A Missouri-based officer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is being lauded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after he stopped to administer critical medical aid to a driver injured in a severe accident, as announced by the DHS on Tuesday.

DHS commended ICE officer Curtland Sawyer for his prompt actions that helped to save the life of a motorist after he witnessed a collision during his commute home.

Sawyer, who is affiliated with ICE’s St. Louis sub-office, was on his way home on July 11 when he observed a vehicle crash into a tractor-trailer just outside of Festus, Missouri, according to DHS.

DHS reported that Sawyer acted swiftly upon reaching the site, delivering lifesaving medical treatment, which included applying a tourniquet to the driver’s arm to stem potentially fatal bleeding.

Sawyer remained with the injured driver until emergency medical technicians arrived to provide further treatment, DHS said.

“ICE law enforcement officer Curtland Sawyer immediately delivered lifesaving medical care to a driver who was involved in a serious collision with a tractor-trailer in Missouri. Officer Sawyer is a hero,” DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.

“Our officers are the best of the best,” she continued. “When they see someone in need, they don’t hesitate to spring to action to help. If you see an ICE law enforcement officer, thank them for their service to our nation.”

Sawyer’s actions are the latest in a series of rescues highlighted by DHS in recent weeks.

Last month, an ICE officer jumped into a Florida swimming pool to rescue a 6-year-old child before performing lifesaving CPR, according to DHS.

In a separate incident last month, ICE officers in Milwaukee rescued a woman trapped inside her overturned vehicle after another driver allegedly ran a red light and caused a crash, DHS said.

A seasoned poker player from Southern California saw a winning streak take a disastrous turn when armed robbers, covertly hiding in his Las Vegas Airbnb, reportedly made off with his total bankroll.

Jared Griener, hailing from Huntington Beach, recounted returning to his temporary lodging at approximately 8 p.m. on Sunday. Upon cashing out his earnings from the World Series of Poker, he was met with the shocking presence of alleged burglars inside.

Griener shared his harrowing ordeal through a succession of posts on X.

“After exiting the competition, I gathered my summer payouts and headed back to the Airbnb. As soon as I stepped inside, two masked men tackled me to the ground, tied me up, and made off with my backpack, which contained my entire bankroll,” Griener detailed.

The backpack, he stated, held what he termed as “literally all” of his financial resources.

He said he had cashed out because he planned to return to Los Angeles.

“I was hog tied and stuck there for a while trying to escape and finally got out and ran out of the house to a neighbor to call 911. Luckily I am physically unharmed. This was the most terrifying and traumatic experience of my life. All my $ is gone,” he wrote.

Griener said the suspects were two Black men who threatened to kill him if he moved.

According to Griener, the intruders appeared to have inside knowledge of the rental property.

“These people knew the door code to my Airbnb, they were waiting for me inside and video surveillance from neighbors showed they arrived at the Airbnb 10 minutes before me,” he wrote.

The poker pro said he remained bound long enough for the robbers to escape.

“Took me about 15 min to wriggle out of it,” he wrote.

After freeing himself, Griener said he ran to a neighbor’s home, where he called 911.

He believes the suspects may have tracked him after he collected his winnings at the World Series of Poker held at the interconnected Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas on the Strip.

“It’s likely someone was watching me at @wsop and knew that I was on my way home with cash. Las Vegas detectives are currently investigating,” he wrote.

Griener has publicly suggested the robbery may have been an inside job because the suspects allegedly knew the Airbnb’s entry code and were already inside before he arrived.

Born in Provo, Utah, Griener now lives in Huntington Beach, California, and is known for competing in high-stakes live tournaments and major cash games in California and Las Vegas.

According to The Hendon Mob‘s live poker database, Griener has earned $3,348,485 in career live tournament winnings, ranking 862nd on the all-time money list and 417th among American players.

He has recorded more than 150 live tournament cashes, won three titles in regional and circuit events, captured one World Series of Poker Circuit Ring, owns no WSOP Gold Bracelets, and has amassed $1,723,561 in WSOP earnings.

President Trump announced his intention to maintain a bombing campaign against Iran, with a significant strike on their power infrastructure planned as a final repercussion unless Tehran agrees to negotiations.

During a conversation with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump revealed that the U.S. military would intensify its attacks with substantial force that evening and continue into the following night, referring to a campaign that started on Sunday.

Trump issued a stern warning, stating, “I’ll reserve assaults on energy targets for the end, but eventually, we will target them.”

He further elaborated, “We’re slated to strike hard again the following night, and as the week progresses, it will worsen for them since the power plants are on the agenda.”

In addition, Trump mentioned that bridges would be a focus of future strikes unless Iran agrees to discuss a peace agreement that includes abandoning their pursuit of nuclear capabilities.

The latest US bombing campaign comes after Trump notified Congress that the war would resume after Iran breached the memorandum of understanding by targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump did not rule out using US ground forces to ensure that his key objectives are met, especially when it comes to removing Iran’s enriched uranium.

US forces had been careful not to harm Iran’s civilian population with strikes, but Trump warned Iran that everything was on the table. 

‘You better make a deal, or you’re not going to have anything left,’ he said.

