A small aircraft carrying tourists crashed in a field outside Nazca, Peru, on Saturday afternoon, killing all 11 passengers and both crew members, and leaving investigators with no immediate explanation for the disaster. The plane went down at approximately 12:55 p.m. local time after departing from Pisco Airport, a hub for sightseeing flights over southern […] The post Tourist plane crash near Nazca, Peru, kills all 13 on board appeared first on American Almanac .
A small aircraft carrying tourists crashed in a field outside Nazca, Peru, on Saturday afternoon, killing all 11 passengers and both crew members, and leaving investigators with no immediate explanation for the disaster. The plane went down at approximately 12:55 p.m. local time after departing from Pisco Airport, a hub for sightseeing flights over southern Peru's famous Nazca Lines. Peru's National Police confirmed the death toll: 13 people, with no survivors. ABC News reported that the cause of the crash is under investigation. Beyond the raw numbers, almost nothing about the flight has been made public. Authorities have not released the names or nationalities of the passengers or crew, the type of aircraft involved, or the tour…Open
A Christian physician assistant who spent 17 years at a Michigan hospital walked away with a $410,000 settlement after she claimed the institution fired her for seeking religious exemptions from its transgender patient policies, and the hospital agreed to rewrite those policies as part of the deal. Valerie Kloosterman reached the settlement with University of […] The post Michigan hospital pays $410,000 to Christian physician assistant fired over transgender policy objections appeared first on American Almanac .
A Christian physician assistant who spent 17 years at a Michigan hospital walked away with a $410,000 settlement after she claimed the institution fired her for seeking religious exemptions from its transgender patient policies, and the hospital agreed to rewrite those policies as part of the deal. Valerie Kloosterman reached the settlement with University of Michigan Health, West, her former employer, resolving a lawsuit she filed in October 2022. First Liberty Institute, the legal organization that represented Kloosterman, announced the agreement on Wednesday. The terms go beyond the payout: the hospital must change its gender transition policy, conduct staff trainings, and adopt new guidelines that allow employees to decline…Open
The Democratic Socialists of America have released a sweeping policy platform that would abolish the U.S. Senate, dismantle Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and defund the military, and not one DSA-affiliated elected official has publicly distanced themselves from it. The 120,000-member organization published its "Workers Deserve More" platform on July 14, laying out a vision for […] The post DSA platform calls for abolishing the Senate, defunding the Pentagon, and ending deportations appeared first on American Almanac .
The Democratic Socialists of America have released a sweeping policy platform that would abolish the U.S. Senate, dismantle Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and defund the military, and not one DSA-affiliated elected official has publicly distanced themselves from it. The 120,000-member organization published its "Workers Deserve More" platform on July 14, laying out a vision for American governance that reads less like a policy agenda and more like a constitutional demolition plan. The platform spans three sections, "Thriving Working-Class Communities," "Working-Class Foreign Policy," and "Working-Class Democracy", and proposes upending virtually every major institution the federal government operates, from Congress to the courts to…Open
Senate candidate James Talarico used a church town hall to argue that the New Testament obligates Christians to support a government health insurance option, a claim that drew sharp pushback from conservative believers who called it a distortion of the Gospel. Talarico, the Austin Democrat running against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for a Texas […] The post Texas Democrat James Talarico claims scripture demands government-run health insurance appeared first on American Almanac .
Senate candidate James Talarico used a church town hall to argue that the New Testament obligates Christians to support a government health insurance option, a claim that drew sharp pushback from conservative believers who called it a distortion of the Gospel. Talarico, the Austin Democrat running against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for a Texas Senate seat, stood before a crowd at a church in DeSoto on July 20 and laid out a health care plan wrapped almost entirely in biblical language. His campaign posted the footage to YouTube under the title "James Talarico Unveils Plan For Black Voters." The seminary-trained candidate told the audience that Jesus spent most of his ministry healing the sick, and that government policy…Open
Vincent Pastore, the Bronx-born actor best known as Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on HBO's landmark series "The Sopranos," was found dead at his home Saturday, a Vietnam veteran whose second act in Hollywood spanned more than three decades. Pastore's manager of over 30 years, Robert Attermann, confirmed the death to USA TODAY on Aug. 1. […] The post Vincent Pastore, actor who played Big Pussy on 'The Sopranos,' dead at 80 appeared first on American Almanac .
