NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
1 _ Wildfire report: A 2018 wildfire that killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes was sparked by Southern California Edison equipment, according to a report by investigators. The Woolsey Fire investigation obtained by the Ventura County Star concludes Edison equipment associated with an electrical circuit was the cause of the blaze northwest of Los Angeles. The fire torched homes in Thousand Oaks, Calabasas and Malibu as it burned all the way to the coast. In a statement, Edison spokesman Chris Abel said the utility “shared the conclusion of Ventura County Fire Department’s redacted Woolsey report.”
2 _ Guard deploys: The Pennsylvania National Guard arrived in Philadelphia on Friday following days of protests, store breakins and ATM thefts after a Black man holding a knife was shot at 14 times by police, killing him. The Guard’s mission is to help quell the unrest that began after the death of Walter Wallace Jr. on Monday. The mayor’s office said the city requested that the guard help with “the current situation and election preparation.” Police have said two officers fired after Wallace ignored orders to drop a knife.
3 _ Protest shooting: A 17yearold from Illinois accused of killing two demonstrators in Kenosha, Wis., was extradited Friday to stand trial on homicide charges. Defense lawyers, who argued the extradition request was defective, failed to persuade an Illinois judge to block Kyle Rittenhouse’s transfer. The Aug. 25 shootings came two days after a white police officer trying to arrest Jacob Blake shot the Black man in the back, paralyzing him. Video of the shooting sparked outrage and helped spur on the protests. Rittenhouse’s case has become a rallying point for some conservatives who see him as a patriot who was exercising his right to bear arms during unrest. Others portray him as a domestic terrorist.
4 _ Admissions scandal: “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin has reported to a federal prison in Dublin to begin serving her twomonth sentence for her role in the college admissions bribery scandal. Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, was sentenced to five months for paying half a million dollars in bribes to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as rowing recruits. “The defendant has further agreed that, during her twomonth sentence, she will not seek an early release from prison on COVID related grounds,” the U. S. Attorney’s office said. Her plea deal calls for Loughlin to also pay a $ 150,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service.
5 _ Leopard mauling: A man was mauled and seriously injured by a black leopard in a backyard zoo in Davie, Fla., wildlife officials said. The man paid $ 150 for a “full contact experience” with the animal, which allowed him to play with it and take pictures, WPLG reported. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission charged the owner with allowing contact with a dangerous animal and maintaining wildlife in an unsafe condition. The owner runs a licensed animal sanctuary for rare and endangered animals at the home, WPLG reported.