News of the World
42 minutes ago
MIDDLE EAST
Quote:WASHINGTON — Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir traveled to Tehran on Friday in the latest push to forge a US-Iran deal as President Trump weighs military action this weekend.
Munir, the chief of Pakistan’s armed forces, has forged a bond with Trump, who regularly praises his work in mediating the US-Iran negotiations.
A delegation from Qatar also joined the field marshal in Tehran to lobby Iranian officials to make an agreement with Washington.
Doha and other Gulf states have been increasingly concerned Iran will target their oil and gas infrastructure as retaliation if the US decides to renew military action this weekend, sources familiar with the matter tell The Post.
“Many Gulf countries want a deal — but they want the right deal,” a regional source said. “Not a half-baked arrangement that will let Iran keep holding the Strait of Hormuz hostage.”
Saudi Arabian state media claimed to have obtained a copy of a deal framework that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume peace talks within a week — but it made no mention of Tehran’s nuclear program, the longstanding sticking point between the two adversaries.
That omission fueled skepticism in Washington and Jerusalem, where officials have argued that Tehran has repeatedly used regional negotiations to sidestep pressure over its nuclear ambitions.
Among the reported provisions were commitments by both sides to avoid targeting military, civilian, or economic infrastructure; ensure freedom of navigation in the strait; halt media “incitement” — and on the US side, gradually lift some sanctions in exchange for Iran’s adherence to the agreement.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio cast doubt on the reporting Friday, telling reporters at a NATO meeting in Sweden that “it would be pretty ambitious to be able to open the straits at this meeting here today.”
Quote:First Daughter Ivanka Trump was targeted for assassination by an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) trained terrorist in a twisted plot to avenge the president taking out his mentor, The Post has learned.
Recently captured Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, 32, made a “pledge” to kill Ivanka and even had a blueprint of her Florida home, sources claimed.
The Iraqi national was allegedly targeting President Donald Trump’s family in response to the killing of Iranian military chief Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad six years ago.
“After Qasem was killed, he [Al-Saadi] went around telling people ‘we need to kill Ivanka to burn down the house of Trump the way he burned down our house,'” Entifadh Qanbar, a former deputy military attaché in the Iraqi embassy in Washington told The Post.
“We heard that he had a plan of Ivanka’s house in Florida,” Qanbar added. A second source also confirmed Al-Saadi’s plot to kill Ivanka.
Al-Saadi also posted a picture of a map showing the enclave in Florida where Ivanka and husband Jared Kushner have a $24 million home on X, alongside a chilling threat in Arabic which translates to: “I say to the Americans look at this picture and know that neither your palaces nor the Secret Service will protect you. We are currently in the stage of surveillance and analysis. I told you, our revenge is a matter of time.”
Al-Saadi is said to be a high-ranking figure in Iraq-Iran terror circles, arrested in Turkey on May 15 and extradited to the US where he is charged with 18 attacks and attempted attacks throughout Europe and the United States, per the Department of Justice.
He’s been behind attacks on US and Jewish targets including the firebombing of the Bank of New York Mellon in Amsterdam in March, the stabbing of two Jewish victims in London in April and a shooting at the US consulate building in Toronto, also in March, according to the DoJ.
He also “planned, coordinated” and allegedly took responsibility for attacks against Jewish people including the bombing of a synagogue in Liège, Belgium, the arson of a temple in Rotterdam in March, according to the feds, as well as various other foiled counter-attacks in the US in response to the current conflict in the Middle East.
Quote:Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Friday against Iran trying to create a “tolling system” for commercial shipping to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
“They’re trying to convince Oman, by the way, to join them in this tolling system,” he said while in Sweden for a NATO foreign ministers meeting. ”There is not a country in the world that should accept that.”
“I don’t know of anyone in the world that should be in favor of a tolling system in an international waterway, that’s just not acceptable. It can’t happen,” Rubio continued.
President Trump reiterated Thursday that he was against any sort of tolling system for the strait: “We want it open. We want it free. We don’t want tolls. It’s international. It’s an international waterway.”
The Gulf of Oman is adjacent to the strait and needs to be traveled before reaching it from the east. Oman is an American ally and it’s unclear what its talks with Iran mean for peace negotiations.
But shipping via the critical waterway has come to a near complete halt, and gas prices have spiked around the world. U.S. forces have redirected 97 commercial vessels since the start of the military blockade of Iranian ports, U.S. Central Command said on Friday.
Rubio said there has been “some progress” in the talks with Tehran but added that the US was dealing with “a very difficult group of people.”
The reopening of the strait is a sticking point in the talks, as is the future of Iran’s nuclear program.
But the secretary of state also said it’s time to come up with a “Plan B” in case an agreement can’t be reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
He noted the NATO countries discussed the matter in their meeting in Sweden.
“At that point, something has to be done about it, and I would argue that there are countries represented here today that are more deeply impacted by this than even the United States is,” he said.
The Atlantic alliance has been reluctant to get involved in President Trump’s war, which has been a point of contention between those countries and Washington.
Rubio conceded no agreement had come from the meeting, but reiterated that “we have to start thinking about it.”
Quote:Senate Republicans — including the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee — called on President Trump to resume military strikes on Iran on Friday after he met with his senior national security team and Tehran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman slow-walked diplomacy.
“We are at a moment that will define President Trump’s legacy,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said in a statement on Friday. “His instincts have been to finish the job he started in Iran, but he is being ill advised to pursue a deal that would not be worth the paper it is written on.”
It came after Trump huddled at the White House with Vice President Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and other officials to discuss possible strikes on Iran, Axios reported.
The same day, the president announced he’d canceled weekend plans — even missing his eldest son Don Jr.’s wedding in the Bahamas — citing his duty to stay in Washington to deal with “circumstances” believed to be Iran.
Trump this week made clear US forces are at the ready to launch strikes at any moment should he decide to take that route. He nearly launched strikes on Tuesday, before Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states convinced him to delay military action as they believed a peace deal was close.
At least some US troops’ holiday weekend leave has been canceled as a precaution, a source familiar with military planning told The Post. The service branches did not respond to requests for comment.
The Pentagon also culled some troops from military bases in the Middle East should Iran attempt to retaliate should Trump decide to attack, CBS reported Friday.
The news came the same day Iran war-opponent Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard submitted her letter of resignation, citing her husband’s bone cancer.
Meanwhile, Tehran threatened retaliation should the US strike, claiming they have “new equipment, “novel targets” and new “war strategy,” according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News.
“America knows that the path to any military superiority is closed,” an Iranian military source told IRNA. “If America engages in excess demands, pretext-making, and potential military action, it will experience its third major punishment in less than a year; this time in a more specific and novel form.”ncer.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark) also said the US needs to “finish the job” on Iran.
