IN BRIEF
NTSB: BALLOON CRASH PILOT WAS IMPAIRED
The pilot in the deadliest hot air balloon crash in U.S. history was likely impaired by opioids and sedatives when he ignored weather warnings and flew the ride into a power line, investigators said Tuesday.
Besides Valium and oxycodone, there was a high enough dosage of an over-the-counter antihistamine in Alfred “Skip” Nichols’ system to mimic “the impairing effect of a blood-alcohol level” of a drunken driver, said Dr. Nicholas Webster, a Na- tional Transportation Safety Board medical officer.
The NTSB revealed its findings in Washington about the July
2016 crash near Austin that killed
16 people.
FED SEARCH APPEARS DOWN TO 5 FINALISTS
President Trump said Tuesday he will decide “soon” on the next Federal Reserve Board chairman.
At a joint news conference with the prime minister of Greece, Trump all but confirmed the reported list of five finalists: former Fed governor Kevin Warsh, Stanford University economist John Taylor, current Fed Gov. Jerome Powell, National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn and current Chair Janet Yellen.
“Within those five you’ll probably get the answer,” Trump told reporters, refusing to identify a favorite. “I have a great respect for all of them.”
NEW FIRES BREAK OUT AS WINE COUNTRY BLAZES DIM
As crews gained on the wildfires in California wine country, new blazes broke out in other parts of the state, including a fire in the mountains above Los Angeles that threatened a historic observatory Tuesday and more flames in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Firefighters raced to protect the Mount Wilson Observatory and nearby communications towers from a growing brush fire northeast of Los Angeles.
The observatory, which has been evacuated, opened in 1917 and houses the 100-inch Hooker Telescope, one of the most advanced telescopes of the first half of the 20th century.
UK INTEL CHIEF: TERROR THREAT WORST OF CAREER
Britain’s domestic intelligence chief warned during a rare public speech Tuesday that the terrorist threat the country faces is worse now than at any time in his 34year career.
MI5 Director General Andrew Parker said his agency is constantly expanding and upgrading its capability, but cannot realistically prevent all attacks targeting civilians.