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Bennett noted that “it took the Governor 24 hours and significant backlash to allow for a truly independent investigation” after she went public with her allegations Saturday in a New York Times article.

“These are not the actions of someone who simply feels misunderstood; they are the actions of an individual who wields his power to avoid justice,” Bennett said.

Cuomo over the weekend first suggested the allegations by Bennett and Boylan be investigated by a former federal judge who previously worked with the governor’s top advisor.

Cuomo then pivoted, with his office suggesting that James and Chief Judge Judith Kaye, who heads the state’s highest court, jointly oversee the probe.

James refused to share oversight. And the governor’s office, dealing with a growing political backlash to both the allegations and his machinations seeking to control the investigation, agreed to ask the attorney general to handle the probe.

Bennett said that in coming forward with her account “I fully expected to be attacked by those who reflexively question the honesty or motivation of those who report sexual harassment. I am not deterred by these voices.”

She also said that, “Coming forward was an excruciating decision. I decided to share my story because I had faith that I would be supported and believed. This is often not the case.”

“Sharing my experience was only possible because of past survivors who stood up and told their stories. I hope that my story helps other survivors feel like they can stand in their truth.”

CNBC has requested comment from Cuomo’s office.

A referral letter by Cuomo’s office to James on Monday granted her request to have the claims by Bennett and Boylan be investigated by a private attorney or attorneys deputized by the attorney general.

The letter from Cuomo’s special counsel, Beth Garvey, said that the findings of that investigation “will be disclosed in a public report.”

The letter also said that “due to the nature of this review” the governor’s office will not approve or be sent weekly reports which are normally expected under the state law authorizing the attorney general to deputize outside lawyers for such a probe.

“All New York State employees have been directed to cooperate fully with this review,” Garvey wrote in the letter, which James released.

“I will serve as point of contact for any witness interviews or document production for the Executive Chamber and will connect you with appropriate counsel in any other agency or entity for any documents or witnesses necessary for the review,” Garvey wrote.

Bennett, 25, told the Times in an article published Saturday that the 63-year-old Cuomo had asked her questions including whether she “had ever been with an older man,” whether she was monogamous in her relationships and other personal questions that made her feel uncomfortable.

Boylan has said that Cuomo once kissed her without her consent, and jokingly suggested playing strip poker on an official flight.

Cuomo has denied the 36-year-old Boylan’s claims.

But in a statement released Saturday, the governor did not dispute Bennett’s claims of what he had said.

“I never intended to offend anyone or cause any harm. I spend most of my life at work and colleagues are often also personal friends,” Cuomo said that day. 

“At work sometimes I think I am being playful and make jokes that I think are funny. I do, on occasion, tease people in what I think is a good natured way,” the governor said.

“I now understand that my interactions may have been insensitive or too personal and that some of my comments, given my position, made others feel in ways I never intended. I acknowledge some of the things I have said have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation. To the extent anyone felt that way, I am truly sorry about that.”

Cuomo also said, “To be clear I never inappropriately touched anybody and I never propositioned anybody and I never intended to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but these are allegations that New Yorkers deserve answers to.”

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/01/andrew-cuomo-sexual-harassment-accuser-speaks-as-investigation-speeds-up.html

VATICANO, 24 Ene. 17 / 07:00 am (ACI).-
El Papa Francisco ha animado a los comunicadores a ejercer su labor “de forma constructiva rechazando los prejuicios contra los demás”, y siguiendo un modelo que “fomente una cultura del encuentro que ayude a mirar la realidad con auténtica confianza”.

En un mensaje con motivo de la 51ª Jornada Mundial de la Comunicación Social, que tendrá lugar el 28 de mayo, Solemnidad de la Ascensión del Señor, el Santo Padre ha pedido transmitir la “buena noticia” rompiendo “el círculo vicioso de la angustia y frenar la espiral del miedo, fruto de esa costumbre de centrarse en las ‘malas noticias’ (guerras, terrorismo, escándalos y cualquier tipo de frustración en el acontecer humano)”.

En opinión del Papa, esto no significa que se deban ocultar las noticias negativas que desgraciadamente llegan de forma diaria: “ciertamente, no se trata de favorecer una desinformación en la que se ignore el drama del sufrimiento, ni de caer en un optimismo ingenuo que no se deja afectar por el escándalo del mal”, indicó.

En este sentido, Francisco ha advertido de los efectos perniciosos de “un sistema comunicativo donde reina la lógica según la cual para que una noticia sea buena ha de causar un impacto, y donde fácilmente se hace espectáculo del drama del dolor y del misterio del mal”, ya que “se puede caer en la tentación de adormecer la propia conciencia o de caer en la desesperación”.

El Obispo de Roma ha querido con este mensaje “contribuir a la búsqueda de un estilo comunicativo abierto y creativo, que no dé todo el protagonismo al mal, sino que trate de mostrar las posibles soluciones, favoreciendo una actitud activa y responsable en las personas a las cuales va dirigida la noticia”. Por ello, invitó a todos “a ofrecer a los hombres y a las mujeres de nuestro tiempo narraciones marcadas por la lógica de la ‘buena noticia’”.

Precisamente, la Buena Noticia, junto con la confianza en la semilla del Reino y los horizontes del Espíritu, han articulado el mensaje del Papa.

La Buena Noticia

“Para los cristianos, las lentes que nos permiten descifrar la realidad no pueden ser otras que las de la buena noticia, partiendo de la ‘Buena Nueva’ por excelencia: el ‘Evangelio de Jesucristo, Hijo de Dios’”, ha destacado.

“Esta Buena Noticia –ha continuado el Santo padre–, que es Jesús mismo, no es buena porque esté exenta de sufrimiento, sino porque contempla el sufrimiento en una perspectiva más amplia, como parte integrante de su amor por el Padre y por la humanidad. En Cristo, Dios se ha hecho solidario con cualquier situación humana, revelándonos que no estamos solos, porque tenemos un Padre que nunca olvida a sus hijos”.

La confianza en la semilla del Reino

El Pontífice ha recordado que “para iniciar a sus discípulos y a la multitud en esta mentalidad evangélica, Jesús recurría a las parábolas, en las que el Reino de Dios se compara, a menudo, con la semilla que desata su fuerza vital justo cuando muere en la tierra”.

