On Fox, Putin compares murdering rivals with Kennedy, King assassinations

Sometimes it feels as though Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are reading from the same script. Hours after a widely criticized news conference with the U.S. president, Russia’s leader gave an interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace, during which he was

Suspected Texas Serial Killer Jose Rodriguez Taken Into Custody

Houston police have arrested Jose Gilberto Rodriguez, whom they suspect of killing at least three people in four days. Rodriguez, 46, has been charged with two counts of capital murder and is being held without bond. Officials said Rodriguez will most likely be charged with additional crimes after evidence analysis from other crime scenes returns.

Deadly Ferguson Fire Threatens Yosemite National Park Communities

A wildfire near Yosemite National Park is expected to grow worse in the coming days as firefighters go up against blaze-fueling weather conditions. “Due to the steep, rugged terrain, the volatility of the vegetation, the hazard trees, the mortality, firefighters are just simply not able to fight this fire directly,” U.S. Forest Service fire behavior analyst Taro Pusina explained in an update Monday morning. Visibility and air quality in Yosemite continue to be affected by smoke from the Ferguson Fire burning in the Sierra National Forest.

Thailand's rescued cave boys to address media on Wednesday

"We want to reduce public curiosity," government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd told Reuters on Tuesday. The authorities have been concerned about the impact of sudden fame and media attention on the boys' mental health, so Wednesday's news conference will be carefully controlled.

Ohio death row inmate Robert Van Hook scheduled to be executed on Wednesday

Death row inmate Robert Van Hook is set to be executed on Wednesday for the brutal slaying of a gay man he met at an Ohio bar over three decades ago. Court records show that after spending a few hours together at the establishment, Van Hook accompanied Self back to his apartment. Van Hook was convicted of murder on July 30, 1985, and sentenced to death on Aug. 8 of the same year, Cincinnati.com reports.

Russian warship ‘carrying £100 billion in gold’ discovered off South Korea

A South Korean salvage team has discovered the wreck of a Russian warship that was sunk in a naval battle 113 years ago and is believed to still contain a trove of gold bullion and coins worth 150 trillion won, or £100 billion. The Russian Imperial Navy cruiser Dmitrii Donskoi was discovered at a depth of more than 1,400 feet about one mile off the South Korean island of Ulleungdo. A joint team made up of experts from South Korea, Britain and Canada discovered the wreck on Sunday and used two manned submersibles to capture footage of the vessel, with the company behind the discovery promising to use a percentage of the money to fund the construction of a railway line linking Russia and South Korea through North Korea.

Astronomers Serendipitously Discover 12 Moons Around Jupiter

Astronomers who were searching for a planet beyond Pluto discovered 12 previously undetected moons orbiting around Jupiter. The scientists embarked on a yearlong process that involved several observations to confirm the moons’ existence, according to a Carnegie Institution for Science press release. Scientists classified the findings as 11 “normal” outer moons, and another that they are calling an “oddball” for its strange orbit.

Thai boys recount cave rescue: Voices in dark, then 'hello'

"We weren't sure if it was for real," 14-year-old Adul Samon said. Dressed in green, white and black uniforms emblazoned with a red wild boar — the nickname of their team — the boys briefly showed off their ball-handling skills before answering questions that were reviewed in advance. Each member of the Wild Boars stood and introduced himself by name and position.

• 
  Thai youth soccer team leaves hospital, shares details of harrowing ordeal in cave

  Fox News
• 
  One of the Thai soccer team boys described the moment the first cave rescuer found them

  Business Insider

Under fire, Trump says he 'misspoke' about Russian interference in U.S. election

Facing withering criticism over Monday’s deferential joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, President Trump asserted Tuesday that he misspoke when he said that Russia had not interfered with the U.S. presidential election. “Let me begin by saying that once again, full faith and support for America’s intelligence agencies.

Trump Wonders Why U.S. Should Always Have To Defend NATO Allies

President Donald Trump on Tuesday once again threw cold water on NATO, an intergovernmental military alliance between the U.S. and 28 other countries. Trump expressed skepticism over the decades-old defense pact, which obligates member countries to defend any other member country that comes under attack, during an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson. When Carlson asked why the U.S. should protect a country like Montenegro, which joined NATO last year, Trump said he has asked himself the same question.

Chicago protests continue after police shooting of Harith Augustus

A community activist who has pushed for more police transparency said Monday that he’s asked Chicago police for the body camera footage from all the officers at the scene where one of them fatally shot a black man over the weekend. William Calloway said a brief video released by police showing the view from one officer’s body camera does not answer crucial questions, starting with the reasons the officers approached 37-year-old Harith Augustus on Saturday afternoon just before he was shot. Calloway also said that a police spokesman’s explanation that the Augustus was “exhibiting characteristics of an armed person” does not justify stopping someone in a city and state where it is legal to carry a concealed weapon.

Elon Musk Apologizes For Calling Thailand Cave Rescue Diver A 'Pedo'

Elon Musk apologized to the British cave diver who was the subject of a slew of insults following last week’s rescue of 12 boys and their coach from a Thai cave. Musk said his comments against Vernon Unsworth, which included the use of the term “pedo,

Hundreds of Las Vegas Shooting Victims Are Being Sued By MGM Resorts. Here's Why

The company argues in lawsuits filed Friday in Nevada and California that it has “no liability of any kind” to survivors or families of slain victims under a federal law enacted after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. A high-stakes gambler killed 58 people and injured hundreds more last year after he shattered the windows of his Mandalay Bay suite and fired on a concert crowd below.

