By Dalia Faheid, Alea Motwane, Dakota Smith, Kate Petersen, CNN

(CNN) — Erin Cotton didn’t notice the smoke until her eyes started to water and her two children complained they felt itchy.

“That’s when I remembered what I felt like during the Palisades Fire,” said Cotton, a Washington, DC, mother of a 5- and 1-year-old who lived in California as one of the most destructive wildfires in state history raged last year.

Cotton is one of more than 100 million people across the Midwest, Northeast and mid-Atlantic breathing in dangerous air brought by thick, choking plumes of smoke from wildfires in Canada.

Smoke put a damper on outdoor summer events across over a dozen states under air quality alerts. Events ranging from a baby parade in Flint, Michigan, to a rock concert in Herndon, Virginia, and the America’s Mile marathon in Pittsburgh were canceled Friday as smoke lingered. Businesses have also suffered during a busy season: Amusement parks like Kennywood and Sandcastle Water Park in Pennsylvania were shuttered due to the poor air quality.

Highly anticipated sporting events like the Cleveland Guardians game against the Pittsburgh Pirates and the RowFest National Championships in Michigan were called off or postponed.

But one question looms as thick as the smoke itself: Will the air pollution be a problem for the World Cup final on Sunday afternoon in New York City?

The good news: The heaviest smoke could clear out of the region ahead of the final. The bad news: Some less dense, thinner smoke plumes could move into the area.

DC resident Abigail Nguyen planned to watch the World Cup on the National Mall with thousands of other soccer fans. Now she says she’ll just watch it with her roommates at home.

“I can’t really get the full effect and energy of the crowd, which is so sad, because we should be celebrating this summer event instead of being holed up inside,” she said.

Residents from Minnesota to Washington, DC, told CNN the noxious air has disrupted their lives, seeping into everything from their health and leisure to their businesses and family life.

Officials in a handful of states most impacted advised residents to stay indoors and to wear masks if they need to leave their homes.

For some, the shutdowns and masking guidance brought flashbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic about six years ago. Others like Cotton were reminded of past natural disasters, leaving them wary of stepping outside.

Communities across parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast will face poor air quality until Saturday afternoon, when a storm system arrives to help clear the air.

Officials warn about dangerous air

Milwaukee, Chicago and Detroit had some of the worst air quality in the country Friday morning, but dangerous levels of pollution stretched into southern Ohio and West Virginia.

“Chicago is currently experiencing its worst air quality in recorded history,” the mayor’s office said in a social media post Thursday evening. “Please stay indoors, and if you must go outdoors, use a well-fitted N95 or KN95 mask for your safety.”

The Detroit Health Department is offering free masks to residents and encouraging everyone to stay inside. In Philadelphia, “everyone is likely to experience health effects from being exposed” to smoke in the air, officials warned in a news release Fr

By Daria Tarasova-Markina, Svitlana Vlasova, Lauren Kent, CNN

(CNN) — Nikopol, in southern Ukraine, rarely makes the headlines – overshadowed by the threats to the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant directly across the river. But this city on the front line of Russia’s full-scale invasion has been attacked almost every day since the war began, local authorities say.

Its proximity to Russian military positions only two miles away on the other bank of the Dnipro River means that civilians face a heightened risk of attacks by short-range Russian drones.

“We’ve actually grown somewhat accustomed to the danger, though the feeling of fear never really goes away,” said Oleksandr Varytsev, a poet who also runs a local charity that provides hot meals for elderly and disabled people. “It’s very scary – and if it’s scary for me, you can imagine how older men and women feel when they come to our volunteer center.”

Horrifying video posted by authorities in June showed a small Russian drone target an elderly woman in a wheelchair – an attack that killed three people, including the 87-year-old woman and her son. In April, four more people were killed in a drone attack on a city bus.

Those are just two examples of Russian FPV (first-person view) drones attacking civilians rather than military assets – a phenomenon that’s also playing out in the frontline cities of Kherson and Kramatorsk. Russia has repeatedly claimed it is targeting Ukrainian Armed Forces threats in Nikopol, despite evidence to the contrary.

In recent months, drone sightings in Nikopol have increased from two or three per day to about three every hour, day and night, Varytsev says.

The continual drone threat has forced civilians here to change their everyday behaviors to avoid becoming victims of what they call Russia’s “human safari.” They try not to stand in outdoor spaces like bus stops; schools and kindergartens have been closed; and civilian services like the Ukrainian national post office and city buses are also routinely suspended.

“People are afraid to walk in the street, but they’re adapting to the new reality,” Varytsev said. “We keep our heads up all the time, we no longer look down at our feet.”

Before the full-scale invasion, Nikopol had around 100,000 people and was mostly known for the strawberries it grows for the Ukrainian market. Today, local officials estimate that half of the population has left.

“The city is emptying before our eyes. The situation is very dangerous, and there are more and more attacks every day,” said Oleksii Kirillov, who has worked in freight transportation in Nikopol for more than two decades. Since the war began, his focus has been more on facilitating evacuations than on his transportation business, he said.

Over the past four years, he has learned to distinguish between combat drones and the slower-moving reconnaissance drones. And although fear has dulled, it has never gone away. “Only fools are not afraid.”

Anti-drone innovations

Nikopol is increasingly being covered with overhead fishing nets that can trap FPV drones – a new Ukrainian reality in almost all frontline cities, from Kherson to Kramatorsk. Locals said they’re working to expand the netting that covers roads to their sidewalks as well, to make it safer to walk around.

The drone threat has also driven other innovations, like notifying civilians of incoming drones via a city-wide warning app. Some companies and emergency workers have also been

Por Hanna Ziady, CNN

Gran Bretaña necesita desesperadamente recuperar su chispa. Su economía está teniendo dificultades, los servicios públicos están bajo presión y las mejoras en los niveles de vida se han ralentizado hasta casi detenerse en las últimas décadas. La inestabilidad política es la nueva normalidad, y el ánimo nacional es sombrío.

¿Podría una saludable dosis de esperanza de Andy Burnham ser el antídoto?

El exalcalde del Gran Manchester, en el noroeste de Inglaterra, Burnham se convertirá el lunes en el séptimo primer ministro del Reino Unido en una década, tras sustituir a Keir Starmer como líder del gobernante Partido Laborista.

Ha prometido al país “una nueva era de posibilidades”.

Mientras que su predecesor carecía de carisma, Burnham es un comunicador nato, con un aire desenfadado y un don para galvanizar a la gente. Es simpático y divertido —en un estilo de “chistes de papá”— y sus elecciones de moda smart-casual lo hacen cercano.

También es un político con experiencia, tras haber sido miembro del Parlamento y ministro del gabinete durante muchos años antes de cambiar Londres por Manchester, en 2017. Ahora quiere llevar el “manchesterismo” —su marca de socialdemocracia favorable a las empresas y con poder local— a la capital británica y al resto del Reino Unido.

“Voy a darle a Gran Bretaña el cortacircuitos que necesita”, dijo en un discurso el mes pasado, cuando lanzó su tercera candidatura en los últimos 16 años para el liderazgo del Partido Laborista.

Como alcalde del Gran Manchester durante nueve años, Burnham supervisó una región urbana cuya economía ha crecido a aproximadamente el doble de la tasa del país en su conjunto.

La ciudad es “irreconocible” respecto a aquella en la que creció Lucy Ellison, una gerente de cafetería, de 33 años. Se mudó de vuelta hace dos años después de trabajar en hostelería en Estados Unidos y Amsterdam durante 12 años.

“Se siente como una ciudad diferente”, dijo a CNN, mencionando las “tiendas de vino peculiares y panaderías independientes que antes nunca teníamos”.

Bares de vino, cafeterías de especialidad y cafés de gama alta ahora proliferan en una ciudad con una energía claramente optimista y ambiciosa. El mes pasado, Condé Nast Traveller nombró a Manchester el “destino gastronómico más brillante” del Reino Unido.

