the longer Israeli delayed its response, the harder it would be to garner international support for it.Some hardline officials have gone further. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Israel should “go crazy” in response. Ben Gvir appeared to criticize Israel’s reported strike, publishing a one-word response on X early Friday morning – a slang word meaning “lame” or “weak.”Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid called Ben Gvir’s comment “unforgivable.”“Never before has a minister in the security cabinet done such heavy damage to the country’s security, its image and its international status,” Lapid said.Jasmine El-Gamal, a former Middle East adviser to the U.S. Defense Department, told CNN that Israel and Iran’s tit-for-tat strikes were about “posturing and messaging.”“Neither side, obviously, is willing or ready to escalate into an all-out war. The Israelis in particular cannot get into an all-out war without the full support, both military and political, of the Americans, which President Biden made it clear he was not willing to give,” she said.El-Gamal said Israel’s reported strike was meant to tell Iran, “We can get to your nuclear sites if we want to. We know where they are, and even though we didn’t hit them this time – we can do it.”

    Israel has carried out a military strike inside Iran, a U.S. official told CNN Friday, a potentially dangerous escalation in a fast widening Middle East conflict that Iranian government officials have so far sought to play down.

    The United States was given advance notification Thursday of an intended Israeli strike in the coming days, but did not endorse the response, a second senior U.S. official said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken later confirmed the U.S. “has not been involved in any offensive operations,” but was focusing on Israel’s defense and de-escalation.

    Iran’s air defense systems were activated in the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz after three explosions were heard close to a major military airbase near Isfahan, state media reported early Friday morning.

    Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s army, said the explosions in the sky above Isfahan were related to anti-aircraft systems shooting at what he called a suspicious object, which did not cause any damage, Iranian state news IRNA reported. Other Iranian officials said air defenses intercepted three drones and there were no reports of a missile attack.

    Iran has not identified the source of the strike.

    Multiple state-aligned news agencies reported that sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program were secure and the attack appeared to be limited in scope.

    Iranian media appeared to further minimize the scale of the attack on Friday, broadcasting calm scenes from Isfahan showing residents walking through parks and visiting landmarks. Traffic was reported as normal and the airport was also reported to have reopened after flights were briefly canceled or suspended early Friday.

    Reports of Friday’s strike came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”

    “If the Israeli regime commits the grave error once again our response will be decisive, definitive and regretful for them,” he added, noting that this warning had been communicated to the White House via the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.

    Tensions across the Middle East remain on a knife edge, following Iran’s unprecedented direct strike against Israel late Saturday. The attack, during which Iran launched more than 300 drones and cruise missiles toward Israel, came in response to a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on April 1, which killed a top commander, and several others.

    Separately, “material losses” were reported in southern Syria after an Israeli strike, targeted “our air defense sites in the southern region,” Syrian state media SANA reported Friday citing a military source. The Israeli military said that it does not comment on reports in foreign media.

    The Israeli military said it was unable to provide a comment on Friday, when asked by CNN about reports of explosions in Iran.

    At the end of a three-day meeting in Capri, Italy, the Group of Seven (G7) nations urged all parties in the region to “prevent further escalation.” Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also warned the strikes risk “dragging the region into further conflict,” adding that the “Israeli-Iranian retaliations must end.”

    Iran warned of ‘maximum’ response hours earlier

    Israel’s action in Iran is the latest escalatory move in a region that has been rocked by Israel’s devastating war in Gaza following Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 attack. That attack killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw more than 200 others taken hostage.

    Israel’s bombardment and siege of Gaza has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials, caused widespread destruction of the enclave and sparked a humanitarian crisis where more than 1 million people face ‘catastrophic’ levels of hunger.

    Prior to Friday’s Israeli strike, the U.S. expectation was the country would not target Iran’s civilian or nuclear facilities, the senior U.S. official told CNN.

    CNN has previously reported that Israel told the U.S. its response to the weekend attacks would be limited in scope. U.S. intelligence had suggested Israel was weighing a narrow and limited strike inside Iran because they feel like they have to respond with a kinetic action of some kind given the unprecedented scale of the Iranian attack

    The range of targets was “never specified in precise terms but nuclear and civilian locations were clearly not in that category,” the senior official added.

    Calls for restraint

    Israel’s Western allies have both rallied to its defense in the wake of Iran’s attack Saturday, while also urging restraint.

    President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he should consider Iran’s strikes a win, since they had been largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israel’s ability to defend itself.

    Biden had already made clear to Netanyahu that the U.S. would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran in response, a senior administration previously told CNN.

