International

Work begins to remove the rubble of the Baltimore Bridge (USA)

The governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, reported on Saturday that the bridge that collapsed last Tuesday in the city of Baltimore, an accident that left six deaths and billions of millions losses, began to be cut with a view to being safely removed by the cranes.

Moore explained at a press conference, at the police headquarters of the Maryland Transport Authority, that the upper part of the north side of the Francis Scotte Key Bridge, which collapsed when a freighter crashed into the infrastructure, began to be cut by specialized demolition equipment.

“The northern sections of the Key Bridge will be cut and removed, this will eventually allow us to open a temporary restricted channel that will help us carry more boats around the site of the collapse,” he said, and then emphasized that this work will take time.

The divers continue today to carry out underwater evaluations in support of future operations.

On Friday, the largest crane on the east coast of the United States arrived in Baltimore to remove the debris in which the bridge was reduced.

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The crane, which can lift up to 1,000 tons in weight, will be one of the seven floating cranes that will participate in the collection of metal and concrete debris from the infrastructure.

These cranes are added to 10 tugboats, nine barges, eight rescue ships and five Coast Guard ships.

Prior to the removal, an evaluation of the debris was carried out, which is considered “fundamental” before removing it from the water to determine the size in which the pieces of the bridge must be cut so that the cranes can load them.

“Once we complete this phase of the work, we can move more towers, barges and small boats to the area to speed up our recovery,” the governor said.

With the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, access to the port of Baltimore, one of the main U.S. in the Atlantic, was blocked, with a transit in 2023 of 80 billion dollars of goods coming from abroad.

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It is also the fastest route for the Midwest of the country and the most important for the transport of cars.

Due to the devastating effects on the local economy, this Saturday the government Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the launch of a low-interest loan program for small businesses in Maryland, Washington DC, and Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia counties.

Moore stressed that 377 people are working on the response operations after the accident, – a figure that will increase – that left six Latino immigrant workers dead.

The “Unified Command”, in charge of the work in the area, is working in partnership with Baltimore’s gas and electricity companies to reduce the pressure of an underwater pipe that extends across the width of the channel and passes below the site of the incident, according to the ABC network.

“We will clean up the debris, move the Dali (the boat that caused the accident) and rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” the governor promised.

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“The Maryland economy and Maryland workers depend on us acting quickly. But not only Maryland is affected. The economy and the workers of the nation depend on us moving forward quickly,” he added.

He also indicated that a “zone prohibited to drones” has been established in the airspace surrounding the collapse. “All drones must be kept away from the place of collapse,” he warned.

International

Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms

Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36, her representative confirmed to CNN.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to everyone who knew her, and to the millions who saw her on screen,” her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement to CNN.

The circumstances surrounding her death were not immediately known. ABC was the first outlet to report the news.

Panettiere rose to prominence in the late 2000s with her role as Claire Bennet in the television series “Heroes.” Her character was a cheerleader with the ability to heal herself, becoming one of the show’s most recognizable figures.

She later starred in the musical drama series “Nashville,” portraying Juliette Barnes, a young country music star whose career and personal life were central to the series.

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Panettiere also appeared in the 2011 horror film “Scream 4” as Kirby Reed. She later returned to the franchise more than a decade later in “Scream VI.”

Her other notable film credits included “I Love You, Beth Cooper” and “Remember the Titans.”

Panettiere’s career spanned television and film, with roles that made her a familiar face to audiences from the 2000s onward.

International

Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson

Luigi Mangione admitted Friday to fatally shooting Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurance group in the United States, during an appearance before a federal judge.

The case shocked the U.S. business community and dates back to December 2024, when Mangione opened fire on Thompson, 50, on a Manhattan street. Prosecutors have described the attack as being motivated by Mangione’s opposition to the U.S. health insurance system.

“On the morning of December 4, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” Mangione said as he pleaded guilty to a federal stalking charge related to his pursuit of the executive.

Mangione, 28, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, and prosecutors have indicated that they will seek a life sentence.

In addition to the federal charges related to stalking Thompson, Mangione also faces a murder case brought by the state of New York.

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Following his guilty plea in federal court, Mangione’s defense asked a state court to dismiss the state charges, arguing that prosecuting him again for the same conduct would violate protections against double jeopardy.

“We have just filed our motion in state court to explain why the charges should be dismissed under New York’s protections against double jeopardy,” Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said Friday.

Both the federal and state cases could result in a life sentence. Two other federal charges that initially carried the possibility of the death penalty were dismissed by a judge earlier this year.

International

ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns

Plans to equip U.S. immigration agents with gloves capable of delivering electric shocks are raising concerns over potential abuses by a law enforcement agency that critics accuse of using excessive force and providing inadequate training to its personnel.

The plan involves the potential purchase of electric-shock gloves for agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency primarily responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s campaign to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost criticized the proposal on X, arguing that the agency has already faced accusations of excessive force during immigration enforcement operations.

“As if assaulting and shooting people in the streets wasn’t enough,” Frost wrote. He also criticized the reported $20 million potential expenditure on the devices and called for greater restrictions on ICE.

The agency has faced growing scrutiny following a series of deadly shootings during immigration enforcement operations. Among the incidents were the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota in January who were participating in protests against the agency.

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Critics have focused on the tactics used by ICE agents when detaining immigrants, as well as allegations that training standards for newly recruited personnel have been lowered.

According to a procurement plan first reported by the Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, could spend between $10 million and $20 million on the devices.

The gloves are described by the agency as tools intended for “distraction and de-escalation,” rather than lethal weapons. The system, known as GLOVE, stands for “Generated Low-Output Voltage Emitter.”

The device is manufactured by Compliant Technologies, a Kentucky-based company that describes its products as advanced non-lethal tools designed to protect and assist law enforcement and other personnel.

The proposal comes amid an intensifying national debate over ICE’s enforcement methods and the use of force during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.