“Recurrir a imágenes y metáforas para comunicar la humilde potencia del Reino, no es un manera de restarle importancia y urgencia, sino una forma misericordiosa para dejar a quien escucha el ‘espacio’ de libertad para acogerla y referirla incluso a sí mismo”. “El Reino de Dios está ya entre nosotros, como una semilla oculta a una mirada superficial y cuyo crecimiento tiene lugar en el silencio”.

Los horizontes del Espíritu

El Papa Francisco ha señalado que “en la Ascensión, aunque parece que el Señor se aleja de nosotros, en realidad, se ensanchan los horizontes de la esperanza”.

“La confianza en la semilla del Reino de Dios y en la lógica de la Pascua configura también nuestra manera de comunicar. Esa confianza nos hace capaces de trabajar con la convicción de que es posible descubrir e iluminar la buena noticia presente en la realidad de cada historia y en el rostro de cada persona”, ha resaltado.

“Quien se deja guiar con fe por el Espíritu Santo es capaz de discernir en cada acontecimiento lo que ocurre entre Dios y la humanidad, reconociendo cómo él mismo, en el escenario dramático de este mundo, está tejiendo la trama de una historia de salvación”.

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Source Article from https://www.aciprensa.com/noticias/papa-francisco-a-comunicadores-rompan-el-circulo-vicioso-de-las-malas-noticias-56556/

Washington (CNN)Dr. Anthony Fauci hit back at two Republican senators in a pair of tense exchanges Tuesday, accusing one of attacking him for political gain and calling another “a moron” following questions about his finances during a Senate hearing.

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Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/11/politics/fauci-rand-paul-roger-marshall-hearing/index.html

President Donald Trump will visit Rio Rancho, New Mexico this evening as part of his “Keep America Great” 2020 reelection campaign, with hopes the Republican Party can reclaim a state he lost in 2016 and which lost a House seat and the Governor’s office in 2018.

Local TV stations were reporting long lines and backed up traffic in anticipation of the rally. Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull told KOAT-TV the city’s law enforcement officers are in “high security” mode and will have “zero tolerance” for anyone displaying violence or aggression throughout Monday night.

Below is a link to watch the live stream of Trump’s rally online:

Date: Monday, September 16, 2019

Time: 7: 00 p.m. MDT (Mountain Time), 9:00 p.m. EST.

Location: Santa Ana Star Center

A Democratic Party-led counter-rally will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico just before Trump’s Monday evening speech. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Ben Ray Luján, who is running for an open Senate seat to replace retiring Democrat Tom Udall, will be among the speakers at the counter-rally. Two congressional seats are up for grabs in the upcoming 2020 election and a third currently held by a Republican must be defended.

“Rio Rancho is in my district, and anyone who undermines the safety, security, or way of life of our communities, isn’t welcome here,” Luján remarked on Twitter. Rio Rancho is only about a 20 mile drive from Albuquerque and city officials warned local news stations that traffic was already congested Monday afternoon.

“Big crowd expected in New Mexico tonight, where we will WIN. Your Border Wall is getting stronger each and every day — see you in a few hours!” Trump tweeted Monday afternoon en route to the Southwest state.

Trump lost the county in which Rio Rancho sits by 1,800 votes in the 2016 presidential election against former Democratic Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. But Trump’s 2020 campaign team are hoping to flip the state back to red in 2020.

“I’ve continued to say the president’s policies are a win for Latino voters across America … and one of the first symbols of this was the El Paso rally,” Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale told reporters on a call last week. “As we started doing polling there, we saw a dramatic increase from 2016 and I went over this with the president and he said, ‘Let’s go straight into Albuquerque.'”

In addition to Fox News broadcasting the Monday event, several live streams are available on Facebook and Twitter to present events taking place outside the Santa Ana Star Center.

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Source Article from https://www.newsweek.com/trump-rally-rio-rancho-new-mexico-when-where-time-monday-campaign-maga-event-1459507

Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), John Cornyn (R-Tex.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) signaled their openness to the package, which had been unveiled by a group of moderate Republican and Democratic senators on Tuesday. The measure is more than what Senate Republicans had originally offered and less than what House Democrats had wanted, but it is designed to try to provide immediate relief to some parts of the economy as the pandemic enters a dangerous and increasingly deadly phase.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/12/03/congress-economic-stimulus-coronavirus/

Actress Alyssa Milano said Monday that she stands behind former Vice President Joe Biden in response to allegations that he kissed a Nevada politician without her consent in 2014.

Milano, 46, is a staunch #MeToo activist who last year attended the Senate hearing on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in support of his accuser Christine Blasey Ford. She said she opposed his nomination because of unsubstantiated accusations that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Ford in high school. She live-tweeted from inside the proceeding, letting her three million-plus followers know: “I believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.”

This time, with Biden facing an accusation from Nevada politician Lucy Flores, Milano was more equivocal. “I respect Lucy Flores’ decision to share her story and agree with Biden that we all must pay attention to it. But, just as we must believe women that decide to come forward, we cannot assume all women’s experiences are the same,” she said in a string of tweets.

[ Also read: Lucy Flores: ‘Of course I would support Biden’ over Trump]

“I am proud to call Joe Biden a friend. He has been a leader and a champion on fighting violence against women for many years, and I have been fortunate to accompany him to events with survivors where he has listened to their stories, empathized with them, and comforted them,” she wrote “… I believe that Joe Biden’s intent has never been to make anyone uncomfortable, and that his kind, empathetic leadership is what our country needs.”

She wrote an op-ed for CNN last year that began with, “If professor Christine Blasey Ford is to be believed, and I believe she is, Brett Kavanaugh is a sexual predator.”

Biden, 76, was accused last week of planting a “big slow kiss” on the back of Flores’ head without her permission during a rally in 2014. On Monday a second accuser came forward and alleged that Biden touched her inappropriately at fundraiser in 2009.