    Benny Gantz, a key member of Israel’s war cabinet, had pushed for a swift response to the attack, two Israeli officials told CNN, arguing that the longer Israeli delayed its response, the harder it would be to garner international support for it.

    Some hardline officials have gone further. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Israel should “go crazy” in response. Ben Gvir appeared to criticize Israel’s reported strike, publishing a one-word response on X early Friday morning – a slang word meaning “lame” or “weak.”

    Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid called Ben Gvir’s comment “unforgivable.”

    “Never before has a minister in the security cabinet done such heavy damage to the country’s security, its image and its international status,” Lapid said.

    Jasmine El-Gamal, a former Middle East adviser to the U.S. Defense Department, told CNN that Israel and Iran’s tit-for-tat strikes were about “posturing and messaging.”

    “Neither side, obviously, is willing or ready to escalate into an all-out war. The Israelis in particular cannot get into an all-out war without the full support, both military and political, of the Americans, which President Biden made it clear he was not willing to give,” she said.

    El-Gamal said Israel’s reported strike was meant to tell Iran, “We can get to your nuclear sites if we want to. We know where they are, and even though we didn’t hit them this time – we can do it.”

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  • Israel carried out strike inside Iran, as explosions reported near military base

    Israel carried out strike inside Iran, as explosions reported near military base

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    Israel has carried out a military strike inside Iran, a U.S. official told CNN Friday, the latest move in a dangerous escalation that threatens to push the already volatile region into all-out war.The U.S. was given advance notification Thursday of an intended Israeli strike in the coming days, but did not endorse the response, the senior U.S. official said.Iran’s air defense systems were activated in several locations after three explosions were heard close to a major military airbase near the Iranian city of Isfahan, state media reported early Friday morning. Iran’s semi-official FARS news agency said fighter jets were located at the airbase and that a military radar was a possible target.Multiple state-aligned news agencies reported that sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program were “completely secure,” and the attack appeared to be limited in scope.“Following the activation of air defense in some parts of the country to deal with some possible targets, reports indicate that so far, no large-scale strikes or explosions caused by any air threat has been reported,” Iranian state run media reported.Reports of Friday’s strike came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”“If the Israeli regime commits the grave error once again, our response will be decisive, definitive and regretful for them,” he added, noting that this warning had been communicated to the White House via the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.Tensions across the Middle East remain on a knife edge, following Iran’s unprecedented direct strike against Israel late Saturday. The attack, during which Iran launched more than 300 drones and cruise missiles toward Israel, came in response to a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on 1 April, which killed a top commander, and several others.Outgoing flights from several Iranian airports were briefly canceled or suspended early Friday, but aviation authorities later lifted all restrictions.Iran’s National Cyberspace center spokesperson Hossein Dalirian said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that three drones “have been successfully shot down by the country’s air defense, there are no reports of a missile attack for now.”Senior Iranian military commander Second Brigadier General Mihandoust said the sound of a loud explosion near Isfahan was caused by “air defense firing at a suspicious object” and that there was no “damage or incident,” according to the state-aligned Tasnim news agency.The Israeli military said they “don’t have a comment at this time,” when asked by CNN about reports of explosions in Iran.Iran warned of ‘maximum’ response hours earlierIsrael’s action in Iran is the latest escalatory move in a region that has been rocked by Israel’s devastating war in Gaza following Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 attack. That attack killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw more than 200 others taken hostage.Israel’s bombardment and siege of Gaza has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials, caused widespread destruction of the enclave and sparked a humanitarian crisis where more than 1 million people face ‘catastrophic’ levels of hunger.Prior to Friday’s Israeli strike, the U.S. expectation was the country would not target Iran’s civilian or nuclear facilities, another senior U.S. official told CNN.CNN has previously reported that Israel told the US its response would be limited in scope. U.S. intelligence had suggested Israel was weighing a narrow and limited strike inside Iran because they feel like they have to respond with a kinetic action of some kind given the unprecedented scale of the Iranian attack.The range of targets was “never specified in precise terms, but nuclear and civilian locations were clearly not in that category,” the second official added.Calls for restraintIsrael’s Western allies have both rallied to its defense in the wake of Iran’s attack Saturday, while also urging restraint.Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he should consider Iran’s strikes a win, since they had been largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israel’s ability to defend itself.Biden had already made clear to Netanyahu that the U.S. would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran in response, a senior administration previously told CNN.Benny Gantz, a key member of Israel’s war cabinet, had pushed for a swift response to the attack, two Israeli officials told CNN, arguing that the longer Israeli delayed its response, the harder it would be to garner international support for it.Some hardline officials have gone further. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Israel should “go crazy” in response.Arab states, including those that are friendly with Israel, have expressed concern about a potential escalation from Iran’s attack, but haven’t outright condemned it.This is a developing story and will be updated.CNN’s Benjamin Brown, Irene Nasser, Christian Edwards, Nadeen Ebrahim, Jeremy Diamond and David Shortell contributed reporting.