The President also likened Iran to ‘a great boxer’ that needed to be put to the mat.

‘You think you have them beat, then they’ll come back and give you a shot,’ Trump said. 

Trump suggested later in the interview with Fox News that he wasn’t interested in continuing negotiations immediately with Iran because ‘they lie.’

But he also said the last contact he had with negotiators was an hour ago.

The President praised his Cabinet for its work on the Iran issue, including Pete Hegseth, as he said ‘oil is flowing like never before.’

He also announced he was replacing the 20 percent fee the US was charging on the Strait of Hormuz to various Gulf States.  

‘Those Investments will be MASSIVE but, at the same time, extraordinarily good for them, and their future,’ he wrote on Truth Social.

The US military says it has reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports in response to Iran’s attacks on commercial ships on the Strait of Hormuz, as the interim ceasefire deal unravels.

There are at least 19 warships in the northern Arabian Sea, including two aircraft carriers, and an amphibious assault ship with more than 1,000 Marines aboard, to enforce the blockade.

US Central Command also said that there are ‘hundreds of military aircraft operating across the Middle East,’ in a social media post Tuesday.

The US military strikes that are hitting Iran just an hour ahead of the start of the naval blockade are aimed at limiting the country’s ability to strike merchant shipping, the military said. 

According to a social media post by U.S. Central Command, the military is trying to ‘continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping.’

The blockade goes into effect at 4pm eastern time and, according to U.S. Central Command, the strikes began at 3pm.

Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported the sound of explosions in the southwestern city of Ahvaz and the southern port city of Bandar Abbas. The reports did not immediately provide further details.

It comes as nearly a dozen civilians have been killed, injured or are missing following Iranian attacks on seven commercial ships over the last week, the US military said Tuesday, as fighting escalated between the US and Iran.

Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads US Central Command, said in a statement that Iran also launched dozens of missiles and drones at neighboring Gulf countries.

‘US forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives,’ Cooper said.

The US has reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports in response to Iran’s attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor in the Middle East, as an interim ceasefire deal unravels and concerns grow about a return to all-out war.

The US had carried out another wave of strikes ahead of reimposing the blockade, the US military’s Central Command said.

The truce between the two nations collapsed last week when Iran struck three vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the US retaliated with two rounds of strikes.

Trump pronounced the deal dead from the NATO summit in Ankara: ‘There’s something wrong with them. They’re cuckoo. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.’

The Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf chokepoint carrying about a fifth of the world’s oil, has been a central flashpoint since the war began in February, sending markets spiraling with every escalation.

Brent crude vaulted above $86 a barrel after Tuesday’s strikes, piling onto Monday’s 8 percent leap as traders braced for a chokehold on the world’s most vital oil artery. 

Over the last week, Iran has targeted various Middle Eastern countries that host US military bases, claiming responsibility for strikes in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.

Some of the targets attacked by US forces included missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage facilities, and communication networks.

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (WLS) — On Tuesday night, a significant number of residents from the southwest suburbs, along with local lawmakers, gathered to express their firm opposition to a proposed $142 million rate increase by Illinois American Water. The public forum was hosted by the Illinois Commerce Commission in Bolingbrook and witnessed fervent arguments against the hike.

Throughout the opening hour of the hearing, nearly every speaker stepped forward to voice their objections. The recurring theme of these concerns revolved around the affordability of water rates and the burden that increased utility costs would place on families and senior citizens in the community.

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Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta of Bolingbrook was a prominent voice in urging the regulators to dismiss the proposed rate hike.

“Water is not a luxury. It is not optional. It is a basic human necessity,” stressed Mayor Alexander-Basta, highlighting the essential nature of water access for all residents.

In defense of the rate increase, Illinois American Water’s President Rebecca Losli pointed out the necessity for more funds to facilitate crucial infrastructure improvements. She emphasized that the enhancements are vital for maintaining water quality and service reliability.

“We do this because of our customers. We are investing in this because of you. We want less water main breaks, and less constructions, less water boil orders. Simply put, continuing to invest in our water infrastructure is critical to ensuring that we provide reliable service to all of you,” Losli said.

According to Illinois American Water, the proposed increase would add about $14 per month for a typical customer using 3,500 gallons of water. Wastewater customers would see an increase of about $28 per month.

Several residents told regulators they are still feeling the effects of the utility’s previous rate increase. Pat Smith described changes she has made to reduce water use.

“I bathe twice a week now, instead of every day. I wear my clothes multiple times before washing,” Smith said. She later added, “This is unacceptable and the longer it goes the worse it’s going to get.”

Bolingbrook resident Michael Boyd also expressed concern about the proposal’s impact on customers.

“What concerns me is the frequency and size of the proposed increase and what it means for ordinary families who are already struggling,” Boyd said.

Several elected officials also called on the Illinois Commerce Commission to deny the request.

Illinois state Rep. Natalie Manley told attendees, “Just because it’s legal does not make it right.”

Alexander-Basta echoed that sentiment, saying, “Today, Bolingbrook is taking the lead in saying what people across the state have been saying for years: Enough is enough.”

Additional hearings in the case are scheduled for August. The Illinois Commerce Commission is expected to issue a final decision by Dec. 18.