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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
Francesca Hong, a Democratic candidate for governor in Wisconsin, recently recounted an unsettling experience at a Culver’s fast food restaurant where she felt an “anxiety attack” looming, which she attributed to the presence of “too many old white people.”
Hong shared her account of this anxiety-triggering incident in a 2019 post on X, a social media platform.
“I took a couple of bites from my child’s cheeseburger at a Culver’s in Black River Falls and then told him the ice cream was out. I primarily wanted to leave because I felt an anxiety attack was imminent,” Hong explained.
She commented that the restaurant was filled with “too many old white people who didn’t think we spoke English.”
Hong did not provide further detail on the remark about assumptions regarding language ability.
In response to the criticisms she received, Hong shared a post from 2020 in which she discussed Culver’s fried cheese curds.
“They are the perfect road curd. No other fried curd comes close. Only Culvers curds or fresh curds are appropriate for travel. For in person dining Culver’s curds are indeed, trash,” she said.
“I see that folks are digging up old tweets in an attempt to shift the narrative in this race. I stand by this statement, unequivocally. Their fries also leave much to be desired. The reuben, however, slaps,” she said in a subsequent post.
Hong has a history of upholding extremist positions, having once said that police exist to “uphold white supremacy.”
“Police exist to uphold white supremacy,” Hong wrote in 2021. “Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option.”
Speaking to Fox News last week, Hong distanced herself from those comments, adding that “people can evolve.”
“The governor cannot defund the police, and I won’t defund the police,” Hong said. “But I will invest in the things we know prevent crime.”
Forget about hitting the floor: here are four chair-based exercises targeting belly fat for those over 65.
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Working out with a chair doesn’t have to be synonymous with taking it easy. When used effectively, the humble chair can transform a cozy corner into a vigorous environment, engaging your core while boosting the intensity of your entire exercise regimen.
Tackling belly fat requires more than just engaging ab muscles. While core strengthening is vital, the real transformation arises from a combination of strength training, calorie-burning activities, regular movement, and unwavering commitment. That’s the central idea behind combining chair squats with seated core exercises in this plan.
In my experience, senior clients thrive on routines that challenge them appropriately without creating a rushed or disorganized atmosphere. A chair provides stability, allowing for a blend of standing and seated movements that generate enough exertion to create a sense of accomplishment.
Ensure the chair is stable, make those squats count, and allow the seated exercises to effectively engage your core, all without turning the workout into a sprint.
Chair Squat
Chair squats give this routine its full-body push. They train your legs and hips while your core helps keep your torso steady, which raises the overall effort of the workout. That makes the session feel more productive for body-composition goals than seated ab moves alone. Tap the chair lightly and stand tall with purpose on every rep.
Stand in front of a sturdy chair with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
Brace your core and keep your chest lifted.
Push your hips back toward the chair.
Lower until your hips lightly touch the seat.
Press through your whole feet to stand tall.
Repeat with a smooth, steady tempo.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. Rest for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.
Best Variations: Higher-chair squats, pause chair squats, slow-tempo chair squats.
Form Tip: Touch the chair without dropping into it, then stand all the way up.
5 Barefoot Exercises That Strengthen Your Feet Better Than Orthotics After 60
Seated Knee Tucks
Seated knee tucks bring your lower abs into the workout right away. Pulling your knees toward your chest asks your midsection to control the movement while the chair gives you a stable base. Keep the reps smooth and avoid using momentum. The better the control, the more useful the exercise becomes.
Muscles Trained: Abs, hip flexors, deep core.
How to Do It:
Sit near the front edge of a sturdy chair.
Hold the sides of the chair lightly.
Lean back slightly while keeping your chest lifted.
Lift both knees toward your chest.
Pause briefly at the top.
Lower your feet with control and repeat.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between sets.
Best Variations: Single-knee tucks, alternating knee tucks, slow-tempo knee tucks.
Form Tip: Keep your shoulders relaxed and let your abs control the knee lift.
Seated Flutter Kicks
Seated flutter kicks add a steady, controlled burn through the lower abs and hip flexors. The chair keeps you supported, but the legs still have to move with rhythm and control. Keep the kicks small at first. A shorter range often makes the movement feel cleaner and stronger.
Muscles Trained: Lower abs, hip flexors, quadriceps, deep core.
How to Do It:
Sit near the front edge of a sturdy chair.
Hold the sides of the chair for support.
Lean back slightly and brace your core.
Extend your legs in front of you.
Move your legs up and down in small alternating kicks.
Continue for the full interval without letting your posture collapse.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between sets.
Form Tip: Keep the kicks small enough that your lower back stays comfortable.
The 7-Day Wall Sit Challenge That Restores Leg Strength After 60
Seated Scissor Kicks
Seated scissor kicks challenge your abs from a different angle. Your legs cross and open while your torso stays steady, which gives your midsection plenty to manage. Move at a pace you can control and keep the range comfortable. This exercise works best when it feels smooth, not frantic.
Muscles Trained: Abs, hip flexors, inner thighs, quadriceps, deep core.
How to Do It:
Sit near the front edge of a sturdy chair.
Hold the sides of the chair lightly.
Lean back slightly and brace your core.
Extend your legs in front of you.
Cross one leg over the other, then switch.
Continue alternating for the full interval.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between sets.
Form Tip: Keep your chest lifted and shorten the range if your hips or lower back start taking over.
