NEWS OF THE DAY
_1 Outbreak expands: A salmonella outbreak linked to onions has expanded to 43 states and Canada, prompting a recall from a producer in Bakersfield and various grocery chains, health officials said. There had been 640 reported salmonella cases, including 85 hospitalizations, tied to the outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration said. Many of the cases were in the West: Utah (90); Oregon (85); California (76); and Montana (52). The Public Health Agency of Canada reported 239 cases. No deaths have been reported. The FDA identified the likely source of the outbreak as red onions from Thomson International.
_2 Security alert: President Trump was abruptly escorted by a U.S. Secret Service agent out of the White House briefing room Monday after a shooting outside the White House. He returned minutes later and said the shots were fired by law enforcement. The shooting took place near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue just blocks from the White House, two sources told the Associated Press. Law enforcement officials were investigating the suspect’s motive. The suspect was transferred to a local hospital, and the District of Columbia fire department said the man suffered serious or possibly critical injuries. Authorities were investigating whether the individual has a history of mental illness.
_3 Gold mine: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said that if he’s elected, his administration would stop a proposed copper and gold mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region, a major salmon fishery. “It is no place for a mine,” the former vice president said. Biden said the salmon fishery is an economic powerhouse that should be protected for Alaska Natives and fishermen. The Environmental Protection Agency under the Obama administration proposed restricting development in the Bristol Bay region but never finalized the restrictions.
_4 Portland protest: Protesters outside a Portland police union building set fires and used a mortar to launch commercial grade fireworks at officers. Officials said Monday that two officers were injured and 16 demonstrators were arrested. The protesters on Sunday night blocked a road and set dumpster fires. The detentions came after nine protesters were arrested Saturday night and 24 Friday night. Sunday night’s demonstration came after demonstrators marched to the building from a nearby park. As police moved to break up the gathering, the commercialgrade fireworks were thrown at officers, police said. The protests in Portland have happened nightly since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in May.
_5 Police cuts: The Seattle City Council approved proposals Monday to reduce the police department by as many as 100 officers through layoffs and attrition — an action strongly opposed by the mayor and police chief. Seattle currently has about 1,400 police officers, and the reductions fall short of the 50% cut to the department that many Black Lives Matter protesters are seeking. Several council members on Monday said the changes were a starting point in a long process. The City Council also cut Police Chief Carmen Best’s roughly $285,000 annual salary.