Author: rpnadmin

San Diego County Animal Services seized more than 820 birds from a property on Thursday after reports that the animals were not cared for properly. The seized animals included 400 ducks and two dogs. San Diego County authorities were tipped off to the Valley Center property’s owner by their counterparts in Riverside County, the County of San Diego Communications Office said in a release. Other species of animals seized included geese, parrots, peacocks, pigeons and roosters, according to San Diego’s KUSI-TV. San Diego County animal control officers took about 12 hours removing the animals and transporting them to shelters. “When…

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is endorsing Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, a day after the race was shaken up by the departure of another candidate, and just weeks ahead of the primary election. At a formal event later Saturday, according to remarks provided to The Associated Press ahead of their delivery, Crowley planned to say that Evers’ decision to back him “reflects his confidence that I have the experience, the judgment, and the record to build the coalition we need, defeat Tom Tiffany, and lead effectively from the very first day in office.” Crowley,…

Three Madison Square Garden corporate entities filed a defamation lawsuit Thursday against Wired, its corporate owner Advance Publications and three of the magazine’s journalists, accusing the outlet of twisting hacked customer data into a false narrative that the company tracked and discriminated against LGBTQIA celebrities. The companies electronically submitted the complaint Thursday in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan. The plaintiffs, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., Madison Square Garden Entertainment Holdings LLC and Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (the last of which owns the Knicks and Rangers), name Wired publisher Advance Magazine Publishers Inc., Advance Publications Inc., contributing editor Noah…

The U.S. Mint has released new bell-shaped commemorative coins and a medal on Thursday as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration.  The products are shaped like the Liberty Bell, which the Mint described as “uniquely minted” for 2026.  The Freedom Ringing Liberty Bell series includes a one-ounce $250 gold coin, a half-ounce $125 gold coin and a half-ounce silver medal, priced at $19,600, $10,050 and $750, respectively.  Each item is limited to 2,026 pieces with a one-per-household limit, the Mint said in a press release. The pieces were hand-loaded and struck at the Philadelphia Mint’s Research and Development Lab.  The…

A futuristic transformation of American shipbuilding is accelerating, with autonomous surface vessel producer Saronic Technologies announcing plans to construct a multibillion-dollar new shipbuilding port in Brownsville, Texas. The facility, which Austin-based Sarnoic is calling “Port Alpha,” is expected to take 10 years to complete. Company officials say that in addition to producing drone boats for the U.S. military, it will produce crewed vessels and even some ships meant for both military and commercial use. Saronic CEO and co-founder Dino Mavrookas told reporters this week that “Port Alpha” will become one of the largest shipbuilding facilities in the world, with the…

SAN FRANCISCO — Police have recovered the body of a woman who was one of three people missing after a boat sank this week in San Francisco Bay. The body was identified as Tondra Madruga, 58, also known as Tondra Miller, the San Francisco medical examiner said Friday. Madruga’s body was recovered Thursday by a police marine unit, two days after the Volare, a 49-foot (15-meter) cabin cruiser, sank with 20 people aboard after being hit by a wave and capsizing. The group was on the boat to scatter the ashes of a loved one. “Our family is heartbroken by…

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.S. government plans to auction off massive sections of water surrounding American Samoa for potential deep-sea mining in an unprecedented move that is expected to draw criticism from many countries. The area of the water surface planned to be auctioned off covers a total of 33 million acres (about 51,560 square miles). The proposed leasing notice was published on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to expedite mining permits despite growing environmental concerns. The unilateral U.S. move is also a departure from previous administrations that have respected the rules of the Jamaica-based…

Federal health and food safety authorities have found that cyclosporiasis cases across multiple states are linked to a single lettuce supplier used by Taco Bell. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 1,645 cases of the parasitic gastrointestinal illness across 34 states since May 1 and is investigating 5,100 others. The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that the patients, 94 of whom were hospitalized, ate at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, with 90% of people interviewed confirming they consumed iceberg lettuce. A subsequent FDA investigation traced the lettuce to a single…

WASHINGTON — Democratic members of Congress are demanding answers about Homeland Security’s vetting and training of immigration enforcement agents after it was disclosed that the ICE officer involved in a deadly shooting this week in Maine had a history of mental health issues and violent behavior. The Associated Press reported Thursday that David Brouillette, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine, is an Army veteran who has struggled with serious mental health issues since early childhood, according to several of his close relatives. The AP reached out to congressional leaders and several key lawmakers…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Clara Ester, an activist who as a 20-year-old college student rushed to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s side when he was shot, has died. Ester, who died on July 9 at the age of 78, was among a few remaining witnesses to King’s assassination and its immediate aftermath in Memphis. With the passing of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. in February and Ester this month, King aide and former U.N. ambassador Andrew Young is believed to be the last surviving eyewitness to the shooting. Ester Grew up in Memphis attending Centenary United Methodist Church, where her…