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Entertainment

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off actress Edie McClurg ‘victim of elder abuse’, court documents claim

The family of US actress Edie McClurg has claimed that she’s a victim of elder abuse.

In court documents seen by The New York Postthe family of the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off star – who lives in Los Angeles and suffers from dementia – alleged that she was abused by a man claiming to be a “long time” friend who reportedly attempted to take her out of California to marry her.

The documents – filed in the Superior Court of California – name the alleged abuser as Michael L. Ramos, who reportedly has been living at the 76-year-old’s LA home since 2017.

According to the documents, Ramos is unemployed and does not pay rent or any expenses and was able to “finagle” his way into McClurg’s life, reportedly attempting to move her out of California in order to marry her despite her dementia diagnosis.

The documents also claim Ramos allegedly “sexually assaulted” McClurg’s current caregiver, with a report filed with the LA Police Department.

In addition, the caregiver was “worried” that Ramos “has or may be assaulting the Conservatee and that she may not even know that it is happening to her,” according to the court filings.

McClurg and Ramos “have never been involved. [in] a romantic relationship,” with the caretaker now concerned he had been sexually abusing the actress.

They reported that he wanted to marry her out of state despite knowing she “lacked capacity” and was living in her home for “companionship,” which the judge of the conservatorship had allowed.

McClurg is under conservatorship and got protection from a judge – as per the documents – who ordered Ramos that he “may not enter into a valid marriage” with McClurg.

The lawyer for the conservatorship – which has been in place since 2019 – is now reportedly asking for an order to remove Ramos from the legal arrangement altogether.

McClurg’s family reportedly went to court in 2019 to ask for the legal arrangement, with claims she had been living with a male companion who was verbally abusive and tried to influence the handling of her estate by reportedly getting her to sign documents.

A 2019 neuropsychological evaluation report obtained by the post said that McClurg “suffers from a progressive, unreversible neurodegenerative disorder”.

The report outlined prior instances in which McClurg was allegedly taken advantage of, including by a married contractor who did work on her home and later reportedly “proceeded to live” in her home, claiming to be “her boyfriend”.

The contractor’s wife allegedly “began calling the patient and even stalking the patient” before McClurg’s cousin, Angelique Cabral, intervened.

The evaluation also noted that McClurg allegedly was “befriended” by Ramos in 2012 or 2013.

Cabral was appointed her guardian and filed the emergency petition on July 14 to remove Ramos from McClurg’s home.

Ramos filed an objection to the emergency motion with his declaration, denying assaulting or sexually abusing either McClurg or her caretaker.

McClurg has more than 200 acting credits and has appeared in iconic films such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Plans, Trains and Automobiles and has done voiceover work in The Little Mermaid, A Bug’s Life, Cars and The Rugrats Movie.

This article originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission

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Entertainment

Maddie Ziegler hits red carpet in daring gown at Bullet Train premiere | Photos

Maddie Ziegler is not a little kid anymore.

The US dancer, perhaps best known as Australian singer Sia’s muse, hit the red carpet at the Bullet Train premiere in Westwood, California, yesterday, wearing a daring low-cut black gown.

The 19-year-old, who in recent years has transitioned to acting, walked the carpet alongside Brad Pitt for the upcoming David Leitch-directed thriller, which hits cinemas in Australia on Thursday.

Ziegler, who shot to fame aged eight on the US reality series Dance Momsgained wider recognition since 2014 after featuring in Sia’s music video for Chandelier.

She went on to forge a successful partnership with Sia, appearing alongside the singer on red carpets, during her tours and starring in several other music videos.

Ziegler was also hand-picked by Sia to star as an autistic girl in the widely-panned 2021 film, Musicopposite Kate Hudson.

RELATED: See all the best celebrity pictures from red carpets around the world

Her casting became a controversial topic, with the movie criticized for its “offensive depiction of autism.”

Ziegler addressed the criticism in an interview with independent at the time, saying she understood the outcry.

“I’ve actually stayed out of all of it just because, you know, I’m 18 years old and it’s a lot of pressure … (But) I understand why people would want someone who’s actually on the spectrum with autism to play this character.

“But in terms of the dance sequences, I think that’s why Sia chose me to bring the dream world to life. It was all [made] with good intentions and with a good heart.”