The former vice president is widely expected to launch a bid for the Democratic nomination for president soon.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/alyssa-milanos-i-believe-kavanaugh-accuser-becomes-we-cant-assume-biden-did-wrong

Dueling friend-of-the-court briefs in the Mississippi case also supported Chief Justice Roberts’s observation about selectivity.

In one brief, international law professors supporting the Mississippi law said that “France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Norway and Switzerland have a gestational limit of 14 weeks or earlier for abortion on demand, allowing later exceptions only on restricted medical grounds.” The brief cited data gathered by the Center for Reproductive Rights.

On the other side, a brief from another set of international and comparative law scholars supporting the abortion providers in Mississippi focused on the countries that it said had similar legal traditions to the United States, notably Canada, New Zealand and Britain, which “permit abortion up to or around viability.”

“Beyond their broadly permissive laws,” the brief said, “these countries also support abortion rights and reproductive decision-making through universal health care, access to abortion services and access to contraception.”

The brief added that recent international trends had been toward easier access to abortion, with more than 50 countries liberalizing their laws in the past 25 years. By contrast, the brief said, overruling Roe “would put the United States in the company of countries like Poland and Nicaragua as one of only a few countries moving towards greater restrictions on legal access to abortion in the past 20 years.”

Professor Ziegler said there was something artificial about the recent conservative attentiveness to foreign nations with roughly 12-week limits.

“People who are anti-abortion are disingenuous about this, because they’re not proposing 12 weeks,” she said. “They’re proposing six weeks, or they’re proposing fertilization.”

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/04/us/politics/abortion-conservatives-foreign-law.html

Former Vice President and current presidential candidate Joe Biden promised Saturday that on “Day One” of a Biden presidency he would repeal President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and close $500 billion on tax loopholes.

Speaking at the South Carolina Democratic Party Convention, Biden said that “Income inequities are at an all-time high and made worse by Trump’s tax cuts and enormous giveaways to the top one-tenth of the 1 percent … and it’s time we start to reward work over wealth.”

DEMOCRATS AIM THEIR FIRE AT TRUMP IN SOUTH CAROLINA, VIE FOR FRONTRUNNER STATUS

Outlining his policy proposals in this visit to the early primary state, Biden said the GOP-backed tax cuts, which have been heavily criticized in some quarters as beneficial only to the rich, have no socially redeeming value. He vowed to “put that money to good use.”

Biden promised that, among other things, residual funds from the tax break would be put toward initiatives such as green energy research and development, two-year college tuition grants and a public-option health insurance plan.

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The 2020 hopeful also proposed an $8,000-per-child credit for child care. In addition, he promised to increase Title I funding for schools with high numbers of low-income students, and to allocate between $15 billion and $45 billion to expand universal pre-K, raise teachers’ pay, fully fund special education and double the number of school psychologists, guidance counselors and nurses to support public school systems.

Biden also reiterated his plan to implement a public health care option like Medicare, which would guarantee that low-income individuals have health coverage.

Biden continues to lead the polls in a field of some two-dozen Democratic contenders.

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-vows-to-repeal-trump-tax-cuts-on-day-one-if-he-captures-white-house

The drug touted by the U.S. President Donald Trump as a possible line of treatment against the coronavirus comes with severe warnings in China and can kill in dosages as little as two grams.

China, where the deadly pathogen first emerged in December, recommended the decades-old malaria drug chloroquine to treat infected patients in guidelines issued in February after seeing encouraging results in clinical trials. But within days, it cautioned doctors and health officials about the drug’s lethal side effects and rolled back its usage.

This came after local media reported that a Wuhan Institute of Virology study found that the drug can kill an adult just dosed at twice the daily amount recommended for treatment, which is one gram.

relates to Virus Drug Touted by Trump, Musk Can Kill With Just Two Gram Dose
As the drug hasn’t been approved by the U.S. Food And Drug Administration to treat the disease known as Covid-19, the Chinese experience may be useful as the American regulator studies the medication which has been endorsed by Trump as well as Tesla Inc. chief executive officer Elon Musk.

The pandemic, which has sickened more than 235,000 globally and killed over 9,800 people, has triggered growing anxiety across the U.S. as states say they lack testing kits and medical equipment. California instituted a state-wide lockdown on Thursday to slow the outbreak.

Chloroquine was among the first group of therapies Chinese scientists identified as being effective in curbing the new coronavirus. Clinical trials on about 130 patients demonstrated the drug’s ability to reduce the severity of the illness and speed up virus clearance, according to China’s Ministry of Sciences and Technology.

Chroloquine phosphate was officially recommended on Feb. 19 in the Covid-19 treatment guidelines published by China’s National Health Commission, along with a few other drugs such as AbbVie Inc.’s Kaletra and flu drug arbidol as antiviral treatments for patients. The commission recommended no more than a 10-day course of chloroquine for adult patients at 500mg — half a gram — twice a day.

The Search for New Drugs for Coronavirus Faces Long Odds

As hundreds of clinical trials are launched to study potential Covid-19 treatments, stocks of drugmakers and biotechnology companies have racked up big gains on the hope that the industry will see a windfall. But the history of previous viral outbreaks like Ebola and Zika show little success in producing viable treatments. Some potential drugs were developed only after the epidemics already waned through containment measures.

Closely Watched

China’s recommendation to use chloroquine in treatment was quickly followed by a warning.

Two days after the treatment guideline update, health authorities in Hubei province — China’s worst-hit region where the outbreak started and which accounted for majority of its over 80,000 patients — asked hospitals to closely watch for, and immediately report, any adverse side effects of chloroquine phosphate, according to a report in local media outlet The Paper.

The drug is known to have short-term side effects such as nausea, diarrhea and tinnitus while long-term use can irreversibly impair eyesight. It’s forbidden for pregnant women as it can cause congenital defects in babies.

China Health Commission revised the dosage in a Feb. 29 notice tightening chloroquine use. The drug cannot be given to pregnant women, those with heart disease, terminal liver and renal disease, retina and hearing loss and patients on antibiotics such as azithromycin and steroid.

It can now be given only to patients between 18 to 65 years of age for a seven-day treatment course. Patients weighing over 50 kilograms (110 pounds) can take 500mg twice a day — the usual dose — while those weighing less will be administered the drug just once a day after two days of use, according to the latest guidelines.

