Firefighters battle blaze on Arthur’s Seat in the heart of Edinburgh

Kraig Pakulski 0 0 Article rating: No rating

By Jack Guy, CNN

(CNN) — Firefighters in Scotland have been working to extinguish a wildfire at Arthur’s Seat, a famous hill near the center of the capital city, Edinburgh.

The blaze was reported on Sunday evening, according to a statement from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), published late on Monday morning.

“Operations Control mobilised six fire appliances and specialist resources to the scene where firefighters are working to extinguish a fire affecting an area of grass,” SFRS Area Commander David Dourley said in the statement.

“Our crews remain on scene this morning having worked tirelessly throughout the night fighting the fire. Operations will continue today until the fire is fully extinguished,” he said.

“There are no reported casualties,” added Dourley.

Arthur’s Seat is a landmark dormant volcano that rises 251 meters (823 feet) above sea level, according to the Scottish tourism board, offering hikers views of the country’s capital city.

It is also the site of a large fort dating back around 2,000 years, as well as St. Anthony’s Chapel, a picturesque 15th-century ruin, according to the tourism board.

It sits in Holyrood Park, close to the Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, King Charles’ official residence in Edinburgh.

Firefighters have responded to multiple blazes at Arthur’s Seat in recent years, tackling fires there in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2025.

Dozens of firefighters have also been battling a fire in the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands over the past five days, according to a separate statement from the SFRS.

A “very high risk” wildfire warning is in place for the Central Highlands, Southern and Eastern Scotland until Monday, the service added.

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

CNN’s Catherine Nicholls contributed to this report.

The post Firefighters battle blaze on Arthur’s Seat in the heart of Edinburgh appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

How the World Cup became the summer party America needed

Kraig Pakulski 0 0 Article rating: No rating
Scotland fans cheer for their team during a match against Morocco in Foxborough


CNN, POOL

By Kyle Feldscher, CNN

(CNN) — Before this World Cup began, I kept thinking one thing over and over as the tournament grew closer: “This could be a disaster.”

Headlines from around the country swirled about how the lengthy US government shutdown left local municipalities without the necessary funds to prepare for millions of people coming to the US. There were concerns about the USA’s toxic political environment keeping many of the international visitors from coming for the tournament. Reports of price gouging around the games made it seem like the tournament could see thousands of empty seats as fans were priced out from traveling. The start of the war in Iran soured the reputation of the US government at home and abroad.

It was enough to make me, a World Cup enthusiast, be worried that this tournament would be huge letdown.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

From the moment that the first ball was kicked in Mexico City to the final whistle in the New Jersey Meadowlands, North America was the host of one of the most epic parties the world has ever seen. It was a total vibe shift, one that couldn’t have been more needed.

On that opening night in Mexico, we saw South Koreans and Mexicans bonding like long lost brothers. When the attention turned north of the border, we watched the Scots drink Boston dry; Norwegians row on every form of surface imaginable; Brazilians, Argentines and Colombians come out in droves and take over entire cities; and random tourists discover American delicacies like Buc-ee’s and Waffle House.

There were even a few weeks there when Americans could believe – however far-fetched it seemed – that the USA had suddenly turned a corner and became a World Cup contender after two inspiring wins to start the tournament.

The US, for years, had seen the political chaos from Washington, DC, radiate out and affect the mood of the country. For more than five weeks, the headlines from so many other cities – Algeria’s love affair with Lawrence, Kansas; Boston’s summer fling with Scottish fans and then their takeover of Miami; Seattle’s epic atmosphere; Atlanta’s downtown suddenly overrun with thousands of people as its fanfest became the hottest ticket in town, etc. – suddenly reminded millions of Americans of something that was true all along: This country is actually pretty great.

That’s not to say the politics that so often dominate our lives were absent or should have been ignored. The 39 days of the World Cup definitely had their moments of politics invading what was hoped to be a sporting sanctuary.

The Iranian team’s treatment by FIFA and the US government was rightly criticized as Iran was forced to move its training base at the last moment and then could only fly into and out of the US days before its games, not leaving it much time to prepare or recover. President Donald Trump’s intrusion into the saga around Folarin Balogun briefly made observers question the integrity of the whole tournament (at least until Belgium battered the US and sent the Americans home). One referee was not al

Los precios de la gasolina vuelven a estar a US$ 4 por galón

Kraig Pakulski 0 0 Article rating: No rating

Por Chris Isidore, CNN

El precio promedio que los conductores estadounidenses pagan por un galón de gasolina alcanzó los US$ 4 este lunes, mientras se intensificaban los enfrentamientos entre Estados Unidos e Irán, lo que agravó la interrupción del flujo de petróleo a través del estrecho de Ormuz.