Chinese woman 'detained' after tossing ink on Xi poster: activists

A woman who live-streamed herself throwing ink onto a picture of Chinese President Xi Jinping has been detained, according to activists who accuse authorities of suppressing speech to protect a "cult of personality" around the country's leader. The US-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) activist network said authorities have also taken the woman's father and a Chinese artist into custody after they sought to publicise her plight on social media. The woman, who has been identified by activists as 28-year-old Dong Yaoqiong, went live on Twitter on July 4 in a video in which she accused the ruling Communist Party of employing "oppressive brain control".

Indonesian authorities burn carcasses of hundreds of crocodiles

By Jessica Damiana JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian authorities have burned the carcasses of nearly 300 crocodiles slaughtered by villagers retaliating for the death of a man attacked by a reptile from a breeding farm, a government official said on Tuesday. After the victim's burial, an angry mob armed with knives, hammers and clubs burst into the farm area and bludgeoned to death 292 of the protected reptiles. "The dead crocodiles have been burned and buried around the farming area," Basar Manullang, a conservation official in the province of West Papua, said in a text message.

Smoke clogs Yosemite Valley as firefighters battle blaze

Hot and dry weather on Tuesday hindered efforts to slow the growth of a forest fire near Yosemite National Park that killed a California firefighter last weekend, leading some tourists to cut short their visits although all park trails remained open. The blaze roaring through dry brush and timber between the town of Mariposa and Yosemite National Park has scorched more than 19 square miles (49 square kilometers) in steep terrain on the park's western edge, the U.S. Forest Service said. More than 1,400 firefighters were battling the flames threatening more than 100 homes and businesses, the Forest Service said.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Open Exhibit Honoring Nelson Mandela's Life

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have met with those closest to Nelson Mandela as they opened an exhibition honoring the anti-apartheid hero ahead of what would have been his 100th birthday. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle toured the retrospective at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in London Tuesday, one day before the centenary of Mandela’s birth. The couple spoke with Mandela’s granddaughter, Zamaswazi Dlamini-Mandela, and with Andrew Mlangeni, who stood accused of sabotaging the then-apartheid government in 1938, Kensington Palace said.

Queen Elizabeth May Have Thrown Some Subtle Shade At Trump During His U.K. Visit

Did Queen Elizabeth, the 92-year-old monarch of the United Kingdom, throw some subtle shade at President Donald Trump during his recent U.K. visit? Last Thursday, the day Trump landed in Britain, the Queen was spotted wearing a brooch that was reportedly gifted to her in 2011 by then-President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. The pin, a vintage piece made from 14-karat yellow gold, diamonds and moss agate, is known as the American State Visit Brooch.

Is this Trump's pivotal moment?

Many of Trump's usually unquestioning allies have attacked him over his decision to back Russia instead of his own intelligence community. The president's comments, during a press conference with Russian president Vladimir Putin, even caused the ever faithful Fox News to turn on him. The network's Coast to Coast presenter Neil Cavuto called Trump's comments 'disgusting'.

US House hopeful for Alaska seat has never been to the state

Carol Hafner is on the Democratic primary ballot for an Alaska U.S. House seat. In fact, she's never been to the state. Hafner, who listed New Jersey and South Dakota addresses in her candidate filing, says she's serious about running, though she doesn't plan to campaign in person.

CVS Employees Fired After Calling Cops On Black Woman Over A Coupon

Two employees at a CVS store in Chicago are out of a job after one of them called the police on a black woman who presented a coupon they suspected was fraudulent. Video capturing the tense scene on Friday night shows a white store employee visibly shaking while he appears to be on the phone with police. The customer, Camilla Hudson, can be heard giving her name and promising to wait for responding officers.

Mandalay Bay Owner Sues Las Vegas Shooting Victims

An attorney representing some of the victims of the Oct. 1 shooting massacre in Las Vegas slammed Mandalay Bay’s owner for suing them. MGM Resorts International, the parent company of Mandalay Bay, is suing more than 1,000 victims to pre-empt liability claims, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Monday. MGM Resorts International said in federal lawsuits filed Thursday and Friday that it cannot be held liable for casualties from the attack, which left 58 people dead and hundreds of others injured when Stephen Paddock opened fire from his 32nd-floor Mandalay Bay suite on the crowd at a Route 91 Harvest concert across the street last year.

S. Korea minister warns of fallout of US-China trade war

South Korea's finance minister warned that an all-out trade war between the US and China would have grim implications for the country, as he lowered this year's growth outlook Wednesday. The world's 11th largest economy is expected to grow 2.9 percent this year, lower than an earlier estimate of three percent, Kim Dong-yeon said, citing slowing demand at home and abroad as well as rising unemployment. The latest estimate is also lower than last year's figures, when the export-reliant economy expanded 3.1 percent, and comes as the South's top two trading partners China and the US engage in a bitter spat that has seen them impose hefty tariffs on billions of dollars in goods.

Abbott Labs raises 2018 earnings forecast, shares hit record high

Abbott Laboratories raised its full-year earnings forecast and topped estimates for quarterly profit on Wednesday, powered by demand for its glucose monitoring device for diabetics and gains from its multibillion dollar acquisitions. Analysts said they did not expect a raise at all because of the negative impact of a strengthening dollar on Abbott's financials. "I was surprised by their ability to raise EPS guidance absorbing a greater currency hit," RBC Capital Markets analyst Glenn Novarro told Reuters.