“The airstrikes last summer destroyed all their nuclear infrastructure, but it’s clear that they didn’t abandon their nuclear ambition,” he told Arkansas Money and Politics. “… We need to finish the job and make it clear that we won’t tolerate them threatening free commerce on the high seas.”
Wicker went a step further, criticizing current diplomatic efforts to secure a deal with Iran — as both Pakistani and Qatari officials engaged in a now-or-never push to get Iran to sign an agreement with the US to restart talks.
Quote:Israeli security forces arrested three Hamas-affiliated terrorists in Hebron overnight on Wednesday, thwarting a planned shooting attack, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Thursday.
According to the military, troops operating in the city detained the suspects during a counterterrorism operation targeting a Hamas-linked terror network.
“The terrorists planned to carry out a shooting attack in the near future,” the IDF said.
The IDF said the operation was carried out by soldiers from the Nahal Brigade’s 932nd Battalion together with reservists from the 5016th Battalion.
The suspects were taken into custody for questioning by security officials.
In a separate operation earlier this week, security forces arrested an additional suspect in the village of Deir al-Ghusun, near Tulkarem, whom the military accused of advancing efforts to establish a terrorist network. All four suspects were transferred for further interrogation.
“The security forces continue to operate to thwart terrorism in the area and against anyone who harms or attempts to harm Israeli civilians and security forces,” the IDF said in a statement.
Israeli forces have intensified counterterrorism operations across Judea and Samaria since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, carrying out frequent raids aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure and preventing attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel.
Quote:An explosive New York Times report claims US and Israeli officials explored the shocking possibility of elevating former far-right hardliner Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran’s new leader.
While both Washington and Jerusalem refrain from denying the story, experts told The Post there’s likely more to the story.
“This story is like Swiss cheese — with a lot of holes,” Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies, told The Post, casting doubt on key elements of the reporting.
The report, published Tuesday, suggested a Feb. 28 strike on Ahmadinejad’s home “had been designed to free him from house arrest” — not kill him.
But Sabti said the idea of the deeply anti-Israel former president would be so unreasonable to the Jewish state that it casts doubt on the idea that Washington and Israel could have wanted him to fill a leadership vacuum in a post-regime Iran.
“Israel would never want Ahmadinejad to be the leader because since 2005, he brought out again that antisemitism of [Tehran] and said that famous sentence, ‘Israel must be wiped out of the map of the world.’
“He did a lot of antisemitism conferences, and the competition of cartoons against Jews and antisemitic short movies, things like this,” he added.
The report claimed Ahmadinejad was even in on the plan to some extent, but “became disillusioned with the regime change plan” following the strike on his home that injured him.
Asked for responses to the report, neither the White House nor the Israeli prime minister’s office would confirm or deny the allegations.
UKRAINE WAR
Quote:Russian missiles packed with depleted uranium warheads were used in an attack on northern Ukraine last month, triggering radiation to spike near bomb sites, Ukraine’s security agency said.
Toxic radiation levels were detected from an unexploded R-60 air-to-air missile mounted on a modified Geran-2 drone used by Russian forces to target Ukrainian helicopters and aircraft carrying out air defense missions in Chernihiv Oblast on April 7, according to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).
The radiation was traced to depleted uranium projectiles containing Uranium-235 and Uranium-238.
“During a radiation survey conducted near the wreckage of the drone carrying the missile, specialists recorded a gamma radiation level of 12 μSv/h, significantly exceeding natural background radiation and posing a potential threat to human life,” security officials said.
Ambient background gamma radiation typically ranges from 0.05 to 0.3 microsieverts per hour.
Depleted uranium is a byproduct of uranium enrichment used to produce nuclear fuel and weapons.
It is roughly two-and-a-half times denser than steel – a trait that helps it tear through heavy battlefield armor. When a weapon tipped in depleted uranium strikes a solid target, such as the side of a tank, it can burst straight through and erupt in a burning cloud of vapor.
The vapor then settles as dust, which is toxic and slightly radioactive.
The poison-laced missile warhead was secured by the SBU, State Emergency Service units, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the village of Kamak and transported to a radioactive waste storage facility.
The SBU urged Ukrainian citizens to be extremely cautious if they encounter debris from drones, missiles, or other debris.
Quote:STAROBILSK, Russian-controlled Ukraine, May 22 — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ordered his military to prepare options to retaliate against Ukraine for what he described as a drone attack on a student dorm that killed six people and wounded dozens, with 15 still unaccounted for.
Putin said the attack had struck the dorm in Starobilsk in Luhansk, a Russian-controlled region in eastern Ukraine.
He said Kyiv’s military must have known what it was targeting.
Ukraine’s military denied the Russian accusations and said it had struck an elite drone command unit in the area. It said that Kyiv complied with international humanitarian law.
Putin said in his own statement, which was carried by state TV, that there were no military targets near the dorm.
“There are no military facilities, intelligence service facilities, or related services in the vicinity. Therefore, there is absolutely no basis for claiming that the munitions struck the building as a result of our air defense or electronic warfare systems. The strike was not accidental; it came in three waves, with 16 drones targeting the same location,” Putin told officials.
The Russian military had been ordered to draw up options for Moscow to retaliate, he added.
Reuters was not able to independently verify what happened. Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilians in the war.
Ukraine wants to recapture Luhansk, one of four eastern regions that Moscow unilaterally claimed as its own in 2022 in what Kyiv denounced as an illegal land grab.
Yana Lantratova, Russia’s human rights commissioner, said that 86 teenagers aged 14 to 18 had been asleep inside the hostel belonging to Luhansk Pedagogical University’s Starobilsk college when Ukrainian drones had attacked it during the night.
Leonid Pasechnik, the top Russian-installed official in Luhansk, said two people had been pulled from the rubble. Maria Lvova-Belova, presidential commissioner for children’s rights, said up to 18 children could still be trapped.
Quote:WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS — The Trump administration is planning to tell NATO allies this week that it will shrink the pool of military capabilities that the US would have available to assist the alliance’s European nations in a major crisis, three sources familiar with the matter said.
Under a framework known as the NATO Force Model, the alliance’s member countries identify a pool of available forces that could be activated during a conflict or any other major crisis, such as a military attack on a NATO member.
While the precise composition of those wartime forces is a closely guarded secret, the Pentagon has decided to significantly scale down its commitment, said the sources, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the plans.
President Trump has made clear he expects European countries to take over primary responsibility for the continent’s security from the United States.
The message to allies this week is a concrete sign of that policy being implemented.
Several details were unclear, such as how quickly the Pentagon plans to shift crisis-mode responsibilities onto European allies.
The sources said, however, that the Pentagon plans to announce its intention to lessen its commitment at a Friday meeting of defense policy chiefs in Brussels.
Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby has said publicly that the United States will continue to use its nuclear weapons to protect NATO members, even as European allies take the lead on conventional forces.