Una escena hostelera bulliciosa es parte de la razón por la que Hip Pop, una marca local de refrescos y kombucha, ha prosperado. La cofundadora Emma Thackray inició la empresa en su cocina, en 2019, vendiendo en mercados del norte de Inglaterra.

La marca ahora está disponible en la mayoría de los principales supermercados del Reino Unido y se vende en varios otros países europeos. Thackray quiere “construir una marca global, desde el corazón de Manchester”, dijo a CNN, mientras se entusiasmaba con los muchos cambios positivos en la ciudad donde fue estudiante universitaria hace más de dos décadas.

En una calle del centro llamada Deansgate, la artista local Helen Davies, de 32 años, se sienta en un escaparate trabajando en una colección de pinturas titulada “Notas de amor a Manchester”, una oda a un lugar del que “sigue enamorándose”, según un texto en la ventana.

Cerca de allí, unos escalones pintados de colores vivos conducen a Deansgate Mews, donde se puede encontrar una mezcla ecléctica de restaurantes. Una clientela joven disfruta del almuerzo al sol o teclea afanosamente en portátiles, parte de un creciente grupo de jóvenes trabajadores que se han mudado a la ciudad en los últimos años, muchos desde Londres.

Manchester es más asequible que Londres y aun así ofrece restaurantes de alta calidad, una vida nocturna vibrante y artes y cultura de primer nivel.

A unos 10 minutos a pie de Deansgate Mews, Aviva Studios —un enorme recinto cultural que abrió en 2023— está albergando actualmente una impor

By Annie Grayer, CNN

(CNN) — When a Brooklyn coffee shop announced on social media it was banning Rep. Dan Goldman over his views on Israel, some of his Jewish colleagues in Congress wanted their Democratic leadership to weigh in.

But even as the controversy rocketed around the internet, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries remained silent. Many in his ranks were frustrated.

“I think they’re doing everything they can to not talk about the antisemitism on the left to get themselves through elections,” Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz said of his leadership team. “I think it’s more convenient just to pretend it’s not happening.”

Goldman told CNN, “it was noticeable how few people publicly spoke out in response to it.”

The episode reflects a growing conundrum for Democrats on Capitol Hill, who are increasingly seeing their ranks filled by members with dim views of Israel for what they see as reprehensible conduct in the Middle East.

If Democrats win the House majority in November, the fierce debate unfolding within the party could complicate efforts to hold the caucus together after a slate of candidates critical of Israel ousted incumbents – including Goldman – in recent primaries.

The tension exploded to the fore on Wednesday, when 103 Democrats voted to block billions of foreign aid to Israel – joining a measure that was sponsored by a Republican, though Republicans and other Democrats ultimately rose to defeat it. Even House Democratic leadership was split on the vote, with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar voting against the measure while Minority Whip Katherine Clark voted for it.

“Nothing will be the same on this issue ever again, I think, after this vote,” said Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Greg Casar, surrounded by his colleagues who voted with him in blocking the aid.

A day later, Sen. John Fetterman warned he would leave the Democratic Party if it adopted anti-Israel policy, calling the issue his “red line.”

“If the Democratic Party becomes official anti-Israel, then that’s when I would force me out,” he told CNN’s Manu Raju.

Democrats on the Hill have variously downplayed the tension, said it is roiling their party in uncomfortable ways, or tried to build relationships with people whose views on Israel are sharply divergent from their own. But this much is clear: it’s an issue.

Jeffries shut down a question from CNN on Thursday when asked if he was out of step with the direction House Democrats are heading on Israel.

“If you ask me a serious question, I’ll give you a serious answer,” Jeffries told CNN.

Looking forward, Jeffries argued that Democrats are united in tackling this complex issue: “our approach will be one that is broadly inclusive.”

