PENNSYLVANIA (WOLF) — Fire departments and county emergency centers across Pennsylvania are advising the public of a statewide 911 outage.

WASHINGTON, July 11 (Reuters) - A California farmworker died on Friday from injuries sustained a day earlier when U.S. immigration agents raided a cannabis operation and arrested hundreds of workers, according to a farmworker advocacy group.

Dozens of migrant-rights activists faced off with federal agents in rural Southern California on Thursday. It was the latest escalation of President Donald Trump's campaign to deport all immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that approximately 200 people in the country illegally were arrested in the raid, which targeted two locations of the cannabis operation Glass House Farms.

Agents also found 10 migrant minors at the farm, the statement said. The facility is under investigation for child labor violations, said Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott in a post on X.

The Catholic Church's approval of blessings of couples in same-sex relationships "will remain" under Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Vatican's doctrine office told an Italian reporter in a brief interview.

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández made the statement in response to a question from a journalist for the Rome-based daily Il Messaggero as he left the Holy See Press Office on July 3.

Fernández's remarks are the clearest indication to date since Pope Leo's election of a likely continuation of Pope Francis' gay-blessings declaration. However, the impromptu interview falls short of an explicit, official statement from the Vatican.

Under Francis, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in December 2023 released a document entitled "Fiducia Supplicans: On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings," which opened the door to church blessings for couples in "irregular" situations, including same-sex relationships.

The document, signed by Fernández and his deputy Msgr. Armando Matteo, and approved by Pope Francis, stressed that such blessings could not take the form of a liturgical rite, and did not imply formal approval of "irregular" unions.

The blessings document generated considerable conservative backlash, and some critics of the late Pope Francis had expressed hope that Pope Leo would rescind or ignore it.

• Investigators say Starovoit likely took his own life
• Starovoit had held transport brief for barely a year
• He previously ran the Kursk region next to Ukraine
• His successor there was embroiled in a corruption case
• Ukrainian troops seized part of Kursk for months

July 7 (Reuters) - Russia's sacked transport minister has been found dead in his car outside Moscow with a gunshot wound and the principal hypothesis is that he took his own life, state investigators said on Monday, hours after President Vladimir Putin fired him.

A presidential decree published earlier on Monday gave no reason for the dismissal of Roman Starovoit, 53, after barely a year in the job, though political analysts were quick to raise the possibility that he may have been dismissed in connection with an investigation into corruption in the region he once ran.

Reuters could not independently confirm these suggestions, though a transport industry source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Starovoit's position had been in question for months due to questions about the same corruption scandal.

That investigation centres on whether 19.4 billion roubles ($246 million) earmarked in 2022 for fortifying Russia's border with Ukraine in the Kursk region was properly spent or whether some of that money was embezzled.

Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said in a statement it was working to establish the precise circumstances of Starovoit's death.

A pistol belonging to Starovoit, who was divorced with two daughters, had been found near his body, various Russian media outlets cited law enforcement sources as saying.

Some Russian media, citing law enforcement sources, also said his body had been found with a gunshot wound to the head in bushes near his car, a Tesla, rather than in the car itself.

The vehicle was left near a park not far from his home in the Moscow region.

Before being appointed transport minister in May 2024, Starovoit had been governor of the Kursk region for nearly five years.

• Schumer requests probe into NWS staffing and flood response
• NWS defends its forecasting amid criticism from Texas officials
• Trump denies federal cuts affected NWS disaster response
• DOGE initiative led to early retirements at NWS
• NWS San Antonio office faced staffing vacancies during flood

WASHINGTON, July 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate's top Democrat on Monday asked a government watchdog to investigate whether cuts at the National Weather Service affected the forecasting agency's response to catastrophic and deadly flooding in Central Texas.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer asked the Department of Commerce's acting inspector general Monday to probe whether staffing vacancies at the NWS's San Antonio office contributed to "delays, gaps, or diminished accuracy" in forecasting the flooding. He asked the watchdog to scrutinize the office's communications with Kerr County officials.