A woman in Wuhan proved how lethal chloroquine can be when it’s taken beyond the recommended dose. On Feb. 25, Shanghai-based The Paper reported that she took 1.8 grams of the drug she ordered online after suspecting she had the coronavirus. She did not, but the drug caused her to develop malignant cardiac arrhythmic, which can cause sudden death, and she was admitted to the intensive care unit.

— With assistance by Dong Lyu

Source Article from https://www.mercurynews.com/virus-drug-touted-by-president-trump-elon-musk-can-kill-with-just-two-gram-dose

Dramatic aerial images today revealed the massive destruction caused by 200 wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington which have killed at least seven people including a 12-year-old boy and his grandmother. 

The ‘explosive’ fires have burned more than 3.4million acres – the size of Connecticut – and are still spreading in high winds amid fears that the number of casualties will rise.  

Entire communities have been razed with five towns ‘substantially destroyed’ and widespread evacuations taking place under apocalyptic orange skies. 

Only ‘smoldering ruins’ remained of large parts of the town of Talent, Oregon, said local resident Sandra Spelliscy.  

Twelve-year-old Wyatt Tofte and his grandmother Peggy Mosso died in a blaze in the Santiam Valley community of Lyons, about 50 miles south of Portland. The boy’s mother is currently in hospital in critical condition after suffering serious burns.

The fire also was suspected of causing at least one death outside of Ashland, Oregon, while in Washington state a one-year-old boy was killed and his parents were severely burned fleeing a fire in Okanogan County, police said.

Another three were feared dead in the California Bear Fire that swept through Butte County on Tuesday night. Sheriff Tony Hawley said the trio was discovered on the bank of the Columbia River after they abandoned their car. 

‘This fire is just burning at an explosive rate,’ said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for California’s state fire authority. ‘You add the winds, the dry conditions, the hot temperatures, it’s the perfect recipe.’ 

MEDFORD, OREGON: Northridge Terrace is seen left in September 2019 and right after it was razed by this week’s West Coast wildfires which have ravaged communities and brought apocalyptic orange skies 

TALENT, OREGON: Mountain View Estates in September 2019 (left) and September 2020 (right) after the massive wildfires. Only ‘smoldering ruins’ remained of large parts of the town of Talent, local resident Sandra Spelliscy said 

MEDFORD, OREGON: These satellite images show the destruction in western Oregon where officials fear more deaths

PHOENIX, OREGON: A close-up of the city of 4,500 people which has been devastated by the Alameda Fire 

TALENT, OREGON: The Rogue Valley Highway 99 in June 2018 (left) and on Wednesday this week (right) 

PHOENIX, OREGON: This infrared satellite image shows an overview of the destruction, with burned vegetation and property in black and grey, and healthy vegetation that has not been burned in red 

Dramatic: The San Francisco Bay Bridge and the city skyline are bathed in apocalyptic orange as smoke and haze blows over the city, as seen from the artificial Treasure Island 

Butte county firefighters watch as flames tower over their truck during the Bear fire in Oroville, California on September 9

Security officials survey the Bear Lakes Estates neighborhood which was left devastated by the Almeda fire in Phoenix, Oregon

Houses and vehicles in the Bear Lakes Estates neighborhood which were left devastated by the Almeda fire 

Interstate 5 is seen in the background in the aftermath of the Almeda fire in Phoenix, Oregon. The road appeared to serve as a divider as nothing on the opposite side of the road was harmed by the fire

Homes were essentially wiped from the map as the fire took hold and laid claim to everything in its path, blown by the wind

Interstate 5 is seen on the left as the Bear Lakes Estates neighborhood is left devastated

A satellite image shows wildfires near Colton, Oregon on Wednesday as the scores of wildfires continued to rage 

Wyatt Tofte, 12, (far left) and his grandmother Peggy Mosso (in the right-hand picture, left in dark blue) died in a wildfire burning near the Santiam Valley community of Lyons, about 50 miles south of Portland. The boy’s mother is currently in hospital in critical condition

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told the Sacramento Bee confirmed that three people have died. Their identities have not yet been released. 

The remains of three victims were found in two separate locations of the same fire, according Honea, bringing the total death toll from this summer’s devastating spate of California wildfires to at least 11. 

Also in Oregon, one victim was found near to where the Almeda Fire began near homes in Medford on Tuesday. 

Firefighters retreated from uncontrollable blazes in Oregon as officials gave residents ‘go now’ orders to evacuate, meaning they had only minutes to leave their homes.

‘It was like driving through hell,’ Jody Evans told local television station NewsChannel21 after a midnight evacuation from Detroit, about 50 miles west of Salem. 

Leanna Mikesler, from Clovis, California, said she had been forced to evacuate her home to escape wildfires before, but it was ’10 times harder’ during the coronavirus pandemic.

‘They call… the evacuation. And then you go from there to see if your house has been burned down,’ she said. 

Across the United States wildfires have burned nearly 4.7 million acres in 2020, the highest year-to-date area since 2018, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Most of the fires are in western states, where 17 new large blazes were reported on Wednesday, bringing the total to 96 that have burned more than 3.4 million acres – an area nearly the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut.

Over a century of efforts by federal and state agencies to suppress naturally occurring blazes have left forests replete with dry timber and brush that provides fuel for large wildfires.

An orange glow fills the sky above the Embarcadero as smoke from various wildfires burning across Northern California mixes with the marine layer, blanketing San Francisco in darkness, on September 9, 2020 in San Francisco, California

San Francisco skyline is seen from Dolores Park in San Francisco, California on September 9. More than 300,000 acres are burning across the northwestern state including 35 major wildfires, with at least five towns ‘substantially destroyed’ and mass evacuations taking place

The Bobcat fire rages above Rincon Fire Station on Highway 39 in the San Gabriel Mountains, California

A view of the San Francisco Bay Bridge under an orange sky in the afternoon in San Francisco, California. The blazes across the states have made major metropolitan areas look apocalyptic 

An orange sky filled with wildfire smoke hangs above hiking trails at the Limeridge Open Space in Concord, California

A singed ice machine sits over a burned store during the Bear fire, part of the North Lightning Complex fires, in unincorporated Butte County, California on Wednesday

San Diego Humane Society’s Emergency Response Team rescue two horses amid the Valley Fire in San Diego county

Brown smoke from wildfires blowing westward in the atmosphere from California’s Sierra Nevada to the Coast Ranges and from Oregon can be seen on Wednesday

Home construction has encroached on some forests in recent decades, and owners are watching their houses burn as firefighters are unable to save property.

