The Daily News Bloggers

A manhunt is underway in Oregon for a man accused of torturing a woman who authorities believe uses dating apps to find victims or people to help him evade police. Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, is wanted by the Grants Pass Police Department for attempted murder, kidnapping and assault. He is an "extremely dangerous suspect" who "remains on the run," the department warned in an update on Sunday . The Grants Pass Police Department released this image of Benjamin Foster. Grants Pass Police Department "It's essentially an all-hands-on-deck operation," Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman told ABC News. "We are laser-focused." Police began looking for Foster on Jan. 24, after responding to a home in Grants Pass for an assault. At the home, officers found a woman in critical condition who had been "bound and severely beaten into unconsciousness," police said. The suspect had already fled the scene before officers arrived b

Topline Gov. Spencer Cox (R-Utah) signed new legislation Saturday tightening restrictions on transgender healthcare and stopping trans minors from receiving gender-affirming hormones and surgeries, joining several states with some restrictions and foreshadowing a wave of similar legislation expected from many others. Utah State Capitol Building (Photo by GEORGE FREY / AFP) (Photo by GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images Key Facts Under the new law , minors who have already been diagnosed with and treated for gender dysphoria for at least six months may continue hormonal therapy if their healthcare providers certify other treatments, like behavioral therapy, won’t work. The law went into effect when the governor signed it on Saturday, which means minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria after that won’t have access to gender-affirming hormones or surgery. Hormone therapy and surgeries for minors are only banned for those wanting to change their biologic

Fighting in Ukraine has settled into a stalemate reminiscent of the Western Front circa 1916. Lots of artillery barrages and trenches, but little real movement. A favorite adjective of observers for describing the current fighting is “grinding,” as in two adversaries grinding each other down. Short of using nuclear weapons, there are two basic solutions for escaping this kind of attrition warfare. One is to use aircraft to fly over the front lines and attack the enemy’s rear. The other is to use massed armor to drive through those lines. Western nations have now opted for the second option by delivering tanks and other armored vehicles to Kyiv. America will send the Abrams main battle tank, Britain will send Challengers, and Germany will permit the transfer of Leopards. There isn’t much mystery which of these systems is superior in terms of lethality and survivability. It’s the M1A2 Abrams, named for Vietnam-era General Creighton Abrams. An AbramsX technology demonstrator at last

Left to its own devices, water doesn’t remain still for long. The same could be said for regulations to define the federal government’s scope to control the discharge of pollutants and manmade sediment into bodies of water. Last time I wrote about “Waters of the United States” was an overview of WOTUS’ evolving definition and major actions shaping it from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS). Keep that tab open – some of it might come in handy as you read on. It’s not difficult to grasp the basics of Congress’ intent in passing the 1972 Clean Water Act (CWA) or how tricky it’s been since for the EPA and courts to wrestle with what, precisely, constitute governable “waters” for this purpose. Trying to keep up with the specific points of contention and how they’ve been addressed over the years, though, is something that challenges even legal experts. Disturbing the land, any land, might affect nearby water. Which s

A California man who prosecutors say intentionally drove his Tesla off a cliff with his family inside is facing attempted murder charges. Dharmesh Arvind Patel, 41, of Pasadena, was arraigned on three felony counts of attempted murder at the San Mateo County Superior Court in Redwood City on Monday afternoon. He did not enter a plea and was ordered to remain held without bail in the San Mateo County Jail in Redwood City. Patel's attorney, Josh Bentley, did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. Patel is accused of intentionally trying to kill his wife and two young children by driving their car off a cliff on California's scenic Highway 1, just south of the Tom Lantos tunnels, on the morning of Jan. 2. The California Highway Patrol said its officers were dispatched to the scene about 15 miles south of San Francisco at approximately 10:50 a.m. local time and, upon arrival, located a white Tesla some 300 feet down the cliff. First responders repelled

Friends and family of a woman who vanished while walking her dog say they still have hope she will be found alive as the search for her continues. Nicola Bulley, 45, was last seen walking by the River Wyre off Garstang Road, in St Michael's on Wyre, at about 09:15 GMT on Friday. Her phone was found on a bench near the riverbank, still connected to a work call, Lancashire Police said. Ms Bulley's friend, Emma White, said the situation was "a nightmare". A major search is under way involving police, the fire service and mountain rescue teams, after Ms Bulley's dog was found close to where she disappeared. "Our ultimate priority is to find Nikki," said Ms White. "We still have hope. "We don't know what's happened, it was just a normal day in a normal life." On Monday Ms Bulley's partner, Paul Ansell, said it was "perpetual hell" for her family. "All we can say is we need to find her. She'

A 35-foot humpback whale has washed ashore and died on a New York beach By The Associated Press January 30, 2023, 7:59 PM LIDO BEACH, N.Y. -- A 35-foot (11-meter) humpback whale washed ashore and later died on a New York beach, one of several cetaceans discovered over the past two months along the shores of New York and New Jersey. The whale was discovered Monday morning at Lido Beach West Town Park on Long Island. Officials said it was still alive when found but died a short time later, according to news outlets. Crews used a crane to pull the animal from the water so it would not be washed back out to sea. Researchers hope to perform a necropsy to better understand what might have caused the whale to beach itself. The animal showed no obvious signs of trauma. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is responsible for the nation's oceans and fisheries, said 19 humpback whales were stranded last year along the U.S. Atlantic coast. During the first