5 Home Exercises That Restore Hip Strength Faster Than Gym Machines After 60
How to Use Chair Exercises to Flatten Belly Pooch After 65
Shutterstock
Use these four exercises as a circuit. Complete one set of each move in order, rest for 60 to 90 seconds, then repeat for two to three total rounds.
Start with the chair squat: The bigger movement raises the intensity early and gives the routine more total-body effort.
Keep the ab moves controlled: Knee tucks, flutter kicks, and scissor kicks work best when the legs move smoothly, and the torso stays steady.
Shorten the range when needed: Smaller reps can still be effective, especially when they help you stay in control.
Make the circuit repeatable: Leave a little energy in the tank so you can come back to the routine a few days each week.
Pair it with daily movement: Walks and regular activity help support the body-composition changes this routine is built around.
A chair routine can give your abs direct work while still making the session feel active. Keep the squats strong, control the seated core moves, and let consistent effort support a firmer midsection over time.
References
Klempel, Natalie et al. “The Effect of Chair-Based Exercise on Physical Function in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 18,4 1902. 16 Feb. 2021, doi:10.3390/ijerph18041902
Once, it was a common aspiration: work diligently, retire at 60. Today, however, an increasing number of Australians continue to be employed well into their 70s, 80s, and even 90s. “Insight” explores the experiences of those who choose to keep working, those who need to, and examines the implications of extending one’s career. Catch the episode “Working Later in Life” on Tuesday at 8.30 pm on SBS or SBS On Demand.
Keiri Easdown, who retired from her career as a professional dancer at 45 due to its physical intensity, never anticipated trying her hand at four additional careers in the ensuing decades.
“The transition came as quite the shock,” Easdown reveals to Insight. “Dance defined me; it was the core of my identity.”
Faced with the end of her demanding career, which left her little in terms of savings, Easdown, a single mother, had no choice but to retrain for new opportunities to provide for her children.
“Whatever I earned primarily went towards household expenses and supporting my children,” she explains.
Since leaving behind her dance career, the 73-year-old has pivoted careers upwards of four times.
She’s been an entertainment director at Gold Coast theme park Dreamworld, did some time in retail and corporate for a whitegoods company, and worked as a cleaner, before that became too physically taxing in her mid-60s.
On average, Australians plan to retire between their 65th and 66th birthdays, according to data released in 2024 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
But Keiri, who has been working as a teacher aide at the school her daughter and son-in-law teach at since her late 60s, says she needs to keep working.
“The money is absolutely critical,” she says.
“I have very little in superannuation. As a dancer, we didn’t earn much. We lived hand to mouth.”
Women are working later
The average age of the 156,000 people who retired in the 2024-2025 financial year was 63.8, according to the ABS. Their exit from the workforce brought the nation’s total number of retirees (aged 45 years and over) to 4.5 million.
The 2025 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey conducted by the University of Melbourne’s Melbourne Institute found that, even though women are still retiring slightly earlier than men (a year on average), they are staying in the workforce longer than they once did.
In 2003, 69.5 per cent of women and 48.5 per cent of men in the 60-64 age group were retired. Twenty years later, these figures had dropped to 40.8 per cent and 27.4 per cent, respectively.
The research also found that, with comparatively lower superannuation than men, women were more likely to need to remain in the workforce longer to achieve financial security for retirement.
A sliding scale for the age pension?
Gary Thomas, a 57-year-old electrician, would love to retire soon but says he needs to keep working for financial security — despite his body being “worn”.
He has considered a less physical role but says he can’t afford to make the switch; he and his wife have a mortgage and want to help their three sons get into the housing market.
“People often recommend: ‘Oh, you can work at a hardware store.’ But I’d make a third of what I make now, and they’d give me maybe 25 hours a week,” he says.
Gary doesn’t see himself retiring soon but wishes he could be retrained.
“It would be good if we had [government] training programs — options where people could retrain to do something else,” he says.
The electrician, who is based in Kangaroo Valley in regional NSW, thinks the government should introduce ways to assist those wanting to retire before 67, which is when someone can become eligible for the age pension.
“Maybe there could be a sort of a sliding scale.
“[For example], I can’t work six days a week anymore so I’ve slowed down to five, but maybe I could slow down to three. I could work longer, but I could get a partial pension or partially tap into my superannuation now — as opposed to having to wait.”
Workplace longevity
The age pension is the most common main source of income for Australian retirees, according to a 2025 ABS report.
Jo Earl, honorary professor of psychology at UNSW, has spent the last 20 years studying what helps improve people’s retirement planning and predict the adjustments they may have to make to these plans.
She suggests the pension eligibility age, which rose from 65 to 67 in 2023, is a reason that some people continue working later. She also supports lowering the pension age for blue-collar workers.
“I think we’ve heard good arguments for making the pension relatable back to workplace longevity.”
“While we’re waiting for that to happen, people are trying to do workarounds. They’re working part-time, or they’re reducing their hours, or the work’s being adjusted, or there’s job redesign and that helps to a certain extent.”
She says retraining later in life is a good option for many — especially if they can do it before their planned retirement date.
“We often start looking at those retraining options in the face of poor health; so, I’d be in favour of doing that retraining much earlier in anticipation,” Earl says.
“Maybe starting 10 years back from that potential retirement date, because we must know from the data that we’ve got, about when people are leaving those workplaces for physical and psychological reasons.”
‘Why should I retire?’
Dougall Blanch, 70, is still working and has a fear of retiring, which he believes comes from his parents dying around what was typically considered ‘retirement age’.