The US will likely be represented by Alex Velez-Green, a key aide to Colby, the sources said.
Adjusting the NATO Force Model has emerged as a key priority of Colby’s team heading into the next NATO leaders’ summit, which will take place in Turkey in July, one of the sources added.
USA
Trump poised to end one of Americans’ most hated traditions — clock changes for Daylight Saving Time
Quote:President Trump threw his support behind a congressional bill to end the twice-a-year Daylight Savings Time switch after a House committee backed the bid with overwhelming bipartisan support.
House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the Sunshine Protection Act on Thursday by a 48-1 vote — which would make Daylight Saving Time permanent.
The measure appears to have wide support in the House, with 32 bipartisan cosponsors of the bill. A similar measure in the Senate has 18 cosponsors from both parties.
“It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial.
“This is so important in that Hundreds of Millions of Dollars are spent every year by people, Cities, and States, being forced to change their Clocks,” the president said. “Many of these Clocks are located in Towers, and the cost of renting, or using, Heavy Equipment to do this twice a year is prohibitive!”
The measure was tucked inside a transportation bill, and would do away with standard time altogether — meaning when clocks spring forward an hour during springtime they would stay there forever, and the fall back to standard every autumn would be eliminated.
That would generally lead to an hour or more of sunlight at the end of each day — which proponents argue would help both public safety and economic productivity.
But that would also mean winter sunrises could come extremely late in some places — with daylight coming as late as 8 a.m. or 9 a.m.
Critics also argue permanent daylight savings hours would go against the human body’s natural sleep cycle — where dark evenings induce sleep and bright mornings awaken.
Some health experts say making standard time permanent would more closely follow those rhythms.
It is unclear who cast the single “Nay” in Thursday’s vote, but Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-CA.) raised arguments about the health impacts of permanent daylight savings time, the Hill reported.
Any changes still have a long way to go before becoming a reality, however, with Thursday’s successful vote just the first step in the process.
The bill still needs pass the full US House, and then the Senate from there to come into law.
The switch has been proposed every year since 2018, with Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) regularly proposing it with bi-partisan support — though it has never been able to pass. It briefly passed under President Nixon in 1974, but was repealed the same year by President Ford.
Quote:President Trump touted GOP-backed tax cuts in Rockland County on Friday as he credited Rep. Mike Lawler for relentlessly pushing legislation that’s helping New Yorkers hold onto their hard-earned dough.
The Queens native returned to his home state to trumpet the expansion of the SALT deduction cap to $40,000, which he jokingly claimed Lawler, a two-term Republican, was a “pain in the ass” about.
“Your SALT deduction, we brought it back,” said Trump inside an arena on Rockland Community College’s campus Friday afternoon after he was introduced by New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.
“I cut your taxes, cut the taxes on workers, families, small business, who are the soul of this state,” Trump told a raucous crowd of supporters, stressing, “These are all Republican tax cuts. The Democrats voted against every one of these tax cuts.”
The SALT — or state and local tax deduction — cap was limited to $10,000 during the first Trump presidency, crushing homeowners in high-tax states like New York.
But Lawler — whom Trump described as “fantastic” — lobbied to expand the deduction, now at $40,000, as part of negotiations tied to the president’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
“He didn’t stop. This guy was a pain in the ass, it was terrible, he didn’t stop,” Trump said jokingly while calling Lawler “Mr. SALT” and pointing to a red “Mr. SALT” hat the congressman was wearing.
Lawler, a former state assemblyman, said in a speech leading up to Trump’s appearance that he wasn’t going to back down over the SALT fight.
“I said, yeah Mr. President, it would be terrible for New York, but it would be really bad for you,” Lawler recalled, as he did his best Trump impression.
“He said ‘ooh, why is that’. I said ‘because I’ll kill your bill.” And he looked at Mike Johnson and he said, ‘Mike, Mike, don’t let it happen. Get Lawler all the SALT he wants.”
The law also raised the average refund for New Yorkers to more than $3,800, White House data indicates.
“My constituents were seeing anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 refund checks, which is pretty massive,” Lawler said.
Trump’s visit to the Hudson Valley came as Lawler faces a perilous path to re-election in what’s considered a critical “toss-up” district.
But Trump said the only way to “straighten” the Empire State out was by backing Lawler and other GOP candidates, such as Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate for governor who was also in Rockland.
The former Manhattan businessman said wealthy people and corporations were leaving in droves for red states while New York Democrats refused to get a handle on crime and illegal migrants.
Quote:President Trump declared that “total jerk” Stephen Colbert is “finally finished” at CBS as the “Late Show” host took his final bow on Thursday.
“Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday morning. “You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!”
Colbert had hosted the late-night program for 11 seasons — replacing David Letterman in 2015 — before the network announced it was canceling the failing series last July due to a “financial decision.”
“This show has been a joy for us to do for you,” Colbert said in his final monologue. “I cannot adequately explain to you what the people who work here have done for each other, and how much we mean to each other.
“We love doing the show for you, but what we really love, is doing the show with you.”
The 62-year-old comedian blamed Trump for his show being axed following CBS owner Paramount’s legal settlement with the president.
Colbert has long been a critic of the commander-in-chief, and ramped up his anti-Trump jokes following the cancellation announcement.
However, Colbert steered away from political discourse during his farewell episode.
He did allow lead Trump-basher Bruce Springsteen to take jabs at the White House in Wednesday’s penultimate show.
“I’m here in support tonight for Stephen, because you’re the first guy in America who’s lost his show because we’ve got a president who can’t take a joke,” Springsteen told the crowd.
“And uh, because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his ass to get what they want,” The Boss added, referring to the Paramount CEO and his son.
Colbert’s show had been a haven for liberal politicians and journalists to express their views against Trump.
Between 2022 and July 2025, Colbert hosted 176 left-leaning guests and only one conservative, according to a study by media watchdog NewsBusters.
Trump had ramped up his criticism of Colbert in the show’s dying weeks ahead of the series finale.
“Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success,” Trump said back in December.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard submitted her resignation Friday, citing her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis.
Gabbard, a longtime skeptic of US intervention overseas, did not mention the ongoing Iran war in the letter announcing her departure.
“Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026,” the 45-year-old wrote. “My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer.”
The former Hawaii Democratic congresswoman thanked Trump for “the trust you placed in me.”
The president, who recently fired three female cabinet secretaries — Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer — in under a month, praised the departing Gabbard in a statement.
“Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her,” he wrote.
“Her wonderful husband, Abraham, has been recently diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, and she, rightfully, wants to be with him, bringing him back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together.”
Gabbard’s deputy, Aaron Lukas, will serve as acting director following her departure.
The news broke within minutes of the president saying he plans to remain at the White House this weekend rather than at his New Jersey golf course, fueling speculation he’s poised to resume attacks on the Islamic Republic.