    Israel has carried out a military strike inside Iran, a U.S. official told CNN Friday, the latest move in a dangerous escalation that threatens to push the already volatile region into all-out war.

    The U.S. was given advance notification Thursday of an intended Israeli strike in the coming days, but did not endorse the response, the senior U.S. official said.

    Iran’s air defense systems were activated in several locations after three explosions were heard close to a major military airbase near the Iranian city of Isfahan, state media reported early Friday morning. Iran’s semi-official FARS news agency said fighter jets were located at the airbase and that a military radar was a possible target.

    Multiple state-aligned news agencies reported that sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program were “completely secure,” and the attack appeared to be limited in scope.

    “Following the activation of air defense in some parts of the country to deal with some possible targets, reports indicate that so far, no large-scale strikes or explosions caused by any air threat has been reported,” Iranian state run media reported.

    Reports of Friday’s strike came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”

    “If the Israeli regime commits the grave error once again, our response will be decisive, definitive and regretful for them,” he added, noting that this warning had been communicated to the White House via the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.

    Tensions across the Middle East remain on a knife edge, following Iran’s unprecedented direct strike against Israel late Saturday. The attack, during which Iran launched more than 300 drones and cruise missiles toward Israel, came in response to a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on 1 April, which killed a top commander, and several others.

    Outgoing flights from several Iranian airports were briefly canceled or suspended early Friday, but aviation authorities later lifted all restrictions.

    Iran’s National Cyberspace center spokesperson Hossein Dalirian said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that three drones “have been successfully shot down by the country’s air defense, there are no reports of a missile attack for now.”

    Senior Iranian military commander Second Brigadier General Mihandoust said the sound of a loud explosion near Isfahan was caused by “air defense firing at a suspicious object” and that there was no “damage or incident,” according to the state-aligned Tasnim news agency.

    The Israeli military said they “don’t have a comment at this time,” when asked by CNN about reports of explosions in Iran.

    Iran warned of ‘maximum’ response hours earlier

    Israel’s action in Iran is the latest escalatory move in a region that has been rocked by Israel’s devastating war in Gaza following Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 attack. That attack killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw more than 200 others taken hostage.

    Israel’s bombardment and siege of Gaza has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials, caused widespread destruction of the enclave and sparked a humanitarian crisis where more than 1 million people face ‘catastrophic’ levels of hunger.

    Prior to Friday’s Israeli strike, the U.S. expectation was the country would not target Iran’s civilian or nuclear facilities, another senior U.S. official told CNN.

    CNN has previously reported that Israel told the US its response would be limited in scope. U.S. intelligence had suggested Israel was weighing a narrow and limited strike inside Iran because they feel like they have to respond with a kinetic action of some kind given the unprecedented scale of the Iranian attack.

    The range of targets was “never specified in precise terms, but nuclear and civilian locations were clearly not in that category,” the second official added.

    Calls for restraint

    Israel’s Western allies have both rallied to its defense in the wake of Iran’s attack Saturday, while also urging restraint.

    Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he should consider Iran’s strikes a win, since they had been largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israel’s ability to defend itself.

    Biden had already made clear to Netanyahu that the U.S. would not participate in any offensive operations against Iran in response, a senior administration previously told CNN.

    Benny Gantz, a key member of Israel’s war cabinet, had pushed for a swift response to the attack, two Israeli officials told CNN, arguing that the longer Israeli delayed its response, the harder it would be to garner international support for it.

    Some hardline officials have gone further. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Israel should “go crazy” in response.

    Arab states, including those that are friendly with Israel, have expressed concern about a potential escalation from Iran’s attack, but haven’t outright condemned it.

    This is a developing story and will be updated.

    CNN’s Benjamin Brown, Irene Nasser, Christian Edwards, Nadeen Ebrahim, Jeremy Diamond and David Shortell contributed reporting.

