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Firefighter killed battling largest blaze in California history

A firefighter has been killed battling the largest wildfire in Californian history that has been stoked by prime fire weather conditions as it has destroyed dozens of homes. The unidentified firefighter was killed on Monday while battling the Ranch Fire, one of two blazes that make up the Mendocino Complex, which has already charred about 349,000 acres (141,200 hectares), the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said. The Utah firefighter was airlifted to a hospital where he died, fire officials said during a news conference late on Monday.

Nebraska to carry out its first execution in two decades

The state is scheduled to put to death Carey Moore, 60, at 10 a.m. local time (1500 GMT) at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln. It would be the first time any state has used fentanyl in a lethal injection. If the execution goes forward, it would also mark the first time Nebraska has used a lethal injection to kill an inmate since the death penalty was reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976.

China angered at new U.S. defense act, to assess content

China's complaints about the act come as the world's two biggest economies engage in an increasingly bitter fight over trade, levying tariffs on each others' products. U.S. President Donald Trump signed a $716-billion defense policy act on Monday that authorizes military spending and waters down controls on U.S. government contracts with China's ZTE Corp and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd . The National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, strengthens the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which reviews proposals to determine if they threaten national security.

New Mexico family believed dead boy's spirit would lead attacks: prosecutors

A 3-year-old boy found buried at a New Mexico desert compound died in a ritual to "cast out demonic spirits," but his extended family believed he would "return as Jesus" to identify "corrupt" targets for them to attack, prosecutors said in court on Monday. Prosecutors' account of an exorcism-like ritual, allegations of weapons training for children and references to martyrdom and conspiracy were aimed at persuading a judge to deny bond for the five adults charged with child abuse in the case. Defense attorneys said prosecutors sought to criminalize their clients for being African-Americans of Muslim faith.

Trump signs defense policy bill with watered-down China measures

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a $716 billion defense policy bill on Monday that authorizes military spending and includes watered-down controls on U.S. government contracts with China's ZTE Corp and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. Trump signed the law at the U.S. Army's Fort Drum base in upstate New York on his way back to Washington after a 12-day working vacation at his golf club in New Jersey. The bill was named for one of Trump's political critics, the ailing U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona, but he did not mention McCain's name.

Boy at New Mexico compound died in ritual ceremony, prosecutors say

Authorities found the remains at a ramshackle compound north of Taos where 11 other children were found alive but malnourished in a raid on the site 10 days ago. The prosecutor said during a court hearing for five adults arrested on charges of abusing the 11 children that they had been trained to use weapons and defend the compound in the event of an FBI raid. The adults, including three women who police said were the mothers of the 11 children, were charged with 11 counts of felony child abuse.

Florida man charged in 'stand your ground' shooting

The suspect, Michael Drejka of Clearwater, was taken into custody on Monday, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. “We did our own investigation," said Bernie McCabe, the state attorney for Pinellas and Pasco Counties who filed the charges in explaining his decision to prosecute. The law, which removes legal responsibility to retreat from a dangerous situation, was cited as a factor in the fatal 2012 shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin by a volunteer neighborhood watch captain who was eventually acquitted.

Firefighters gain on major California blazes as heat wave breaks

A break in the sizzling heat wave that has baked California for much of the summer gave firefighters a chance to attack a string of major wildfires burning across the state that have killed eight people and destroyed thousands of homes. The cooler temperatures came during a two-day tour of devastated neighborhoods by U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Zinke told local KRCR-TV during the visit that the intensity of this year's fire season showed the need for clearing underbrush and removing dead trees.

Washington white nationalist rally sputters in sea of counterprotesters

A large police presence kept the two sides separated in Lafayette Square, in front of the White House. After two hours and a few speeches, the "Unite the Right 2" rally ended early when it began to rain and two police vans took the demonstrators back to Virginia. Sunday's events, while tense at times, were a far cry from the street brawls that broke out in downtown Charlottesville a year ago, when a local woman was killed by a man who drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters.

Washington white nationalist rally sputters in sea of counterprotesters

A large police presence kept the two sides separated in Lafayette Square, in front of the White House. After two hours and a few speeches, the "Unite the Right 2" rally ended early when it began to rain and two police vans took the demonstrators back to Virginia. Sunday's events, while tense at times, were a far cry from the street brawls that broke out in downtown Charlottesville a year ago, when a local woman was killed by a man who drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters.