Gabbard publicly remained loyal to Trump during Operation Epic Fury, testifying to the Senate in March that “the intelligence community assessed that Iran maintained the intention to rebuild and to continue to grow their nuclear enrichment capability.”
But she has rarely been at the forefront of the administration — with Trump often singling out and praising CIA Director John Ratcliffe for his contributions to the war effort.
Gabbard aligned with Trump on other priorities, such as punishing alleged “deep state” leakers and investigating alleged fraud in the 2020 election.
Quote:Kevin Warsh was sworn in Friday as the new chairman of the Federal Reserve, taking over leadership of the world’s most powerful central bank at a moment of rising inflation fears, market jitters and ongoing concerns about the entity’s independence.
President Donald Trump said at a White House ceremony Warsh would be “totally independent”
“I want Kevin to be totally independent,” he said. “Don’t look at me, don’t look at anybody.”
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas swore in Warsh, 56, whom the Senate confirmed as chair last week.
“I will lead a reform-oriented Federal Reserve, learning from past successes and mistakes, both escaping static frameworks and models and upholding clear standards of integrity and performance,” Warsh said.
He succeeds Jerome Powell, who has the option to remain on the Fed’s board through January 2028. In a break from precedent, Powell has indicated he’ll take that step after years of Trump blasting him for failing to lower interest rates quickly enough.
The transition comes as inflation remains above the Fed’s 2% target and policymakers debate whether rates may need to rise again despite Trump’s long-running demands for cuts.
Bond traders are already betting Warsh may have to raise interest rates before the end of the year — a dramatic reversal from earlier Wall Street expectations that Trump’s handpicked Fed chief would usher in rapid rate cuts.
Markets sharply repriced Friday after Fed Governor Christopher Waller warned policymakers should remain open to additional tightening as inflation pressures intensify, underscoring the economic minefield Warsh inherits on day one.
The former Morgan Stanley banker has repeatedly argued the Fed kept policy too loose for too long and allowed inflation to spiral. He has also blasted the central bank’s massive bond-buying campaigns and promised to shrink the Fed’s balance sheet.
During his confirmation hearings, Warsh declared that “inflation [is] the Fed’s choice,” arguing policymakers have the tools to restrain price growth if they are willing to use them.
Warsh has been seen as more amenable to cutting rates than Powell.
Quote:An Indiana sheriff’s deputy was shot three times Friday morning in a hospital emergency room by a stranded motorist he had stopped to help and later learned might be connected to an earlier crime, authorities said.
La Porte County Sheriff’s Deputy Jon Samuelson, a 12-year veteran of the force, was airlifted to South Bend Memorial Hospital and remains in critical condition.
The alleged gunman, Sharod Grafton Jr., was arrested in the woods near the hospital minutes after the shooting.
Samuelson, 33, was driving to a training session around 6:45 a.m. when he stopped to help a stranded motorist, Grafton, on State Road 2, authorities said.
At some point the deputy took Grafton, a Chicago resident, to Franciscan Hospital in Michigan City at his request, police said.
“Once at the hospital, the officer learned that the subject may have been involved in an earlier criminal incident,” Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield told reporters.
“The officer returned inside the hospital where an altercation took place in the emergency room between the suspect and himself, which resulted in the suspect producing a firearm and shooting the officer.”
Authorities did not specify the crime Grafton is allegedly connected to.
Grafton fled into a nearby wooded area but was quickly arrested, authorities said. A handgun believed to have been in his possession was found, police said.
“This is a senseless shooting that didn’t have to take place,” Fifield said.
“Our officers and deputies from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Department and all over the state of Indiana and Illinois risk their lives every day. This officer thought he was helping a stranded motorist and it turned into this. So once again, he was out helping somebody and it turned into this.”
Samuelson, who is married with no children, comes from a “long lineage of law enforcement,” police said.
His grandfather was the chief of police for the city of La Porte, and his father is a retired Michigan City police officer, authorities said.
Quote:As nasty weather begins across portions of the East Coast on Thursday, your Memorial Day weekend plans could be in jeopardy due to widespread thunderstorms.
To begin the weekend, Americans along the West Coast luck out, with mild temperatures 5 to 10 degrees above average, sunny skies and dry conditions through Memorial Day.
Saturday forecast
Forecasters are predicting little to no impact on major travel hubs such as Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle to start the weekend.
Unfortunately, this weather pattern will be the opposite for portions of the Southern Plains, Southeast and Northeast US, as rounds of persistent heavy rain are expected for most of the weekend.
Over 45 million people plan to travel for the holiday, anticipating travel disruptions at major airports in New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Georgia, and New Orleans amid the unpleasant weather.
The FOX Forecast Center does not expect these widespread storms to be severe.
Still, a few strong ones could develop across the Southern Plains, as persistent heavy rain will bring a Level 2 out of 4 flash flood risk for most of the Texas Gulf Coast, including Houston and parts of southern Louisiana.
Sunday forecast
By Sunday, portions of the North and Central Plains will see dry conditions return, bringing temperatures into the low-to-mid 80s, a perfect late spring feel for this time of year.
Conditions will remain soggy and wet across the Northeast as an area of low pressure moves through Southern New England.
This could bring scattered showers, continuing the trend of possible delays in airport travel.
The Northeast will not be the only region experiencing unfavorable conditions leading into Memorial Day, with wet weather expected to persist across portions of Texas and Louisiana, bringing another Level 2 out of 5 flash flood risk.
This could bring scattered showers, continuing the trend of possible delays in airport travel.
The Northeast will not be the only region experiencing unfavorable conditions leading into Memorial Day, with wet weather expected to persist across portions of Texas and Louisiana, bringing another Level 2 out of 5 flash flood risk.
Quote:Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reportedly forged a bond with a radical anti-Israel sheikh, meeting with him multiple times in the Big Apple – despite the Muslim cleric publicly lauding Hamas’ horrific Oct. 7 attack on Israel for inspiring “great change” for the world.
Mamdani, a staunch critic of Israel, has met with Sheikh Fadhel Al-Sahlani, imam of the Al-Khoei Islamic Center in Queens — who also has a disturbing record of denying the Holocaust — at least three times since January 2025, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
The meetups — the mayor’s latest in February when he celebrated Ramadan at the cleric’s Jamaica mosque — came after Al-Sahlani praised Hamas for making a “big difference” for Muslims just weeks following the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.
“One movement can make a great change,” the sheikh, an Iraqi native, hailed in a Nov. 3, 2023, sermon, in which he justified the terror group’s heinous attack on the Jewish state as a fight against “injustice.”
“What we are witnessing is the one movement, Hamas, has made a big difference not only for the Arab Muslim world, but the whole world. According to anybody who has a sense, who has a spirit of freedom of the people, whoever has that, will learn that Palestinians are the ones who suffer injustice.”
