June 17 top stories
Hello, it is June 17. Hope your weekend was good. Here are today’s top stories.
Growing wildfire near Los Angeles has consumed nearly 15,000 acres
California fire officials said a wildfire northwest of Los Angeles has burned more than 14,600 acres and forced the evacuation of about 1,200 people.
The fast-growing blaze fueled by strong winds and low humidity, which began around 2 p.m. on Saturday in Gorman, in Los Angeles County, was moving southeast toward Pyramid Lake.
The fire was 2% contained as of Sunday evening.
Complicating firefighting efforts, strong winds that had picked up on Sunday were expected to last until at least Monday. Wind gusts had reached 55 mph in the region and were forecast to reach up to 70 mph at night, before decreasing throughout Monday.
California fire officials said the cause of the fire is under investigation. No injuries were reported.
According to CalFire data, California’s wildfire season is off to an aggressive start. This year so far, fires have consumed about 41,900 acres, higher than the average of 27,100 acres burned during the same period for the last five years.
28 riders trapped upside-down at amusement park rescued in Oregon
Nearly 30 people were suspended upside down in the air for more than 20 minutes after a ride at an Oregon amusement park malfunctioned.
The park said in a post on X, the AtmosFEAR ride at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland stopped working at around 2:55 p.m. Friday, leaving the 28 riders stranded. Park staff immediately initiated emergency procedures and called 911. Emergency responders arrived around 3:20 p.m. and within minutes the ride was lowered and guests were able to safely get off.
One rider told a local news station that when they stayed dangling upside down for more than a few seconds, she knew something was wrong. She said: We were just freaking out. People were crying. They were just putting into the universe what they wanted to say for their last words. She continued hanging upside down for that long was physically tough. Her entire waist below was asleep.
Oaks park said the ride will remain closed until further notice as they will work with the manufacturer and state inspectors to identify what caused the ride to malfunction.
Israel-Gaza war updates
Here are several updates on Israel’s war on Gaza.
First, the Israeli military has announced a tactical pause of military activity along a route in southern Gaza to allow aid to be distributed but stressed that there will be no let up in fighting in and around Rafah in southern Gaza. The pause began on Saturday and will take place every day from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. local time until further notice.
Second, eight IDF soldiers were killed in southern Gaza on Saturday, one of the single deadliest incidents of the war for Israeli troops. The IDF said the incident was still under review but preliminary findings suggested an armored vehicle carrying soldiers as part of a convoy had been hit by an explosion at around 5:15 a.m. local time during an operation targeting terrorist infrastructure.
Third, PM Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved his war cabinet set up five days after the Oct. 7 attack and consisted of five members Monday, just over a week after opposition leader Benny Gantz withdrew from the body. An Israeli official said decision-making will now move back to the government’s main security cabinet.
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U.S. passports can now be renewed online again
The State Department has launched an updated online passport renewal service, making it possible for travelers to forgo mailing documents and upload them digitally instead. The option, which is available only on a limited basis, does not take expedited or urgent-travel requests.
According to The Wall Street Journal, right now, the rollout is restricted to certain windows at midday Eastern time – starting at 1 p.m.
Once a daily limit of applications is reached, the system will close. The department advises travelers to try again another day if they get a message saying they can’t start their applications.
Travelers should watch a YouTube video on how to select and upload their passport photo: https://youtu.be/N33FJaziUgY?si=-s0AuI18bn2t6SHw
The limited-service run is expected to last for several months. Processing times are the normal six to eight weeks.
This is not the first time online renewal has been available but the department said it has been updated with improvements.
See Alex’s report on Gordon Ramsay’s, celebrity chef, in a bad biking accident.
Ramsay shaken after 'really bad' cycling accident
Thanks, Callie.
Famed chef Gordon Ramsay was injured in a cycling accident a few days ago in Connecticut. He showed a video of his torso, which was completely purple, like a purple potato.
Ramsay said it is so important that cyclists wear a helmet because if he didn’t wear a helmet when he crashed, he wouldn’t be here now. He also said children have to wear helmets too.
It is not clear exactly what happened in the accident. Ramsay didn’t break any bones or suffer any major injuries but he said he has been through a painful week.
Thanks for the report. That’s all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
Growing wildfire near Los Angeles has consumed nearly 15,000 acres
28 riders trapped upside-down at amusement park rescued in Oregon
Israel-Gaza war updates
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/06/16/world/israel-gaza-war-hamas
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce99m0n99z0o
U.S. passports can now be renewed online again
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/travel/passport-renewal-online-appointments-54ba329c?mod=hp_lead_pos11
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/renew-online.html
Ramsay shaken after 'really bad' cycling accident