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  • Video: Space junk crashed through family’s roof, NASA says

    Video: Space junk crashed through family’s roof, NASA says

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    A mysterious object, suspected to be space debris, crashed into a Florida family’s home, leaving them in shock and seeking answers.”It used to have a cylindrical shape and you can tell by the shape of the top that it traveled in this direction through the atmosphere where it burned, creating this burn and melting the metal over in this direction,” said Alejandro Otero, the Naples homeowner.Otero believes the object could be either space junk or a meteorite. “It’s either space junk or a space meteorite. It’s 50/50,” he stated.Otero’s son was home alone at the time of the incident and heard a loud bang. “It was a tremendous sound. And it almost hit my son. He was two rooms over and heard it all,” Otero recalled.After discovering the object, Otero contacted the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. In a video, he expressed his disbelief, “Is it heavy? Holy Cow. Are you kidding me,” as his son pulled the object out of a hole in the floor. Otero was in shock after the incident. “I was shaking, I was completely in disbelief. What are the chances of something landing on my house with such force to cause so much damage? And you know, totally, you know, I’m super grateful that nobody got hurt,” he said.Otero suspects the object could be debris from the International Space Station (ISS).NASA confirmed it was from the ISS on Monday.”The International Space Station will perform a detailed investigation of the jettison and re-entry analysis to determine the cause of the debris survival and to update modeling and analysis, as needed,” NASA said.The debris was a stanchion from their flight support equipment, weighing in at 1.6 pounds and is 4 inches tall and 1.6 inches in diameter.Watch the video above for more on this story.

    A mysterious object, suspected to be space debris, crashed into a Florida family’s home, leaving them in shock and seeking answers.

    “It used to have a cylindrical shape and you can tell by the shape of the top that it traveled in this direction through the atmosphere where it burned, creating this burn and melting the metal over in this direction,” said Alejandro Otero, the Naples homeowner.

    Otero believes the object could be either space junk or a meteorite.

    “It’s either space junk or a space meteorite. It’s 50/50,” he stated.

    Otero’s son was home alone at the time of the incident and heard a loud bang.

    “It was a tremendous sound. And it almost hit my son. He was two rooms over and heard it all,” Otero recalled.

    After discovering the object, Otero contacted the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

    In a video, he expressed his disbelief, “Is it heavy? Holy Cow. Are you kidding me,” as his son pulled the object out of a hole in the floor.

    Otero was in shock after the incident.

    “I was shaking, I was completely in disbelief. What are the chances of something landing on my house with such force to cause so much damage? And you know, totally, you know, I’m super grateful that nobody got hurt,” he said.

    Otero suspects the object could be debris from the International Space Station (ISS).

    NASA confirmed it was from the ISS on Monday.

    “The International Space Station will perform a detailed investigation of the jettison and re-entry analysis to determine the cause of the debris survival and to update modeling and analysis, as needed,” NASA said.

    The debris was a stanchion from their flight support equipment, weighing in at 1.6 pounds and is 4 inches tall and 1.6 inches in diameter.

    Watch the video above for more on this story.

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  • Booms and sirens in Israel after Iran launches over 200 missiles and drones in unprecedented attack

    Booms and sirens in Israel after Iran launches over 200 missiles and drones in unprecedented attack