He went on to slam Congress for approving a $14.3 billion aid package backing Israel’s campaign against Hamas, accusing the Jewish state of committing a “genocide” and “war crimes” in Gaza.
Al-Sahlani later argued that real, lasting change would only come once more Muslims are elected to political office.
“When we have been dealt an injustice, we’re giving permission to fight back,” he said, fuming that Arabs and Palestinians have lived in an “open prison” in Israel for over 70 years.
“Now we have to stand with those who have suffered injustice. We cannot make that change unless we’re involved heavily in the political system in the United States, then maybe we can make a little bit of change.”
Mamdani — New York City’s first Muslim mayor — met with Al-Sahlani three times in 2025 before being elected, including two visits to the sheikh’s mosque in January and July, videos showed.
The pair also met during an August 2025 fundraiser on Long Island, the Free Beacon reported.
The 34-year-old democratic socialist most recently trekked to Queens to mark Ramadan in February — a month after he took office — and addressed attendees at the same podium where Al-Sahlani hurled his vile remarks.
Quote:The Trump administration announced Friday that noncitizens who have applied for a green card will be required to leave the US indefinitely in order to obtain lawful permanent resident status, in a major change to federal immigration policy.
The shift will impact some 1.2 million legal immigrants with pending green card applications for legal permanent residence, according to the Cato Institute, who will be required to “self-deport,” under the new policy.
Immigrants in the US, including the spouses of American citizens and their minor children, have previously been able to apply for the so-called “adjustment of status” from within the country.
In the 2024 fiscal year, 782,770 migrants obtained lawful permanent residency through adjustment of status.
“We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly. From now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” United States Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Zach Kahler said in a statement.
“This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes,” Kahler added. “When aliens apply from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to slip into the shadows and remain in the US illegally after being denied residency.”
Under the new policy, green card petitioners will be required to wait for their application to be processed outside the country through consular processing via the State Department.
The policy is in line with the Trump administration’s position that noncitizens in the country on student, tourist or temporary work visas should not use that permission as a launching point for obtaining a green card.
“Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over,” Kahler said. “Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process.”
The new policy “frees up limited USCIS resources to focus on processing other cases that fall under its purview, including visas for victims of violent crime and human trafficking, naturalization applications, and other priorities,” according to the agency.
“The law was written this way for a reason, and despite the fact that it has been ignored for years, following it will help make our system fairer and more efficient,” the USCIS spokesman argued.
Quote:A crude oil tanker at the Port of Los Angeles doubled as a massive drug mule, carrying roughly 500 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $6.4 million, according to federal authorities.
In another major blow to international drug-smuggling operations, a Coast Guard narcotics detection canine alerted agents to suspected contraband concealed on the vessel earlier this month.
Boarding teams later confirmed the discovery of approximately 500 pounds of cocaine, the Department of Homeland Security told The California Post — some of the packages bore “Dior” branding.
“The success of this narcotics seizure is a testament to the coordinated efforts of the DHS enterprise to dismantle the efforts of drug smugglers under our respective authorities and responsibilities,” said Captain Stacey Crecy, Sector Commander at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach.
“Through stellar coordination, we effectively detained the suspect and removed the contraband from the vessel to protect the maritime transportation system and facilitate commerce as quickly as possible,” he continued.
Following the bust, Crecy ordered the tanker held at an outer anchorage near the Port of Los Angeles as federal investigators expanded the probe.
HSI arrested one suspect, while two additional individuals were taken into custody.
“This operation highlights Homeland Security Investigations’ unwavering commitment to combating transnational crime and safeguarding the United States from illicit narcotics,” said Eddy Wang, HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge, in a statement.
“HSI’s swift response and investigative expertise were instrumental in identifying and seizing over 226 kilograms of cocaine destined for our communities. We remain dedicated to pursuing those who attempt to exploit our ports and transportation systems, and to working with our partners to disrupt criminal organizations that threaten public safety,” Wang added.
The seizure is the latest in an aggressive federal campaign targeting maritime trafficking networks and so-called “ghost fleet” vessels suspected of moving embargoed oil and illegal cargo to bankroll hostile regimes and transnational criminal organizations.
Earlier this year, authorities carried out similar enforcement operations involving the Motor Tankers Bella I, Sophia, Olina, and Veronica.
Federal officials say the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach remain prime targets for international cartels because the massive shipping hub handles roughly 30% of America’s international seaborne cargo.
Drug seizures at the ports occur constantly, with authorities routinely intercepting massive shipments of cocaine, fentanyl and other narcotics.
Quote:The United States has arrested the sister of the executive president of GAESA, a sprawling conglomerate of military-run businesses in Cuba, due to her alleged ties to the communist regime.
GAESA has been cited for reportedly diverting millions in aid meant for the Cuban people “at the behest of the regime,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X Thursday.
Adys Lastres Morera was taken into ICE custody after the State Department revoked her lawful permanent resident (LPR) status, according to Rubio.
Morera, who was managing real estate assets while living in Florida, reportedly aided Havana’s communist government, officials said.
Her status termination was carried out at Rubio’s discretion. Morera entered the United States as a lawful permanent resident in 2023, Reuters reported.
“Today, Adys Lastres Morera, a Cuban national with ties to the communist regime in Havana, was arrested following the Department of State’s termination of her lawful permanent resident (LPR) status, at my direction,” Rubio said.
Morera is the older sister of Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, who was sanctioned earlier this month for her role as executive president of GAESA.
GAESA has been described by officials as an exploitative communist entity that siphons resources from the Cuban population.
“While the Cuban people suffer from the collapse of Cuba’s non-functioning communist economy, GAESA functions to allow a small circle of regime elites to plunder all the remaining resources of the island, squirreling away as much as $20 billion in illicit funds away in hidden overseas bank accounts,” Rubio said.
He added that Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, as a senior executive, is responsible for managing international assets allegedly used to fund the “lavish lifestyles” of the Castro-era elite, as well as supporting efforts tied to broader ideological influence abroad.
Rubio also pointed to worsening conditions inside Cuba, including widespread blackouts and severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine, arguing that GAESA is diverting resources away from basic needs under the communist system.
Quote:The United States has sanctioned Tanzania’s police chief and barred him from entering the US, citing alleged human rights violations committed by the police force.
The sanctions announced Thursday followed a general election in October in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan won a full term with 97% of the vote after a crackdown on opposition figures.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in December said the country was reviewing its ties with Tanzania over repression and election violence.
Rubio said the sanctions designation against police Senior Assistant Commissioner Faustine Jackson Mafwele was based on credible information he was involved in rights violations.
“One year ago, members of the (Tanzanian police) detained, tortured, and sexually assaulted Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, who were in Dar es Salaam to observe the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu,” he said in the statement.
The Ugandan and Kenyan activists were arrested and detained in Tanzania in May last year.