El precio promedio se sitúa ahora apenas por encima de los US$ 4 por galón, según la Asociación Estadounidense del Automóvil, o AAA. La gasolina superó por primera vez la marca de los US$ 4, un umbral psicológicamente importante, el 31 de marzo, un mes después de iniciado el conflicto.

Los precios saltaron desde un promedio de US$ 2,98 por galón antes de la guerra, ya que el conflicto interrumpió la mayor parte del flujo de petróleo a través del crítico estrecho de Ormuz.

A principios de mayo, los precios de la gasolina subieron a un máximo de cuatro años de US$ 4,56 antes de caer ante las esperanzas de que las negociaciones entre Irán y Estados Unidos reabrieran la vía marítima y liberaran los petroleros que habían quedado atrapados en el golfo Pérsico.

Los dos países firmaron un memorando de entendimiento el 14 de junio para detener las hostilidades, lo que provocó que la gasolina volviera a bajar de los US$ 4 unos días después.

Pero los precios en las estaciones de servicio comenzaron a subir nuevamente después de que Irán reanudó los ataques a barcos que intentaban salir del estrecho y después de que Estados Unidos respondió con represalias y estableció un bloqueo a los puertos iraníes. El precio promedio ha subido alrededor de 13 centavos en la última semana.

Los precios de la gasolina aumentaron junto con los del petróleo, con el crudo Brent superando brevemente los US$ 90 por barril por primera vez desde principios de junio este lunes. El Brent subió aproximadamente un 16 % en la última semana. El West Texas Intermediate, el referente estadounidense, subió alrededor de US$ 12 por barril este mes.

Los altos precios en las gasolineras son un dolor de cabeza para el presidente Donald Trump y el Partido Republicano de cara a las elecciones intermedias en noviembre.

Sin embargo, cerca de la mitad de los estados de Estados Unidos aún tienen un precio promedio inferior a los US$ 4 por galón. Indiana tiene el precio promedio más bajo, con US$ 3,35 por galón, mientras que California es el más caro, con US$ 5,49. El estado de Washington y Hawai también tienen un precio promedio superior a los US$ 5 por galón, según la AAA.

No se espera que los precios de la gasolina bajen en el corto plazo, según Tom Kloza, analista independiente de petróleo y asesor de Gulf Oil. El reciente aumento en los futuros de la gasolina indica que los precios subirán entre 10 y 25 centavos más en la próxima semana.

“Eso ya está descontado”, dijo.

La guerra con Irán y el renovado cierre del estrecho no son los únicos factores que impulsan los precios al alza. También están los recientes ataques con drones de Ucrania a refinerías rusas, señaló Kloza.

“Rusia ha tenido que importar gasolina, cuando durante muchos, muchos años ha sido un vendedor neto”, dijo. “Eso ha generado temores en los mercados sobre una escasez de productos refinados. Y no importa cuánta gasolina produzcamos aquí, es un mercado global”.

Todo esto ocurre en plena temporada alta de conducción en Estados Unidos, cuando la demanda de gasolina está en su punto máximo, indicó Kloza. Se espera que la mayor demanda mantenga la presión al alza sobre los precios de la gasolina hasta el Día del Trabajo.

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

The post Los precios de la gasolina vuelven a estar a US$ 4 por galón appeared first on N

Usha Vance da a luz a su cuarto hijo, anuncia el vicepresidente de EE.UU.

Kraig Pakulski 0 0 Article rating: No rating

Por Betsy Klein, CNN

La segunda dama de Estados Unidos, Usha Vance, dio a luz a su cuarto hijo, anunció el domingo el vicepresidente J. D. Vance.

Alec Neel Vance se une a sus hermanos Ewan, Vivek y Mirabel.

“Usha y el bebé están felices y sanos, y nuestros hijos están encantados de conocer a su hermano pequeño”, dijo el vicepresidente en las redes sociales, donde agradeció a los médicos y al personal del Centro Médico Militar Nacional Walter Reed y de la Unidad Médica de la Casa Blanca.

La llegada de Alec marca la primera vez en más de 150 años que una segunda dama da a luz mientras ocupa el cargo.

Mientras se adaptan a la vida como familia de seis miembros, los Vance pasarán más tiempo en una zona rural del norte de Virginia, alquilando parte de una extensa propiedad multimillonaria en el acomodado enclave de Middleburg.

El alquiler busca ofrecer a la segunda dama y a los hijos de Vance una mayor sensación de normalidad, lejos del escrutinio de Washington, según personas familiarizadas con el asunto. Se espera que el vicepresidente se aloje allí ocasionalmente, aunque él y su familia mantendrán su residencia oficial en el Observatorio Naval.