‘You add the winds, the dry conditions, the hot temperatures, it’s the perfect recipe,’ said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for California’s state fire authority of the Creek Fire that has torched over 360 homes and other structures.

‘This fire is just burning at an explosive rate.’

Winds of up to 50 miles per hour sent blazes racing tens of miles within hours, burning hundreds of homes as firefighters fought at least 35 major blazes across an area of Oregon nearly twice the size of New York City. 

Parts of Medford, Oregon, a popular retirement location with over 80,000 residents in the state’s scenic Rogue Valley, were under evacuation orders or warnings as a growing wildfire closed a section of Interstate 5, the primary north-south highway in the West.

The fire moved north to Medford from Ashland, where it started on Tuesday. The blaze did little damage to Ashland, home to the historic stages of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which normally draws more than 350,000 theatergoers a year.

The Holiday Farm fire is seen burning in the mountains around McKenzie Bridge, Oregon on September 9, 2020

Three chairs are all that remain at the Gates Post office in Gates, Oregon on Wednesday. The post office was destroyed along with several other buildings in the Santiam Canyon community as a result of the Santiam Fire

Charred debris is seen after the Bear Fire burned through Berry Creek, California

A swing and a burned-out vehicle are seen after the Bear Fire tore through Berry Creek, California

A scorched car rests in a clearing following the Bear Fire in Butte County. The blaze, part of the lightning-sparked North Complex, expanded at a critical rate of spread as winds buffeted the region

Charred items are seen after the Bear Fire burned through Berry Creek, California

A plume rises from the Bear Fire as it burns along Lake Oroville in Butte County, California

Appliances are seen scattered over the ground after the Bear Fire burned through Berry Creek including an old metal oven

Hundreds of horses have been brought to the fairgrounds in Salem by people fleeing the fires, along with llamas, goats and other animals. The Red Cross is helping people at the fairgrounds, which has been turned into an evacuation center

But as the blaze moved northward, it heavily damaged the small town of Talent with about 6,000 residents and Phoenix, with around 5,000, according to local police..  

Medford, with over 80,000 residents, was under evacuation orders or warnings as a growing wildfire closed a section of Interstate 5, the primary north-south highway in the West. 

The fire is suspected so far to have caused one death north of Ashland, said Rich Tyler, spokesman for the Oregon State Fire Marshal.

Brown saw no respite to the hot, windy weather and requested a federal emergency declaration for the state.

‘Absolutely no area in the state is free from fire,’ said Doug Graf, chief of fire protection for the Oregon Department of Forestry. 

The Oregon town of Mill City, about 65 miles south of Portland with a population around 1,900, also had major damage, and Malden, with about 200 people in eastern Washington state, was destroyed on Monday.

In central California, the Creek Fire about 35 miles  north of Fresno tore through a forest killed by drought and bark beetles as U.S. military helicopters pulled campers, hikers and residents out of the area.

Robert Pylant, 65, locates his fire safe in the rubble of his mobile home, early Wednesday in Gates, Oregon. All the trailers in Oak Park Trailer Park were destroyed along with the majority of the homes along East Sorbin Avenue

A burned out house is seen after the passing of the Holiday Farm fire in McKenzie Bridge, Oregon on Wednesday

Hundreds of homes including entire communities were razed by wildfires in the western United States on September 9 as officials warned of potential mass deaths under apocalyptic orange skies

At least five towns were ‘substantially destroyed’ in Oregon as widespread evacuations took place across the northwestern state, governor Kate Brown said

A burned out house is seen after the passing of the Holiday Farm fire in McKenzie Bridge, Oregon on Wednesday

A a woman walks near the foundation of a burned out house after the passing of the Holiday Farm fire in McKenzie Bridge, Oregon

Oregon Governor Kate Brown called the extreme heat and wind a ‘once in a lifetime event,’ as climate scientists blamed human activities for higher average temperatures that have supercharged fires.

‘This is proving to be an unprecedented and significant fire event for our state,’ Brown told a press briefing.  

‘This could be the greatest loss in human lives and property due to wildfire in our state´s history,’ Brown said, without providing details. 

Officials said 64,000 people had been evacuated from their homes as 28 major fires raged across the most populated U.S. state. 

Evacuations were ordered for a broad area around a massive 200,000-acre wildfire burning north of Sacramento. Residents of more than a dozen towns including the city of Oroville were either told to evacuate immediately or be prepared to go. 

The fire raged perilously close to the town of Paradise, which was burned to the ground in 2018 by a wildfire, killing 85 people. 

Climate scientists blame global warming for extreme wet and dry seasons in the U.S. West that have caused grasses and scrub to flourish then dry out, leaving abundant fuel for fires.

In California, all 18 National Forests were closed due to ‘unprecedented and historic fire conditions.’

To the south, the Creek Fire, about 35 miles north of Fresno, tore through the Sierra National Forest, which was susceptible due to drought and bark beetle damage, destroying over 360 homes and structures. 

President Barack Obama tweeted his concern over the dangers of climate change and urged voters to vote 

view of the Painted Ladies, the iconic row of historical Victorian homes with a downtown backdrop, under orange overcast sky in the afternoon in San Francisco on Wednesday

People gather at Alamo Square under an orange and yellow overcast sky overlooking the The Painted Ladies

A view of Cupid’s Span, a sculpture by Claes Oldenburge and Coosje van Bruggen, in the foreground and the Ferry Building Clock Tower in the background under an orange overcast sky in the afternoon in San Francisco

Traffic lights and car lights illuminate California Street during an orange overcast sky over the financial district in the afternoon in San Francisco. California wildfire smoke high in the atmosphere over the San Francisco Bay Area blocked the sunlight and turned the sky a dark orange and yellow shade for most of the day

Under darkened skies from wildfire smoke, a sailboat makes its way past the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and lights at Oracle Park Wednesday,

On Wednesday morning, people in San Francisco and elsewhere in California woke to a deep orange sky that triggered apocalyptic visions in a year already rife with disturbing events.