Elsewhere on the Bullet Train red carpet, fellow former child star Joey King, who stars in the film, also rocked a plunging gown.

The 23-year-old kissing booth stars plays British assassin Prince in the action film, which also stars Sandra Bullock.

Bullet Train follows trained killer Ladybug (Pitt) who wants to leave his life as an assassin behind, but is roped back in by his handler Maria Beetle (Bullock) to collect a briefcase on a bullet train heading from Tokyo to Kyoto.

On-board the train, Ladybug bumps into fellow competing assassins who discover their missions are connected.

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Entertainment

Batgirl movie ‘shelved’ by DC Comics

Holy millions down the drain, Batman!

The DC Comics film batgirl will be completely “shelved” by Warner Bros, a top Hollywood source told new york post.

That means it won’t hit theaters or the US streaming service HBO Max. Fans will not see it.

The reportedly $100 million movie (the source said the budget was actually more than $140 million), which was doing test screenings for audiences in anticipation of a late 2022 debut, would rank among the most expensive cinematic cast-offs ever.

Those tests were said to be so poorly received by moviegoers that the studio decided to cut its losses and run, for the sake of the brand’s future. It’s a DC disaster.

“They think an unspeakable batgirl is going to be irredeemable,” the source said.

The Post has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment.

It’s been a months-long walk of shame for the movie. Batgirl, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life), received not a single mention at DC’s Comic-Con panel in San Diego in July — an unusual move that raised industry eyebrows. The much-publicized event, after all, is designed to boost exposure for forthcoming projects just like this one.

Marvel’s Comic-Con presentation, on the flip side, announced more than a dozen films in the so-called Phases 5 and 6 of the MCU, to be released through fall 2025, with even more surely in the hopper.

batgirlwhich stars Leslie Grace (In the Heights) in the title role, alongside JK Simmons, Michael Keaton and Brendan Fraser, was originally planned for a release on HBO Max. The Puck newsletter reported in April that WB’s then-chair, Toby Emmerich, was considering a theatrical run for the film too.

But Emmerich stepped down in June to form his own production company — not long after Warner Bros. merged with Discovery and David Zaslav became the CEO of the new entity. He replaced Emmerich with MGM’s Michael De Luca (who likely had to deliver the “Bat” news) and Pam Abdy.

While the film’s co-directors have done some scattered interviews about casting, the studio has been mum on plans for batgirl ever since.

Shelving a multimillion-dollar effort would not be unusual for Zaslav, a ruthless cost-cutter. Remember, he’s the same guy who gave the $400 million streaming service CNN+ the ax just days after its splashy launch because it didn’t snare enough subscribers.

The budget-conscious CEO, according to Varietyhas split WB into multiple segments, including a reorganized “DC-based film production” group.

With that in mind, WB is said to be searching for a head honcho to run the flailing DC Extended Universe and whip it into a coherent shape, like Kevin Feige did with the far more successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is owned by Disney. The current president of DC film production is Walter Hamada. Warner Bros. Discovery will report their Q2 earnings and announce future plans on Thursday.

DC urgently needs all the help it can get.

Unlike the behavior that is Marvel Studios, whose movies occasionally get bad reviews but reliably print money, DC is a disorganized, confusing, not-very-profitable mess. Aquaman and Wonder Woman 1984 got mixed reviews from critics; birds of prey and Suicide Squad were admired flops.

batman performed OK at the box office for Warner Bros., netting $1.1 billion worldwide with an R rating, and got good notices. However, the only DC Extended Universe film that has managed to beat the $1.45 billion box office gross of Dark Knightwhich came out 14 long years ago (joker with Joaquin Phoenix was not part of the DCEU), was Aquaman.

Meanwhile, Marvel’s pandemic-era Spider-Man: No Way Home has grossed $2.75 billion worldwide and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness you have managed a solid $1.4 billion.

Lately, DC’s nasty star drama has eclipsed the buzz — such as it is — surrounding its movies.