As industries have learned, both consumer and business needs can change in the blink of an eye, and supply chains must also be ready to turn on a dime when demand for goods hits an imbalance. We are already a month into 2023, and economic forecasts indicate a lot of work ahead for enterprises to stay healthy and profitable. To help with the challenges ahead and build on learnings from the past, I’ve outlined five critical strategies for supply chains that are deeply significant for businesses to stay nimble in the year ahead. Have a read, and let me know in the comments how you see things from your perspective. Nearshoring of Manufacturing to Mitigate Supply Shortages Last year in this column , I wrote about how the pandemic severely impacted American companies’ offshoring practices over the past few decades. Offshoring was the preferred, cost-friendly way that American firms performed their manufacturing since the 1980s. Using lower-cost Chinese labor to achieve profitable producti

Jose Fernandez has led the University of South Florida women's basketball program to 11 seasons of ... [+] at least 20 wins. University of South Florida Athletics Jose Fernandez does not have to look beyond a family photo to see his heroes. In fact, he can call one of them, which he frequently does. He keeps his mother, Julia, who lives in Colorado, up to date on goings in his life and his family’s life. It was Julia’s late parents who provided her son with much inspiration. Actually, they still do. They arrived in Miami from Cuba decades ago and built new lives, as well as a heck of a sporting goods business, from the ground up. “I think this is an unbelievable country that gives so many people opportunities if you work and take advantage of those opportunities,” said Fernandez, whose father is no longer with us. “My grandparents and my parents came here and did not have anything.” Yet, they provided plenty. The University of South Florida women’s basketball coach did no

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Virginia elementary school where a 6-year-old boy shot his teacher reopened Monday with stepped-up security and a new administrator, as nervous parents and students expressed optimism about a return to the classroom. Richneck Elementary School in Newport News opened its doors more than three weeks after the Jan. 6 shooting . Police have said the boy brought a 9 mm handgun to school and intentionally shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner, as she was teaching her first-grade class. The 25-year-old teacher was hospitalized for nearly two weeks but is now recovering at home. Several marked and unmarked police cars were parked at the school as teachers arrived. One woman carried flowers into the building. Jennifer Roe and her fourth-grade son, Jethro, were among the first to arrive. She said they saw a therapist after the shooting. “He's excited to get back to school. He's missed it. He was ready to go back the Monday after (the shooting). He's very resili

At least 17 people were killed and more than 60 others were wounded. January 30, 2023, 5:46 AM ISLAMABAD and LONDON -- A suicide bomber detonated explosives inside a mosque in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, killing and wounding dozens of worshippers, officials said. The blast occurred at a mosque near police offices in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, not far from the country's border with Afghanistan. More than 150 people were reportedly were praying when the suicide bomber struck. An eyewitness told ABC News that the roof collapsed from the impact. Security and government officials confirmed the explosion was from a suicide bomber, though no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. At least 17 people were killed and more than 60 others were wounded, a local hospital spokesperson told ABC News. Those numbers were expected to rise. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. View the rest of th

Scientists looking at the surface of Mars have spotted what looks like a bear staring back at them. A camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took a photo of the formation on Dec. 12. It was shared Wednesday by the University of Arizona, which operates the camera. A hill with a V-shaped collapse structure forms the bear’s nose and a circular fracture pattern creates the head, the university’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory explained in the blog for its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera. “The circular fracture pattern might be due to the settling of a deposit over a buried impact crater. Maybe the nose is a volcanic or mud vent and the deposit could be lava or mud flows?” it said. This is due to a tendency for the human brain to try and see recognizable shapes in objects or data that are otherwise not familiar to us, known as pareidolia. View the rest of the story here

Authorities have identified the three young children and one adult who died in a rollover crash in northern Iowa that also injured the nine other passengers Friday morning By The Associated Press January 29, 2023, 10:57 AM WELLSBURG, Iowa -- Authorities have identified the three children and one adult who died in a rollover crash in northern Iowa that also injured the nine other passengers Friday morning. The Iowa State Patrol said Marlin Borntreger, 1; Rebecca Borntreger, 2; Emma Borntreger, 4; and Ervin J. Borntreger, 22, all died. None of the occupants of the van were using seatbelts or child car seats. Iowa State Patrol spokesman Alex Dinkla said the driver lost control of the van on a stretch of U.S. Highway 20 near Wellsburg that was covered with snow and ice. Four passengers were ejected when the van entered the median and rolled over. Dinkla said he didn't have an update on the conditions of the nine people who were injured. They were taken to hospitals in Gru

Anna Fifield is a long-time reporter on North Korean matters for the Washington Post . In a book Fifield wrote about the dysfunctional country, she noted that the U.S. dollar is the currency of exchange there. Where it perhaps gets interesting is just how common this monetary state of affairs is. As I point out in my new book The Money Confusion , a majority of monetary transactions that take place in Venezuela are refereed in dollars. In Argentina, if you want to buy a house you better have dollars. The Argentine peso’s history of endless devaluations render it unfit for exchange, much as 3,000+ devaluations of the Iranian rial since the 1970s have had the impact of sidelining it as money. Where local currencies aren’t trusted, the dollar is routinely king. That it is shouldn’t surprise us. Underlying all monetary transactions is the exchange of goods and services. Since it’s always and everywhere products for products, the money must be reasonably stable. That is so because produce