Skies so dark at times that it appeared more night than day were accompanied in some places with ash falling like snow, the cause being massive wild fires filling the air with smoke and cinders.

‘The orange skies this morning are a result of wildfire smoke in the air,’ San Francisco Bay air quality officials said in a tweet.

‘These smoke particles scatter blue light and only allow yellow-orange-red light to reach the surface, causing skies to look orange.’

As smoke gets thick in some areas, it blocks sunlight causing dark skies, the officials explained.

Photos of the eerie scene, particularly of a San Francisco skyline fit for a dystopian science fiction film, spread quickly on social media.

‘Is there a word for ‘the apocalypse is upon us burnt sienna?’ read one tweet fired off by someone who felt using the word ‘orange’ to describe the sky was being too kind.

Others likened the scenes to planets other than Earth.

People from San Francisco to Seattle woke Wednesday to hazy clouds of smoke lingering in the air, darkening the sky to an eerie orange glow that kept street lights illuminated into midday, all thanks to dozens of wildfires throughout the West

Looking down Lombard Street, Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill at right and the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, are darkened by wildfire smoke

Under darkened skies from wildfire smoke, a waiter carries a tray of Irish Coffee to people having lunch at the Buena Vista Cafe Wednesday in San Francisco. The photo was taken just after midday 

Lunchtime on Wednesday in San Francisco has an otherworldly glow about it thanks to the smoke from the states wildfires 

The sky was turned orange as hazy clouds of smoke lingered in the air all day long which saw the street lights remain on

California wildfire smoke high in the atmosphere over the San Francisco Bay Area blocked the sunlight and turned the sky a dark orange and yellow shade for most of the day on Wednesday

‘If literal fire skies don’t wake us up to climate change, then nothing will,’ tweeted YouTube influencer and Zadiko tea startup chief Zack Kornfeld.

‘Enjoy joking about how crazy this year is because we made this mess and it’s only going to get worse.’

Dark skies blocking the sun chilled temperatures at what has historically been the warmest time year in San Francisco.

‘Geo-color imagery shows a very thick multilevel smoke deck over much of California,’ the US National Weather Service said in a tweet.

‘This smoke is filtering the incoming energy from the sun, causing much cooler temperatures and dark dreary red-shifted skies across many areas.’ 

An orange sky in the early afternoon as seen from King Street in San Francisco

People sit at Alamo Square under an orange and yellow overcast sky overlooking the The Painted Ladies, the iconic row of historical Victorian homes with a downtown backdrop

An orange sky at Alamo Square Park in the afternoon in San Francisco, California

An orange sky in the early afternoon with the San Francisco Bay Bridge in the background as seen from King Street in San Francisco

Traffic lights and car lights illuminate an intersection under an orange overcast sky in the afternoon in San Francisco

Smoke hangs over the San Francisco skyline on Wednesday as dozens of wildfires rage across California

A satellite image shows smoke from dozens of wildfires in California and Oregon billowing over the Pacific Ocean

Two of California’s largest wildfires are located just outside of San Francisco, which is seen covered in smoke on Wednesday

A frightening red haze has been cast over towns in Oregon as 35 wildfires rage around the state

Several Oregon residents shared photos of red-stained skies on social media. The photo above was taken in the middle of the day in Salem  

Similar red skies are seen in Northern California as the Creek Fire continues its path through Fresno County outside Yosemite

More than 14,000 firefighters are battling blazes across California and some are working 72-hour shifts 

Golfers warm up on the driving range during the preview day of the Safeway Open in Napa, California, on Wednesday

A man walks along the Redwood highway by the Pacific Ocean as smoke covers Orick, California, on Wednesday

A woman crosses a street as smoke from wildfires covers an area near Eureka, California, on Thursday

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday night declared a state of emergency as his hard-hit state struggled to beat back the blazes.

The Labor Day weekend heat wave fueled new fires that pushed the state to set a new record for number of acres burned with 2,178,015 as of Tuesday night.  

The previous record was set just two years ago and included the deadliest fire in state history, the Camp Fire, which ripped through the town of Paradise and killed 85 people in November 2018.  

Cal Fire spokeswoman Lynne Tolmachoff said the new record was especially alarming because of how early in the year it was set. 

‘It’s a little unnerving because September and October are historically our worst months for fires,’ Tolmachoff told AP. ‘It’s usually hot, and the fuels really dry out. And we see more of our wind events.’ 

Compared to last year, California has seen over 2,650 more fires and a nearly 2000 percent increase in the acres burned year-to-date (January 1 – September 7), across all jurisdictions, Cal Fire said. 

The state has seen 900 wildfires since August 15, many of them started by an intense series of thousands of lightning strikes in mid-August. There have been eight fire deaths and nearly 4,000 structures destroyed. 

Randy Moore, regional forester for the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region, warned that the blazes are expected to worsen in the coming days.  

‘The wildfire situation throughout California is dangerous and must be taken seriously,’ Moore told AP. ‘Existing fires are displaying extreme fire behavior, new fire starts are likely, weather conditions are worsening, and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire.’   

Law enforcement officers watch flames into the air as the Bear Fire continues to spread in Oroville, California, on Wednesday

A Butte County firefighter douses flames at the Bear Fire in Oroville, California, early Wednesday morning

Butte County firefighters watch as flames tower over their truck at the Bear Fire in Oroville, California, on Wednesday 

An orange glow hangs over Yosemite as the Creek Fire draws near, threatening evacuations 

Oregon family runs out of gas while fleeing fast-spreading wildfires during camping trip 

An Oregon family’s camping trip took a terrifying turn when their car ran out of gas as they fled from a raging wildfire.  

Allison Hargett, her husband Tyler and their six-year-old daughter Lilly drove up to Detroit Lake State Park on Labor Day to go boating. 

Hours after they settled in for the night, the family was awoken by evacuation orders at about 1am on Tuesday as the Beachie Creek Fire encroached on their campgrounds. 