Smoke gets in your eyes: wildfires sting California park tourism

For the past two weeks, a wildfire has forced much of Yosemite National Park in California to close, with smoke blanketing its famous rock formations and clouding the summer travel season for one of the largest tourism economies tied to a U.S. park. Steven Anker, 53, has seen business decrease by 80 percent at his Priest Station Café in nearby Groveland."People come to Yosemite to see the outdoors. Wildfires burning in the U.S. West have scorched 5.6 million acres (2.3 million hectares) this year, including parts of other national forests, the National Interagency Fire Center said on its website.

NASA launches probe to go deep into Sun's scorching atmosphere

The craft will endure extreme heat while zooming through the solar corona to study the Sun's outer atmosphere that gives rise to the solar winds. It is set to fly into the Sun's corona within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) of the solar surface, seven times closer than any other spacecraft. The corona gives rise to the solar wind, a continuous flow of charged particles that permeates the solar system and can cause havoc with communications technology on Earth.

More than 100 large wildfires in U.S. as new blazes erupt

(Reuters) - Six large new wildfires erupted in the United States, pushing the number of major active blazes nationwide to over 100, with more expected to break out sparked by lightning strikes on bone-dry terrain, authorities said on Saturday. More than 30,000 personnel, including firefighters from across the United States and nearly 140 from Australia and New Zealand, were battling the blazes that have consumed more than 1.6 million acres (648,000 hectares), according to the National Interagency Coordination Center. "We are expecting that there will be more fire-starts today," Jeremy Grams, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma, said in an interview on Saturday.

FBI seeks motive after U.S. airline worker stole plane and crashed it

A Horizon Air ground service agent got into a Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft on Friday night in a maintenance area at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and took off, Horizon sister carrier Alaska Airlines said. "There were some maneuvers that were done that were incredible maneuvers with the aircraft," Beck said. In partial recordings of the employee's conversations with air traffic controllers that were published online by Broadcastify.com, the man said he was sorry to disappoint people who cared about him and described himself as a "broken guy." "Got a few screws loose, I guess," he is heard saying in the recording.

Fifth body found in crashed Alaska plane; no body recovery planned

A fifth body was found on Friday in the wreckage of an Alaska sightseeing plane that crashed near North America's tallest peak, leaving no doubt the pilot perished with his four Polish passengers on the steep mountainside, authorities said. The impact left the plane in two pieces, lodged in the crevasse of a hanging glacier nearly 11,000 feet high on a steep, avalanche-prone slope from which unstable ice blocks are protruding, Park Service officials said. “The tail and fuselage of the aircraft are just hanging on by a piece of metal,” Park Service spokeswoman Katherine Belcher said.

Monsanto ordered to pay $289 million in world's first Roundup cancer trial

The case of school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson was the first lawsuit to go to trial alleging glyphosate causes cancer. Monsanto, a unit of Bayer AG following a $62.5 billion acquisition by the German conglomerate, faces more than 5,000 similar lawsuits across the United States. The jury at San Francisco's Superior Court of California deliberated for three days before finding that Monsanto had failed to warn Johnson and other consumers of the cancer risks posed by its weed killers.

Mother of slain youth, Michael Brown, running for Ferguson City Council

Lezley McSpadden announced her candidacy at an emotionally charged rally surrounded by supporters, a day after the fourth anniversary of her son's death, which thrust the St. Louis suburb into the global spotlight as an emblem of troubled U.S. race relations. McSpadden, a onetime grocery store worker who founded and runs a charitable foundation in her son's name dedicated to various social causes, had previously hinted at her intention to seek a City Council seat at an event in April. "I learned to walk again, and this is one of my first steps, running for Ferguson City Council of 2019." McSpadden, who earned her high school diploma last year at age 37, said her three main focuses would be community policing, economic equality and healthcare access, especially for children.

Judge encouraged by U.S. plan to reunite separated immigrant families

The reunification plan set forth in a Thursday night court filing described several processes to locate parents who had been removed from the country, determine their intentions for their children, and ensure that children remain safe. "There's no question the government has put in a great deal of thought into this," U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego said at a hearing. The plan provided that the government would resolve concerns about the children's safety and parentage.

Monsanto ordered to pay $289 million in world's first Roundup cancer trial

The case of school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson was the first lawsuit to go to trial alleging glyphosate causes cancer. Monsanto, a unit of Bayer AG following a $62.5 billion acquisition by the German conglomerate, faces more than 5,000 similar lawsuits across the United States. The jury at San Francisco's Superior Court of California deliberated for three days before finding that Monsanto had failed to warn Johnson and other consumers of the cancer risks posed by its weed killers.