The NWS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Schumer's letter. It defended its forecasting and emergency management before, during and after the flood, in a statement Sunday.

A top three leadership role at the NWS's San Antonio office has been vacant since earlier this year after Paul Yura, the U.S. forecasting agency's warning coordination meteorologist for San Antonio, accepted an offer from the Trump administration to retire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that his conversation with US President Donald Trump, which took place the day before, has been the best and most productive in the history of communication between the leaders.

Source: Zelenskyy in his evening address on 5 July

Quote: "We discussed the issue of air defence. I am grateful for the willingness to help. Patriot [air defence system] is the key to protection against ballistic missiles."

Details: Zelenskyy said that he and Trump also discussed several other important issues, which will be worked out in detail by the teams of the two countries at further meetings in the near future.

"Many say Cape Verde is a beacon for other African countries," says long-serving Cape Verdean politician Gualberto do Rosario.

"I don't believe in such comparisons. Undoubtedly, Cape Verde scores better than many other African countries in various indices," the former prime minister (in 2000 and 2001) and chairman of the current ruling Movement for Democracy (MpD) tells DW. "But I think there is still much to do, and we should continue working to advance the country.

Development indices above average

Cape Verde has scored well on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with figures above average compared to African nations. These 17 global goals — including poverty reduction, education, and health — are worldwide targets for 2030.

But according to Do Rosario, comparisons with African mainland countries are only partly meaningful. He points to Cape Verde's history and geography: "Our islands were uninhabited and were only settled by European and African immigrants starting in the 1460s. That makes our development unique."

For him, Cape Verde's long fight against poverty and drought has shaped the islanders' will to survive and helped them progress even under difficult conditions.

The first group of immigrants has arrived at a new detention center deep in the Florida Everglades that officials have dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” a spokesperson for Republican state Attorney General James Uthmeier told The Associated Press.

“People are there,” Press Secretary Jae Williams said, though he didn’t immediately provide further details on the number of detainees or when they arrived.

“Next stop: back to where they came from,” Uthmeier said on the X social media platform Wednesday. He’s been credited as the architect behind the Everglades proposal.

“Stood up in record time under @GovRonDeSantis ’ leadership & in coordination with @DHSgov & @ICEgov, Florida is proud to help facilitate @realDonaldTrump ’s mission to enforce immigration law,” the account for the Florida Division of Emergency Management posted to the social media site X on Thursday. Requests for additional information from the office of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and FDEM, which is building the site, were not returned early Thursday afternoon.

The facility, at an airport used for training, will have an initial capacity of about 3,000 detainees, DeSantis said. The center was built in eight days and features more than 200 security cameras, 28,000-plus feet (8,500 meters) of barbed wire and 400 security personnel

The move comes as the New World Screwworm fly larvae continues to cause chaos as it infiltrates the US beef industry, affecting wider wildlife, pets and, in rare cases, humans.

According to scientists, the new batches of male sterilised maggots will be dumped over the South American nation and the US state of Texas in a bid to eradicate the vicious variety of flesh-eating larvae.

The US Department of Agriculture is said the male flies, which measure slightly larger than the average housefly, will be sterilised with radiation before being released.

The strategy, set out by scientists, will force the female screwworms to breed with the newly sterilised males.

The flesh-eating variety of the screwworm maggots were eradicated from the US in 1966, but the creatures appear to me making a comeback.

Del Monte Foods, the 139-year-old company best known for its canned fruits and vegetables, is filing for bankruptcy protection as U.S. consumers increasingly bypass its products for healthier or cheaper options.

Del Monte has secured $912.5 million in debtor-in-possession financing that will allow it to operate normally as the sale progresses.

“After a thorough evaluation of all available options, we determined a court-supervised sale process is the most effective way to accelerate our turnaround and create a stronger and enduring Del Monte Foods,” CEO Greg Longstreet said in a statement.

Del Monte Foods, based in Walnut Creek, California, also owns the Contadina tomato brand, College Inn and Kitchen Basics broth brands and the Joyba bubble tea brand.

The company has seen sales growth of Joyba and broth in fiscal 2024, but not enough to offset weaker sales of Del Monte’s signature canned products.

BEERSHEBA, Israel (AP) — American contractors guarding aid distribution sites in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scramble for food, according to accounts and videos obtained by The Associated Press.

Two U.S. contractors, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were revealing their employers’ internal operations, said they were coming forward because they were disturbed by what they considered dangerous and irresponsible practices. They said the security staff hired were often unqualified, unvetted, heavily armed and seemed to have an open license to do whatever they wished.

They said their colleagues regularly lobbed stun grenades and pepper spray in the direction of the Palestinians. One contractor said bullets were fired in all directions — in the air, into the ground and at times toward the Palestinians, recalling at least one instance where he thought someone had been hit.

“There are innocent people being hurt. Badly. Needlessly,” the contractor said.

He said American staff on the sites monitor those coming to seek food and document anyone considered “suspicious.” He said they share such information with the Israeli military.

Videos provided by one of the contractors and taken at the sites show hundreds of Palestinians crowded between metal gates, jostling for aid amid the sound of bullets, stun grenades and the sting of pepper spray. Other videos include conversation between English-speaking men discussing how to disperse crowds and encouraging each other after bursts of gunfire.

• Private payrolls drop 33,000 in June
• ADP historically is poor predictor of official nonfarm payrolls
• Challenger report shows sharp drop in layoffs

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. private payrolls fell for the first time in more than two years in June as economic uncertainty hampered hiring, but low layoffs continued to anchor the labor market.

Private payrolls dropped by 33,000 jobs last month, the first decline since March 2023, after a downwardly revised increase of 29,000 in May, the ADP National Employment Report showed on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the report would show private employment increasing by 95,000 following a previously reported gain of 37,000 in May.

There were job losses in the professional and business services, education and health services, and financial activities sectors. But the leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and construction industries added jobs.

The ADP report, jointly developed with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, was published ahead of the more comprehensive employment report for June due to be released on Thursday by the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. There is no correlation between the ADP and BLS employment reports.

The BLS' employment report is being published a day early because of the Independence Day holiday on Friday. Economists shrugged off the decline in the ADP measure, noting its poor track record predicting the official payrolls count.

"Use ADP only to gauge the big picture," said Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics.

"Right now, that picture shows ADP's private sector employment estimates declining steadily since December. Today's big drop underscores that decaying trend."

U.S. stocks were mixed in early trading. The dollar rose versus a basket of currencies. Longer-dated U.S. Treasury yields rose.

Day camp providers and schools say the Trump administration's funding freeze could ruin summer for low-income American families and jeopardize some after-school programs next year.

The administration is holding back over $6 billion in federal grants for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more as it conducts a review to ensure grants are aligned with President Trump's priorities.

The move creates uncertainty for states and schools as they budget for programs this summer and in the upcoming school year because they don't know if or when they'll receive the funding. Democrats say the administration is flouting the law by holding back congressionally appropriated money.

Without the funds, schools say they won't be able to provide free or affordable after-school care for low-income kids while their parents work and may not be able to hire staff to teach children who are learning English. Classes or camps underway this summer could be in jeopardy, too.

Waffle House has a welcome announcement for millions of customers: The iconic diner is dropping its 50-cent egg surcharge.

The fee was added in February due to rising egg prices amid a bird flu outbreak. But after months of surging egg prices, they fell 12.7% in April, and the USDA reported that a dozen large eggs now cost less than $3.

The government is expected to announce a deal with Labour rebels on its planned benefits changes.

Multiple sources tell the BBC existing claimants of the Personal Independence Payment (Pip) will continue to receive what they currently get, as will recipients of the health element of Universal Credit. Instead, planned cuts will only hit future claimants.

Ministers are expected to fast-track a £1bn support plan originally scheduled for 2029.

The concessions amount to a massive climbdown from the government, which was staring at the prospect of defeat if it failed to accommodate the demands of over 100 of its backbenchers.

It comes after Sir Keir Starmer spent Thursday making calls to shore up support among the 120 Labour MPs who backed an amendment to stop the government's flagship welfare bill ahead of a Commons vote on Tuesday.

Speaking in the Commons earlier, Sir Keir said he wanted to "see reform implemented with Labour values and fairness".

He said he recognised that MPs of all parties were "eager" to reform the "broken" welfare system.

Broadly speaking the rebels have told the BBC their colleagues are happy with the concessions, meaning the bill is now likely to pass.

Peter Lamb, Labour MP for Crawley, posted on social media that he would still not support the bill - calling the changes "insufficient" and accusing ministers of ignoring better options.

U.S. Department of Defense announced Tuesday it would no longer process and deliver data essential to most hurricane forecasts

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced it would immediately stop ingesting, processing, and transmitting data essential to most hurricane forecasts.

The announcement was formalized on Tuesday when NOAA distributed a service change notice to all users, including the National Hurricane Center, that by next Monday, June 30th, they would no longer receive real-time microwave data collected aboard three weather satellites jointly run by NOAA and the U.S. Department of Defense.

The permanent discontinuation of data from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) will severely impede and degrade hurricane forecasts for this season and beyond, affecting tens of millions of Americans who live along its hurricane-prone shorelines.

The news on Tuesday sent users across the weather and climate community – including those monitoring changes to sea ice extent in the polar regions – scrambling to understand the rationale behind the abrupt termination. Though not immediately clear why the real-time data was suddenly discontinued, the decision appears to have stemmed from Department of Defense security concerns.

Officials at the National Hurricane Center were also caught off guard by the announcement and are preparing their team for the loss of critical forecast data for the rest of the hurricane season.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia will remain in jail for at least a few more days while attorneys in the federal smuggling case against him spar over whether prosecutors have the ability to prevent Abrego Garcia’s deportation if he is released to await trial.

The Salvadoran national whose mistaken deportation became a flashpoint in the fight over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies has been in jail since he was returned to the U.S. on June 7, facing two counts of human smuggling.

Although a federal Judge has ruled that he has a right to be released and even set specific conditions for his release, his attorneys expressed concern that it would lead to immediate detention by ICE and deportation.

On Sunday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes ruled that Abrego Garcia does not have to remain in jail ahead of that trial. On Wednesday afternoon, she set conditions for his release in preparation to allow him to go. But Abrego Garcia’s impending release has been halted over concerns that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would take him into custody immediately and possibly try to deport him before he can stand trial.

Holmes expressed doubts about her own power to require anything more than that prosecutors use their best efforts to secure the cooperation of Homeland Security and ICE.

“I have no reservations about my ability to direct the local U.S. Attorney’s office,” the judge said. “I don’t think I have any authority over ICE.”

Holmes did not say when she would file the release order for Abrego Garcia, but it will not happen before Friday afternoon.

President Donald Trump announced his appointments to an advisory council inside the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, with a list that includes a right-wing news commentator, former lawmakers, Trump’s former attorney Rudy Giuliani and a top former campaign adviser.

The announcement by Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the council, established first in 2002, will provide “real-time, real-world and independent advice on homeland security operations.”

The list includes right-wing political commentator Mark Levin, as well as Giuliani, who helped lead efforts to try and overturn the 2020 election results and was later sued for defamation by two Georgia election workers; a lawsuit he lost before a jury in Washington, DC.

“Mayor Rudy Giuliani is honored to serve the president and the secretary,” Ted Goodman, Giuliani’s spokesman, told CNN. “No one is as prepared to advise and assist this administration on issues pertaining to Homeland security and protecting the American people.”