The Hargett family quickly hitched up their boat and packed up their car to drive to safety, following behind their friends, Tim and Adamma Dye.  

As they made the trek out of the evacuation zone, Allison filmed several videos from the car which showed the forest enveloped by an eerie orange glow as flames consumed dozens of trees and embers cascaded from the sky.   

The family made it about 20 miles before their car ran out of gas outside Mill City, trapping them in the Marion County evacuation zone. 

Thankfully, they weren’t alone on the road. 

‘[Our friends] were in front of us and saw that we pulled over and turned around, tossed their stuff in the back seat and told us to get in and let’s go,’ Allison told CNN on Tuesday.   

Despite being forced to leave behind their boat, car and much of their gear to fit into their friends’ vehicle, Allison said her family was grateful to have made it to safety.  

‘We completely ran out of gas and would’ve been stranded. They saved us,’ she said.  

On Tuesday night, Cal Fire said that the Creek Fire had worsened in the previous 24 hours owing to strong winds.

‘The fire continued to grow under extreme conditions,’ the agency said in an update. ‘The Red Flag Warning for strong winds will impact the fire in the early morning, with stronger winds to come. The fire made wind driven runs and increased spotting distance. 

‘Red Flag Warning in effect until 11 pm Tuesday for high temperatures, low humidity and high winds.’

The California National Guard (CNG) was called in over the weekend to rescue more than 400 hikers and campers who found themselves trapped in the mountains after roads were closed to the Creek Fire. 

More than 200 people were airlifted from Mammoth Lake over Saturday and Sunday – and another 148 were rescued from near Lake Edison and Chinese Peak early Tuesday morning, the CNG said.  

Officials said at least 65 more hikers could still be trapped in the Sierra National Forest as rescue efforts continue.    

One hiker had been confirmed dead from an apparent heart attack, and officials warned there may be multiple more casualties.   

In Southern California, fires burned in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, and the forecast called for the arrival of the region’s notorious Santa Anas. The hot, dry winds could reach 50 mph at times, forecasters said.

People in a half-dozen foothill communities east of Los Angeles were being told to stay alert because of a fire in the Angeles National Forest.

‘The combination of gusty winds, very dry air, and dry vegetation will create critical fire danger,’ the National Weather Service warned.

The US Forest Service on Monday decided to close all eight national forests in the southern half of the state and shutter campgrounds statewide.

Firefighters have made headway with one blaze in the area – the El Dorado Fire – which was sparked on Saturday by a gender reveal photoshoot, when a pyrotechnical smoke device sent sparks into the bone-dry brush.

The El Dorado Fire has burned more than 11,259 acres as of Tuesday night and is 19 percent contained. 

Officials said the family behind the gender reveal debacle could face civil or criminal charges for the fire. 

The threat of winds tearing down power lines or hurling debris into them and sparking a wildfire prompted Pacific Gas & Electric, the state’s largest utility, to shut off power to 172,000 customers over the weekend. 

More outages were expected Wednesday, with power not expected to be completely restored until Wednesday night. 

In Washington state, the town of Malden was almost entirely destroyed.

Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers said that 70-80 percent of homes in the town of 300 people have gone up in flames.

Local news network KREM showed pictured of the charred Malden post office, a fire still burning inside the gutted building.  

The fire station, city hall and other buildings were also consumed, Myers said.

‘The scale of this disaster really can’t be expressed in words,’ he said. ‘The fire will be extinguished, but a community has been changed for a lifetime. I just hope we don’t find the fire took more than homes and buildings. I pray everyone got out in time.’

Larry Frick, who lives in Malden, told KXLY that he spent three hours to save his house amid the flames.

‘It’s gone, brother,’ he texted his sibling after the fire swept through. ‘The entire town is gone. Everything from here to Pine City is gone. The scariest time of my life.’ 

KREM said that at least nine wildfires were burning throughout the Inland Northwest on Monday, amid dry and windy conditions.

Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz tweeted on Monday evening that, ‘Today alone, almost 300,000 acres in Washington have burned.’

‘Thousands of homes are without power. Many families have had to evacuate their homes and many homes have been lost,’ Franz wrote. ‘We’re still seeing new fire starts in every corner of the state.’

Governor Jay Inslee noted that more acres burned on Monday than in 12 of the last fire seasons in the state.  

‘We think all of these are human-caused in some dimension,’ Inslee said.

Allison Hargett, her husband Tyler and their six-year-old daughter Lilly had driven up to the lake on Labor Day to go boating when they were suddenly awoken by an evacuation order at about 1am Tuesday as the Beachie Creek Fire encroached on their campsite.  

The Hargett family quickly hitched up their boat and packed up their car to drive to safety, following behind their friends, Tim and Adamma Dye.  

As they made the trek out of the evacuation zone, Allison filmed several videos from the car which showed the forest enveloped by an eerie orange glow as flames consumed dozens of trees and embers cascaded from the sky.  

Allison Hargett, her husband Tyler and their six-year-old daughter Lilly (pictured together) were camping at Detroit Lake State Park when wildfire forced them to evacuate on Tuesday

The family made it about 20 miles before their car ran out of gas outside Mill City, trapping them in the Marion County evacuation zone. Thankfully, they weren’t alone on the road. 

‘[Our friends] were in front of us and saw that we pulled over and turned around, tossed their stuff in the back seat and told us to get in and let’s go,’ Allison told CNN on Tuesday.   

Despite being forced to leave behind their boat, car and much of their gear to fit into their friends’ vehicle, Allison said her family was grateful to have made it to safety.  

‘We completely ran out of gas and would’ve been stranded. They saved us,’ she said.  

The Beachie Creek Fire ignited on August 16 and has since torched more than 130,000 acres, according to local officials. It remains zero percent contained and is traveling at a rate of three acres per hour. 

High winds, dry conditions and a heatwave in the drought-stricken region helped fuel the fire over the weekend, prompting evacuations for several cities in Marion County, which includes Detroit Lake State Park.   

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office released video of multiple structures on fire in Mill City on Wednesday night, hours after the Hargett family and their friends left the area. 