En una entrevista reciente con ABC News, Usha Vance reflexionó sobre dicho escrutinio y sobre la crianza de sus hijos en su papel de segunda dama.

“Todo lo que hacemos está a la vista del público”, dijo, añadiendo que “la gente se entera” si sus hijos se portan mal o enferman.

“Intentamos no exponerlos a situaciones en las que queden en evidencia y algún día digan: ‘Vaya, me has avergonzado’. Así que tratamos de mantener en privado la mayor parte de lo que hacen, pero cuando estamos en público con ellos, simplemente dejamos que sean niños y que suceda lo que tenga que suceder”, comentó Vance, de 40 años.

La segunda dama dejó su trabajo como abogada de alto nivel cuando su marido se convirtió en el segundo al mando del presidente Donald Trump. Ha aparecido frecuentemente junto al vicepresidente durante su mandato y ha formado su propio equipo de trabajo reducido. Con la alfabetización infantil como eje de su labor, lanzó un desafío de lectura de verano el año pasado y un podcast complementario este año. La última vez que una segunda dama tuvo un bebé mientras ocupaba el cargo fue en 1870, cuando el vicepresidente Schuyler Colfax y su esposa, Ellen Maria Colfax, dieron la bienvenida a Schuyler Colfax III, quien más tarde llegaría a ser alcalde de South Bend, Indiana.

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

Adam Cancryn, de CNN, contribuyó a este informe.

The post Usha Vance da a luz a su cuarto hijo, anuncia el vicepresidente de EE.UU. appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

The Trump administration is scrambling for more defense money. Here’s why it may not get it

Kraig Pakulski 0 0 Article rating: No rating

By Lauren Fox, Sarah Ferris, CNN

(CNN) — In a closed-door briefing earlier this month, key Pentagon officials sat down with House spending leaders from both parties to make an urgent case to quickly deliver more cash to fund the US war in Iran.

But when pressed by members of both parties for details, Pentagon officials were unable to offer any meaningful specifics about why they need the money so quickly — frustrating Republicans and Democrats alike, according to two people in the room.

Now, with the Pentagon’s reserves further depleted, the administration is unfurling a full-court press on Republican lawmakers in hopes it can clinch tens of billions of dollars that officials are seeking this summer as the US continues its fight against Iran.

In the last week, the Pentagon invited dozens of House members for a marathon meeting that included face time with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Select members – including the head of the chamber’s powerful Appropriations Committee – have also been invited to Camp David and Vice President JD Vance trekked to the basement of the Capitol on Wednesday to sell the plan to GOP rank-and-file, arguing Republican unity is essential.

But several GOP members told CNN they still lack critical information about the military’s capacity and needs – and aren’t convinced by what they have heard. Even those Republicans who support the funding push fear that a fraught political gamble in the waning days of summer could lead to a legislative implosion just months before the midterm elections.

“It’s a risky proposition,” Majority Leader John Thune told reporters in the Capitol last week, referring to other House GOP efforts to pass a party-line bill for defense and other priorities. “Is the juice worth the squeeze?”

Not much time to act

The Defense Department said it has had meaningful engagements with lawmakers.

“The Department of War has conducted hundreds of engagements with individual members of Congress, or groups of them, over the last two months,” a Defense Department official said. “This, in addition to the consistent provision of budget rollout briefs, informational requests from committees of jurisdiction, and the regular interactions of the Department and the Hill, represents one of the most productively aggressive and appropriate legislative engagement packages in many years.”

For months, defense hawks in Congress have been warning the Pentagon’s munitions and funding have been badly depleted since the beginning of the war in Iran. Lawmakers anticipated they’d need to pass some kind of a supplemental funding package before the end of the fiscal year and congressional leadership has made it clear they want to move swiftly.

“Among the defense people, it’s an emergency that needs to get done,” Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho said. “They’re going to run out of money in mid-August.”

Rep. Steve Womack, an appropriator from Arkansas, argued “the Pentagon people I’ve talked to say if we’re still having this conversation in August, that’s not a good thing” and Rep. Ronny Jackson, a member of the Intelligence, Armed Services and Foreign affairs committees told CNN the deadline is “serious.”

“We need to get it done as soon as possible,” Jackson said.

But the emergency argument isn’t resonating with everyone. Some conservatives have threatened they could vote against the funding because it would simply go on the nation’s credit card. Others argue they aren’t clear why the Pentagon is in such desperate need for money after billions were infused to the Defense Department as part of the last sweeping party-line policy bill.

CNN has reached out to the Defense Department for comment.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who said he recently turned down a visit to Camp David because he wasn’t interested in a “sales pitch” on the funding, said

RSS
First1819202123252627Last