The White House was briefly evacuated on Sunday evening after the Secret Service discovered suspicious powder in a common area of the West Wing. Preliminary tests showed the substance was cocaine, found in a storage facility used by White House staff and guests. The Secret Service is currently investigating the incident and has not released any further information.
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On Tuesday morning, a woman was killed in an alligator attack while walking her dog near a lagoon in South Carolina. Rescue efforts were interrupted by an alligator guarding the woman, who was later found dead at the edge of the lagoon. This marks the second fatal alligator attack in Beaufort County in less than a year. The sheriff’s office is currently investigating the incident and has urged residents to be aware of their surroundings and to take necessary precautions when near bodies of water.
The U.S. Secret Service is investigating a "white, powdery substance" found in the West Wing of the White House, which led to a brief evacuation of the complex. The substance tested positive for cocaine on a field test, and the Secret Service has determined it to be "non-hazardous". The investigation is ongoing, and the White House has not commented on the incident.
On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there has been contact between the U.S. and Russia regarding a possible prisoner swap involving Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, both of whom are considered "wrongfully detained." The same day, the U.S. ambassador to Russia met with Gershkovich in Moscow, and Peskov said that any discussions about a prisoner swap must be kept in complete silence. It is unclear if the two countries have made any progress in their negotiations.
Emma Tetewsky, a 31-year-old Massachusetts woman who went missing last week, was found alive in Borderland State Park on Monday evening after hikers heard her screaming for help in a swamp-like area. She was taken to the hospital with serious, but not life-threatening injuries, and the cause of her disappearance is still under investigation.
Three people were killed and eight others injured in a shooting at a celebration in Fort Worth, Texas on Monday night. Police are investigating the incident and are asking anyone with information or video/photos to come forward.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has requested a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration from President Joe Biden in response to a Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine earlier this year, which caused a fire that burned for several days. East Palestine Fire Chief Bill Jones was one of the first responders and had to decide whether or not to burn toxic chemicals on the train. The disaster declaration would guarantee federal aid to the community in the event that Norfolk Southern’s support ceases. The derailment is still under investigation by the Federal Railroad Administration.
The US Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of an evangelical Christian web designer who refused to work on same-sex weddings, a decision that has been seen as a setback for LGBTQ rights. The court backed the case of a Christian graphic designer from the state of Colorado who said that due to her beliefs she would not make a wedding website for a same-sex couple. The ruling has raised questions about the implications of the ruling for businesses that provide services to same-sex couples, and its implications remain to be seen.