A Few Clouds 97°
Politics
DOJ Sues Virginia To Block New AR-15 Ban, Calls Law Unconstitutional DOJ Sues Virginia To Block New AR-15 Ban, Calls Law Unconstitutional
DOJ Sues Virginia To Block New AR-15 Ban, Calls Law Unconstitutional Virginia's new assault weapons law is already headed to federal court. The US Department of Justice sued the Commonwealth on Wednesday, July 1, alleging the state's newly enacted ban on the commercial purchase and sale of many AR-15-style rifles violates the Second Amendment. They are also asking a federal judge to block enforcement of key portions of the law. The lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Richmond, names both the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Virginia Department of State Police as defendants, arguing the law criminalizes the sale and purchase of rifles "owned by millions o…

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by Zak Failla
News
Famous Daredevils Illegally Climb Empire State Building To Get Engaged Famous Daredevils Illegally Climb Empire State Building To Get Engaged
Famous Daredevils Illegally Climb Empire State Building To Get Engaged Two people have climbed the spire atop the Empire State Building to hang a peace flag and get engaged.  Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, artists who gained a social media following for climbing skyscrapers around the world, stayed on top of the Manhattan monument for more than 45 minutes on Wednesday, July 1, according to NBC New York.  Just after noon, the Russian duo unfurled a massive black banner with white lettering that read, "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace." They were dressed in all black with face coverings.  …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Virginia Teen Shot Himself, Then Called 911 To Report Robbery That Never Happened: Police Virginia Teen Shot Himself, Then Called 911 To Report Robbery That Never Happened: Police
Virginia Teen Shot Himself, Then Called 911 To Report Robbery That Never Happened: Police One teen's robbery story unraveled almost as quickly as it began. A 19-year-old Virginia resident who called 911 claiming he had been robbed and shot by strangers is now facing criminal charges after investigators say he accidentally shot himself in the hand instead. The bizarre chain of events unfolded shortly after 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday, June 30, when officers were called to a home in the 10400 block of Bermuda Lane in the Manassas area after Jaydon Isaiah Aloumouati reported that unknown men had robbed him and shot him, according to Prince William County police. It didn't take long for d…

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by Zak Failla
News
PA State Trooper ID'd By Governor After Being Killed In Line Of Duty On I-81 PA State Trooper ID'd By Governor After Being Killed In Line Of Duty On I-81
PA State Trooper ID'd By Governor After Being Killed In Line Of Duty On I-81 A Pennsylvania State Police trooper who died after being struck by a passing commercial vehicle while conducting a truck inspection along Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County on Wednesday morning, July 1, has been identified by Gov. Josh Shapiro. Michael E. Pahira Jr., 44, a Schuylkill County native who enlisted in the Pennsylvania State Police in January 2007, served with Troop L in Frackville as a Motor Carrier Inspector for more than 20 years, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Pahira was conducting a commercial vehicle safety inspection along Interstate 81 South near Mile Marker 119…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Electrical Malfunction Likely Sparked Apartment Blaze That Killed Maryland Man: Fire Officials Electrical Malfunction Likely Sparked Apartment Blaze That Killed Maryland Man: Fire Officials
Electrical Malfunction Likely Sparked Apartment Blaze That Killed Maryland Man: Fire Officials A 63-year-old man has been identified after a fatal apartment fire in Maryland that investigators say was accidental and likely sparked by an electrical malfunction, officials said. David Richardson died after the fire broke out around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, inside an apartment building in the 11500 block of Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia, according to the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services. Firefighters were first called for a reported odor of smoke in the building. When crews arrived, they found smoke coming from the structure and immediately went inside, offi…

