More than 30 large wildfires are burning across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho after a mid-July lightning barrage ignited blazes that have collectively scorched nearly one million acres, and firefighters are losing ground on several fronts. The National Interagency Fire Center raised the country to Preparedness Level 5, its highest tier on a five-point scale, on […] The post Lightning-sparked wildfires consume nearly one million acres across the Pacific Northwest appeared first on American Almanac .
More than 30 large wildfires are burning across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho after a mid-July lightning barrage ignited blazes that have collectively scorched nearly one million acres, and firefighters are losing ground on several fronts. The National Interagency Fire Center raised the country to Preparedness Level 5, its highest tier on a five-point scale, on July 18, just days after a series of dry thunderstorms swept across the Pacific Northwest and threw thousands of lightning bolts into tinder-dry forests. That designation, FOX Weather reported , remains in effect until wildfire activity and demand for crews, aircraft, and equipment decline nationwide. As of Monday, 21 fires were burning in Oregon alone, with 10 new fire starts and…Open
A year after President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" eliminated federal taxes on tips, overtime, and part of Social Security income, more than 30 Democrat-led states are refusing to follow suit, leaving millions of workers and retirees with higher tax bills than their neighbors in states that conformed. The gap between federal relief and state-level […] The post Democrat-led states still tax tips, overtime, and Social Security a year after Trump signed relief into law appeared first on American Almanac .
A year after President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" eliminated federal taxes on tips, overtime, and part of Social Security income, more than 30 Democrat-led states are refusing to follow suit, leaving millions of workers and retirees with higher tax bills than their neighbors in states that conformed. The gap between federal relief and state-level holdouts is now stark enough to measure in dollars. A server in Idaho who earns $25,000 a year in tips keeps an extra $1,325 because the state matched the federal exemption. A server earning the same tips in Minnesota hands roughly $1,700 of that income to the state, taxed at a 6.8% rate the legislature never bothered to adjust. Same job. Same hours. Different state capitol, different…Open
A Secret Service agent who moonlighted as a fraternity pledge leader now faces attempted manslaughter charges after a four-day hazing ritual in South Florida left one victim with necrotic tissue, kidney failure, and injuries prosecutors say could have killed him. Marquez Christopher Pinder, 29, was booked into a Miami jail alongside two other men after […] The post Secret Service agent arrested in fraternity hazing that left victim near death with kidney failure appeared first on American Almanac .
A Secret Service agent who moonlighted as a fraternity pledge leader now faces attempted manslaughter charges after a four-day hazing ritual in South Florida left one victim with necrotic tissue, kidney failure, and injuries prosecutors say could have killed him. Marquez Christopher Pinder, 29, was booked into a Miami jail alongside two other men after an arrest warrant detailed what the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office called "prolonged and repeated beatings with canes and paddles" inflicted on two pledges at Kappa Alpha Psi's chapter tied to the University of Miami. Pinder held the title "dean of pledges" for the fraternity, while simultaneously working as a federal law enforcement officer sworn to protect the nation's highest…Open
The Justice Department's top civil rights official says New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill publicly accused President Trump of lying about noncitizen voter registration even though her own administration was about to confirm the problem he described. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, told Fox News Digital that the sequence […] The post New Jersey's governor called Trump a liar on voter rolls — the DOJ says she already knew the truth appeared first on American Almanac .
The Justice Department's top civil rights official says New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill publicly accused President Trump of lying about noncitizen voter registration even though her own administration was about to confirm the problem he described. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, told Fox News Digital that the sequence of events around Trump's July 16 primetime address points to a governor who chose political posturing over transparency. Trump used the speech to allege that several Democrat-led states, including New Jersey, carried large numbers of noncitizens on their voter rolls. The Department of Homeland Security released data the same night showing more than 35,000 potential…Open
A senior North Korean colonel was reportedly executed by firing squad in front of his own troops after authorities caught him stealing dozens of tonnes of military reserve grain, a capital sentence carried out as nearly half the country goes hungry. The unnamed colonel, who commanded a coastal guard unit based in the port city […] The post North Korean colonel executed by firing squad for stealing military grain amid mass hunger appeared first on American Almanac .
A senior North Korean colonel was reportedly executed by firing squad in front of his own troops after authorities caught him stealing dozens of tonnes of military reserve grain, a capital sentence carried out as nearly half the country goes hungry. The unnamed colonel, who commanded a coastal guard unit based in the port city of Nampo, was arrested earlier in July after warehouse guards spotted him trying to move the stolen grain by vehicle to Nampo's port, the Daily Mail reported , citing the Seoul-based outlet Daily NK. The Military Security Bureau took him in for questioning. A court martial followed. On July 12, the colonel received the maximum sentence and was shot dead at a shooting range near Nampo while the men under his command…Open
A 61-year-old Serbian businessman has described the moment a Ryanair jet's window exploded beside him at 15,000 feet, and his wife says she fought a force that nearly pulled him out of the aircraft for good. Ljubisa Karovic was asleep in seat 11F aboard Ryanair flight FR1879 on July 10 when a deafening blast tore […] The post Ryanair passenger sucked through shattered window at 15,000 feet gives first full account of mid-flight ordeal appeared first on American Almanac .