Jeffries has tried to be a bridge for the competing factions in his caucus, encouraging those differences of opinions to coexist. He believes in Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state but also demands that US foreign policy towards Israel change to hold the Israeli government accountable. At the same time, he has called for the reconstruction of Gaza, humanitarian assistance for Palestinians and ultimately the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Jeffries has also called out instances of antisemitism in the past.

The day before the vote on funding for Israel, Jeffries was candid with his colleagues in a closed-door m

Por Emma Tucker, CNN

Dos trabajadores del Servicio Forestal de EE.UU. realizaban trabajo de campo en un bosque del norte de California la mañana del jueves cuando fueron secuestrados a punta de pistola, atados con bridas y llevados a un remolque remoto, dijeron las autoridades.

Usando el teléfono de una de las víctimas para hacer una llamada, un sospechoso dijo que había “tomado como rehenes a dos empleados federales del Servicio Forestal” y que tenía “munición real lista”, dijeron los fiscales federales.

La llamada provocó una enorme presencia de fuerzas del orden locales, estatales y federales que subieron a toda prisa por el camino de un solo carril hasta el campamento, ubicado a 600 metros de altura en un terreno escabroso en el bosque nacional Shasta-Trinity, dijeron las autoridades.

No fue sino hasta 15 horas después que los trabajadores del Gobierno fueron liberados y regresaron a casa a salvo, y los fiscales federales acusaron a un padre y a un hijo de secuestro.

Durante las negociaciones, las autoridades usaron drones para identificar el remolque y contactar al padre, dijo el sheriff del condado de Siskiyou, Jeremiah LaRue. Cuando lo hicieron, el padre dijo que quería hablar con el Buró Federal de Investigaciones, advirtiendo que tenía armas de fuego y municiones, dijo el sheriff.

Unas cuatro horas después, alrededor de las 4:20 p. m., las fuerzas del orden federales y locales pudieron comenzar las negociaciones, y el intercambio se prolongó casi 10 horas más hasta que los dos empleados fueron liberados con 15 minutos de diferencia, dijeron las autoridades.

Menos de una hora después, las fuerzas del orden pudieron “comunicarse con éxito” con uno de los sospechosos, lo que llevó a que el padre y el hijo salieran juntos del remolque.

Los presuntos secuestradores fueron identificados como Joseph Charles Henrichsen, de 49 años, y su hijo Phoenix Henrichsen, de 23, dijo el Departamento de Justicia. Están bajo custodia tras ser acusados de secuestrar a empleados federales, dijo la agencia.

El motivo aún no está claro y está siendo investigado, dijo la agencia.

“Me gustaría decirles que probablemente es lo más fluido que he visto en muchos años”, dijo el sheriff, refiriéndose a las negociaciones y la rendición.

Joseph Henrichsen tenía un rifle estilo AR-15 y cuchillos y afirmó tener granadas, según Brian Tosh, agente especial interino a cargo del FBI.

“Las situaciones de crisis como esta no suelen terminar con todos saliendo del lugar a salvo. Estamos muy orgullosos del trabajo que todos hicieron hoy”, dijo Tosh.

El jefe del Servicio Forestal de EE.UU., Tom Schultz, dijo que estaba “agradecido más allá de las palabras” de que los trabajadores estén en casa a salvo.

“Este resultado es un testimonio de la habilidad y el profesionalismo de nuestros agentes de las fuerzas del orden del Servicio Forestal, el FBI, la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Siskiyou y cada socorrista que acudió al llamado”, dijo Schultz.

En una conferencia de prensa, Schultz habló sobre cómo el secuestro “ha sido una experiencia aterradora para todos los involucrados, para nuestros empleados, sus familias, sus compañeros de trabajo y, francamente, para todos los que nos preocupamos por las personas que sirven a esta agencia y al público todos los días”.

CNN se ha puesto en contacto con el Departamento de Policía de Mt. Shasta y la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Siskiyou para obtener comentarios.

Si son condenados, los Henrichsen enfrentan una pena máxima de cadena perpetua y una multa de US$ 250.000.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The post Read more