They alleged that they were tortured by Mafwele while in detention before being abandoned near the Kenya–Tanzania border.
A commission Hassan appointed to investigate postelection violence found 518 people were killed and thousands were injured.
The opposition believes the casualty figures are much higher in the first major violent protests in the East African nation in decades.
The commission’s report, released in April, recommended further investigation of police conduct during the protests, during which unarmed civilians were reportedly shot in their homes.
Quote:Numerous women who were detained in the San Francisco County Jail have accused the department of violating their rights after being subjected to a mass strip search that prosecutors said were used “for training” purposes.
Nearly 20 women have accused the San Francisco sheriff’s office of forcing them to strip naked in the county jail on May 22, 2025, and times before and after that date, while male deputies watched and cracked jokes.
The federal class action lawsuit was filed Friday in the United States District Court for Northern District of California. The suit was filed against the city and county of San Francisco, the SF County Sheriff’s Department, SF County Sheriff and several members of the department, per the complaint obtained by The Post.
The women alleged that while they were detained in the county jail, they were subjected to strip searches in front of male deputies who allegedly taunted and filmed them. Prosecutors claimed that this was not by accident and “it was deliberate,” per the complaint.
The plaintiffs include women who were strip-searched before May 22, women who were strip-searched during the mass operation on May 22, and women who were subjected to “suspicionless post-movement strip searches in the months that followed,” the complaint read.
The women claimed they were not only forced to strip naked in front of other women but that this also allegedly occurred while deputies wore body-worn cameras and recorded the searches.
“Multiple plaintiffs heard Sergeant Ibarra, the supervising officer, explicitly instruct Deputy Dockery not to deactivate her body-worn camera during the searches,” per the complaint.
“When Dockery asked whether she should turn her camera off, Ibarra said no. Ibarra later told detainees the footage might be ‘used for training purposes.’”
The complaint goes on to allege that Ibarra “told women the footage was similar to what they ‘see on YouTube’ and was ‘just like ‘Cops’” the TV show.
Quote:A Vallejo man accused of gunning down a young woman with “dreams of recording music” is now suspected in a second shooting on the very same street, and police say he remained free for weeks before officers finally tracked him down after a chase and neighborhood manhunt.
Roberto Alfonso Tamayo-Cazarez is charged with murdering 29-year-old Ceicilia Corsetti, who was shot May 1 near the intersection of Indiana and Sutter streets, just blocks from her mother’s home, according to investigators and family members.
Corsetti was rushed to a local hospital with at least one gunshot wound, but doctors were unable to save her.
Loved ones described the aspiring artist and musician as a woman with a “beautiful soul,” KRON reported.
Detectives later identified Tamayo-Cazarez as the suspect in the homicide case, and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office issued a murder warrant on May 6.
But despite the warrant, authorities said the suspect stayed on the streets for nearly two more weeks.
Then, in the early morning hours on Tuesday another victim was shot on the 600 block of Indiana Street, the same street tied to Corsetti’s killing.
Police said an adult male suffering from at least one non-life-threatening gunshot wound was driven to a hospital by a friend around 4:30 a.m.
Detectives quickly identified Tamayo-Cazarez, who was already wanted for murder, as the lead suspect in that shooting too.
Later that afternoon, officers working with a California Highway Patrol helicopter spotted Tamayo-Cazarez driving in Vallejo and attempted to stop him.
Instead of surrendering, police said he fled, triggering a pursuit through the city.
Officers eventually used tire deflation devices near Chico Street and Beverly Drive to disable the vehicle before the suspect allegedly bailed out and ran into a residential neighborhood.
Lawyers representing police department shot steps from courthouse after suspect ‘became belligerent’
Quote:Two attorneys were blasted by gunfire outside a North Carolina courthouse Friday morning.
Mary Harris and Jeffrey Whitley of the national law firm, Fox Rothschild, were shot by Raleigh resident Gwendolyn White outside the old Wake County Courthouse in Rolesville around 10:30 a.m. after she “became belligerent in court,” according to WRAL News and Raleigh Chief of Police Rico Boyce.
The legal pair were representing the Rolesville Police Department in a court case over police-worn body camera video, court records show.
White, 57, left the courthouse, allegedly grabbed the gun from her car and sprayed bullets at the attorneys as they left the building.
Court filings indicate that the contents of the body cam video were linked to White’s mother’s death last year.
Harris’ father confirmed she underwent surgery and is currently in stable condition. Whitley’s condition remains unclear.
White was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder.
She was denied bond and will return to court on May 26, CBS17 reported.
The town of Rolesville confirmed that Fox Rothschild has represented the municpality for decades, the outlet reported.
“We are saddened to learn that two attorneys representing the Town of Rolesville in a civil matter were shot outside the Wake County Courthouse this morning. Fox Rothschild has represented the Town of Rolesville for decades, and while they are not employees of the Town, this incident is deeply disturbing,” the town said in a statement.
“We are thankful to the first responders who provided life-saving care and apprehended a suspect. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved.”
Fox Rothschild declined comment when contacted by The Post Friday night.
Quote:The 17-year-old suspect accused of launching a random shooting spree across Austin has been identified as an illegal immigrant, prosecutors revealed Tuesday.
Cristian Mondragon-Fajardo is one of three suspects who allegedly carried out 12 separate shootings across the city over the weekend, leaving three people injured and another victim in critical condition.
The two other suspects, ages 15 and 16, have not been publicly identified due to their age.
During Mondragon-Fajardo’s court appearance Tuesday, prosecutors disclosed that an ICE detainer had been issued following his arrest Sunday, according to Fox 7 Austin.
“The ICE detainer does add an extra component to his process,” Criminal Defense & Immigration Attorney Robert Jimenez said.
The development comes after a retired Austin police officer blasted the city’s left-leaning leadership, accusing the city council of embracing policies that weakened law enforcement before the violent rampage, including the stripping of key tools used by police.
Last weekend’s violent crime spree targeted the city’s first responders, with gunfire striking two Austin Fire Department stations and three fire trucks. Authorities said additional incidents included gunfire damage to five vehicles and four homes, as well as the theft of a firearm and five cars.
Mondragon-Fajardo was reportedly charged with six felonies, including two counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, two counts of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, theft of firearms and evading arrest in a motor vehicle.
Prosecutors said Mondragon-Fajardo is being held without bond, arguing he poses a danger to the community and could face deportation if released, the outlet said.
Quote:An Obama-appointed judge dismissed the human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia on Friday, ruling that the Justice Department’s prosecution of the El Salvadoran illegal immigrant was vindictive.
“The evidence before this Court sadly reflects an abuse of prosecuting power,” Nashville District Judge Waverly Crenshaw wrote in his 32-page order granting Abrego Garcia’s request to dismiss the case.
