Idaho Ambush, Alligator Alcatraz, & Filipino Chocolate

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Adam Rogers
June 30, 2025

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At least 2 firefighters have been killed in an Idaho ambush attack.

Two firefighters have been killed and a third is in surgery after being shot by a sniper while responding to a brush fire near Coeur d'Alene in northern Idaho on Sunday afternoon. Authorities confirmed the fire was intentionally set to lure first responders into an ambush on Canfield Mountain.
The shooter or shooters remain active, and authorities were still taking sniper fire from multiple directions as of this writing at 11 pm EST. The number of gunmen is unknown, hikers remain trapped on the mountain, and fire suppression efforts have been halted due to the ongoing gunfire.
The FBI is assisting with tactical support while a shelter-in-place order remains in effect for the Canfield Mountain area. Deliberate attacks on firefighters are extremely rare, with Idaho Governor Brad Little calling it a "heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters."

A new study found brain injuries are linked to criminal behavior in rare cases.

Harvard Medical School researchers analyzed 17 rare cases of patients who suddenly began committing crimes after brain injuries, comparing them to over 700 control cases with other brain damage. The study examined people who became criminally violent after strokes, tumors, or trauma.
The researchers identified damage to a specific brain region, called the right uncinate fasciculus, that links emotion and decision-making as the most consistent factor in new-onset criminal behavior, particularly violent offenses. The findings provide the first clear evidence that certain brain lesions may directly cause criminal behavior rather than simply correlating with it.
The research has implications for criminal justice, as brain imaging is increasingly used as evidence in trials. Lead researcher Dr. Isaiah Kletenik said that if someone has a new brain injury to this region and develops new criminal behavior, "there is an increased likelihood that the injury plays a causal role."

Young Americans are running for office in growing numbers across party lines.

The number of young candidates has steadily increased over the past decade, with seventy-five millennials and Gen Z members elected to the current Congress. This is up from sixty-two in the previous session and represents 16% of the House and 8% of the Senate.
The trend gained additional momentum after 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo in New York's Democratic mayoral primary earlier this month, with about 2,700 people signing up with Run for Something, a group that recruits young Democrats for office, in just four days following his victory.
Young candidates are bringing a different approach to politics that emphasizes authenticity and digital-first campaigning. Mamdani built his campaign "more for TikTok than TV," while 22-year-old North Carolina House Republican Wyatt Gable focuses on practical issues like requiring financial literacy education in high schools. Conservative groups like Run Gen Z are also mobilizing young Republicans for office.
The generational shift comes as American leadership ages. The current Congress is the third oldest in US history, and both Biden and Trump set records as the oldest presidents ever inaugurated. Sixty-seven percent of Americans now support maximum age limits for elected officials, according to a February YouGov poll.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis announced Sunday he won't seek re-election in North Carolina, hours after voting against Trump's tax bill and drawing the president's criticism on social media. (More)

At least one person died and two were hospitalized after three Philadelphia row houses collapsed in an explosion early Sunday morning. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. (More)

Hundreds of protesters gathered Saturday to oppose the construction of an immigrant detention center in Florida's Everglades, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz.” (More)

Today is the deadline for about 12,000 Chinese immigrants in Taiwan to prove they've abandoned Chinese household registration or risk losing residency rights and face possible deportation under new national security measures. (More)

Over 100,000 people defied Hungary's government ban to attend the mayor-organized Budapest Pride march despite threats of fines and imprisonment. (More)

France banned smoking in all parks, sports venues, beaches, bus stops, and near schools on Saturday to denormalize tobacco use. (More)

US stock markets closed higher on Friday (S&P +0.52%, Nasdaq +0.52%, Dow +1.00%). The S&P finished at an all-time high. (More)

Nvidia insiders sold over $1 billion in stock during the past year, including $500 million last month, as the AI chipmaker's shares rallied to fresh record highs despite geopolitical concerns. (More)

Warren Buffett is donating $6 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to five charitable foundations on Monday, bringing his cumulative total charitable giving since 2006 to approximately $60 billion in value. (More)

Wimbledon begins today with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner the clear favorites on the men’s side, while Aryna Sabalenka leads the women's odds. (More)

LeBron James exercised his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers for 2025-26. The 40-year-old NBA scoring leader is entering a record-setting 23rd season. (More)

Apple Original Films' "F1" via Warner Bros opened to $144 million worldwide and $55.6 million domestically. The film is on track to be Brad Pitt’s most successful at the box office. (More)

Chinese researchers discovered Parkinson's disease may originate in the kidneys rather than the brain, finding that harmful alpha-synuclein protein clumps can travel from kidney tissue directly to the brain. (More)

The FBI and cybersecurity firms warned that Scattered Spider hackers are now targeting airlines and transportation, using social engineering and threats to steal sensitive data from company networks. (More)

Japanese researchers using advanced digital fossil techniques discovered that squids dominated ancient oceans 100 million years ago, far earlier than previously believed. (More)

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