“My father had to retire at 60 and died at 59 and 11 months. And then my mother had to retire at 65, and she died one month before mandatory retirement.
“I’m scarred by it all — I just was scared of retirement.”
Dougall and his wife Di, who live in regional NSW, opened their first confectionery shop specialising in fudge four decades ago.
“It was seven days a week, nine till five. And then on weekends you would do nine till 9.30pm, 10 o’clock; and then school holidays, would do nine till 10 o’clock at night,” he says.
Finding the long hours too taxing while raising their three children, they sold their shop and created a fudge franchise around Australia and New Zealand. The couple then opened another shop in 2012, which grew to have fourteen staff and the same long hours.
Dougall says it all became too much, and he figured out he needed to retire to something, not from something. He soon stumbled across the answer.
“A food trailer — I’m selling fudge from a van now about three days a week,” he says.
I’m fit and healthy and I actually love what I do, so why should I retire?
Dougall
Dougall feels he’s left the fast lane he was in for 50 years and is now in the middle lane: the semi-retirement lane.
“I’m happy as happy now. I’ve found my place …
“I’m fit and healthy and I actually love what I do, so why should I retire?”
Staying ‘relevant’
Like Dougall, Susan Goodsell planned to take a bit of a step back from work, but is finding it hard.
“Every Christmas I make the same pledge: I will not be practising after this,” the 77-year-old lawyer says.
“Every new year, I’m still at the desk.”
She has been running her Sydney legal practice for more than four decades, and she asked her daughter Kara Goodsell to join the practice 15 years ago.
She initially wanted Kara to step up so she could take a step back from the business but has found it difficult to release her clients to her daughter.
“I get very attached to my clients — probably too much — but it keeps me occupied and … doing something that I really like doing.”
Kara, 55, loves that her mum still works and sees it as “mutually beneficial”.
“[Mum] gets the benefits of mental activity and the agility; she stays relevant; she stays needed … She’s put the humanity over the business side of things.”
“For me, I get the benefit of her wisdom, her 45 years in practice … her steadiness and her direction, as well as her clients — I get the financial benefit of that as well.”
Susan believes there is a “lot of truth” to the adage “as you age, you become invisible”.
“And for me, to stay working allows me to hold on to my individuality and my connection with society in general.”
‘I have to be earning money to feel worthwhile’
Like Susan, Keiri loves her work. At 73 years old, she has found purpose and joy as a teacher aide in her fifth career pivot.
“I work with students with special needs and I feel like I’m making a difference,” she says.
“Without teacher aides, a lot of the teachers would struggle to be able to teach … The more I work, the more I realise I enjoy it; it’s good for my soul.”
Keiri is trying to save as much as she can before retiring for good and is unsure whether she will access the age pension.
But apart from the financial aspect, there’s another reason Keiri doesn’t see herself stopping work anytime soon.
“I have to be earning money to feel worthwhile to myself.
In Pennsylvania, a school bus aide is facing serious allegations after reportedly engaging in inappropriate conduct with a 14-year-old girl who has special needs. Police say the accused also used his cellphone to capture photographs and videos of the teenager.
The suspect, identified as 62-year-old Ali Khan, has been formally charged with endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of minors, indecent assault, among other related offenses. This was confirmed by the Bensalem Township Police Department.
Khan’s current predicament has landed him in the Bucks County Correctional Facility, unable to secure release after failing to pay 10% of a hefty $500,000 bail.
The serious claims came to light when the girl’s parents reached out to law enforcement on Thursday, July 30. They reported that their daughter had been touched inappropriately by the bus aide earlier the same day, prompting a swift investigation.
The arrest of Ali Khan, aged 62, for allegedly abusing a special needs teenager, has raised significant concern among the community. (Photo courtesy of Bensalem Township Police)
Police said their investigation determined that Khan allegedly touched the Bensalem High School student multiple times on Wednesday, July 29, and Thursday, July 30, while she was riding a bus to the school’s extended school year program.
Investigators said surveillance footage from inside the bus showed Khan directing the girl to a specific seat before allegedly touching her inappropriately while securing her seatbelt and after she was seated.
Police said the footage also appeared to show Khan engaging in sexual conduct and using a cellphone to photograph or record the girl.
Ali Khan was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of minors and indecent assault.(Google Maps)
“Bensalem Police would like to commend the victim of this assault for having the courage to come forward and report the assault,” police said. “Additionally, Bensalem Police would like to thank the Bensalem School District for their assistance with this investigation. The safety and well-being of our students continues to be the top priority of both the Bensalem Township Police Department and the Bensalem School District.”
The Bensalem Township School District said the employee was immediately removed from service and from the district pending the outcome of criminal and administrative investigations.
“The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority,” the district said in a statement. “Whenever concerns involving student safety are brought to our attention, we act immediately to protect students, support families, and cooperate fully with law enforcement. We are committed to conducting a thorough administrative review while respecting the integrity of the criminal investigation.”
The footage showed Ali Khan putting his hand inside his pants and touching himself during the encounter.(Bensalem Township Police)
“The district is fully cooperating with the Bensalem Township Police Department and will continue to assist law enforcement as requested. The district will also continue its own administrative investigation in accordance with Board policy, district procedures, and applicable law,” the statement added.
Khan’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 11, 2026.
On a turbulent Monday, authorities detained a 37-year-old man believed to be the catalyst behind one of the rampant wildfires ravaging eastern Washington. As the blazes continued to tear through the landscape, anxious residents were left in suspense, uncertain whether their homes had survived the inferno’s wrath.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office disclosed that Aaron F. Farinacci, aged 37, was apprehended on allegations of arson tied to the Old Trails Fire. Currently held with a bail set at an astounding $1 million, it remains unclear if Farinacci has legal representation to articulate his side of the story.