Crenshaw determined prosecutors would not have brought the case alleging Abrego Garcia was part of a conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants from Texas to Maryland had his wrongful March 2025 deportation to El Salvador not been successfully challenged.
“The Court does not reach its conclusion lightly,” the judge wrote. “The objective evidence here shows that, absent Abrego’s successful lawsuit challenging his removal to El Salvador, the Government would not have brought this prosecution.”
The human smuggling case against Abrego Garcia stemmed from a November 2022 Tennessee traffic stop. There were nine passengers in the car when Abrego Garcia was pulled over for speeding, and Tennessee Highway Patrol officers discussed their suspicions of smuggling among themselves but allowed him to continue on his way.
Crenshaw noted a federal investigation into whether Abrego Garcia was smuggling migrants when he was pulled over had been “closed” and reopened “only after Abrego succeeded in vindicating his rights.”
“What the Government labels as ‘new evidence’ was not new as a matter of law,” the judge said. “The prosecutor’s subjective good faith does not cure the retaliatory taint.”
“Absent [Acting Attorney General Todd] Blanche’s tainted investigation … [prosecutors] would not have sought an indictment against Abrego.”
Crenshaw argued the June 2025 indictment against Abrego Garcia “provided the Executive Branch cover” to comply with a federal judge’s order to facilitate the migrant’s return to the United States after he was wrongfully deported to El Salvador.
Abrego Garcia’s deportation violated a 2019 immigration court order granting him protection from deportation to his home country, after the judge found he faced danger there from a gang that targeted his family.
The 2019 order allowed him to live and work in the US under Immigration and Customs Enforcement supervision, but he was not given residency status.
Quote:The reclusive and disgraced Eric Swalwell has paid a law firm more than $313,000 so far to fend off his sexual misconduct claims, according to a recent campaign finance disclosure.
In his most recent disclosure spanning from April 19 to May 16, Swalwell’s campaign paid Sara Azari’s New York law firm in two separate payments of $250,000 and $23,251, totaling $273,251, for “campaign legal compliance.”
The payments came after he had already given her $40,000 to defend him publicly.
Swalwell, who dropped out of the gubernatorial race and resigned his seat in Congress due to the claims, has been quiet in recent weeks. His name will still appear on the June 2 primary ballot for governor, reminding voters of his temporary presence in the race.
Azari says she specializes “allegations of sexual misconduct in a post-#MeToo landscape.”
She recently gave a full-throated defense of the disgraced ex-congressman during an interview with NewsNation, saying “regret is not rape” in claiming Swalwell’s alleged victims were just ashamed by any sexual activity they engaged in with him.
“The fact that, you know, a day later, years later, or whatnot, you maybe had shame around what you did, or maybe you were in a relationship and shouldn’t have done what you did, doesn’t make it rape,” she told the network, to which she also contributes.
Quote:Parents in Minnesota were paid up to $1,500 per child if they enrolled kids for bogus treatments at two autism centers in the largest-of-its-kind fraud and money laundering scheme, the feds have alleged.
Four accused fraudsters paid parents from the local Somali community kickbacks ranging from $300 to $1,500 a month for each child they enrolled for unrequired treatments at autism clinics Smart Therapy Center and Star Autism Center, a new indictment alleges.
It’s unclear how many Minneapolis and St. Cloud area children were wrongfully listed as autistic, but it was enough during a five-year period to amass $46 million in fraudulent healthcare claims, the feds allege.
The kickbacks — referred to by the code word “computer” — were “disguised” when the defendants wrote checks to employees and family members of the facilities that were then cashed and paid to the parents each month, the filing alleges.
As part of related cases, the defendants also helped pilfer other taxpayer-funded programs to receive payments for hundreds of thousands of meals for kids at Smart Therapy — that were never fully provided, according to federal prosecutors.
The fraudsters were part of a sprawling scheme to use the stolen money to benefit themselves and their families, including buying property in Kenya and a truck, between 2019 and 2024.
Shamso Ahmed Hassan, 55, a co-owner of both Smart Therapy and Star Autism, and employee Hanaan Mursal Yusuf, 25, were charged Thursday for bilking Medicaid and state funding earmarked for autism treatment to the tune of $46.6 million — in the largest autism scheme ever, federal prosecutors alleged.
In all, $21.2 million in autism funding was paid out to just those two defendants through the fraudulent benefits claimed through Star Autism and Smart Therapy, the court papers allege, both of which lost their Minnesota state licenses earlier this year.
Asha Farhan Hassan, 28, and Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, 27, both previously took plea deals tied to their involvement in the scams at Star Autism and Smart Therapy. The duo — who are awaiting sentencing — are apparently siblings.
The new indictment against Shamso Hassan and Hanaan Yusuf — both of Brooklyn Park, Minn. — include allegations against co-conspirator 1 and 2, whose identifying details match those of Asha Hassan and Abdinajib Yussuf.
Specifically, the four schemers allegedly defrauded the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) benefits program, which is meant for services for people with autism who are under 21.
From 2018 to 2025, spending in Minnesota’s EIDBI program, which funds autism centers, rose from more than $600,000 to more $400 million, Department of Justice officials said.
Hassan and Yusuf — the lead biller at Smart Therapy — enrolled with the health department as Level II providers of autism services through the EIDBI, with Yusuf eventually upgrading to become a Level I provider on Jan. 1, 2024, the court papers claimed.
Quote:A Texas mom is suing the cops who arrested her for warning on social media how her town’s dirty drinking water has “hospitalized” citizens.
Jennifer Combs, of Trinidad, was tossed in jail earlier this month as alleged political retaliation for posting about the “serious” public health concern on Facebook — a possible freedom of speech violation, according to FOX 4.
“It was probably one of the most humiliating things I’ve ever gone through in my entire life. It was very, very bad,” she told the outlet.
Combs called her May 8 arrest for felony false alarm or report is “an extreme stretch” — considering even the city’s mayor, Dennis Haws, has admitted that residents are plagued by disgusting brown-and-yellow tap water “issues.”
“There’s people that are saying that their appliances are getting ruined, they can’t cook with the water, they can’t bathe with it, they can’t do laundry,” Combs said.
“A lot of them feel hushed, and like they don’t have a voice and no one listens to them and no one takes them seriously.”
Combs posted a Facebook message on her citizen watchdog group page, Southern Belle Watch, on April 6 — imploring those who have been sickened by the city’s tap water to report it.
“We have received reports that some citizens have been hospitalized due to bacteria in the water. This is a serious public health concern that deserves immediate attention,” she wrote.
“If your water looks discolored, contains sediment, has a strong odor, or you have experienced related health issues, please send us a message. We are gathering information and reporting findings to the state.”
Following the post, Combs was arrested and Trinidad Police Chief Charles Gregory later doubled down on the move.
Gregory called the case “cut and dry,” and said her claims about hospitalizations “are simply false and have only caused unnecessary fear and confusion in our community,” according to a May 10 Facebook post.