Ezra Miller, who plays the Flash, has caused a string of embarrassing controversies this year. In the spring, the actor was twice arrested in Hawaii — first for disorderly conduct and harassment, then for second-degree assault. Then in June, the Standing Rock Sioux tribal court issued an order of protection against the 29-year-old for allegedly using “violence, intimidation, threat of violence, fear, paranoia, delusions and drugs” to groom an 18-year-old whom the actor has known since she was 12. (Miller has not publicly commented on the latest allegation; a police investigation into the Hawaii incidents are reportedly ongoing.)

Ben Affleck, meanwhile, consistently claims he’s done with playing the Caped Crusader — even going so far as to allow Robert Pattinson to take over the role in this year’s batman — but keeps coming back like a bad ex-boyfriend. It was reported this week by Screen Rant that the actor will appear yet again as Bruce Wayne in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Perplexing.

And Gal Gadot is said to be starring in Wonder Woman 3, but the actress and director Patty Jenkins have said nothing — including a title or release date — beyond that they’re throwing around script ideas. DC, which squanders legendary properties with abandon, appears to have no grand plan whatsoever.

Soon, however, Wonder Woman won’t be the one holding the golden lasso anymore. Instead, power will be wielded by an all-controlling DC film production head who will attempt to turn things around. Before they arrive, killing batgirl is Step 1.

“This is the end of DC as a hobby,” the source said.

This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission

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Entertainment

Brad Pitt reveals why he wore a skirt to Bullet Train premiere

Brad Pitt isn’t skirting around the truth.

The Oscar winner, 58, has explained why he decided to rock a skirt at the German premiere of his new comedy-action film Bullet Train last month, reports the new york post.

the Fight Club star showed off his tattoos on the Berlin red carpet on July 19 where he sported a light pink shirt, combat boots, a brown kilt and a matching jacket.

At Monday’s Los Angeles premiere of Bullet TrainPitt revealed why he opted for the style choice.

“I don’t know! We’re all going to die, so let’s mess it up,” he told Variety.

For Monday’s event, the Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood actor wore a green suit and yellow sneakers.

Pitt previously described why he decided to wear a skirt at the Berlin show last month, jokingly telling the Associated Press: “The breeze. The breeze.”

The David Leitch film stars Pitt as a hitman who has encountered several killers aboard a fast-moving train. Sandra Bullock, Logan Lerman, Bad Bunny, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry also appear in the movie.

The father of six also revealed to the outlet how the movie’s violence is an ongoing theme throughout the plot and how he was happy to let his stuntman do some of the more hardcore moves dusting shooting.

“I try to get out of it. I love a stuntman,” Pitt said. “This one was action-comedy, something I’ve never done before.”

He continued: “David and I had always been big fans of Jackie Chan. We’d been talking about him for decades. He’s kind of our Buster Keaton. He’s so talented and underrated even. Just to do something in that direction was what was really appealing to me.”

Pitt also shed some light on retirement rumors at the LA red carpet yesterday.

I have told dead line on Monday: “I was just saying, ‘I’m past middle age and I want to be specific about how I spend those last things however they may be.’ I’ve never been a five-year plan kind of guy. I’m just, whatever feels right for the day. I still operate that way.”

Pitt previously revealed his inability to remember faces is a condition he suffers from, called prosopagnosia, or face blindness.

“Nobody believes me,” he told GQ. “But it’s a mystery to me, man. I can’t grasp a face and yet I come from such a design/aesthetic point of view.”

“Bullet Train” will be released in Australian theaters on August 4.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.

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US

California store owner Craig Cope recalls shooting would-be robber

An elderly California liquor store owner who flipped the script on armed gunmen during an attempted robbery said Tuesday that he had no choice but to open fire on one of the assailants, insisting it was “either him or me.”

Craig Cope, 80, said he feared for his life as four would-be thieves drove up early Sunday to Norco Market & Liquor in Norco, where he was behind the counter when one of the assailants busted in with a rifle and yelled at him to freeze.

“I got a long gun pointing directly at me,” Cope told The Post. “It was either him or me and I was a little bit faster.”

Cope said he knew something was off when he saw a dark BMW SUV pull up alongside the store instead of into several nearby open parking spaces. They also “backed in” as they approached, which was another “red flag” for the quick-thinking owner.