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    Booms and air raid sirens sounded across Israel early Sunday after Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East closer to a regionwide war.The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Condemnation from the United Nations chief and others was swift, with France saying Iran “is risking a potential military escalation,” Britain calling the attack “reckless” and Germany saying Iran and its proxies “must stop it immediately.”The Israeli military’s spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Iran fired scores of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles — with the vast majority intercepted outside Israel’s borders. He said warplanes intercepted over 10 cruise missiles alone, also outside Israeli airspace.Hagari said a handful of missiles landed in Israel. Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl in a Bedouin Arab town was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a missile strike, though they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. Hagari said a missile struck an army base, causing light damage but no injuries.”A wide-scale attack by Iran is a major escalation,” he said. Asked whether Israel would respond, Hagari said only that the army “does and will do whatever is required to protect the security of the state of Israel.” He said the incident was not over, and dozens of Israeli warplanes remained in the skies.Video below: Explosions and sirens heard and seen as intercepts occur in the skies of Jerusalem early Sunday morning.U.S. forces downed some of the Iran-launched drones flying toward Israel, according to a U.S. defense official and two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. Israel’s military said its Arrow system, which shoots down ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere, handled most interceptions and noted that “strategic partners” were involved.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he was speaking to U.S. President Joe Biden early Sunday. No details on their conversation were immediately made public. But Biden has said his commitment to Israel’s security is “ironclad” in the face of Iranian threats — a departure from his harsh criticism over Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza.Iran had vowed revenge since an April 1 airstrike in Syria killed two Iranian generals inside an Iranian consular building. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack. Israel hasn’t commented on it.Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel’s six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials.In the player below: Video obtained by CNN shows strikes being intercepted in the skies of Jerusalem over the Al-Aqsa Compound.Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, began attacking Israel’s northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel.In a statement carried late Saturday by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching “dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime.”In a later statement, the Revolutionary Guard issued a direct warning to the U.S.: “The terrorist U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Iran’s interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Iran’s armed forces.”IRNA also quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack. A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound.Video below: Israeli military spokesperson offers commentsIsrael has a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher.Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Online videos shared by Iranian state television purported to show delta-wing-style drones resembling the Iranian Shahed-136s long used by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The slow-flying drones carry bombs. Ukraine has successfully used both surface-to-air missiles and ground fire to target them.Some Israelis watched the interceptions light up the night sky.Air raid sirens were reported in numerous places including northern Israel, southern Israel, the northern West Bank and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border.Israel’s army ordered residents in the Golan Heights — near the Syrian and Lebanese borders — as well as the southern towns of Nevatim and Dimona and the Red Sea resort of Eilat into protective spaces. Dimona is home to Israel’s main nuclear facility, and Nevatim has a major air base. Loud booms were heard in Jerusalem and northern and southern Israel.The army’s Home Front Command canceled school Sunday and limited public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. Israel and some other countries in the region closed their airspace.Earlier, Netanyahu warned: “Whoever harms us, we will harm them.”In Washington, Biden convened a principals meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the attack.Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the U.S. military’s Central Command, was in Israel over the weekend consulting with Israeli defense officials. The Central Command oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East.Iran’s mission to the United Nations issued a warning to both Israel and the U.S. “Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe,” it wrote online. “It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!”For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had threatened to “slap” Israel for the Syria strike.In Iran’s capital, Tehran, witnesses saw long lines at gas stations early Sunday as people appeared worried about what may come next. Dozens of hard-liners demonstrated in support of the attack at Palestine Square.Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Iran’s launch of drones. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched “dozens” of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site in the Golan Heights early Sunday. It was not immediately clear if there was any damage.Iranian missiles or drones were intercepted in the sky above the Jordanian capital, Amman. In Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, and elsewhere in the country, residents reported seeing missiles in the sky and hearing explosions, likely from interceptions. In Syria, explosions were heard in the capital, Damascus, and elsewhere. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian air defenses tried to shoot down Israeli attempts to intercept Iranian missiles.___Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP correspondents Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, Michael Balsamo in New York, Krutika Pathi in New Delhi, Stephen Graham in Berlin, Thomas Adamson in Paris, and Zeke Miller and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.]

    Booms and air raid sirens sounded across Israel early Sunday after Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East closer to a regionwide war.

    The attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Condemnation from the United Nations chief and others was swift, with France saying Iran “is risking a potential military escalation,” Britain calling the attack “reckless” and Germany saying Iran and its proxies “must stop it immediately.”

    The Israeli military’s spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Iran fired scores of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles — with the vast majority intercepted outside Israel’s borders. He said warplanes intercepted over 10 cruise missiles alone, also outside Israeli airspace.

    Hagari said a handful of missiles landed in Israel. Rescuers said a 7-year-old girl in a Bedouin Arab town was seriously wounded in southern Israel, apparently in a missile strike, though they said police were still investigating the circumstances of her injuries. Hagari said a missile struck an army base, causing light damage but no injuries.

    “A wide-scale attack by Iran is a major escalation,” he said. Asked whether Israel would respond, Hagari said only that the army “does and will do whatever is required to protect the security of the state of Israel.” He said the incident was not over, and dozens of Israeli warplanes remained in the skies.

    Video below: Explosions and sirens heard and seen as intercepts occur in the skies of Jerusalem early Sunday morning.

    U.S. forces downed some of the Iran-launched drones flying toward Israel, according to a U.S. defense official and two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. Israel’s military said its Arrow system, which shoots down ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere, handled most interceptions and noted that “strategic partners” were involved.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he was speaking to U.S. President Joe Biden early Sunday. No details on their conversation were immediately made public. But Biden has said his commitment to Israel’s security is “ironclad” in the face of Iranian threats — a departure from his harsh criticism over Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza.

    Iran had vowed revenge since an April 1 airstrike in Syria killed two Iranian generals inside an Iranian consular building. Iran accused Israel of being behind the attack. Israel hasn’t commented on it.

    Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel’s six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,000 people, according to local health officials.

    In the player below: Video obtained by CNN shows strikes being intercepted in the skies of Jerusalem over the Al-Aqsa Compound.

    Almost immediately after the war erupted, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, began attacking Israel’s northern border. The two sides have been involved in daily exchanges of fire, while Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen have launched rockets and missiles toward Israel.

    In a statement carried late Saturday by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged launching “dozens of drones and missiles towards the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime.”