Manafort witness says bank CEO coveted Cabinet job, pushed to approve loans

Dennis Raico, a former Federal Savings Bank executive testifying under immunity, said the bank's chief executive, Stephen Calk, expressed interest in such posts as Treasury secretary or Housing and Urban Development secretary. Manafort later asked the incoming administration to consider tapping Calk for secretary of the Army, according to testimony earlier in the week. Calk, a retired Army officer and helicopter pilot, did not get the job.

Group asks Trump to unblock 41 Twitter users after court ruling

A U.S. free speech group on Friday asked President Donald Trump to unblock 41 Twitter users after a federal judge in May ordered him to restore access to a group of individuals who filed suit. U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan ruled on May 23 that comments on the president's account, and those of other government officials, were public forums and that blocking Twitter Inc users for their views violated their right to free speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University on Friday sent the Justice Department a list of 41 accounts that remain blocked from Trump's @RealDonaldTrump account.

California wildfire said set by arsonist threatens community

A Southern California wildfire - which authorities say was set by an arsonist with a grudge against a neighbor - doubled in size overnight into Friday as crews built fire lines and fought to protect thousands of homes in a lakefront community. The Holy Fire, which broke out on Monday in Holy Jim Canyon in Orange County southeast of Los Angeles, has already destroyed 12 structures and was only 5 percent contained as of Friday. Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, who owns a cabin in Holy Jim Canyon, was arrested earlier this week after a standoff with police and charged with arson, making criminal threats and resisting arrest.

Confirmation hearings for U.S. top court nominee Kavanaugh open Sept. 4

Confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will begin on Sept. 4, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley announced in a statement on Friday. Opening statements by committee members will take place on Sept. 4, and the questioning of Kavanaugh will start the following day, the committee statement said. Republican President Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh, 53, on July 9 to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

U.S. census citizenship question panned by scientists, civil rights groups

The comments have not yet been published, but some groups and individuals reinforced their opposition to the Trump administration's plan to ask census respondents whether they are U.S. citizens. At least 250,000 people have called for removing the question, according to a coalition of civil rights groups, led by the Leadership Conference Education Fund https://leadershipconferenceedfund.org/about on Wednesday. "This egregious citizenship question is a political effort to weaponize the census to redefine American democracy for a narrow set of people,” Vanita Gupta, the fund's president, said in a statement.

Trump renews attacks on protesting NFL players, says 'be cool'

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday renewed his attacks on NFL players pushing for criminal justice and other social reforms, after a number of players protested during the league's preseason opening late on Thursday. The National Football League has struggled to address the issue of players who silently protest against police brutality and social inequality during the national anthem, amid Trump's regular criticism of such protests and as it tries to manage relations with both its players and fans. Trump, who has urged the NFL to suspend protesting players - who have mostly been black Americans - again called on the NFL to act, and said players should find another way to speak out.

As U.S. unleashes sanctions, Americans view Russia as bigger threat than Iran: Reuters/Ipsos poll

While a majority of U.S. adults view Iran as a threat to the United States, that number has decreased slightly over the past three years, the poll shows. In comparison, the number of Americans who consider Russia a threat to their country increased since 2015, as U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election and on new accusations of Russian meddling ahead of the November midterm elections. Highlights from Reuters/Ipsos polls show: Sixty-seven percent of U.S. adults said in a poll conducted in July 2018 that Iran poses a "moderate," "serious" or "imminent" threat to the United States.

Anniversary of fatal Charlottesville rally puts city, D.C. on edge

"They feel that not being here is giving in to fear and terror." Officials in Charlottesville have vowed a massive police presence – with some 1,000 personnel assigned – to deter any violence. The organizer of last year's event, white nationalist Jason Kessler, was denied a permit in Charlottesville this year but has secured permission to hold a demonstration on Sunday in Washington, across the street from the White House. Washington officials said on Thursday that police were ready for the rally as well as five planned counterprotests that could attract close to 2,000 people in all.

Florida school shooting families want board removed

"The current school board has failed to properly prepare the county’s 234 schools for the upcoming school year," said Tony Montalto, president of Stand With Parkland, a group formed by families of victims of the Feb. 14 attack, during a televised press conference. The Florida shooting prompted schools across the United States to introduce a host of security measures, ranging from metal detectors to security fences. Montalto said the Broward County School District had no "unified plan" for school safety.