“I got a long gun pointing directly at me,” Cope told The Post Tuesday, adding that he feared for his life. “It was either him or me and I was a little bit faster.”
Fox 11
Surveillance footage from inside the store shows Cope firing the shotgun just seconds after the gunman announced the robbery.
Surveillance footage from inside the store shows Cope firing the shotgun just seconds after the gunman announced the robbery.
Fox 11

“And then I saw them getting out of the car in masks and with guns,” Cope continued. “So, I figured what was going to happen. I just knew they were armed and masked and that they were coming in, so I was ready for them.”

At one point, three of the suspects hopped out of the SUV, while a fourth man stayed behind to act as a getaway driver, Cope said.

Surveillance footage from inside the store shows Cope firing the shotgun just seconds after the gunman announced the robbery, wounding the would-be robber in the arm.

“He was screaming that I shot his arm off,” Cope recalled. “That’s what he said.”

Cope, who suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital after the shooting, is recovering at his Riverside home.

He said he intends to keep working at the store, but may soon cut back on his hours. That has nothing to do with Sunday’s attempted heist, which has characterized as a “terribly isolated” incident.

“I’ll be a presence one way or another,” he said.

Cope first purchased the store in 1976 and ran it for 19 years before selling it. He then bought it back about seven years ago. He declined to say whether Monday’s incident marked the first time the store had been targeted by criminals.

“I’m not going to release that one,” Cope said, adding the store had not been robbed during his most recent ownership stint.

Norco in Riverside County is not known as a “high-crime area,” Cope said. Many of the city’s residents own horses and the community is largely conservative.

“It’s not a good area for robbers to come,” Cope said flatly. “Many of the homeowners are conservatives and probably armed. These guys didn’t do their homework.”

Authorities tracked down the four suspects at a Southern California hospital, where one had a gunshot wound consistent with a shotgun blast, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

At one point, three of the suspects hopped out of the SUV, while a fourth man stayed behind to act as a getaway driver, Cope said.
At one point, three of the suspects hopped out of the SUV, while a fourth man stayed behind to act as a getaway driver, Cope said.
Fox 11

Three suspects being held on $500,000 bond were identified as Justin Johnson, 22, of Inglewood, Calif., Jamar Williams, 27, of Los Angeles, and Davon Broadus, 24, of Las Vegas.

Sheriff’s officials praised Cope for preventing a “violent crime” while ensuring his own safety as he was confronted by multiple armed suspects.

Cope — who grew up in Illinois, where he hunted for food as a child — said he doesn’t regret his actions.

“It’s not going to be on my mind or keep me from doing anything,” he told The Post. “It’s not going to change how I operate. I’m already alert and pay attention to my surroundings at all times.”

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Sports

Commonwealth Games 2022: Australia win gold, redemption in Rugby Sevens, defeat Fiji

Australia have wrapped up the Commonwealth Rugby Sevens gold medal in a 22-12 win over Fiji in a dominant display.

It’s redemption for the Aussies after a heartbreaking loss at the previous Commonwealth Games in Australia.

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Australia lost an epic final in 2018 on the Gold Coast, down 17-12 in extra-time to New Zealand.

But after edging past the Kiwis in a dramatic semi-final and losing a pool game to Fiji, Australia made no mistake in the final.

Faith Nathan scored a first half double as well as a try to Madison Ashby opened up a massive 17-0 lead at halftime.

The Aussies then scored immediately after the half through Maddison Levi, making it a 22-0 lead.

Although the Fijians finally got a pass to stick and scored a try as well as a consolation two minutes after full-time, it was nowhere near enough as the Aussies claimed the gold medal.

It had been the one medal Australia had been missing, having won in Rio in 2016, and coming into the tournament as the reigning Rugby Sevens women’s world champions after winning four of the six tournaments in the 2021-22 World Series.

Aussie star Charlotte Caslick said it was nearly a perfect performance from gold medalists.

“I think in those physical contests, we dominated nearly every single one of those and that’s what we had to do,” Caslick said after the match.

“I wouldn’t say it was perfect (performance) but it was close to.

“We’ve had an amazing World Series and been dominant year so to be rewarded in front of an awesome crowd is pretty special.”

And it was more redemption after Australia was bundled out of the Tokyo Olympics in a 19-0 quarterfinal thrashing by Fiji.