    In a later statement, the Revolutionary Guard issued a direct warning to the U.S.: “The terrorist U.S. government is warned any support or participation in harming Iran’s interests will be followed by decisive and regretting response by Iran’s armed forces.”

    IRNA also quoted an anonymous official saying ballistic missiles were part of the attack. A ballistic missile moves on an arch trajectory, heading up into space before gravity brings the weapon down at a speed several times faster than the speed of sound.

    Video below: Israeli military spokesperson offers comments


    Israel has a multilayered air-defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets. However, in a massive attack involving multiple drones and missiles, the likelihood of a strike making it through is higher.

    Iran has a vast arsenal of drones and missiles. Online videos shared by Iranian state television purported to show delta-wing-style drones resembling the Iranian Shahed-136s long used by Russia in its war on Ukraine. The slow-flying drones carry bombs. Ukraine has successfully used both surface-to-air missiles and ground fire to target them.

    Some Israelis watched the interceptions light up the night sky.

    Air raid sirens were reported in numerous places including northern Israel, southern Israel, the northern West Bank and the Dead Sea near the Jordanian border.

    Israel’s army ordered residents in the Golan Heights — near the Syrian and Lebanese borders — as well as the southern towns of Nevatim and Dimona and the Red Sea resort of Eilat into protective spaces. Dimona is home to Israel’s main nuclear facility, and Nevatim has a major air base. Loud booms were heard in Jerusalem and northern and southern Israel.

    The army’s Home Front Command canceled school Sunday and limited public gatherings to no more than 1,000 people. Israel and some other countries in the region closed their airspace.

    Earlier, Netanyahu warned: “Whoever harms us, we will harm them.”

    In Washington, Biden convened a principals meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the attack.

    Gen. Erik Kurilla, the head of the U.S. military’s Central Command, was in Israel over the weekend consulting with Israeli defense officials. The Central Command oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East.

    Iran’s mission to the United Nations issued a warning to both Israel and the U.S. “Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe,” it wrote online. “It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!”

    For days, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had threatened to “slap” Israel for the Syria strike.

    In Iran’s capital, Tehran, witnesses saw long lines at gas stations early Sunday as people appeared worried about what may come next. Dozens of hard-liners demonstrated in support of the attack at Palestine Square.

    Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported heavy Israeli airstrikes and shelling on multiple locations in south Lebanon following Iran’s launch of drones. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched “dozens” of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site in the Golan Heights early Sunday. It was not immediately clear if there was any damage.

    Iranian missiles or drones were intercepted in the sky above the Jordanian capital, Amman. In Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, and elsewhere in the country, residents reported seeing missiles in the sky and hearing explosions, likely from interceptions. In Syria, explosions were heard in the capital, Damascus, and elsewhere. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian air defenses tried to shoot down Israeli attempts to intercept Iranian missiles.

    ___

    Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP correspondents Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, Michael Balsamo in New York, Krutika Pathi in New Delhi, Stephen Graham in Berlin, Thomas Adamson in Paris, and Zeke Miller and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

    ]

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  • Judge Cannon considers tossing some obstruction charges in Trump classified docs case

    Judge Cannon considers tossing some obstruction charges in Trump classified docs case