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by Zak Failla
News
New Development Emerges In Nancy Guthrie Ransom Note Investigation New Development Emerges In Nancy Guthrie Ransom Note Investigation
New Development Emerges In Nancy Guthrie Ransom Note Investigation A troubling part of a high-profile disappearance case may have taken a major turn. Click here for a new, updated story: Investigators Identify Notes In Nancy Guthrie Case Believed To Be From Abductors The FBI has determined that ransom notes tied to the disappearance of missing mom Nancy Guthrie are not genuine, Reuters reported Wednesday, July 1, citing a source familiar with the investigation. Guthrie, 84, is the mother of NBC "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. She vanished from her Tucson, Arizona, home on Sunday, Feb. 1. Reuters reported that investigators determined the notes…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Candy Scare Takes Unexpected Turn After Man In White Van Calls Police On Himself Candy Scare Takes Unexpected Turn After Man In White Van Calls Police On Himself
Candy Scare Takes Unexpected Turn After Man In White Van Calls Police On Himself Every parent's heart skipped a beat. A report of children running from a man offering candy from a white van sent a Maryland community scrambling on Tuesday, triggering a viral police alert that ended just hours later with an unexpected phone call from the very man investigators were trying to find. The scare unfolded around noon on June 30 in the area of Cambridge Court in Taneytown, where police were called after children reported an older man in a white work or camper-style van offered them candy before driving away when the kids ran, according to the Taneytown Police Department. Fea…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Maryland Man Collected Gold Bars From Loudoun Seniors In 'Apple Support' Scam, Sheriff Says Maryland Man Collected Gold Bars From Loudoun Seniors In 'Apple Support' Scam, Sheriff Says
Maryland Man Collected Gold Bars From Loudoun Seniors In 'Apple Support' Scam, Sheriff Says It started with a pop-up warning. It ended with strangers walking away with gold bars. A Maryland man is behind bars after investigators say he helped carry out an elaborate scam that convinced elderly Virginia residents that their life savings were under attack, tricking them into converting their money into gold before someone arrived to collect it. Gaithersburg resident Junjie Wu, 29, was arrested by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and is behind bars following an investigation into the gold bar scheme, authorities announced. Specifically, Wu was charged with: Obtaining money by f…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Mom Kidnapped, Killed While Delivering Mail On Route: Investigators Mom Kidnapped, Killed While Delivering Mail On Route: Investigators
Mom Kidnapped, Killed While Delivering Mail On Route: Investigators A US Postal Service mail carrier and mother of two was kidnapped and killed while delivering mail just months after her husband's death, authorities said. Brandi Reynolds, 35, was found dead at about 4:16 p.m. on Friday, June 26, the US Postal Inspection Service said in a news release. Her body was discovered in Hays, North Carolina, about 90 minutes west of Greensboro. William Durham, 56, was arrested in connection with Reynolds' death. He was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping, NBC News reported. Durham was accused of unlawfully restraining R…

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by Chris Spiker
Politics
Trump Cites 'Y.M.C.A.' Revival At His Rallies In Tribute To Village People Frontman Trump Cites 'Y.M.C.A.' Revival At His Rallies In Tribute To Village People Frontman
Trump Cites 'Y.M.C.A.' Revival At His Rallies In Tribute To Village People Frontman A disco anthem tied to decades of parties, parades, and campaign rallies is now part of a presidential tribute. President Donald Trump remembered Victor Willis, the original lead singer of Village People, in a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning, July 1, after Willis’ death at age 74. Willis, the voice of "Y.M.C.A.," "Macho Man," and "In the Navy," died Tuesday, June 30, after a short illness, Daily Voice reported earlier Wednesday. "Y.M.C.A." became closely associated with Trump’s rallies, often playing as his closing song while he performed his familiar arm-pumping dance. The song, r…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Potentially Deadly Failure Risk Leads To Recall Of Smoke, Carbon Monoxide Detector Potentially Deadly Failure Risk Leads To Recall Of Smoke, Carbon Monoxide Detector
Potentially Deadly Failure Risk Leads To Recall Of Smoke, Carbon Monoxide Detector A product meant to warn families of danger is now under recall because it may pose its own risk. Treatlife smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, sold exclusively on Amazon, are being recalled because they may fail to alert consumers to a fire, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. The failure can pose a risk of serious injury or death from smoke inhalation or burns, CPSC said. The recall was announced on Wednesday, June 25. About 20 units are included in the recall. The affected products are Treatlife Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors. They are white, circular, AA-bat…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
John Oliver Gets Soap Opera Makeover For 'General Hospital,' 'Days Of Our Lives' Appearances John Oliver Gets Soap Opera Makeover For 'General Hospital,' 'Days Of Our Lives' Appearances
John Oliver Gets Soap Opera Makeover For 'General Hospital,' 'Days Of Our Lives' Appearances John Oliver is stepping into a very different kind of televised chaos. The host of HBO’s "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" will appear on ABC’s "General Hospital" and Peacock’s "Days of Our Lives," he announced on his most recent show. Oliver teased his new soap-ready looks and thanked both shows for doing something "uniquely outlandish to his hair." In an Instagram post, "Last Week Tonight" joked, "Finally: John is hot." Oliver’s "General Hospital" arc will air Thursday, July 2, Friday, July 3, and Monday, July 6. His "Days of Our Lives" episodes are scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 11, W…

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by Joe Lombardi