While the women’s side will bring home the extra baggage of the gold medals, the men couldn’t follow suit.

After a semi-final loss to South Africa earlier in the day, the Aussies fell 26-12 to New Zealand in the bronze medal match to miss the podium.

It was a tough break for Australia who are second on the World Series ladder behind South Africa with one tournament left in Los Angeles in late August.

South Africa broke to the men’s title in a 31-7 obliteration of Fiji.

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US

Puppy rescued from McKinney Fire near Klamath River

A little bit of good news and a lot of luck coming out of a destructive wildfire burning near the California-Oregon border as a photojournalist saved a puppy wandering around the ruins of the McKinney Fire. Jonathan Rivas said he arrived at the community of Klamath River early Saturday morning, just hours after the wildfire broke out where he said there was a lot of damage, with trees and homes burned. Rivas said he was finishing filming one neighborhood when he heard yelping. “I heard a yelp in the distance, but I didn’t really know what it was, I thought it was an injured deer or one of the wildlife that’s there,” the AIO Filmz photojournalist said. “All of a sudden, this little puppy comes and runs up to me. I was super shocked to see that come from the rubble there.”The puppy was clearly excited to see Rivas in the video.Watch the full rescue belowThe puppy allowed Rivas to pick him up and put him in the back of his car. “He was very excited, he was wagging his tail, I am talking to him like I’m talking to my dog, I picked him up, put him in the trunk of my car,” Rivas said. He gave him some water before driving to Yreka and dropping him off at a shelter. Rivas posted the video on social media, where he found the puppy’s family. The puppy has been reunited with his family. “Reuniting it with their family and after hearing their story, it makes me feel good, I am just happy, I was at the right place at the right time,” Rivas said.

A little bit of good news and a lot of luck coming out of a destructive wildfire burning near the California-Oregon border as a photojournalist saved a puppy wandering around the ruins of the McKinney Fire.

Jonathan Rivas said he arrived at the community of Klamath River early Saturday morning, just hours after the wildfire broke out where he said there was a lot of damage, with trees and homes burned.

Rivas said he was finishing filming one neighborhood when he heard yelping.

“I heard a yelp in the distance, but I didn’t really know what it was, I thought it was an injured deer or one of the wildlife that’s there,” the AIO Filmz photojournalist said. “All of a sudden, this little puppy comes and runs up to me. I was super shocked to see that come from the rubble there.”

The puppy was clearly excited to see Rivas in the video.

Watch the full rescue below

The puppy allowed Rivas to pick him up and put him in the back of his car.

“He was very excited, he was wagging his tail, I am talking to him like I’m talking to my dog, I picked him up, put him in the trunk of my car,” Rivas said.

Puppy rescued from McKinney Fire

AIO FILMZ

Puppy rescued from McKinney Fire by photojournalist taking video of damage near Klamath River.

He gave him some water before driving to Yreka and dropping him off at a shelter.

Rivas posted the video on social media, where he found the puppy’s family. The puppy has been reunited with its family of her.

“Reuniting it with their family and after hearing their story, it makes me feel good, I am just happy, I was at the right place at the right time,” Rivas said.

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US

California governor declares monkeypox state of emergency

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s governor on Monday declared a state of emergency to speed efforts to combat the monkeypox outbreak, becoming the second state in three days to take the step.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the declaration will help California coordinate a government-wide response, seek more vaccines and lead outreach and education efforts on where people can get treatment and vaccination.

“We’ll continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk, and stand with the LGBTQ community fighting stigmatization,” Newsom said in a statement announcing his declaration.

Nearly 800 cases of monkeypox have been reported in California, according to state public health officials.

The monkeypox virus spreads through prolonged and close skin-to-skin contact, which can include hugging, cuddling and kissing, as well as through the sharing of bedding, towels and clothing. People getting sick so far have mainly been men who have sex with men, though health officials note that the virus can infect anyone.

“Public health officials are clear: stigma is unacceptable and counterproductive in public health response,” Michelle Gibbons, executive director of the County Health Executives Association of California said in a statement. “The fact is that monkeypox is primarily spread by skin to skin contact and sharing objects like bedding or towels, without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The type of monkeypox virus identified in this outbreak is rarely fatal, and people usually recover within weeks. But the lesions and blisters caused by the virus are painful, and they can prevent swallowing or bowel movements if in the throat or anus.

