20250709a02briefs

Person dies after getting sucked into airplane engine

ROME — The airport in the northern Italian city of Bergamo briefly suspended flights due to a runway incident that local media said was apparently caused when someone got sucked into an airport engine and died. The Bergamo Milan airport authority said Tuesday all flights were suspended at the Bergamo-Orio al Serio airport due to a problem on the taxiway. An investigation was underway. Corriere della Sera newspaper cited unnamed airport officials as saying someone apparently ran onto the tarmac as a plane was taking off. LaPresse news agency cited unnamed investigators as saying suicide was suspected.

Former ‘16 and Pregnant’ star charged in overdose death

ROME, Ga. — A woman who appeared on MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” has been arrested in Georgia on charges including involuntary manslaughter. WAGA-TV reports that Whitney Purvis is accused of providing a substance containing fentanyl and xylazine, known as “Tranq,” which led to a man’s fatal overdose in February. The television station reported that police found John Mark Harris dead at a home in Rome, Georgia, with drug paraphernalia at the scene. The Drug Enforcement Administration and local officers made the arrest on Monday. The DEA warns that synthetic opioids like fentanyl are involved in nearly 70% of drug-related deaths. The investigation is ongoing.

Militants kill 5 Israeli soldiers, Israeli strikes kill 51 Palestinians

TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military says five soldiers have been killed in an attack in northern Gaza. Health officials in the Palestinian territory say Israeli strikes killed 51 people. The bloodshed came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting the White House on Tuesday for talks with President Donald Trump about a ceasefire plan. There was no announcement of a breakthrough from that meeting. But there were signs of progress toward a deal. The soldiers’ deaths could add to pressure on Netanyahu to strike a deal in Israel where polls have shown widespread support for ending the 21-month war.

Residents shaken after feds march through MacArthur Park

LOS ANGELES — A day after federal officers and National Guard troops descended on MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, immigrant residents of the surrounding neighborhood were coming to grips with the operation that local officials said seemed designed to sow fear. The Department of Homeland Security wouldn’t say what the purpose of the operation was, why it ended abruptly, or whether anyone had been arrested on Monday. Fernando Rodriguez closed down his variety store near the park after seeing flyers warning of immigration enforcement. “You look Latino, they take you. Even if you show papers, they say they’re fake,” he said. “What they’re doing is evil.”

AI used to impersonate Rubio to contact foreign and US officials

WASHINGTON — The State Department is warning U.S. diplomats of attempts to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and possibly other officials using AI-driven technology. That’s according to two senior officials and a cable sent last week to all embassies and consulates. The warning came after the department discovered that an impostor posing as Rubio had tried to reach out to at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. senator and a governor. Those details were laid out in a July 3 cable first reported by The Washington Post.

‘Lord of the Rings’ director backs de-extinction plan

WASHINGTON — Filmmaker Peter Jackson’s fascination with a large extinct New Zealand bird has led to an unusual partnership with a biotech company known for its grand and controversial plans to bring back lost species. Colossal Biosciences on Tuesday announced an effort to genetically engineer living birds to resemble the extinct South Island giant moa with $15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh.

Travelers no longer have to remove shoes at US airports

For the first time in almost 20 years, travelers no longer have to take off their shoes during security screenings at certain U.S. airports. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the new nationwide policy on Tuesday, effective immediately. The change ends a requirement introduced almost two decades ago, several years after “shoe bomber” Richard Reid’s attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001. Noem says a pilot program showed the Transportation Security Administration had the equipment needed to keep airports and aircraft safe while allowing people to keep their shoes on. She says the federal agency is reviewing other security rules and procedures.