NATIONAL HEADLINES

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Click here to read about how if you hear a screeching alert go off on your cell phone – and everyone else’s cell phone – this tomorrow at 2:20 pm ET (3:20pm Lakehills time!), don’t panic.  The federal government said it will conduct on Wednesday afternoon a nationwide test of its Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts.

In a good news story as a follow-up to yesterday's story from BNJ, the  

A nine-year-old girl who vanished from her family holiday while riding a bike in an upstate New York park was found inside a cabinet in her abductor's camper van. 

Charlotte Sena was rescued by troopers on Monday - two days after she was snatched from Moreau Lake State Park in Gansevoort. She was found 'in good health,' police said. Click here for more on this story.  

Jimmy Carter, who served as president from 1977 to 1981, is the oldest former president in U.S. history. His 99th birthday comes more than six months after he entered hospice care earlier this year and just weeks after his grandson Jason Carter said the former president and Rosalynn, who was diagnosed with dementia, are “coming to the end.   Even so, he and Rosalynn are celebrating President Carter's 99th Birthday.  Click here for more on this story.  

The FBI in Louisiana has been asked to assist the Baton Rouge Police Department in its criminal and internal investigation after attorneys filed a second federal lawsuit against the department, several officers and the city in connection with an alleged torture warehouse dubbed the “Brave Cave,” according to a complaint.   This is the 2nd case of a suspect being taken to a "black (secret) site" for interrogation.  For more on this story, click here.

One of several men indicted in a smuggling operation that left 53 migrants dead after they were trapped in the back of a sweltering semitruck in San Antonio last year has pleaded guilty, authorities said.  The June 2022 tragedy – which at the time was described as the deadliest human smuggling incident in US history – left families grieving across Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras as authorities identified the dead from the abandoned truck.  Click here to read more about this story.  

Click here to read about how the US is formally establishing diplomatic relations with a pair of Pacific Island nations Monday, recognizing the Cook Islands and Niue for the first time.  The recognition comes as President Joe Biden seeks to strengthen relationships in the Indo-Pacific region as a counter to China’s rising influence, something that’s been a major priority since he took office. The administration has worked to deepen its engagement with Pacific Island nations, and hosted the Pacific Island Forum leaders Monday at the White House.

Once again, a protest has turned violent and a dozen were arrested for looting in Philly after stores were looted when a large crowd gathered in Philadelphia’s Center City district Tuesday night, police said.  The looting began shortly after the conclusion of peaceful protests against a judge’s decision to dismiss all charges against a former Philadelphia police officer, Mark Dial, in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry on August 14, authorities said.

The gunman who killed 23 people and wounded 22 others at an El Paso Walmart in one of the deadliest attacks targeting Latinos in modern US history has agreed to pay more than $5.5 million in restitution to those impacted by the shooting.  Patrick Crusius, who pleaded guilty to federal charges in the attack, reached an agreement with prosecutors to pay $5,557,005.55 to claimants in the federal case, according to new court filings. The document identifying the claimants was sealed.

Did this kid play Grand Theft Auto or what?  Authorities in north Florida were surprised to discover a 10-year-old behind the wheel when they pulled over a stolen vehicle this week.  Officers pulled over a white sedan on Interstate 75 just before 4 a.m. Thursday in the city of Alachua, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle had been reported stolen out of North Port, a city in southwest Florida more than 200 miles away.  The theft occurred because their mother confiscated their video games!

Click here to read about how being without electricity is more than an inconvenience: not having access to power can impact your ability to keep food and medications cold, see potential danger around you, maintain a comfortable temperature and stay connected to safety services.  Here’s what you can do to stay safe if you’re without power: