Latest from UPI
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Pentagon identifies soldier who died in Iraq as Michigan resident
June 19 (UPI) -- The Pentagon has identified the soldier who died earlier this week in a non-combat-related incident while serving in Iraq as a Michigan resident. In a statement Wednesday, the Department of Defense identified the soldier as Staff Sgt. Saul Fabian Gonzalez, 26, of Pullman, Mich. Gonzalez died Tuesday in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, where he was serving in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S. military's mission to defeat the Islamic State terrorist group in areas of Iraq and Syria. Specifics of the non-combat-related incident were not released, but the Pentagon said it was under investigation. Gonzalez was assigned to D Troop, 2nd Squadron, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky. "It is with heavy hearts, we share the news of the loss of SSG Saul F. Gonzalez. While his passing was not combat-related, it is felt by all who knew him," the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade said in a statement on Facebook. "We honor his service and reflect upon the positive impact he had as an outstanding Non-Commissioned Officer, Technical Inspector and friend. Please keep his family and fellow Troopers in your thoughts and prayers." About 2,500 U.S. soldiers are in Iraq as part of the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve.
UPI
4 hours ago
- Politics
- UPI
Federal immigration agents denied access to Dodger Stadium
Thousands of protesters gather at City Hall to protest the policies of the Trump administration in the nationwide "No Kings Day of Defiance" demonstrations in Los Angeles on Saturday. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo June 19 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers barred immigration agents from entering Dodger Stadium property Thursday, as tensions continue amid stepped up federal immigration enforcement efforts in the city. Dozens of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were reportedly gathered near the ballpark in what appeared to be a staging area, local media reported. Team officials said the agents tried to gain access to the property but were turned away. "This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots," the statement on X said. "They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight's game will be played as scheduled." ICE denied on social media that the agents were associated with the agency. "False," the post said. "We were never there." Video posted on social media, however, appeared to show otherwise. The agents were dressed in tactical gear and were gathered in a lot near the stadium. The Department of Homeland Security later clarified that the officers were with Customs and Border Protection and not ICE, and added that they "had nothing to do with the Dodgers." A small group of protesters gathered near the ballpark Thursday following a series of immigration enforcement actions earlier in the day, including one at a Home Depot store on Sunset Boulevard. The Dodgers have faced criticism for not being more outspoken against federal immigration enforcement actions, including the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to help local police with immigration raids and arrests.
UPI
5 hours ago
- Business
- UPI
Paramount stalls $35 million '60 Minutes' settlement, slowing merger
June 19 (UPI) -- Paramount has pulled back on a $35 million settlement with President Donald Trump after he sued the media company over a segment on CBS' News' "60 Minutes." The lawsuit alleges that the program edited an interview with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 election to change how she would appear to viewers. The stalled settlement is holding up a potential $8 billion takeover of Paramount by Skydance, a deal that the two companies negotiated over a year ago. Despite the legal wrangling, Trump has said he is encouraged by the proposed merger in its current form, and endorsed the deal proposed by Skydance's David Ellison. "Ellison is great," Trump told reporters on the White House lawn Wednesday. He'll do a great job with it." Trump seemed to have connected the delay in the deal to his Paramount lawsuit. The internal debate over the Trump lawsuit and the way it was being handled prompted CBS News President Wendy McMahon to resign in May, saying in a memo that she and the company could not agree on a path forward. The Paramount-Skydance deal has been pending review by the Federal Communications Commission since last fall.
UPI
5 hours ago
- Health
- UPI
Feds funding 5-year, $10M East Palestine derailment health study
Ohio National Guard 52nd Civil Support Team members prepare to enter an incident area to assess remaining hazards with a lightweight inflatable decontamination system in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 7, 2023. Photo courtesy of Ohio National Guard/ Twitter June 19 (UPI) -- The National Institutes of Health is undertaking an extended study of the health effects that East Palestine, Ohio, residents have experienced due to the 2023 train derailment there. The NIH is allocating $10 million to fund the study that will continue for five years and assess the long-term health impacts from the Feb. 3, 2023, derailment of a Norfolk Southern train that was carrying toxic chemicals. "The people of East Palestine have a right to clear,science-backed answers about the impact on their health," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. said. He credited Vice President JD Vance for raising awareness of the need to study the potential health effects on East Palestine's 4,658 residents. Vance was a U.S. senator representing Ohio when the derailment occurred. "It was incredibly frustrating watching the Biden administration refuse to examine the potentially dangerous health impacts on the people of East Palestine following the train derailment," Vance said. "This historic research initiative will finally result in answers that this community deserves," he added. The Norfolk Southern freight train included 38 railcars carrying toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethyleneglycol and benzene. Many of the railcars were vented or intentionally burned over two days to rid them of the toxic chemicals, which the National Transportation Safety Board a year ago said was a mistake. NTSB members conducted a public hearing in East Palestine last June to publicly discuss the derailment that was caused by a defective wheel bearing that overheated and failed. Norfolk Southern and its contractors erred when they vented or burned off the contents of five tank cars that had derailed and contained vinyl chloride. The venting and burning created a toxic plume that spread across 16 states and exposed about a third of the nation's population to the chemicals. Many East Palestine residents have reported experiencing many health-related symptoms afterward, including headaches and respiratory, skin and eye irritations. Other concerns include the potential long-term effects on maternal and child health and psychological, immunological, respiratory and cardiovascular impacts. The NIH-funded study will focus on short- and long-term health affects from exposure to the chemicals, public health tracking and how to address community health concerns. "[President] Joe Biden abandoned East Palestine and left a community of working Americans behind when they needed him the most," Moreno, R-Ohio, said. "This is a huge step toward finally getting justice for East Palestine."
UPI
7 hours ago
- Business
- UPI
Homan says mmigration operations to continue at farms and hotels
1 of 2 | White House Border Czar Tom Homan speaks with reporters at the White House in Washington on Thursday. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo June 19 (UPI) -- The Trump administration's border czar Tom Homan confirmed Thursday that immigration raids in U.S. agriculture and hospitality sectors of the economy will continue despite recent suggestions of a pullback. Homan said farm, restaurant and hotel workers will be the focus of immigration enforcement operations, but people with criminal backgrounds will be the first priority. "We're going to continue to do worksite enforcement operations, even on farms and hotels, but based on a prioritized basis," Homan said. "Criminals come first." Last week, the administration said it was considering standing down on some Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in those industries, suggesting that such enforcement actions could cripple companies that rely on the workers, which President Donald Trump acknowledged in a post on his social media account. Trump's pullback was largely attributed to comments by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins who said immigration enforcement measures in industries that typically employ undocumented workers could hobble their productivity. The president's announced pullback surprised people who take a hard line stance on immigration and have been largely supportive of Trump aggressive enforcement tactics. Homan brought the discussion back to hiring practices Thursday while walking back the stand down on immigration enforcement operations. "Well, first of all, there's a right way and a wrong way to hire workers. There are legal programs that bring farm workers in," Homan continued. "Second of all, I've been saying for years, Congress needs to address this. But because Congress failed, it just doesn't mean we ignore it. It's illegal to knowingly hire an illegal alien."