Igniting on Saturday, this particular fire is just one of many engulfing Spokane, Washington’s second-largest city. These infernos rank among the most catastrophic in the state’s history, wreaking havoc as they lay waste to over 700 structures and compel approximately 67,000 individuals to flee from their communities.
On Monday morning, some displaced residents made their way back, only to be met with the heartbreaking sight of their homes reduced to ashes by the weekend wildfires. Fields turned into seas of charred debris, and in some instances, stubborn chimneys were the solitary remnants defiantly standing against the destruction.
“There’s nothing to save,” lamented 76-year-old Miriam Sim, standing alongside her husband, Daniel, as they surveyed the devastation that was once their home, a place they lovingly called their own since 2005.
“At our age, do we want to rebuild?” her husband asked.
The fires jumped roads and rivers and had burned about 12.5 square miles by Monday. The sky filled with smoke and haze. Calmer winds and lower temperatures arrived to help firefighters, but it was expected to be hot and dry again by midweek.
In one Spokane neighborhood, blackened vehicles, a boat twisted by the heat and melted plastic recycling bins remained. Across the street, lawns were still green and houses were spared, as residents continued to run hoses or sprinklers to water their properties.
“Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers,” the state’s entire congressional delegation wrote Monday in asking President Donald Trump to approve an expedited emergency declaration.
No deaths or major injuries have been reported so far
Cpl. Mark Gregory, a spokesperson for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, said the county initially received nearly 300 reports of missing people, but by Monday they had cleared all but 14.
Those outstanding reports more likely represented people who had not been in contact since evacuating than people who were truly missing or in danger, authorities said.
The Spokane-area wildfires were completely uncontained, fire officials said. More than 1,000 firefighters, many from out of state, had arrived by Monday, and that number was expected to double in the next few days.
The fires were among dozens across the Western US stretching the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them. At least 390 square miles has burned across Washington, which has contended with severe drought and a paltry snowpack.
Authorities warned people not to fly drones near the burned areas, saying it could force them to delay aerial firefighting operations.
Homes, cars and possessions have been lost in flames
Angela and Wayde Deatherage, both 49, evacuated shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday with a son, grabbing a few bins of family photos and heirloom rings but not much else. Roughly 30 minutes later, their security camera was sending fire notifications to Angela’s phone.
Wayde Deatherage took some back roads and returned by early evening. He stopped at the end of the street and called his wife: “Our house is done.”
Deatherage, however, wasn’t done with his neighborhood. He propped a hose at another house so it sprayed the property. That home survived.
The couple returned to their property Sunday.
“It’s just ash,” Angela Deatherage said of the home where they had lived for nearly 22 years. ”It’s like our house sunk down in the basement. … There’s just so much loss for so many people.”
Karen Faggioli, 61, figured she would be returning to her home. She recalled how other recent fires had been brought under control. But a relative texted her the bad news: Her house and three vehicles were destroyed. A daughter lost her nearby house, too.
“Why cry? What’s crying going to do? I’ve been through so many tragedies myself,” said Faggioli, who is recovering from breast cancer. “This is nothing. Like I told my granddaughter, ‘We’re strong — and now we get all new things.’ I’m emotionally numb.”
Friends and relatives of fire victims posted online appeals for money, clothes and basic necessities.
Grassland burns in Idaho, Oregon and Utah
Spokane was hardly the only place struggling to contain fires.
A lightning-caused fire that has burned over 530 square miles of grassland in western Idaho and eastern Oregon continued to grow Monday. The area is home to cattle ranches, and authorities said the fire is threatening more than 600 homes and 800 other structures.
In central Utah, a blaze quadrupled in size over the weekend to nearly 109 square miles by Monday afternoon. More than 100 cattle have been killed, according to law enforcement.
Heavy winds helped flames jump containment lines, but forward progression was slowed toward Fillmore, a town of about 2,600 people and the seat of Millard County, officials said. Mandatory evacuations were ordered Sunday evening for the town’s southern portion, and inmates at the county jail were transferred.
Spokane sets up shelter for impacted residents
In Spokane, about 400 people were staying at city’s main convention center, which was turned into a shelter, officials said.
Spokane Public Schools opened a free emergency drop-in camp for children on Monday. Trials at the county court were pushed to Aug. 10.
Several larger fires continued to burn in less populated areas northwest of Spokane.
A convicted felon is under arrest, suspected of igniting one of the catastrophic wildfires ravaging Washington State, which has destroyed more than 700 structures and forced the evacuation of at least 67,000 individuals.
Thirty-seven-year-old Aaron F. Farinacci was taken into custody without resistance, facing charges of arson related to the Old Trails Fire. This blaze is one of three infernos currently raging and is on track to be among the most devastating in the history of the state.
In 2012, Farinacci pled guilty to manslaughter after fatally injuring his father during a 2010 altercation. Following the incident, he attempted to commit suicide, according to Fox News.
Initially, he faced charges of first-degree murder, but these were later reduced as reported by KHQ.
Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney Preston McCollam highlighted Farinacci’s criminal background. He noted that Farinacci had previously been questioned regarding possible arson activities, although he had not been formally arrested on those suspicions until now.
At around 10am Saturday, a witness said he’d seen a man kneeling near the fire, staring into the trees, before he ‘stood up and looked very nervous’ and then walked away, County Sheriff John Nowels said.