The declaration in California came after a similar one in New York state on Saturday, and in San Francisco on Thursday. Newsom’s administration had said as recently as Friday that it was too soon for such a declaration.

After pressing for Newsom to make such a declaration, Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco hailed the governor’s decision.

“The monkeypox outbreak is an emergency, and we need to use every tool we have to control it,” Wiener said.

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Newsom’s proclamation allows emergency medical personnel to administer monkeypox vaccines that are approved by the federal government.

That’s similar to a recent law that allows pharmacists to administer vaccines, Newsom’s administration said. It said the state’s response is building on the steps developed during the coronavirus pandemic to set up vaccination clinics and make sure there is outreach to vulnerable populations in cooperation with local and community-based organizations.

California has received more than 61,000 vaccine doses and has distributed more than 25,000 doses.

“We don’t have any time to waste,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement. She said the nation’s most-populous county must use all available resources to speed the distribution of vaccines and help those who have been infected.

Newsom’s office said Los Angeles County has received a separate allocation of vaccine.

As of last week, the state had expanded its testing capacity to process more than 1,000 tests a week. Critics have said the long wait for test results delayed treatment options.

In San Francisco, Peter Tran was among hundreds who lined up sometimes for hours to receive the monkeypox vaccine at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Monday after the clinic was forced to close last week because it did not receive enough doses.

“It’s horrible. Like this is a vaccine that’s been out for such a long time. And like, it’s not even a deadly disease. It’s harder to be transmitted than COVID. But the rollout of the vaccines throughout this nation is absolutely horrible,” Tran said.

“I think the science shows that protection is greatly improved with the vaccine. So that’s why I’m doing it. And I honestly just don’t want the injuries on my body. I heard the injuries are painful and leave scarring. So I think that’s another motivation to go out and get it.”

Before making their own emergency declaration last week, San Francisco city officials were criticized for not responding rapidly enough to the outbreak. They, in turn, faulted the federal government for failing to deliver enough vaccines. The city received about 4,000 doses on Friday, enabling it to restart vaccinations, and hopes to administer them by mid-week, said Dr. Lukejohn Day, chief medical officer at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

The city had 305 cases as of Monday, he said.

The World Health Organization has declared the monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries a global emergency.

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Associated Press videographer Terry Chea contributed from San Francisco.

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US

2 found dead in charred car within California wildfire zone

YREKA, Calif. (AP) — At least two people have died from a raging California blaze that was among several threatening thousands of homes Monday in the Western US

Two bodies were found inside a charred vehicle Sunday in the driveway of a home near the remote community of Klamath River, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The names of the victims and other details weren’t immediately released.

The McKinney Fire in Northern California near the state line with Oregon exploded in size to nearly 87 square miles (225 square kilometers) after erupting Friday in the Klamath National Forest, firefighting officials said. It is California’s largest wildfire of the year so far and officials have not yet determined the cause.

Gusty winds from a thunderstorm powered the blaze of a few hundred acres into a massive conflagration while lightning caused a couple of smaller blazes nearby, including one near the community of Seiad Valley, fire officials said.

On Monday, heavy rain helped dampen the fire but it still threatened structures after torching more than 100, ranging from homes to greenhouses, fire and sheriff’s officials said.

About 2,500 people remained under evacuation orders.

“If you get an order, that means go. This fire behavior, as you’ll hear, is incredible. Don’t try to fight it. Don’t try to stick around,” Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Services Director Bryan Schenone said at a community meeting Monday evening.

Stormy and cloudy weather helped fire crews attack the blaze, and bulldozers had managed to ring the town of Yreka, fire officials said.

As of Monday, the blaze was about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from the town of around 7,500 people.

Valerie Linfoot’s son, a fire dispatcher, called to tell her their family home of three decades in Klamath River had burned. Linfoot said her husband de ella worked as a US Forest Service firefighter for years and the family did everything they could to prepare their house for a wildfire — including installing a metal roof and trimming trees and tall grasses around the property.

“It was as safe as we could make it, and it was just so dry and so hot and the fire was going so fast,” Linfoot told the Bay Area News Group. She said her neighbors have also lost homes.

