Spokane wildfire suspect arrested; Trump-Pirro rift grows over Reflecting Pool case

Authorities have arrested a man accused of starting one of the three Spokane-area wildfires, a disaster that has already destroyed hundreds of homes and burned more than 8,000 acres.

Plus, President Donald Trump has escalated his public criticism of Jeanine Pirro after she concluded contractor mistakes, not vandalism, caused the damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

And Trump says Iran has one final opportunity to reach an agreement before Iran is “decapitated,” even as Tehran continues to publicly deny direct negotiations.

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Arson suspect arrested in Spokane wildfires as flames continue to destroy homes, force evacuations

Authorities said they’ve arrested a man they believe started the largest of the three fires still burning in Spokane, Washington. 

Spokane County Sheriff’s investigators arrested 37-year-old Aaron Farinacci on Monday on suspicion of first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire. He’s being held on a $1 million bond.

Investigators said a witness reported seeing Farinacci kneeling in the grass where the fire is believed to have started. The sheriff added that Farinacci has a prior manslaughter conviction out of Arizona.

“By the way, it is a continuing and ongoing investigation. We will be looking into any other crimes MR. Farinacci may have committed in the past,” Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said. “We will also be looking into other charges that may come about as the facts and circumstances of the old trail fire come to light and come to be known. Just know that this charge is what we have probable cause for right now.”

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, firefighters race to take advantage of their best weather conditions in days before hotter, drier weather returns later this week.

Fast-moving flames have destroyed more than 700 homes, businesses and other buildings. Tens of thousands of people remain under evacuation orders.

The fires are still uncontained, but lighter winds and cooler temperatures Tuesday are giving crews their first real opportunity to slow them down.

The scenes across Spokane are staggering, with burned-out neighborhoods, twisted cars and in some places, only chimneys left standing.

Among those returning home is Lizzie Davis. She returned to see the house she grew up in relegated to just charred ruins.

“My dad had actually just finished paying off the house,” Davis said. “Yeah, he worked really hard for that. And I’m really grateful for everything that he was able to provide for my family. It was a beautiful home. It really was. It’s a very, very hard loss.”

Officials said they’ve received hundreds of reports of missing people, though most have now been accounted for, and so far there have been no confirmed deaths or major injuries.

Trump offers Iran ‘last chance’ for a deal as Iran again rejects claim that talks are underway

Trump said he’s giving Iran one “last chance” to reach a deal with the United States. Iran, however, continues to insist it is not holding direct talks with Washington.

Iran’s foreign minister said he spoke late Monday with his counterparts in Oman and Pakistan as Oman continues to serve as a go-between.

But Trump told reporters Monday the two sides are talking, saying Iran requested the contacts with the backing of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.

“If we’re not talking, when you ask me, no, we’re not talking. I’ll say it, but we are talking right now,” Trump said. “We’re talking, and we’re talking at the request of Iran, backed by Saudi Arabia, backed by UAE and backed by Qatar in particular, but others also many, many countries called.”

The president added, “This is their last chance. This is not something that if it doesn’t happen, this is a last chance for them to sign a good document.”

Trump said he expects talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz to begin within the next day or two, followed by negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

He said he believes an agreement is possible, but added that denuclearization “will take a little while.”

Trump rebukes Jeanine Pirro after she drops reflecting pool cases

After her office abruptly dropped the highest-profile case in the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool investigation, Trump continues to publicly criticize U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

Last week, Pirro’s office asked a judge to dismiss the felony case against former Olympian David Hearn, saying newly released evidence shows the widespread damage to the pool was largely caused by a flawed, rushed installation, not vandalism.

Since then, prosecutors have also moved to drop three related misdemeanor cases. The filing directly contradicted months of claims from the Trump administration that vandals were responsible for the damage.

On Monday, the president made it clear he vehemently disagrees with Pirro, and publicly rebuked her. 

“I was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro, really disappointed with Jeanine Pirro. She, she folded like an umbrella. And people get away with things, and it’s a disgrace.” 

CNN reported Trump was blindsided by Pirro’s decision and is now considering replacing her as Washington’s top federal prosecutor.

The judge has not yet ruled on the government’s request to dismiss the case against Hearn. His attorneys say they’re considering their next legal steps.

Michigan Senate primary tests progressive strength

Michigan Democrats vote Tuesday in a primary that could decide more than who runs for the U.S. Senate.

It could determine the party’s next direction.

Progressive Abdul el-Sayed is trying to turn a string of left-wing primary wins into a statewide victory in one of the country’s most important battleground states. He’s campaigned with Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, arguing that Democrats need a more aggressive economic message and a cleaner break from the party establishment.

Rep. Haley Stevens has made the opposite case: Democrats need a candidate who can hold the center and win a difficult general election in November.

The race has become a bitter, expensive fight over Israel, corporate money and Trump. The winner will compete for the seat vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters and will likely face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who has no primary opposition.

The result will matter far beyond Michigan, as Democrats defend a must-hold Senate seat and both wings of the party look for a blueprint to use this fall. That same divide is playing out in Detroit’s 13th district, where progressive state Rep. Donavan McKinney is trying to unseat Rep. Shri Thanedar, who has the backing of House Democratic leaders.

Michigan is the main event, but voters also head to the polls today in Kansas, Missouri and Washington state.

Judge sides with ICE on masks, rules New York cannot enforce restrictions

A federal judge has halted New York’s new law requiring federal agents to show their faces and wear visible identification during enforcement operations.

The ruling prevents the law from taking effect while the legal challenge proceeds. It also follows a similar decision earlier this year, when a federal judge blocked California from enforcing nearly identical requirements.

The laws were passed after the Trump administration expanded immigration enforcement, with supporters arguing that masked federal agents should be identifiable, and the administration contending that the requirements interfere with federal law enforcement.

A federal judge in New York ruled Monday the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause prevents states from regulating how federal officers carry out their duties.

The decision is the latest legal win for the Trump administration, which is also challenging similar laws in Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia and Philadelphia.

Festival trash becomes fashion as old tents return as jackets, bags and vests

When the music stops and the festival ends, thousands of tents get left behind. One young woman in England saw a business opportunity.

Jess O’Riley, 25, is turning abandoned festival tents into fashion, making everything from waterproof jackets and vests to colorful handbags and duffel bags. She said she couldn’t believe how many people bought brand-new tents, used them for a single weekend, and then left them behind.

O’Riley cleans each tent, turns the material inside out and reworks it into clothing and accessories that look nothing like camping gear. The idea has grown into her own company, J.O. Studio.

Next month, her designs will hit the runway at Manchester Fashion Week.

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The little robot that could … fix America’s sidewalks?

TYLER, Texas — The city’s newest subcontractor is stuck. It’s high noon on a sweaty Texas day in late June, and Dax Flynn cannot figure out a way to cross the street. Flynn is surveying more than 90 miles of sidewalks across Tyler to assess their compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. And here, at the corner of Shelley Drive and Old Bullard Road, Flynn has already hit the first of several bumps along the day’s road. 

Because the opposite side of the intersection lacks a ramp to access the sidewalk, there is no safe, rollable way to cross this street without having to battle traffic. 

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