COMING UP —
A MAJOR SHIFT IN RUSSIA OVER THE WEEKEND —
AS A MILITANT GROUP FIGHTING FOR PUTIN LED A REVOLT AGAINST HIM.
AND —
A BRIDGE COLLAPSED IN MONTANA — CAUSING A FREIGHT TRAIN TO PLUNGE BELOW INTO THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER.
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RUSSIA’S DEFENSE MINISTER HAS MADE HIS FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE A MERCENARY GROUP FIGHTING FOR RUSSIA IN ITS WAR WITH UKRAINE –TURNED ON RUSSIA OVER THE WEEKEND.
WAGNER GROUP CHIEF YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN ORDERED HIS MERCENARIES TO MARCH ON MOSCOW SATURDAY.
THE GROUP WAS EVEN ABLE TO TAKE OVER A RUSSIAN CITY BEFORE A DEAL WITH THE KREMLIN TO END THE REVOLT WAS REACHED LESS THAN 24 HOURS LATER.
UNDER THE DEAL — PRIGOZHIN WILL MOVE TO BELARUS — AND NEITHER HE NOR HIS WAGNER MERCENARIES WILL BE PROSECUTED.
SOME ANALYSTS ARE CALLING THE REBELLION THE GREATEST CHALLENGE TO RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN IN HIS MORE THAN 20 YEARS IN POWER — ADDING THAT IT MAY CREATE A WHOLE NEW DYNAMIC REGARDING THE WAR IN UKRAINE.
“The fact that this deal appears to have given Prigozhin a sort of free pardon to retire into Belarus and that the Wagner mercenaries will be absorbed into regular Russian army is perhaps a surprise, but it’s also why I think this saga isn’t finally over. Because I find it very hard to believe that Prigozhin will have a quiet peaceful retirement in Belarus.”

MORE THAN 100 THOUSAND PEOPLE IN NORTH KOREA TOOK PART IN MASSIVE ANTI-U.S. PROTESTS OVER THE WEEKEND.
IT COMES JUST AS THE COUNTRY CELEBRATES ITS 73RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE START OF THE KOREAN WAR —
TRIGGERED BY A NORTH KOREAN SURPRISE ATTACK —
BUT SOMETHING THE NORTH BLAMES THE U.S. FOR.THE PROTESTS COME AT A TIME OF SWELLING NORTH KOREAN NATIONALISM —
WITH ITS PEOPLE BOASTING THE EXPANSION OF ITS “NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND MISSILE PROGRAMS.”
IN THE CROWDS OF PROTESTERS OVER THE WEEKEND —
SIGNS READ QUOTE “THE ENTIRE U.S. MAINLAND IS WITHIN OUR STRIKING RANGE.”
“LET’S ERADICATE U.S. IMPERIALIST INVADERS.”
SINCE JUST LAST YEAR — DICTATOR KIM JONG UN HAS FIRED MORE THAN 100 MISSILES —
TESTING ITS ABILITY TO CONDUCT NUCLEAR STRIKES ON BOTH THE U.S. AND SOUTH KOREA.

A BRIDGE THAT CROSSES THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER COLLAPSED IN MONTANA THIS WEEKEND —
A FREIGHT TRAIN CARRYING HAZARD MATERIALS PLUNGED INTO THE WATER BELOW.
THE TRAIN CARS WERE CARRYING HOT ASPHALT AND MOLTEN SULFUR.
OFFICIALS SHUT DOWN DRINKING WATER INTAKES DOWNSTREAM.
SMALL COMMUNITIES USE RESERVOIRS FULL OF TREATED WATER FROM THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER.
ALL WATER TREATMENT PLANTS ARE NOW BACK UP AND RUNNING AGAIN.
THE CAUSE OF THE BRIDGE’S COLLAPSE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
THE RIVER HAD BEEN FULL WITH RECENT HEAVY RAINS BUT IT’S UNCLEAR IF THAT WAS A FACTOR.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO —
CAPTURING A FAST MOVING TORNADO ON THE GROUND SWINGING DEBRIS AND TEARING THROUGH RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS JUST SOUTH OF INDIANAPOLIS.
AT LEAST ONE PERSON IS DEAD AND ABOUT A DOZEN HOMES WERE DAMAGED IN SUNDAY’S STORM SYSTEM.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WERE LEFT WITHOUT POWER OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE MORNING.
IN MINNESOTA AND NORTH DAKOTA —
THERE WERE REPORTS OF AS MANY AS 18 TORNADOES.
MEANWHILE IN THE SOUTH —
TENS OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ARE UNDER “EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNINGS”.
IN TEXAS — TEMPERATURES REMAIN IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS —
THE CENTRAL PLAINS IS EXPECTED TO EXPERIENCE A SIMILAR HEAT WAVE LATER THIS WEEK.

FLIGHTS AT WASHINGTON D.C.’S TWO MAJOR AIRPORTS WERE PAUSED SUNDAY EVENING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR.
THERE WAS A PROBLEM AT A MAJOR “AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FACILITY” ON SITE THAT CAUSED THE GROUNDING OF FLIGHTS.
OPERATIONS WERE RESTARTED AFTER REPAIRS TO A “COMMUNICATIONS POWER PANEL” WERE MADE.
THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADIMINSTRATION OFFERED NO FURTHER DETAILS ON WHAT CAUSED THE NEED FOR REPAIRS.
THE AVIATION INDUSTRY HAS BEEN HEAVILY SCRUTINIZED AFTER A SERIES OF MISHAPS FROM NEAR-MISSES ON THE TARMAC TO OTHER OUTAGES SHUTTING DOWN OPERATIONS FOR HOURS.
ALSO OVER THE WEEKEND — A SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT EMPLOYEE WAS “INGESTED” INTO THE ENGINE OF A DELTA PLANE AND DIED.
THIS IS THE SECOND TYPE OF THIS INCIDENT IN SIX MONTHS AFTER ANOTHER CREW WORKER WAS “INGESTED” INTO A PLANE AT AN ALABAMA AIRPORT ON NEW YEARS EVE LAST YEAR.

OVER THE WEEKEND — U.S. SAFETY AUTO REGULATORS OPENED AN INVESTIGATION INTO FORD VEHICLES THAT COULD **ROLL AWAY** —
EVEN WHILE PLACED IN PARK.
LAST YEAR, FORD RECALLED NEARLY 300-THOUSAND “EXPLORER-SUVS” AND ADDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO FIX THE GLITCH.
BUT THE “NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION” SAYS ITS RECEIVED COMPLAINTS EVEN AFTER THE RECALL-RELATED **REPAIRS…
INCLUDING FROM ONE DRIVER WHO STRUCK A UTILITY POLE AND COMPLAINED THE CAR WOULD SLAM TO A COMPLETE STOP AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 30 TO 40 MILES PER HOUR.
THE ORIGINAL RECALL COVERED CERTAIN 2020 THROUGH 2022 EXPLORER MODELS.
FORD SAYS THEY ARE WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY TO RESOLVE THE MATTER.
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UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER.
HAVE A GREAT DAY!