DOJ charges Russia-backed TV network contributor with violating U.S. sanctions and money laundering

Mercedes rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli faced a setback in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, exiting after Q1 due to a damaged floor on his W16 Formula One car. Despite starting in P16, he remains optimistic for the race with the wet weather forecast playing in his favor. Teammate George Russell secured a P4 start, while Mercedes acknowledged the learning experience for the 18-year-old Italian driver in his debut season. Full Article

Dramatic bodycam footage captured firefighters rescuing a malnourished man held captive by his stepmother for 20 years in a burning house in Waterbury, Connecticut. The victim deliberately started the fire to gain his freedom after being locked in a small room for most of the day. His stepmother was arrested and charged with several offenses, while police described the conditions inside the house as resembling a horror movie. Full Article

House Democrats are planning a "Day of Action" across the country to oppose the GOP's Medicaid cuts, following Congress passing a spending bill to prevent a government shutdown. The Senate approved the bill with only Sen. Rand Paul dissenting, while House Democrats criticized the measure as harmful to veterans and families. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated that Democrats will work together with various groups to protect Americans from the impact of the bill and...

Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced the death of Abdallah Maki Mosleh al-Rifai, also known as "Abu Khadija," the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, killed in a joint operation by Iraqi national intelligence service and U.S.-led coalition forces. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the news on social media, praising the operation that terminated al-Rifai's "miserable life." The operation, conducted in Al Anbar Province, also resulted in the death of another...

An outbreak of wildfires fueled by dry conditions and hurricane-force winds spread across the Texas Panhandle and parts of Oklahoma, prompting evacuations, causing road havoc, and leaving thousands without power. The fires destroyed homes in Oklahoma, resulting in at least three deaths in Texas. Emergency crews struggled to contain the rapidly developing blazes, with the greatest concentration in east-central Oklahoma. Evacuation orders were issued in Stillwater, Oklahoma, as fires spread into populated areas, while dangerous...

A man in Austin, Texas, was charged with intoxication manslaughter after a late-night wreck on Interstate 35 involving over a dozen vehicles resulted in the deaths of five people, including three adults, a child, and an infant. Solomun Weldekeal Araya, 37, faces five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. The crash left 11 people injured and the southbound lanes of I-35 closed until Friday afternoon, with police still early in the...