He was initially detained and questioned later that day but was ultimately released.
By Sunday, however, detectives had been able to to link him to the fire and according to Nowels, ‘determined that the origin of the fire was indeed exactly where the witnesses had seen Mr. Farinacci kneeling in the grass.’
A convicted felon has been arrested in connection with one of the devastating wildfires that has already destroyed over 700 buildings and forced at least 67,000 evacuations in Washington State. Pictured: Aaron F Farinacci (right) is taken into custody
Over 67,000 people have been displaced in Washington state as wildfires erupted across a dry landscape this weekend and into Monday
Spokane County authorities detained Farinacci with the help of a SWAT team after getting a warrant for his arrest Monday. Police said he had waterproof matches and a butane lighter on him.
He is being held on $1 million bond. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Multiple wildfires erupted across a dry landscape in Washington state this weekend and continued on Monday as more than thousands remain displaced from the blaze.
The fires in the Spokane area – the state’s second largest city – were among dozens across the Western US, stretching the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them.
Prior to the arson charge, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson had called it ‘likely the worst natural disaster in Spokane’s history.’
At least 390 square miles has burned across Washington, with a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Natural Resources saying they have not been contained.
Body camera footage posted by Spokane Firefighters showed the blazes and the resulting smoke roaring in the middle of a highway as they attempted to tamp down the fire.
About 700 buildings had been destroyed – a number that was expected to climb – and some 67,000 people were under evacuation orders. The cause was under investigation.
They fires in the Spokane area – the state’s second largest city – were among dozens across the Western US, stretching the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them
Other footage of the fire aftermath showed scores of homes burned to the ground, with only their brick fireplaces and foundations remaining, while other houses nearby escaped practically unscathed.
Calmer winds and lower temperatures arrived to help firefighters, but it was expected to be hot and dry again by midweek.
The state’s entire congressional delegation asked President Donald Trump to approve an expedited emergency declaration.
‘Hundreds of people have completely lost their homes and farms, and many are prohibited from returning to their homes or neighborhoods as crews continue to extinguish smoldering embers,’ they said in a statement.
In one Spokane neighborhood, blackened vehicles, a boat twisted by the heat and melted plastic recycling bins remained.
Across the street, lawns were still green and houses were spared, as residents continued to run hoses or sprinklers to water their properties.
Cpl. Mark Gregory, a spokesperson for the Spokane County Sheriff´s Office, said the county initially received nearly 300 reports of missing people, but by Monday they had cleared all but 14.
Authorities are attempting to make contact with those 14 people whom they have failed to reach by cell phone but are not yet presumed missing, Sheriff John Nowels told a press conference Monday.
Miriam Sim, 76, reacts while talking about her neighborhood largely burning to the ground after a wildfire hit the northern part of Spokane
Spokane Firefighters give their view of battling the uncontained blazes
A view of a burned neighborhood in the Old Trails Fire
A handout photo made available by the Spokane Valley Fire Department shows the Fairview Fire northeast of Spokane
Mayor Lisa Brown said authorities were combing the city block by block to assess damages and potential reignition, and couldn’t tell people yet when they could return home.
‘It could be weeks, depending on where your home and property is,’ she said.
‘I think from a historical standpoint, this is likely the worst natural disaster in Spokane’s history,’ Washington Governor Bob Ferguson added.
Ferguson declared a state of emergency on August 1, citing drought conditions that have stretched four consecutive years, unusually high temperatures and high winds exacerbating record-setting wildfires.
Those outstanding reports more likely represented people who had not been in contact since evacuating than people who were truly missing or in danger, authorities said.
Authorities warned people not to fly drones near the burned areas, saying it could force them to delay aerial firefighting operations.
Officials said Sunday that the evacuees in Spokane included patients at its U.S. Veterans Affairs hospital. Investigators had yet to determine how the blazes started.
Spokane was hardly the only place struggling to contain fires.
An American flag stands at a burned structure in a residential area of Westgate after a wildfire
Aaren Hartley, 8, uses a shovel to sift through the remains of his grandparents’ home after a wildfire hit the northern part of Spokane
Three members of the Spokane Fire Department sit on a curb in front of burned out residential homes in the Balboa neighborhood
A charred vehicle and structures on N. Westgate Pl. are in ruins due to the wildfire
Join the discussion
Should the government do more to support wildfire victims or focus on preventing future disasters?
A lightning-caused fire that has burned over 530 square miles of grassland in western Idaho and eastern Oregon continued to grow Monday.
The area is home to cattle ranches, and authorities said the fire is threatening more than 600 homes and 800 other structures.
In central Utah, a blaze quadrupled in size over the weekend to nearly 109 square miles by Monday afternoon.
More than 100 cattle have been killed, according to law enforcement.
Heavy winds helped flames jump containment lines, but forward progression was slowed toward Fillmore, a town of about 2,600 people and the seat of Millard County, officials said.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered Sunday evening for the town’s southern portion, and inmates at the county jail were transferred.
In Spokane, about 400 people were staying at city’s main convention center, which was turned into a shelter, officials said.
Spokane Public Schools opened a free emergency drop-in camp for children on Monday. Trials at the county court were pushed to Aug. 10.
The Spokane fires follow ‘one of the warmest winters on record for eastern Washington,’ which led to a severe snow drought
Mandatory evacuations were ordered Sunday evening for the town’s southern portion, and inmates at the county jail were transferred
A firefighter works to put out a fire at a home as a wildfire burns in Spokane County
The remains of a home destroyed by a wildfire in the Spokane area
Several larger fires continued to burn in less populated areas northwest of Spokane.