Vincent Pastore, the Bronx-born actor best known as Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on HBO's landmark series "The Sopranos," was found dead at his home Saturday, a Vietnam veteran whose second act in Hollywood spanned more than three decades. Pastore's manager of over 30 years, Robert Attermann, confirmed the death to USA TODAY on Aug. 1. A neighbor had not heard from Pastore in three days before his body was discovered at his home in the Bronx, New York. He was 80. No cause of death has been disclosed. The circumstances surrounding Pastore's death are under investigation, though no investigating agency has been publicly identified. Pastore is survived by his daughter, Renee. From the Navy to the screen, Pastore built a career the…Open
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has repeatedly missed its own deadlines to purchase trains, quietly dropped a lawsuit against the federal government after failing to meet a promise it made to a judge, and still cannot say when it will award a trainset contract, a record that handed the Trump administration a straightforward case for […] The post California's high-speed rail authority can't say when it will buy its trains — and that's why $4 billion vanished appeared first on American Almanac .
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has repeatedly missed its own deadlines to purchase trains, quietly dropped a lawsuit against the federal government after failing to meet a promise it made to a judge, and still cannot say when it will award a trainset contract, a record that handed the Trump administration a straightforward case for pulling $4 billion in federal funding. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cut the money in July 2025 after federal officials noted California had spent $15 billion over 16 years without laying a single mile of high-speed rail track. The state sued within days. Governor Gavin Newsom called the move a "political stunt to punish California." Attorney General Rob Bonta filed suit to block what he called…Open
WNBA star Brittney Griner has filed to end her marriage to Cherelle Griner, the wife who became the public face of the campaign to bring her home from a Russian prison. Griner, a center for the Connecticut Sun, filed the divorce petition Thursday in Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia, ABC News reported after obtaining […] The post Brittney Griner files for divorce from Cherelle Griner after eight years of marriage appeared first on American Almanac .
WNBA star Brittney Griner has filed to end her marriage to Cherelle Griner, the wife who became the public face of the campaign to bring her home from a Russian prison. Griner, a center for the Connecticut Sun, filed the divorce petition Thursday in Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia, ABC News reported after obtaining the court documents. The filing states that the couple's marriage "is irretrievably broken" with "no hope of reconciliation." The listed separation date is July 24, 2026. The petition seeks joint physical custody of the couple's son, Bash, whom they welcomed in 2024. Brittney Griner is also asking the court for an "equitable division" of all marital debts and assets, "both real and personal, tangible and intangible."…Open
Henry Winkler, 80, used a recent fan expo appearance to remind audiences that the "Happy Days" cast kept egos in check, and to single out one unnamed guest star who refused to get the message. Speaking at a fan convention in Tennessee, Winkler described the culture on the set of the long-running sitcom as fiercely […] The post Henry Winkler recalls the guest star who couldn't stop bragging on the "Happy Days" set appeared first on American Almanac .
Henry Winkler, 80, used a recent fan expo appearance to remind audiences that the "Happy Days" cast kept egos in check, and to single out one unnamed guest star who refused to get the message. Speaking at a fan convention in Tennessee, Winkler described the culture on the set of the long-running sitcom as fiercely egalitarian. The show ran for 11 seasons, from 1974 to 1984, and turned Winkler's Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli into one of the most recognizable characters in television history. Two Golden Globe Awards came with the role. But Winkler told the crowd that none of that mattered once the cameras were rolling. "On our set, there was no stardom," Winkler said. "We were an ensemble. We worked hard at making it funny every week." That…Open
Irish boxer Lee Reeves was rushed to a Dublin hospital on a stretcher after a devastating tenth-round knockout at the hands of Gary Cully, and remained there overnight as his promoter asked fans for prayers. Reeves, a 31-year-old from Limerick who had won 16 of his 18 professional fights, was stepping forward with just over […] The post Lee Reeves hospitalized after tenth-round knockout loss to Gary Cully in Dublin appeared first on American Almanac .
Irish boxer Lee Reeves was rushed to a Dublin hospital on a stretcher after a devastating tenth-round knockout at the hands of Gary Cully, and remained there overnight as his promoter asked fans for prayers. Reeves, a 31-year-old from Limerick who had won 16 of his 18 professional fights, was stepping forward with just over two minutes left in the final round when Cully caught him with a crushing counter left hand. Reeves crashed to the canvas and stayed down for several moments as ringside medical staff rushed in to treat him. They administered oxygen before loading him onto a stretcher and carrying him out of the 3Arena. The bout was for the vacant BUI Celtic super-lightweight title, a belt Cully claimed by improving his record to 20,…Open
In the latest “Truth of the Matter” podcast, host Hena Doba examines concerns about a possible cancer cluster in Keyport, New Jersey. Property owner Alex Craft challenges New Jersey’s decision not to test surrounding homes and properties near the Keyport landfill. She asks whether the state is truly searching for answers — or avoiding what it might find. Watch this full episode of "The Truth of the Matter": https://youtu.be/XFmELNCv3oY #NewJersey #Keyport #cancer