Trinidad police claimed Combs wrote “false information that creates fear, panic, or unnecessary emergency response within a community.”
The city, however, posted its own notice to residents urging them to boil their water to “avoid harmful bacteria” on April 21 — weeks after Combs’ post.
Trinidad has suffered through a long-running water infrastructure problem with pipes dating back to the 1950s, according to the mayor.
“We have to get to a position where we can fix that infrastructure, and it’s very expensive as I’m sure you can imagine,” Haws said Tuesday.
Well, the woman's claim has been proven true by now. I guess the local authorities should now compensate her somehow for getting arrested for such a lousy reason.
Quote:Kyle Busch was lying on a bathroom floor coughing up blood the day before he died, according to a 911 call obtained by The California Post.
In the audio, a man can be heard asking for an ambulance to come to the General Motors Charlotte Technical Center in Concord, N.C. at around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday after the NASCAR star had suffered some kind of medical emergency.
“I’ve got an individual that’s shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out and is producing a little bit of blood — coughing up some blood,” the man told dispatch.
“He is awake,” the man later added. “He’s awake. He’s on the bathroom floor right now.”
The man then can be heard giving emergency medical personnel instructions for the quickest way to get to Busch when they arrive at the property.
Busch was ultimately taken to a nearby hospital with what his family called “a severe illness.”
He later died on Thursday at 41 years old.
“On behalf of the Busch family, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of NASCAR, we are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch,” NASCAR said. “Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”
An official cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Busch’s passing rocked the racing world, as tributes from current and former drivers poured in the hours after his death was announced.
“Kyle was one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. No one can deny that,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared on X. “But he was also a father, a husband, brother, son, and a friend to many. My heart is broken for the Busch family. I will never be able to make sense of this loss but I am thankful that we had found a way to become friends.”
“There aren’t really words for today,” Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wrote in a statement on his social media page. “I’ve raced against Kyle for a long time, and anyone who’s lined up next to him knows exactly what made him special, he gave you everything he had, every single lap, and he made all of us better for it.
Quote:California health officials are investigating an E. coli outbreak linked to beef kofta sold at The Kebab Shop that has infected nine people, including six children, and hospitalized five victims across the state.
The California Department of Public Health said the illnesses were connected to grilled beef kofta served at locations in both Northern and Southern California.
Investigators identified the seasoned ground beef kebab as the likely source after interviewing people who became sick.
The outbreak involves a strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), with reported illness dates stretching from March 27 through April 30.
Two patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a dangerous complication that can trigger acute kidney failure.
No deaths have been reported.
State officials announced that The Kebab Shop voluntarily halted sales of grilled beef kofta at all locations on May 18 while cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Health authorities said the threat is not believed to be continuing because the beef product tied to the outbreak was distributed only to The Kebab Shop.
Symptoms of STEC infection can include stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea that is often bloody.
According to officials, symptoms typically appear three to four days after exposure, though severe illness can develop in young children and other vulnerable groups.
Consumers who ate beef kofta from the popular restaurant chain and become sick within 10 days are being urged to contact a health care provider.
Officials also advised customers to throw away any leftover grilled beef kofta purchased from the chain.
The Kebab Shop addressed the outbreak in a statement posted on its website, outlining several actions taken after state investigators connected the product to the illnesses.
Quote:A leak of toxic chemicals from a massive tank at a Garden Grove aerospace facility forced evacuations to be reissued on Friday, a day after residents were first ordered out of the area.
Firefighters on Thursday afternoon responded to a vapor release from a 34,000-gallon tank containing methyl methacrylate at the site on the 12100 block of Western Avenue, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
The industrial chemical is used in plastics and manufacturing, officials said.
The leak occurred at the GKN Aerospace plant, KABC reported.
The tank’s temperature had increased, activating a relief valve designed to safely release vapors, according to OCFA.
An overhead sprinkler system was activated to cool the tank, and vapor conditions improved as the liquid’s temperature decreased, officials said.
Firefighters also used large unmanned firefighting hoses to help cool the tank while industrial cleanup contractors assisted with the next phase of the operation, according to OCFA.
Evacuation orders were initially issued for the area north of Garden Grove Boulevard, east of Monarch Street, south of Orangewood Avenue and west of Beach Boulevard.
Rancho Alamitos High School’s gym at 113351 Dale Street in Garden Grove was established as a reunification site for evacuees.
The orders were later lifted for residential areas, though street closures remained in place on Western Avenue from Garden Grove Boulevard to Chapman Avenue and on Lampson Avenue from Santa Rosalia Avenue, according to OCFA.
Officials reissued evacuation orders Friday morning as a precaution while mitigation work continued.
The new evacuation zone covered the area north of Garden Grove Boulevard, east of Springdale Avenue, west of Dale Street and south of Orangewood Avenue, OCFA said.
A notice that appeared to be sent to Garden Grove Unified families and was posted to Reddit said several campuses would be closed Friday, though the district notice could not immediately be independently verified.
The notice said the closures were tied to “ongoing containment efforts” related to the leak and listed Pacifica High School, Rancho Alamitos High School, and several elementary and intermediate schools among the affected campuses.
The notice also said emergency responders were evacuating a mile-radius area around Chapman Avenue and Western Avenue while crews worked to safely contain the incident.
EUROPE
Quote:Europe is dealing with a full-blown sexual health crisis as cases of gonorrhea and syphilis skyrocket to unprecedented levels, shocking new data show.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) revealed the continent is in the grips of a dirty STI explosion not seen in over a decade.
Gonorrhea cases across Europe hiked a staggering 303% since 2015, clocking in at 106,331 painful infections, while syphilis cases more than doubled over the same period, topping more than 45,550 cases.
Spain ranks as Europe’s hotspot, racking up 37,169 gonorrhea cases and 11,556 syphilis infections in 2024, according to the BBC.
Meanwhile, congenital syphilis — where the dangerous infection passes directly from pregnant mothers to their newborns — nearly doubled in participating European countries between 2023 and 2024.
Health officials are blaming “widening gaps” in testing and lack of condom use for the nasty surge.
“These infections can cause severe complications, such as chronic pain and infertility and, in the case of syphilis, problems with the heart or nervous system,” said Bruno Ciancio, the head of the ECDC’s directly transmitted and vaccine-preventable diseases section.
“Protecting your sexual health remains straightforward. Use condoms with new or multiple partners, and get tested if you have symptoms, such as pain, discharge or an ulcer.”
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
![[Image: SP1-Scripter.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Scripter.png)
![[Image: SP1-Writer.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Writer.png)
![[Image: SP1-Poet.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Poet.png)
![[Image: SP1-PixelArtist.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-PixelArtist.png)
![[Image: SP1-Reporter.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/GmxWbHyL/SP1-Reporter.png)
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