The Spokane fires follow ‘one of the warmest winters on record for eastern Washington,’ which led to a severe snow drought, said Daniel Swain, a climatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles.
‘This is a recurring pattern we’re seeing now over and over and over again, starting in the second decade of the 21st century, and now continuing essentially every year,’ he told an online briefing.
He pointed to the devastating fires in Los Angeles last year, major fires in Spain and France this year and in Hawaii in 2023.
The head of Washington’s Department of Natural Resources, David Upthegrove, said the fires in Spokane were among 16 major blazes burning throughout the state of Washington, covering 262,000 acres.
‘This is an extraordinary fire season,’ he said.
An outage map published by local utility Avista showed over 6,445 customers were without power due to the fires as of early Monday.
The biggest of the three fires burning in Spokane, the Old Trails fire, jumped the Spokane River on Saturday afternoon and crossed into the city proper.
Jelly Roll’s daughter has recently dismissed rumors suggesting that infidelity was responsible for the end of her father’s marriage to Bunnie Xo. Despite not revealing the actual cause of their separation, she firmly asserted that cheating was not involved. Interestingly, there was a time when infidelity almost led to the demise of their marriage. Jelly Roll previously opened up about being unfaithful to Bunnie during the early stages of their union.
Jelly Roll’s daughter said infidelity did not end her father’s marriage
In a candid message shared online, Bailee Ann, Jelly Roll’s daughter, reaffirmed that unfaithfulness had no part in the marital breakdown.
“Nobody cheated,” she declared emphatically during a TikTok livestream. “Period. [Get] the f*** out of my comments, my DMs, my live with that s***, I don’t care, I don’t want to talk about it.”
She also hinted at being privy to the true reason behind the split, teasing, “y’all have no f***ing idea what happened, and wait ‘til y’all find out.”
She told people to stop speculating about the divorce because they don’t have all the facts.
“It’s not a difference in f***ing opinions,” she said. “Nobody else lived in it. So don’t f***ing even. I’m for real so done. Good? Everybody good? We’re on the same page? Cool.”
Jelly Roll spoke about infidelity at the start of his marriage
Though Jelly Roll and Bunnie may have remained loyal in recent years, their marriage nearly ended shortly after it began. In 2018, the couple briefly split after he had an affair.
“One of the worst moments of my adulthood was when I had an affair on my wife,” he said on the Human School podcast (via People). “Because it was the first time that I was like, ‘I really can’t get this right at all. I know I’m in love with this woman.’ It just really, really, really blew me back.”
He said that while he regretted his affair, he believed it shaped them as a couple.
“I wish our story would’ve went in the way that it never had an affair, and I’m in a way glad it happened, but man, I’m proud of who we are today,” he said. “I truly am.”
He believes his former friends influenced him to have an affair
Jelly Roll said that at the time, he was spending time with people who had affairs. As a result, he felt that it wasn’t a big deal.
“I was hanging around a bunch of people that were cheating on their wives. When I was doing cocaine, I was hanging around a bunch of people that were doing cocaine,” he said. “I used to be proud of long-standing friendships just because they had a number attached to them. Horrible humans. But I would just be proud to say, ‘That dude’s been with me 12 years.’ S****y human!”
After this, he said he began spending more time with people he wanted to emulate.
This story contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you care about is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
In a bid to challenge the prosecution’s depiction of Lindsay Clancy as a methodical and premeditated individual, her lawyer argued in court. The Massachusetts mother, currently on trial, is being painted by prosecutors as an organized planner. However, her attorney pressed a hospital psychiatrist to admit that it’s possible for someone experiencing psychosis to still communicate, devise plans, and execute them.
“Isn’t it true that individuals can still converse, make decisions, and act on them even if they’re amid a psychotic episode?” defense attorney Kevin Reddington asked Dr. Sejal Shah during Monday’s session.
Dr. Shah affirmed, saying simply, “Yes.”
On Monday, August 3, 2026, Lindsay Clancy appeared as a defendant on the fifth day of her murder trial at Plymouth Superior Court. She faces three murder charges related to the tragic deaths of her three young children in 2023 at their home in Duxbury. Clancy claims she was in the grips of postpartum psychosis, asserting that she should not be held criminally liable.(Greg Derr/Pool/The Patriot Ledger)
Reddington then asked whether someone must be “drooling and stumbling and unable to walk and talk” to be psychotic. Shah said no and agreed that a person in psychosis can still communicate with others.
Clancy is charged in the deaths of Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, inside the family’s Duxbury home. Her defense maintains she was suffering from postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors argue she acted deliberately and understood what she was doing.
Dr. Sejal Shah testified she examined Clancy multiple times at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in January and February 2023.(Greg Derr/Pool/The Patriot Ledger)
Seth J. Zuckerman, a celebrity criminal defense attorney, former New York City prosecutor and founder of Zuckerman Legal Group, said the case will turn on Clancy’s mental state at the precise time the children were killed.
“What was in her mind at the exact time that she killed her children?” Zuckerman told News Media.
He said prosecutors have focused on Patrick Clancy’s trips to CVS and a local restaurant, along with his communications with his wife, to portray her as lucid during the critical time frame.
Shah, an associate chief of psychiatry and medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, first evaluated Clancy five days after the killings.
