Category: officials

Colorado State and City Officials Welcome Shen Yun

After a year of setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing performance cancellations, Shen Yun Performing Arts was able to return to Colorado for another series of spectacular performances. Shen Yun is a New York-based performing arts company showcasing Chinese culture before the era of communism. In welcoming the performers, seven Colorado state and city…


Officials: Man Seriously Injured in Florida Alligator Attack

STUART, Fla.—An alligator attacked and seriously injured a man at a Florida park Monday, officials said. The attack occurred shortly before noon at Halpatiokee Regional Park in Stuart, according to a Martin County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post. The man was riding a bike when he lost control and fell down an embankment toward a body…


No Survivors From Plane Crash in Russia’s Far East, Rescue Officials Say

MOSCOW—There are no survivors after a plane carrying 28 people crashed in the far east of Russia on Tuesday, Russian news agencies cited rescue officials as saying. The Antonov An-26 twin-engined turboprop was en route from the regional capital Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Palana, a village in the north of the Kamchatka peninsula, when it lost contact…


Border Patrol’s Fentanyl Seizures Increase by 4,000% Amid Crisis, Officials Say

Border officials seized 4,000% more fentanyl in 2021 than in 2018 as the border crisis continues, NBC News reported Tuesday. Cartels have taken advantage of increased federal resources allocated for migrant encounters to smuggle fentanyl into the U.S. between ports of entry, according to NBC News. Border officials have found 41 pounds of fentanyl in…


Border Patrol’s Fentanyl Seizures Increase by 4,000 Percent From 2018, Officials Say

Border officials have seized 4,000 percent more fentanyl in 2021 than in 2018 as the border crisis continues, NBC News reported on June 29. Cartels have taken advantage of increased federal resources allocated for migrant encounters to smuggle fentanyl into the United States between ports of entry, according to NBC News. Border officials have found…


Puerto Rican Boxer Turns Himself in After Lover Found Dead

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—Puerto Rican boxer Félix Verdejo turned himself in to federal agents Sunday night just hours to face federal charges after authorities identified the body of a dead woman as his 27-year-old pregnant lover, officials said. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said late Sunday that Verdejo was being charged with kidnapping and carjacking resulting…


Shooter From ‘Higher Elevation’ Opens Fire at Police in Maryland: Officials

A gunman allegedly fired at Maryland police from what they said was a “higher elevation” in Gaithersburg when they were responding to a “parking hazard,” authorities said Wednesday. “We are encouraging residents to shelter in place as this is an active scene,” said the Gaithersburg Police Department in a tweet. Earlier, the Montgomery County Department…


Afghan Bus Blast and Helicopter Crash Kill 13: Officials

KABUL—A roadside bomb killed four people in a bus carrying Afghan government staff in Kabul on Thursday, a day after nine members of the security forces died when their helicopter was shot down, officials said. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the roadside blast though the government has blamed Taliban terrorists for recent attacks…


China in Focus (March 15): Biden White House Officials Recognize Lab Leak Theory

Biden administration officials appear to recognize a theory about the origin of the pandemic. The theory comes from a Trump-era fact sheet, which says the virus accidentally leaked from a Wuhan virology lab. The United States is kick-starting talks with China. Officials from both sides are set to meet this week, but China’s history leads…