Amna Nawaz:
The victims ranged in age from 18 to as young as 7. Six other children were hurt. Officials say the driver was a 44-year-old woman who was not injured in the crash. Toxicology reports are pending to see if she was impaired. Authorities say the crash is under investigation, but they do not believe it was a targeted attack.
On the West Coast, Los Angeles County workers walked the picket line today to demand higher wages. The workers showed up by the tens of thousands, the first time ever that all of L.A. County’s union members went on strike. The two-day stoppage could mean closures or disruptions to many critical government services in a county that’s home to some 10 million people.
The government there says it’s facing unprecedented stresses and has little room in its budget for increased pay. The union’s last contract expired in March.
A prosecutor told a court in England today that the famous Sycamore Gap tree was cut down in a deliberate and mindless act. The majestic landmark once sat between two hills along the ancient Hadrian’s Wall in Northern England. It was a popular tourist site that was even featured in the Kevin Costner film “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.”
Authorities say they have evidence that a man cut it down at night with a chain saw in 2023 while another filmed the act. Two men in their 30s have pleaded not guilty to two counts each of criminal damage.
On Wall Street today, stocks ended higher as investors weigh the latest developments on tariffs and potential trade deals. The Dow Jones industrial average added 300 points on the day. The Nasdaq gained nearly 100 points, or about half-a-percent. The S&P 500 also closed in positive territory.
And Congress today bestowed its highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, to the only Black all-female unit that served in Europe during World War II. The Six Triple Eight, as it was commonly known, played an invaluable role by processing a backlog of about 17 million pieces of mail in just three months. That was twice as fast as expected, and it delivered a much-needed morale boost to American forces.
In a ceremony this afternoon at the Capitol, House Speaker Mike Johnson said the honor was long overdue.