Neighboring Clackamas County declared a state of emergency on Tuesday as four active fires – including Beachie Creek – put several communities under threat. 

As her family fled from the Beachie Creek Fire early Tuesday, Allison Hargett filmed several videos from the car which showed the forest enveloped by an eerie orange glow as flames consumed dozens of trees and embers cascaded from the sky

Source Article from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8716563/Three-dead-California-bear-fire-two-Oregon-90-major-fires-continue-burn.html

Signals from a mobile phone connected to Michael Cohen pinged off of cell towers near Prague amid the 2016 presidential campaign, according to a report.

McClatchy also reported Thursday that “an Eastern European intelligence agency” in the summer of 2016 intercepted conversations between Russians, during which one placed Cohen, President Trump’s former lawyer, in the Czech capital.

Special counsel Robert Mueller has had access to both the phone and surveillance information, the outlet reported.

McClatchy reported in April that Mueller had evidence of Cohen traveling to Prague from Germany sometime between late August and early September 2016, substantiating claims made in the Trump-Russia dossier. In the series of memos, ex-British spy Christopher Steele said Cohen went to or near the European city to meet with Kremlin officials to discuss ways to conceal the “liaison” between the Trump campaign and Moscow. No other outlet has yet verified McClatchy’s story.

Although the intercepts do not prove any contact between Cohen and Russian nationals, they contradict Cohen’s repeated denials: Trump’s ex-fixer has claimed he has never been to Prague “in his life.” Trump has additionally denied any collusion between his campaign and Russia.

Cohen pleaded guilty last month to lying to Congress about a Trump Organization real estate deal as part of Mueller’s federal Russia probe. He was sentenced to two months in prison for the charge, which will be served concurrently with the three years he received through the case he faced in New York for campaign finance violations, and tax and bank fraud. He pleaded guilty to those counts in August and has since been cooperating with Mueller’s team, including sitting down with investigators for more than 70 hours of interviews.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/michael-cohens-phone-placed-him-in-prague-in-2016

Residents of a Miami-area high-rise loaded clothes and valuables into suitcases and laundry baskets and wheeled them to waiting cars after they were forced to evacuate a building found to be unsafe in a review prompted by a deadly collapse just a few miles away.

An audit prompted by the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside found that the 156-unit Crestview Towers in North Miami Beach, about five miles away, was deemed structurally and electrically unsafe in January, the city said. The evacuation was ordered on Friday.

In the rubble of Champlain Towers South, the death toll rose on Saturday to 24.

At a briefing, Miami-Dade mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters two more bodies were found in the rubble as Friday passed into Saturday. The number of people who remain unaccounted for in the collapse was 124.

Previous discoveries in the rubble included the body of the seven-year-old daughter of a Miami firefighter. Two bodies were recovered overnight Thursday, including the girl, and two more were found on Friday.

In North Miami Beach, authorities went door-to-door in the apartment building, telling residents they had to leave the 49-year-old structure.

Harold Dauphin was on his way home when he noticed a helicopter and a heightened police presence. He wondered if there had been a shooting but found his building being evacuated.

“They said the building is unsafe to live and it’s an immediate evacuation,” Dauphin said. He said he hadn’t heard anything about the problems the city mentioned. He grabbed what he could and left.

“It’s unfortunate, but I understand. Knowing what happened in Surfside, you know, it’s understandable,” he said.

It is the first building to be evacuated since officials in south Florida and statewide began scrutinizing older high-rises to ensure structural problems are not ignored.

In Surfside, though four more bodies were found, there was also relief. Closer inspection of the missing persons list reduced the number from 145 to 126 after duplicates were eliminated and some reported missing turned up safe.

“So this is very, very good news,” the Miami-Dade mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, said, adding that the numbers were expected to keep changing because detectives are continually reviewing the list and verifying reports.

The discovery of the girl’s remains was especially hard, Levine Cava said.

“It was truly different and more difficult for our first responders. These men and woman are paying an enormous human toll each and every day, and I ask that all of you please keep them in your thoughts and prayers,” she said.

The mayor said she signed an emergency order to demolish the remaining part of the building. Miami-Dade fire rescue assistant fire chief Ray Jadallah told family members during a Saturday morning briefing demolition could begin as soon as Sunday.

No one has been rescued since the first hours after the 24 June collapse. Authorities are preparing in case Hurricane Elsa – now in the eastern Caribbean – brings strong winds. Search efforts have stopped several times.

“We will try to go as long as we can, but you can see from different periods of inclement weather we’ve had, we have stopped,” the Miami-Dade fire chief, Alan Cominsky, said.

Additionally, one firefighter taskforce was demobilized after six members working at the site tested positive for Covid-19.

On Thursday, Joe Biden saluted the “resilience” of authorities and searchers, “their absolute commitment and willingness to do whatever it took to find the answer”.

“The families are realistic,” the president said. “They know that the chances are, as each day goes by, diminished slightly, but at a minimum they want to recover the bodies.

“They’re going through hell, those who survived the collapse, as well as those who are missing loved ones. The really hard part is not knowing whether they’re surviving or not, to have no idea.”

Joe Biden praises ‘amazing’ families at site of Miami condo collapse – video

Officials did not immediately release details about the structural problems that prompted the evacuation in North Miami Beach but Crestview Towers reported millions of dollars in damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017.

A letter posted less than two weeks ago on the community website said repairs were under way or expected to begin soon after delays. Plans included a new roof, replacing a generator and changing lighting.

“Last year has been a different year due to the pandemic and many things have been postponed for countless reasons, but this year we have started to work hard,” the letter said.

The condo association could not be reached for comment.

Darwin Reyes said he lived in the building during Hurricane Irma and a chunk of the balcony above his fell on his during the storm. He listed other complaints, including elevators that often didn’t work and pipes that didn’t drain well. He said he had been planning to move.

On Friday, Reyes woke from a nap. He checked his Instagram feed and saw a notice that said his building was being evacuated. He looked into the hallway and saw people with bags and suitcases. He and his wife packed what they could.

“Right now I’m officially homeless,” he said.

Source Article from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/03/north-miami-beach-condo-evacuated-surfside-collapse-audit