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    Special counsel Jack Smith’s allegations that Donald Trump’s close aides obstructed the Justice Department’s investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago are facing their first major test during a hearing Friday.Judge Aileen Cannon, the judge overseeing the criminal case in a Florida federal court, is pressing defense attorneys and prosecutors in the classified documents case over whether obstruction charges against Trump’s co-defendant, Carlos De Oliveira, should be dropped.Even though Cannon won’t be considering any of Trump’s requests for the case’s dismissal Friday, how she responds to his co-defendant’s arguments about the obstruction charges will likely shape how the presumptive Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election moves forward with his defense.Cannon appeared skeptical of De Oliveira’s argument that an FBI agent asked unclear or irrelevant questions during a voluntary interview, asking his defense attorney John Irving why that argument shouldn’t be made to a jury at trial. De Oliveira has been charged with lying to investigators about moving boxes with classified documents Mar-a-Lago.De Oliveira is arguing that the obstruction-related charges against him should be thrown out because he was not aware of subpoenas issued to Trump for both the classified documents and Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage of the documents being moved.Arguing for the special counsel team, Jay Bratt said prosecutors are not required to show that De Oliveira knew about the subpoenas or what they were demanding. Bratt said that prosecutors only need to show he was aware of the federal investigation.Cannon asked Bratt where in the indictment the special counsel alleges De Oliveira had knowledge of the probe. Bratt responded that they wouldn’t have charged without evidence.As Trump and his allies have argued he is being selectively prosecuted by the Biden administration, Smith and his supporters have argued that former president’s alleged efforts to obstruct the probe into classified documents taken from the Trump White House distinguishes this case from the other times former presidents and vice presidents have been investigated for their handling of sensitive government materials.Walt Nauta, who works as Trump’s personal valet, and De Oliveira, who has worked as property manager at Mar-a-Lago, are accused of conspiring to help Trump hide documents at the Florida estate after he left the White House and lying to the FBI in interviews about their alleged involvement in moving the documents.Trump and his two co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to obstruction, and the former president has pleaded not guilty to crimes related to his alleged mishandling of classified and sensitive government information.What did the aides know?In court filings earlier this year, Nauta and De Oliveira asked Cannon to throw out the obstruction charges that they were facing because, they say, Smith hasn’t met his legal burden to pursue the allegations.Nauta argued that the criminal counts he is facing are too vague. And De Oliveira argued he had “no clue” that classified documents were in the boxes he allegedly helped to move around the club and therefore couldn’t have been intentionally trying to block investigators from attaining important evidence.De Oliveira also has asked the judge to toss the charges against him for allegedly lying to the FBI about moving boxes during a voluntary interview because, he claims, the criminal probe wasn’t hurt by his alleged lies.Smith’s team, however, said that De Oliveira’s arguments about the strength of the government’s case should be left for a jury to decide. As for Nauta’s allegation that the charge is too vague, Smith said that the case has included “extensive allegations” of the “criminal conduct that Nauta is alleged to have undertaken.”In his own interview with the FBI, the transcript of which was released Thursday, Nauta said that the transition out of the White House was “literally chaos” and repeatedly claimed that he believed Trump stored news clippings, hairspray, shampoo, picture frames and other miscellaneous materials in the boxes. Nauta is charged with lying in the interview.Should Cannon reject their efforts, both co-defendants have asked the judge to order a document called a bill of particulars, in which prosecutors provide detailed descriptions of the offenses they plan to prove at trial.Smith’s team has called those requests a “thinly veiled attempt to get the Government to disclose its trial strategy.”

    Special counsel Jack Smith’s allegations that Donald Trump’s close aides obstructed the Justice Department’s investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago are facing their first major test during a hearing Friday.

    Judge Aileen Cannon, the judge overseeing the criminal case in a Florida federal court, is pressing defense attorneys and prosecutors in the classified documents case over whether obstruction charges against Trump’s co-defendant, Carlos De Oliveira, should be dropped.

    Even though Cannon won’t be considering any of Trump’s requests for the case’s dismissal Friday, how she responds to his co-defendant’s arguments about the obstruction charges will likely shape how the presumptive Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election moves forward with his defense.

    Cannon appeared skeptical of De Oliveira’s argument that an FBI agent asked unclear or irrelevant questions during a voluntary interview, asking his defense attorney John Irving why that argument shouldn’t be made to a jury at trial. De Oliveira has been charged with lying to investigators about moving boxes with classified documents Mar-a-Lago.

    De Oliveira is arguing that the obstruction-related charges against him should be thrown out because he was not aware of subpoenas issued to Trump for both the classified documents and Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage of the documents being moved.

    Arguing for the special counsel team, Jay Bratt said prosecutors are not required to show that De Oliveira knew about the subpoenas or what they were demanding. Bratt said that prosecutors only need to show he was aware of the federal investigation.

    Cannon asked Bratt where in the indictment the special counsel alleges De Oliveira had knowledge of the probe. Bratt responded that they wouldn’t have charged without evidence.

    As Trump and his allies have argued he is being selectively prosecuted by the Biden administration, Smith and his supporters have argued that former president’s alleged efforts to obstruct the probe into classified documents taken from the Trump White House distinguishes this case from the other times former presidents and vice presidents have been investigated for their handling of sensitive government materials.

    Walt Nauta, who works as Trump’s personal valet, and De Oliveira, who has worked as property manager at Mar-a-Lago, are accused of conspiring to help Trump hide documents at the Florida estate after he left the White House and lying to the FBI in interviews about their alleged involvement in moving the documents.

    Trump and his two co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to obstruction, and the former president has pleaded not guilty to crimes related to his alleged mishandling of classified and sensitive government information.

    What did the aides know?

    In court filings earlier this year, Nauta and De Oliveira asked Cannon to throw out the obstruction charges that they were facing because, they say, Smith hasn’t met his legal burden to pursue the allegations.

    Nauta argued that the criminal counts he is facing are too vague. And De Oliveira argued he had “no clue” that classified documents were in the boxes he allegedly helped to move around the club and therefore couldn’t have been intentionally trying to block investigators from attaining important evidence.