A 61-year-old Serbian businessman has described the moment a Ryanair jet's window exploded beside him at 15,000 feet, and his wife says she fought a force that nearly pulled him out of the aircraft for good. Ljubisa Karovic was asleep in seat 11F aboard Ryanair flight FR1879 on July 10 when a deafening blast tore through the cabin. The window next to him shattered. Cabin pressure dropped. And Karovic, still strapped to his seat, was partially sucked through the opening of a Boeing 737 traveling at nearly 500 miles per hour. He lost consciousness almost immediately. His wife, Svetlana Grkovic Maksimovic, seated three rows behind him in an aisle seat, watched her husband begin to disappear through the fuselage. She lunged forward, grabbed…Open
John Cusack, the 60-year-old actor behind some of the most memorable films of the 1990s, told Variety he walked away from mainstream Hollywood because he no longer wanted executives with financial stakes dictating how his stories get told. Cusack made the remarks Friday at San Diego Comic-Con, where he appeared to promote "Momo," a graphic […] The post John Cusack says he left Hollywood to escape studio committees and corporate meddling appeared first on American Almanac .
John Cusack, the 60-year-old actor behind some of the most memorable films of the 1990s, told Variety he walked away from mainstream Hollywood because he no longer wanted executives with financial stakes dictating how his stories get told. Cusack made the remarks Friday at San Diego Comic-Con, where he appeared to promote "Momo," a graphic novel he wrote with illustrator Ignacio Noé. The book, set in 1972 and following two fugitives on a quest to recover an ancient artifact for TV legend Jackie Gleason, is scheduled for release September 29. No publisher was named. The project, Cusack said, gave him something Hollywood no longer offers: full creative control with no studio oversight, no test audiences, and no algorithmic second-guessing…Open
Ted Danson, now 78, says his personal life was in such disarray when "Cheers" wrapped in 1993 that he never processed the end of one of television's most beloved sitcoms. The actor made the admission on a recent episode of his podcast, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name," describing a period of profound personal turmoil that […] The post Ted Danson admits he 'f---ed up' his life so badly he barely noticed 'Cheers' was ending appeared first on American Almanac .
Ted Danson, now 78, says his personal life was in such disarray when "Cheers" wrapped in 1993 that he never processed the end of one of television's most beloved sitcoms. The actor made the admission on a recent episode of his podcast, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name," describing a period of profound personal turmoil that overshadowed the final curtain of an 11-season, 273-episode run. Danson starred as bartender Sam Malone from the show's 1982 premiere through its 1993 finale, one of only a handful of cast members to appear in every episode. Yet when people ask what it felt like to walk away from the role that defined a generation of television, Danson's answer is blunt. As Page Six reported , Danson put it this way on the podcast: …Open
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is pushing the NBA to reverse course on marijuana, arguing that weed's nerve-calming effects give players an unfair competitive edge, a stance the league shows no sign of adopting. Smith made the case on a recent episode of "The Culture Table," a podcast produced by his company Straight Shooter Media. His […] The post Stephen A. Smith wants the NBA to ban marijuana again, calling it a performance-enhancing drug appeared first on American Almanac .
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is pushing the NBA to reverse course on marijuana, arguing that weed's nerve-calming effects give players an unfair competitive edge, a stance the league shows no sign of adopting. Smith made the case on a recent episode of "The Culture Table," a podcast produced by his company Straight Shooter Media. His argument is straightforward: marijuana quiets the anxiety and competitive jitters that separate elite professionals from talented amateurs, and that chemical calm amounts to a performance advantage the league should not tolerate. The NBA removed marijuana from its banned substances list ahead of the 2023-24 season, finalizing the change in a new collective bargaining agreement with the players' union. That…Open
Alice Naylor-Leyland, the British interior designer and homeware entrepreneur, celebrated her 40th birthday with a glittering party at one of Tuscany's most storied villas, complete with ball gowns, ponies, and a rehearsed dance routine. The celebration took place over a weekend at Villa Cetinale, the 17th-century estate that Architectural Digest has called the "most beautiful […] The post British socialite Alice Naylor-Leyland marks 40th birthday with lavish Tuscan villa celebration appeared first on American Almanac .
Alice Naylor-Leyland, the British interior designer and homeware entrepreneur, celebrated her 40th birthday with a glittering party at one of Tuscany's most storied villas, complete with ball gowns, ponies, and a rehearsed dance routine. The celebration took place over a weekend at Villa Cetinale, the 17th-century estate that Architectural Digest has called the "most beautiful villa in Tuscany." Guests including model Poppy Delevingne, socialite and DJ Lady Mary Charteris, and Jazzy DeLisser, stepdaughter of the Marquess of Bute, shared photos and video clips online from the multi-day affair, the Daily Mail reported . Naylor-Leyland wore a gold sequinned dress for the evening festivities, which included a candlelit dinner and a group…Open