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“It’s a beautiful place. And from what I’ve seen, it’s just decimated. It’s absolutely destroyed,” she told the news group.

In northwestern Montana, winds picked up Monday afternoon on a fire burning in forested land west of Flathead Lake, forcing fire managers to ground all aircraft and leading the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to start evacuating residents on the northeastern corner of the fire.

The fire was putting up a lot of smoke, creating visibility problems for aircraft, said Sara Rouse, a spokesperson for the fire management team.

The fire, which started Friday afternoon near the town of Elmo on the Flathead Indian Reservation, measured 20 square miles (52 square kilometers), fire officials said.

The Moose Fire in Idaho has burned more than 85 square miles (220 square kilometers) in the Salmon-Challis National Forest while threatening homes, mining operations and fisheries near the town of Salmon. It was 23% contained Monday.

And a wildfire raging in northwestern Nebraska led to evacuations and destroyed or damaged several homes near the small city of Gering. The Carter Canyon Fire began Saturday as two separate fires that merged. It was about 30% contained by early Monday.

In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday, allowing him more flexibility to make emergency response and recovery effort decisions and to tap federal aid.

Scientists have said climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

The US Forest service shut down a 110-mile (177-kilometer) section of the famed Pacific Crest Trail in Northern California and southern Oregon. Sixty hikers in that area were helped to evacuate on Saturday, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon, which aided in the effort.

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Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporters Amy Hanson in Helena, Montana; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; and Keith Ridler in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.

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US

California liquor store owner shoots would-be armed robber

An elderly convenience store owner in California is being hailed as a hero after he shot at a would-be robber who ran out of the store screaming his arm was “shot off.”

Shocking surveillance footage from Norco Market & Liquor at the 2800 block of Clark Avenue in Norco, Calif., showed a masked assailant entering the business at about 2:47 am with an AR-15-style rifle pointed at the 80-year-old store-owner.

The suspect yelled, “Freeze, hands in the air,” but within seconds, the quick-thinking store owner pulled out his own rifle from under the counter and immediately shot once at the robber, hitting him in the arm.

Video footage further showed another man getting out of a black BMW SUV, but he stopped and got back inside the vehicle once he saw the first suspect run out of the store repeatedly screaming, “He shot my arm off!”

Suspect pointing gun.
The three suspects involved in the attempted robbery were all caught, with the suspect who was shot in the hospital in critical but stable condition.
Fox11

Riverside County Sheriff’s officials arrested three suspects—Justin Johnson, 22, of Inglewood, Calif., Jamar Williams, 27, of Los Angeles, and Davon Broadus, of Las Vegas, Nevada—at a local hospital.

The primary suspect, a 23-year-old man, remained in critical but stable condition at the hospital, officials said. His identity is being held pending his release from the hospital.

“In this case, a lawfully armed member of our community prevented a violent crime and ensured their own safety, while being confronted with multiple armed suspects,” Riverside County Sheriff’s said in a press release. “This investigation is active and ongoing and no additional information will currently be released.”

Employees at Norco Market & Liquor said the owner was watching the store cameras as the SUV pulled into the parking lot. Once he saw the first assailant get out of the SUV and pull a mask over his face from him, the owner immediately went for his rifle.

Store owner.
The 80-year-old store owner did not hesitate to defend himself and his business when the suspect entered with his rifle pointing directly at him.
Fox11

“He just prepared himself … and he stood right here, aimed and shot,” store manager Marnia Tapia told Fox11.

Suspect number two.
The two other suspects frantically drove off after the suspect who was shot ran shouting, “He shot my arm off,” into the car.
Riverside County Sheriff’s Office

Employees said the owner was not at the store on Monday, but Fox11 reported the man suffered a heart attack right after the shooting. He is expected to recover and will be discharged from the hospital sometime Monday night.

Sheriff’s officials said the SUV used in the attempted robbery was stolen and numerous stolen firearms were also found inside the vehicle.

Johnson, Williams and Broadus were booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside for robbery and conspiracy. They are being held in jail in lieu of a $500,000 bail.

The primary suspect will also be booked at the facility once he is released from the hospital, officials said.

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