She testified that Clancy was confused, made mistakes during a cognitive assessment and had experienced visual hallucinations after spinal surgery.
Shah diagnosed delirium and said possible causes included anesthesia, oxygen problems and an elevated heart rate. The symptoms resolved by the following day, Shah said.
Prosecutors argued in opening statements that Lindsay Clancy “deliberately and meticulously” killed her children and “acted intentionally, rationally, and swiftly to accomplish a very specific goal.”(Greg Derr/Pool/The Patriot Ledger)
During later evaluations, Clancy appeared calm and cooperative, displayed organized and goal-directed thinking and denied hallucinations and suicidal or homicidal intent.
Reddington used cross-examination to argue those observations did not establish Clancy was free of psychosis at the time of the killings.
“Was she, in your opinion and your experience, an honest patient telling you what her symptoms were, if any?” Reddington asked.
“Yes,” Shah said.
“She didn’t go off and try to exaggerate to you and say, ‘I’m seeing visions and I’m hearing voices,’ and suicidal ideation and homicidal ideas,” Reddington said. “She didn’t say any of those things to you, did she?”
“Correct,” Shah said.
“So this is not, in your opinion, someone who was trying to exaggerate her conditions for some legal reason, correct?” Reddington asked.
“No,” Shah replied.
Zuckerman called that concession “extremely helpful to the defense,” although not decisive.
“They want to portray her as someone who wasn’t manipulative, who didn’t have some grand plan,” he said.
Lindsay Clancy appears in court Monday in Plymouth, Massachusetts. She has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder for the killings of her children.(Greg Derr/Pool/The Patriot Ledger)
On redirect, prosecutors challenged the defense’s portrayal by focusing on Clancy’s medication history.
Shah agreed Clancy was not taking every psychiatric medication discussed at the same time and said she had not known some prescriptions were barely used or untouched.
Shah also confirmed that Clancy requested do-not-resuscitate status after surviving her fall from a second-story window. The hospital did not immediately change her status because of the reported suicide attempt.
Shah said Clancy later agreed her mental health should be stabilized before reconsidering the request.
Zuckerman said Monday’s cross-examination helped the defense by supplying testimony that Clancy could appear lucid at some moments while experiencing severe psychiatric symptoms at others.
Still, he said its value will depend on whether the defense can connect those symptoms to the moment the children were killed.
“The burden is on the prosecutors to show that she was criminally responsible at the time of the deaths,” Zuckerman said. “That is unique to Massachusetts, and I think it’s beneficial to the defense here.”
On January 24, 2023, Clancy fatally strangled her three children in the basement of their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home using exercise resistance bands. She then cut her wrists and neck and jumped from a second-story window in a suicide attempt, leaving her partially paralyzed.(Greg Derr/Pool/The Patriot Ledger)
Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, has pleaded not guilty to three counts each of murder and strangulation. Judge William Sullivan told jurors that the Commonwealth must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Clancy was criminally responsible when the children were killed.
Scott Harris, president of baseball operations for the Tigers, rebutted suggestions that the team should have delayed trading ace pitcher Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Over the weekend, ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, Skubal, recipient of two consecutive Cy Young Awards, was moved to the Dodgers.
In exchange, the Tigers acquired outfield prospect Zyhir Hope along with right-handed pitching prospects River Ryan and Brady Smith. There was speculation on whether Harris might have achieved better offers by waiting to trade the standout pitcher.
Scott Harris is pictured in 2024. MLB Photos via Getty Images
Harris clarified to the media, “We entered this process with a clear vision of the deal we wanted to secure. We thoroughly understood what each potential partner had on the table. With a player of Tarik Skubal’s caliber, the market dynamics at the deadline are unique compared to others. It’s understandable to think you should hold out until the last minute to optimize the return, but that’s not how it works with top-tier players.”
Harris further explained, “No team in pursuit of Tarik Skubal was holding out for other options and planning to come back to him if unsuccessful elsewhere. The decision each team made to acquire Skubal wasn’t influenced by external market conditions.”
Harris also said that it became clear through conversations with other organizations that the market was set for someone like Skubal and that the Tigers “could steer it as fast or as slow as we wanted to” when it came to finding the right move for the organization.
“We felt like we put ourselves in a position on Saturday night where it was abundantly clear what every organization was going to be able to do, and we laid down all the offers in front of us and we chose one. I’m very confident that we absolutely maximized the return we could get for Tarik Skubal,” Harris said.
Tarik Skubal of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on in the dugout against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, August 2, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
The Tigers executive also said that several teams pursued Skubal aggressively before Detroit’s front office decided that the Dodgers’ offer was the best deal, describing the interest in the star pitcher as a “bidding war.”
Even with Skubal on to a new club, Harris explained that they did believe a playoff run still could be in the cards for the Tigers, who also dealt starter Casey Mize to the Padres.
The ballclub is 2 ½ games back of a wild-card spot in the American League.
In a strategic move, officials from an affluent Florida island are rallying residents to engage with a neighboring city’s rapid development surge.
During a meeting on July 14, the Palm Beach Town Council highlighted their inability to directly influence West Palm Beach’s developmental decisions. Nevertheless, they are motivating the community to get involved, as reported by the Palm Beach Post.
Council President Pro-Tem Lew Crampton suggested residents could join or observe committees that address regional traffic and transportation issues, or lend support to political candidates favoring moderated growth in this burgeoning area.
Additionally, council members proposed that locals participate in future dialogues over potential amendments to West Palm Beach’s master plan. This could include discussions on taller buildings, increased density, and reduced parking, as the city contemplates the approval of structures up to 25 stories tall.
