Jun 30 Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dies at 88 By Robert Burns, Associated Press Donald Rumsfeld, the two-time defense secretary and one-time presidential candidate whose reputation as a skilled bureaucrat and visionary of a modern U.S. military was unraveled by the long and costly Iraq war, died Tuesday. Continue reading
Jun 30 U.S. to add ‘X’ gender marker on passports By Kate Sosin, Orion Rummler, The 19th Transgender and intersex Americans will have the power to identify their own gender on travel documents by the end of this year, an administration official said. Continue reading
Jun 30 Skip the fireworks this record-dry July 4th, fire scientists urge the U.S. West By Philip Higuera, The Conversation, Alexander L. Metcalf, Dave McWethy, Jennifer Balch, the Conversation The heat wave hitting the northwestern U.S. and Canada has caused record-dry levels in many regions. Over 100 scientists warn against fireworks on 4th of July, citing wildfires as a major concern. Continue reading
Jun 30 Biden raising federal pay to fight wildfires By Aamer Madhani, Matthew Daly, Associated Press The Biden administration says it is hiring more federal firefighters — and immediately raising their pay — as officials ramp up response efforts in the face of a severe drought that's setting the stage for another destructive summer of intense… Continue reading
Jun 30 Pope to meet with Indigenous survivors of Canada’s residential schools amid demands for apology By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Pope Francis has agreed to meet in December with Indigenous survivors of Canada's notorious residential schools. The meeting comes amid calls for a papal apology for Catholic Church's role in the abuse and deaths of thousands of native children. Continue reading
Jun 30 Bill Cosby released from prison after court finds due process violation By Maryclaire Dale, Associated Press Bill Cosby has been freed from prison after Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned his sexual assault conviction. It is a stunning reversal of fortune for the comedian once known as “America's Dad.”… Continue reading
Jun 30 California tests off-the-grid solutions to power outages By Daisy Nguyen, Associated Press To improve energy resilience in California, utilities and small communities are installing microgrids that can disconnect from the larger electrical grid and switch to using solar energy generated and stored locally. Continue reading
Jun 30 WATCH: Officials give update on Florida building collapse as death toll rises to 16 By Terry Spencer, Associated Press Since the sudden collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South last week in Surfside, rescuers have been working to peel back layers of concrete on the pancaked building without disturbing the unstable pile of debris. Continue reading
Jun 30 WATCH: Biden announces pay raises for federal firefighters By Aamer Madhani, Matthew Daly, Associated Press President Joe Biden announced the moves during a virtual meeting with governors from Western states and as a huge swath of the Pacific Northwest endures one of the worst heat waves in recent memory. Continue reading
Jun 30 WATCH: Farm owners testify on supply chain in local agricultural markets By News Desk and Associated Press After completing a review of supply chains, the Biden administration announced on June 8 that it was forming a task force to address the bottlenecks in the semiconductor, construction, transportation and agriculture sectors. Continue reading