Tennessee executes man for 1985 rape, murder of seven-year-old girl

Billy Irick, 59, who had spent more than three decades on death row, was put to death at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Tylee Tracer said. Pronounced dead at 7:48 p.m. Central time, he became the 15th inmate executed this year in the United States and the first in Tennessee since 2009. Irick had been a boarder in the home where the girl lived with her mother, stepfather and siblings.

Brooklyn imam dismayed by family's tragedy at New Mexico compound

Siraj Wahhaj, a Brooklyn-based imam, spoke to reporters at his mosque, Masjid Taqwa, a day after his son, two daughters, a daughter-in-law and a son-in-law were charged with 11 felony counts of child abuse in New Mexico. The son, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, 39, also was charged with custodial interference in the alleged abduction of his 3-year-old son, Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj, last December from the Atlanta home of the child's mother.

New Mexico compound girls briefly reunited with grandfather

Two girls who were among 11 children taken from a New Mexico compound raided last week by police were briefly reunited on Thursday with their grandfather, who said that with their parents in jail he wanted to take them to his home in Egypt. The girls, wearing pink and yellow headscarfs, appeared happy to see Gerard Jabril Abdulwali, 64, as they hugged in the lobby of the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) office in Taos, New Mexico. All of the children have been in protective custody since authorities said they were found ragged and starving at the compound last Friday, and their parents were arrested.

U.S. reunions of immigrant families grind to a near halt

The number of immigrant children in U.S. care who have still not been reunited with their families after being separated at the Mexican border has barely budged in the past week, as the government struggles to locate parents no longer in the United States. Over 500 children out of more than 2,500 separated from their parents by officials at the border remain in the care of the government. The children were removed from their parents as part of President Donald Trump's 'zero tolerance' policy to discourage illegal immigration.

Los Angeles prosecutors review sex assault cases against actors Seagal, Anderson

The case involving Weinstein brings to six the number under review by Los Angeles prosecutors. District Attorney spokesman Greg Risling did not give details of the allegations or when the alleged assaults took place. Representatives of Weinstein, Seagal and Anderson did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday.

Mechanic latest to die in fight against California fires

Andrew Brake, 40, was assigned to the Carr Fire burning around Redding in Northern California and died in a crash on Highway 99 in nearby Tehama County, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) said. "On behalf of all Californians, we honor Andrew and the many other brave firefighters and emergency responders who have risked their lives to protect others," California Governor Jerry Brown said in a statement. The 177,000-acre (71,629-hectare) Carr Fire, roughly 200 miles (320 km) north of San Francisco, has killed two other firefighters along with three members of one family and has destroyed nearly 1,100 homes.

Judge orders migrants returned to U.S. in midst of deportation flight

The pair were among 12 plaintiffs in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenging changes in asylum policies ordered by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Washington D.C. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan was hearing a request to stay the plaintiffs' deportations, when the ACLU learned that two of them were already on a flight to Central America, the civil rights group said. Upon hearing the news, Sullivan ordered their flight returned and suggested that Sessions could be held in contempt of court, according to the ACLU.

U.S. appeals court orders EPA to ban pesticide said to harm children

The 2-1 decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Seattle overturned former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt's March 2017 denial of a petition by environmental groups to halt the use of chlorpyrifos on food crops such as fruits, vegetables and nuts. "This shows that the EPA can't just ignore the science that this pesticide damages children's brains," Marisa Ordonia, a lawyer for Earthjustice, which represented the petitioners, said in an interview. "The Trump administration has to follow the law, as does everyone else." Pruitt's ruling, one of many by the administration to reduce federal regulatory oversight, had reversed a 2015 Obama administration recommendation to extend to food a 2000 ban on chlorpyrifos that covered most household settings.

Oklahoma teen who killed parents, siblings gets life in prison

Michael Bever who was 16 at the time of the killings, was found guilty in May by a jury in a Tulsa County District Court of five counts of first-degree murder along with assault and battery with intent to kill in connection with his attack on a sibling who survived. "This is the most brutal homicide case I have ever prosecuted," Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said in an interview. An attorney for Bever was not immediately for comment.

Supreme Court clears way for Tennessee to execute murderer

The decision cleared the path for the lethal injection and came just hours before the state was scheduled to put to death Billy Irick, 59, at 7 p.m. CDT (0000 GMT) at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. The execution would be the first in the state since 2009 and the 15th this year in the United States. Lawyers for Irick, who has been on death row more than three decades, said he has suffered from psychosis for his entire life and putting him to death would violate legal norms barring the execution of people with severe mental disorders or disabilities.