    De Oliveira also has asked the judge to toss the charges against him for allegedly lying to the FBI about moving boxes during a voluntary interview because, he claims, the criminal probe wasn’t hurt by his alleged lies.

    Smith’s team, however, said that De Oliveira’s arguments about the strength of the government’s case should be left for a jury to decide. As for Nauta’s allegation that the charge is too vague, Smith said that the case has included “extensive allegations” of the “criminal conduct that Nauta is alleged to have undertaken.”

    In his own interview with the FBI, the transcript of which was released Thursday, Nauta said that the transition out of the White House was “literally chaos” and repeatedly claimed that he believed Trump stored news clippings, hairspray, shampoo, picture frames and other miscellaneous materials in the boxes. Nauta is charged with lying in the interview.

    Should Cannon reject their efforts, both co-defendants have asked the judge to order a document called a bill of particulars, in which prosecutors provide detailed descriptions of the offenses they plan to prove at trial.

    Smith’s team has called those requests a “thinly veiled attempt to get the Government to disclose its trial strategy.”

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  • ‘It’s just hard to find somebody’: Woman looks for love with billboard ads

    ‘It’s just hard to find somebody’: Woman looks for love with billboard ads

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    In a unique approach to finding companionship, Linda Howard, a California resident, is using billboards to advertise her availability.”I enjoy doing it, it’s my hobby. Expensive one, but it’s my hobby,” said Howard.Howard previously put up holiday-themed billboards in December. These billboards listed her requirements for a potential companion and resulted in a few dates.”They have to laugh and they have a sense of humor, and unfortunately, it wasn’t there,” Howard explained.Now, Howard is trying again with a new billboard. This one features a humorous theme and an updated list of requirements. It includes a picture of a chicken, reflecting her love for buying chickens, and an image of cans in a shopping cart, hinting at the comment at the bottom of the billboard. The billboard also features a fortune teller.”I thought it was a cute picture, but really, I think God is in control of our lives, and we just know he has a plan for all of us. And I’ve been single for 34 years, so you’d think he’d be a little faster on this one. I just want a good friend to go and laugh with and send him home when I’m bored with him, and I get bored easily,” Howard said.One of the key requirements listed is that potential dates cannot be boring. Howard has also played matchmaker for her friends. She has set them up with people who responded to her billboards but weren’t a match for her.”There’s a lot of single people at our age that it’s just hard to find somebody that’s compatible, so I’m just trying. Hopefully, I will hook up some people for the summer to go out and enjoy life. Life is too short, and we all ‘ought to have fun and meet new people in life,” Howard stated.Howard is open to responses from anyone. Her billboard includes a question for potential dates to answer.”Yeah, I would love to hear it, and we can share it with other people, and maybe we can someday have a group where we can all go to Bille Park and have a picnic and get to know each other,” Howard said.Howard has plans for the future of her billboard campaign. A new one is set to go up in April.

    In a unique approach to finding companionship, Linda Howard, a California resident, is using billboards to advertise her availability.

    “I enjoy doing it, it’s my hobby. Expensive one, but it’s my hobby,” said Howard.

    Howard previously put up holiday-themed billboards in December. These billboards listed her requirements for a potential companion and resulted in a few dates.

    “They have to laugh and they have a sense of humor, and unfortunately, it wasn’t there,” Howard explained.

    Now, Howard is trying again with a new billboard. This one features a humorous theme and an updated list of requirements. It includes a picture of a chicken, reflecting her love for buying chickens, and an image of cans in a shopping cart, hinting at the comment at the bottom of the billboard. The billboard also features a fortune teller.

    “I thought it was a cute picture, but really, I think God is in control of our lives, and we just know he has a plan for all of us. And I’ve been single for 34 years, so you’d think he’d be a little faster on this one. I just want a good friend to go and laugh with and send him home when I’m bored with him, and I get bored easily,” Howard said.

    One of the key requirements listed is that potential dates cannot be boring.

    Howard has also played matchmaker for her friends. She has set them up with people who responded to her billboards but weren’t a match for her.

    “There’s a lot of single people at our age that it’s just hard to find somebody that’s compatible, so I’m just trying. Hopefully, I will hook up some people for the summer to go out and enjoy life. Life is too short, and we all ‘ought to have fun and meet new people in life,” Howard stated.

    Howard is open to responses from anyone. Her billboard includes a question for potential dates to answer.

    “Yeah, I would love to hear it, and we can share it with other people, and maybe we can someday have a group where we can all go to Bille Park and have a picnic and get to know each other,” Howard said.

    Howard has plans for the future of her billboard campaign. A new one is set to go up in April.

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