Traffic remains a pressing concern for Palm Beach’s Council, a perennial issue exacerbated during summer gridlocks. The town’s position on a barrier island, coupled with its restricted bridge access and lack of room for roadway expansion, amplifies these challenges.
‘I think for all of us, it has to do with traffic,’ Council Member Julie Araskog said.
‘And the more people that move here, the more that will come to the island. And the more things that are built, the more people that will come to the island – and we just don’t have the road capacity.’
She went on to argue that traffic would be ‘absolutely insane’ on both sides of the three bridges that connect the city with the town if West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James moves forward with his plans to close part of a major thoroughfare to create a new park on the downtown waterfront.
Town of Palm Beach officials (above) urged residents to get involved as the neighboring city of West Palm Beach continues to see major development
Officials in the city of West Palm Beach are mulling whether to allow buildings as tall as 25 stories, denser neighborhoods and less parking
Median home prices in the town of Palm Beach exceed $3 million
To prevent the closures, Araskog suggested Palm Beach residents work ‘hand-in-hand’ with West Palm Beach residents.
But Crampton took a fiercer stance.
‘We can’t just sit around anymore. We can’t say, “I’m from Palm Beach and you’re not” anymore,’ the council president asserted.
‘We are now part of a regional superstructure, one of the fastest-growing counties in Florida, or in the country. And West Palm is going to be the next big city in Florida. That’s happening.’
The city, located 70 miles north of Miami, was once known for its aging multi-family homes in disrepair, run down apartments and overgrown lawns.
But West Palm is now being dubbed ‘Wall Street South,’ with over 300 hedge funds and private equity firms with offices there.
The transformation is being fueled by an influx of financial firms, warm weather and Florida’s tax-friendly environment, attracting both Palm Beach residents and remote-working New Yorkers.
The expansion is also being attributed to a post-pandemic recovery that saw many people relocate to West Palm full-time after working there temporarily.
In 2020, Ken Griffin, the founder and chief executive officer of Citadel, one of the world’s leading alternative investment firms, started running its hedge fund from the Palm Beach Four Seasons during the COVID lockdown.
What followed was a wave of financial firms including Goldman Sachs, BlackRock and Point72, opening offices in the city.
The city is also seeing an increase in tech companies and startups, creating new job opportunities and drawing millennials and Gen Z professionals to the area.
Much of the boom in West Palm Beach can be attributed to Related Ross developer and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross
Ross has become a major developer in the city, which he said he plans to build up like Silicon Valley. A rendering of one of his projects is pictured
Ross’ existing West Palm portfolio totals 1.7-million-square-feet
Much of the boom can be credited to Related Ross developer and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, a real estate visionary who took a big chance on the once underdeveloped city becoming a business and cultural hub.
He has said his vision is for West Palm Beach to become like Silicon Valley.
West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James said he expects continued growth for the city
‘I believe it will happen and it will be here in Palm Beach County,’ Ross said earlier this year as his company, Related Ross, held a groundbreaking ceremony for two new commercial office towers which total one million square feet of office space.
Ross’s existing West Palm portfolio totals 1.7-million-square-feet.
Near the new buildings will be a graduate campus for Vanderbilt University. Cleveland Clinic is also set to open a state-of-the-art hospital.
Mayor James says he expects continued growth for West Palm Beach.
‘West Palm Beach will be even more attractive to businesses in the tech, financial services and money management sectors due, in no small part, to the establishment of the Vanderbilt graduate campus which will house programs in business, applied computing, cybersecurity, AI, and engineering,’ he says.
‘The Vanderbilt campus will service 1000 students per year. That talent pipeline will prove quite attractive to businesses considering establishing a footprint in West Palm Beach.’
Officials in the Town of Palm Beach are particularly concerned about the traffic implications
The town experienced gridlock during the summer seasons due to its position on a barrier island with limited bridge access and with no room to expand roadways. Cars are seen stuck in traffic after police blocked the road in West Palm Beach
There are now roughly three dozen projects in review, under construction or approved across the city.
Approved projects alone account for 2.6 million square feet of space. They include more than 2,000 residential units, a hotel and a private club.
One approved project is for a new two-tower residential project with a restaurant on Family Church property. The project, named Edgewater, is being developed by Related Ross and Easton Street Capitol on land leased from the church for a term of 99 years.
The Nora East and Nora West developments are also slated to add two 11-story mixed use buildings with residences and commercial space.
At the same time, a little more than 2 million square feet of space is already under construction – including three hotels comprising 474 rooms and Atlantic University’s new 25-story dormitory and 11-story parking garage.
Those massive structures are in stark contrast with the Town of Palm Beach just across the water, the home of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate where median home prices exceed $3 million.
Related Ross held a groundbreaking ceremony earlier this year for two new commercial office towers which total one million square feet of office space
The town’s aesthetic roots stretch back to the Gilded Age, when tycoons like Henry Flagler turned a sparsely populated island into a winter playground for America’s elite.
Grand estates with red tile roofs, stucco walls, courtyards and varied facades came to define the town. No two buildings were meant to look the same.
Yet Crampton acknowledged there could be some benefits to the growth, citing the plans for a new Vanderbilt University campus and a new campus for the private Pine Crest School.
The new private clubs and restaurants being developed ‘hopefully will keep people over there,’ the town council president said.
‘There are benefits, but we need to be involved at the basic level of these boards and commissions.’
